USS McCloy (FF-1038)

USS ''McCloy'' (FF-1038) was the second and final . Commissioned as a destroyer escort, ''McCloy'' was redesignated as frigate on 30 June 1975. Decommissioned on 14 December 1990, and stricken from the Navy list on 4 October 1991, ''McCloy'' was transferred to Mexico on 12 November 1993, where she was recommissioned as ''Nicolas Bravo''. Named for Lt. Comdr. John C. McCloy, recipient of two Medals of Honor.

Construction

''McCloy''s keel was laid down by the Avondale Shipyard, Inc., Westwego, Louisiana, 15 September 1961; launched 9 June 1962; sponsored by Mrs. Arthur Winstead; and commissioned 21 October 1963, at Charleston, South Carolina.

Service history

Following outfitting and shakedown ''McCloy'', assigned to Escort Squadron 10, reported to her home port, Newport, Rhode Island, in January 1964. In October, after further specialized training, she commenced training sonar technicians. Employed primarily as a schoolship throughout 1965, she also tested new anti-submarine warfare (ASW) weapons systems for the Operational Test and Evaluation Force. During this period she enhanced her training and testing capabilities as well as her operational abilities by participating in joint United States-Canadian exercises in the spring and fall and in ASW exercises at the end of the year.

In 1966 cruises saw her in the Bermuda area for NATO exercises (April); off the New England and Virginia coasts for convoy escort and ASW exercises (June, July, and August); and in the Caribbean for fleet tactical exercises (November–December). From 16 January until 24 May 1967 she participated in exercise Matchmaker III. This operation, which took ''McCloy'' from the Caribbean to northern Europe, was conducted jointly by American, Dutch, British, and Canadian ships. In what was called "Cross Pollinization," ''McCloy'' men transferred to the Dutch destroyer and the British frigate while men of those ships came on board the American escort vessel. also participated in the exercise.

''McCloy'' spent the last half of 1967 and the first months of 1968 at Boston, Massachusetts, undergoing overhaul. She got underway again in March and sailed south, the next month, for refresher training at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba. Returning to Newport in June, she departed again 8 July for another extended cruise. On 11 July she arrived at San Juan, Puerto Rico where she joined naval units of the United States, Brazil, and Colombia for UNITAS IX. On 15 July, they commenced a clockwise circumnavigation of South America which first involved ships and planes of eight nations in exercises in the Atlantic, then around the Horn to the Pacific for more of the same, and finally through the Panama Canal back into the Caribbean before the end of the year. She continued her operations in the Atlantic into 1969.

''McCloy'' was reclassified as a frigate (FF-1038) on 30 June 1975.

1980s

''McCloy'' deployed to the Mediterranean from January to June 1981. During this time frame, her Passive Anti-Submarine Towed Array Sonar Surveillance System (TASS) proved highly capable and successful in extensive tracking of submarines. ''McCloy'' returned to her home port in Norfolk, Virginia in June 1981 only to be sent to sea again on short notice to conduct additional Special ASW operations in the Bermuda "Box". ''McCloy'' departed Norfolk for another Mediterranean Deployment (MED 5–82) from July to December 1982. Using her primary weapon system, her TASS passive sonar system (a system of passive hydrophones towed behind the ship), she was immediately assigned to tracking of Soviet submarines in the Mediterranean.

Additionally in September 1982, ''McCloy'' was stationed at the entrance to Beirut, Lebanon harbor where an active conflict was ongoing between Israel and the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO). She was assigned and completed the escort of nine ships used in the United Nations-arranged PLO evacuation from Beirut, escorting the ships to safe haven ports in the Mediterranean.

''McCloy'' received a Meritorious Unit Commendation (MUC) for unsurpassed ASW accomplishments from 8 June to 22 December 1982 during this deployment. She also received the Sixth Fleet "Hook Em" Award and was designated as the Best ASW Ship in the Atlantic Fleet during the period 1 October 1980 to 31 March 1982 by Commander Naval Surface Force, U.S. Atlantic Fleet. Following this highly successful Med deployment, ''McCloy'' again conducted Special ASW Operations in the Western Atlantic Bermuda "Box" environment.

On 31 October 1983, ''McCloy'' snagged the , a Soviet Victor III-class nuclear-powered attack submarine with her towed array, causing damage to the submarine's propeller. The submarine was towed to Cienfuegos, Cuba for repairs by a Soviet salvage ship beginning on 5 November 1983.

In the late 1980s, ''McCloy'' was involved in drug interdiction operations in the Caribbean Sea with a United States Coast Guard law enforcement detachment on board. She was involved in several large drug busts including a 50-ton marijuana seizure from the vessel ''Sea Wanderer'' in November 1986.

On 27 April 1988 ''McCloy'' assisted submarine rescue vessel and salvage ship in conducting rescue operations following a fire on submarine .

Transfer and Mexican service

''McCloy'' was decommissioned on 14 December 1990, stricken from the Naval Vessel Register on 17 December 1990, and transferred to Mexico on 1 October 1993 along with her sister ship . In the Mexican Navy, ''McCloy'' was renamed ARM ''Nicolás Bravo'' (E40) for Nicolás Bravo, a Mexican politician and soldier. As of June 2010, ''Nicolás Bravo'' was still in service with the Mexican Navy.
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Awards

*Joint Meritorious Unit Award
*Meritorious Unit Commendation with star
*Coast Guard Meritorious Unit Commendation
*Navy "E" Ribbon (2 awards)
*Navy Expeditionary Medal
*National Defense Service Medal with star
*Humanitarian Service Medal
* Coast Guard Special Operations Service Ribbon
*Sea Service Deployment Ribbon with star

Sources

*

External links

*
gyrodynehelicopters.com Bronstein class

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mccloy (Ff-1038)
Bronstein-class frigates
Cold War frigates and destroyer escorts of the United States
Ships built in Bridge City, Louisiana
1962 ships
Bravo-class frigates
Frigates of Mexico
Maritime incidents in 1983