USS South Carolina (CGN-37)

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Career	Image:US Naval Jack.svg
Image:USS South Carolina CGN-37 04013712.jpg
Keel laid down:	1 December 1970
Launched:	1 July 1972
Commissioned:	25 January 1975
Decommissioned:	30 July 1999
Struck:	30 July 1999
Fate:	Scrapping, ship recycling at Norfolk Naval Shipyard
General Characteristics
Displacement:	10,500 tons
Length:	597 ft
Beam:	61 ft
Draft:	31 ft 6 in
Propulsion:	2 × General Electric D2G nuclear reactors
Speed:	30+ knots
Complement:	40 officers and 544 enlisted
Armament:	2 Mk 141 Harpoon missile launchers, 2 Mk 45 5 inch/54 caliber lightweight guns, 2 20 mm Phalanx CIWS, 1 ASROC missile launcher, 2 Mk 13 missile launchers for standard missiles(MR), Mark 46 torpedoes
Aircraft:	Originally built with a hangar for two LAMPS III helos, but this was eventually replaced with a Tomahawk missile launcher.

USS South Carolina (CGN-37) was the second ship in the California-class of nuclear powered guided missile cruisers in the United States Navy.

The USS South Carolina and her sister ship the USS California were equipped with two Mk-13 launchers, fore and aft, for the "Standard" surface-to-air missiles, ASROC missiles, and Harpoon missiles. They were equipped with two 5" rapid-fire cannons, fore and aft. These two cruisers also had a unique arrangement aft of the superstructure, with a flight deck and a below-decks hangar for two LAMPS helicopters, the deck connected to the hangar by an aircraft elevator similar to those found on aircraft carriers. There was also a full suite of anti-submarine warfare equipment. Thus, these ships were designed to face all threats, in the air, on the surface, and underwater.

Eventually, the helo hangar and deck was removed, and replaced with two armored-box launchers for the Tomahawk cruise missiles, a total of eight Tomahawks.

1 1970-1979
2 1980-1989
3 1990-1998
4 Unit awards
5 See also
6 References
7 External links

[edit] 1970-1979

South Carolina was launched in July 1 1972 and commissioned as DLGN-37 in January 25 1975. She was redesignated CGN-37 six months later in the Navy's major type realignment of June 30 1975. South Carolina was built at Newport News Shipbuilding Co., Newport News, Virginia.

The cruiser's first North Atlantic deployment was to the Nimitz battle group. After South Carolina participated in Exercise Solid Shield in the Caribbean and completed her first Mediterranean deployment in February 1977. The South Carolina in company with her sister ship, California, and Nimitz commenced a second Mediterranean deployment in November 1977 and returned to Norfolk, Virginia in July 1978.

South Carolina deployed again to the Mediterranean in January 1979 with the Dwight D. Eisenhower Battle Group.

[edit] 1980-1989

In 1980, South Carolina deployed as part of the first Atlantic battle group to spend an entire deployment in the Indian Ocean. After a cruise to the Virgin Islands in November 1981, she was deployed in January 1982 for a 6 month deployment with Eisenhower.

In 1985, South Carolina began a new year by conducting preparatory exercises in the Caribbean. It was deployed to the Mediterranean in March and completed the deployment seven months and 46,500 miles later. South Carolina spent the majority of the deployment on station off Lebanon, in the wake of the hijacking of TWA Flight 847. The cruiser underwent her second extended maintenance period from October 1985 to June 1986. She departed in July 1986 for a North Atlantic cruise, and made port visits to Wilhelmshaven, Germany and Oslo, Norway. Upon her return to Norfolk, she commenced preparations for overseas deployment and got underway on December 30 1986 with the Nimitz battle Group.

She conducted joint exercises and a port visit to Wilhelmshaven, Germany. She returned home in October, 1988 to make final preparations for deployment.

South Carolina deployed to the Mediterranean in December 1988 with the Theodore Roosevelt battle group. During this deployment, their helicopters teamed up to rescue the crews of seven yachts disabled by heavy weather. It returned to Norfolk on June 30 1989, and began a four month availability at Norfolk Naval Shipyard following a one month Caribbean visit in support of operations with Forrestal.

[edit] 1990-1998

South Carolina departed January 5 1990 for Limited Team Training in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The cruiser again set sail for the Caribbean on March 12 1990 for law enforcement operations returning on April 13 1990 having acted as Coast Guard, COMCARIBRON flagship and making two drug interdictions. South Carolina returned to the Caribbean in July for counter narcotics operations, where she served as flagship for Commander, Joint Task Group 4 and COMCARIBRON.

South Carolina departed October 1 1990 for operations with the Saratoga Battle Group. Following a solo trans-Atlantic crossing, she transited the Suez Canal for the first time in her history. During Operation Desert Shield, she served as flagship for COMDESRON 24, the Maritime Interdiction Force Commander in the northern Red Sea. South Carolina conducted twenty-seven boardings during Maritime Interdiction Force operations. Admiral Frank Kelso, Chief of Naval Operations, visited the South Carolina on station November 7 1990.

Upon completion of Maritime Interdiction Force operations, South Carolina was selected as the first nuclear powered warship to visit the Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. In January 1991 the South Carolina participated in operations in the Central Mediterranean with the Theodore Roosevelt and America Battle Groups.

It sortied early from Taranto, in Italy January 17 1991 at the start of Operation Desert Storm. South Carolina acted as an Anti-Air Warfare Commander for the Mediterranean, protecting operation Silver Cloud air corridors and the approaches to the Suez Canal. South Carolina acted as on-scene commander and supervised the recovery of 4 survivors and 29 bodies from the sinking merchant ship Continental Lotus. South Carolina returned to homeport on March 28 1991. South Carolina entered Norfolk Naval Shipyard for a Combat System New Threat Upgrade and refueling of both reactors and left the shipyard March 30 1994 with a new lease on life.

Following nuclear refueling, she participated in Operation Able Vigil Forces to assist in the rescue and transport of thousands of Cuban migrants; its crewmembers were awarded the Coast Guard Commendation Medal.

South Carolina's first post-refueling employment was to the Straits of Florida during October and November 1994 to rescue Cuban refugees who were fleeing their homeland in hopes of reaching the United States. South Carolina commenced workups in the spring in preparations for her next major deployment.

In the fall of 1995, she started her eleventh deployment. This cruise saw service off the coast of the former republics of Yugoslavia in support of Operations Deny Flight, Sharp Guard, and Decisive Endeavor, which was part of the overall NATO Operation Joint Endeavor. South Carolina acted as "Green Crown" and Air Warfare Commander in the Adriatic Sea, earning the NATO Medal, Meritorious Unit Commendation, and Armed Forces Service Medals. South Carolina returned to homeport in the spring of 1996. South Carolina completed all unit work-up phases and began fleet operations with the George Washington Battle group in the spring of 1997. From April to June 1997 South Carolina conducted a COMPTUEX with the George Washington Battle group coordinating and acting as Air Warfare Commander for the largest and most successful Surface to Air Missile exercise in the Atlantic fleet. In August of 1997, South Carolina participated in Fleetex and completed all preparations for deployment.

In October of 1997, the cruiser began its final Mediterranean cruise visiting thirteen ports of call from Haifa, Israel to Naples, Italy and Rota, Spain. She served as the Sixth Fleet Air Warfare Commander and participated in three major NATO exercises. The ship returned to homeport Norfolk in April 1998. Just weeks after returning from the Mediterranean, South Carolina returned to sea for six weeks of Counter Narcotics operations in the South Western Caribbean.

The ship conducted its final port visit in Charleston, South Carolina between 10 August and 14 August 1998. South Carolina was decommissioned on 4 September 1998 and entered the Nuclear Powered Ship and Submarine Recycling Program at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard on 1 October 1998. She was stricken from the Naval Vessel Register on 30 July 1999, and on 28 March 2000 ceased to exist.

[edit] Unit awards

The USS South Carolina (GGN-37) and its crewmembers have received the following awards for the specified dates of services (listed in order of precedence of the award):