USS ''Vincennes'' (CG-49) was a
guided missile cruiser
A cruiser is a type of warship. Modern cruisers are generally the largest ships in a fleet after aircraft carriers and amphibious assault ships, and can usually perform several roles.
The term "cruiser", which has been in use for several h ...
outfitted with the
Aegis combat system
The Aegis Combat System is an American integrated naval weapons system developed by the Missile and Surface Radar Division of RCA, and it is now produced by Lockheed Martin.
Initially used by the United States Navy, Aegis is now used also by ...
that was in service with the
United States Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...
from July 1985 to June 2005. She was one of 27 ships of the ''Ticonderoga'' class constructed for the United States Navy, and one of five equipped with the
Mark 26 Guided Missile Launching System.
''Vincennes'' was commissioned in 1985, and saw service in the Pacific before being dispatched to the Persian Gulf in 1988 in support of
Operation Earnest Will
Operation Earnest Will (24 July 1987 – 26 September 1988) was the American military protection of Kuwaiti-owned tankers from Iranian attacks in 1987 and 1988, three years into the Tanker War phase of the Iran–Iraq War. It was the largest na ...
during the
Iran–Iraq War
The Iran–Iraq War was an armed conflict between Iran and Iraq that lasted from September 1980 to August 1988. It began with the Iraqi invasion of Iran and lasted for almost eight years, until the acceptance of United Nations Security Counci ...
. On July 1988, the United States Navy shot down
Iran Air Flight 655
Iran Air Flight 655 was a scheduled passenger flight from Tehran to Dubai via Bandar Abbas that was shot down on 3July 1988 by two SM-2MR surface-to-air missiles fired by the , a Cruiser#US cruiser development, guided-missile cruiser of the Unit ...
, a civilian passenger plane with 290 people on board, all of whom were killed. The victims included 66 children, and an entire family of 16 who were on their way to a wedding in Dubai.
The incident took place during the war between Iran and Iraq, which was led by Saddam Hussein and backed by the US. It followed a catalogue of errors, including the naval officer in charge of firing the missile aboard the USS Vincennes hitting the wrong key no fewer than 23 times before it eventually fired. The US military then claimed that the Vincennes was rushing to defend a merchant vessel under attack from Iran when an aircraft outside the commercial air corridor was descending in "attack mode" towards the ship – which was false on all three counts. They also tried to claim the ship was in international waters, and naval officials even deleted an Iranian island from the map they showed to Congress. In fact it was in Iranian waters, in clear violation of international law. Meanwhile, the US media backed up the official line, with ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' apportioning blame to the pilot, Mohsen Rezaian, and Iran.
''Vincennes'' was
decommissioned in 2005 after attempts to retrofit the cruiser with the
Mark 41 Vertical Launching System
The Mark 41 Vertical Launching System (Mk 41 VLS) is a shipborne missile canister launching system which provides a rapid-fire launch capability against hostile threats. The Vertical Launch System (VLS) concept was derived from work on the Aegis Co ...
failed, and was initially laid up in a
reserve fleet
A reserve fleet is a collection of naval vessels of all types that are fully equipped for service but are not currently needed; they are partially or fully decommissioned. A reserve fleet is informally said to be "in mothballs" or "mothballed"; ...
at the
Naval Inactive Ship Maintenance Facility
A Naval Inactive Ship Maintenance Facility (NISMF) is a facility owned by the United States Navy as a holding facility for decommissioned naval vessels, pending determination of their final fate. All ships in these facilities are inactive, but s ...
at
Naval Base Kitsap, in
Bremerton, Washington
Bremerton is a city in Kitsap County, Washington. The population was 37,729 at the 2010 census and an estimated 41,405 in 2019, making it the largest city on the Kitsap Peninsula. Bremerton is home to Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and the Bremerto ...
. In 2010 the vessel was towed to
Texas
Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...
for
scrapping, which was completed in 2011.
History
1980s
''Vincennes'' was
launched on 14 April 1984 and sponsored by
Marilyn Quayle, wife of Indiana Senator
Dan Quayle
James Danforth Quayle (; born February 4, 1947) is an American politician who served as the 44th vice president of the United States from 1989 to 1993 under President George H. W. Bush. A member of the Republican Party, Quayle served as a U.S. ...
. ''Vincennes'' was named for the
Battle of Vincennes during the
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of ...
, while the previous ''Vincennes'' heavy cruiser and ''Vincennes'' light cruiser were named for the city of
Vincennes, Indiana
Vincennes is a city in and the county seat of Knox County, Indiana, United States. It is located on the lower Wabash River in the southwestern part of the state, nearly halfway between Evansville and Terre Haute. Founded in 1732 by French ...
. The cruiser was
commissioned at
Pascagoula on 6 July 1985, Captain George N. Gee in command. The ship normally carried guided missiles, rapid-fire cannons, and two
Seahawk LAMPS
Lamp, Lamps or LAMP may refer to:
Lighting
* Oil lamp, using an oil-based fuel source
* Kerosene lamp, using kerosene as a fuel
* Electric lamp, or light bulb, a replaceable component that produces light from electricity
* Light fixture, or ligh ...
helicopters for anti-submarine and anti-ship warfare, personnel transfers, and other purposes.
''Vincennes'' was the first of the ''Ticonderoga''-class cruisers to enter the
Pacific Fleet. Upon commissioning in 1985, ''Vincennes'' helped test the
SM-2 Block II surface-to-air missile. In May 1986, ''Vincennes'' participated in the multinational exercise
RIMPAC
RIMPAC, the Rim of the Pacific Exercise, is the world's largest international maritime warfare exercise. RIMPAC is held biennially during June and July of even-numbered years from Honolulu, Hawaii, with the exception of 2020 where it was held ...
86, coordinating the anti-aircraft warfare efforts of two
aircraft carriers and more than 40 ships from five nations. ''Vincennes'' was deployed in August 1986 to the Western Pacific and Indian Oceans. The ship served as anti-air warfare commander with the and battle groups, operated with the
Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force
, abbreviated , also simply known as the Japanese Navy, is the maritime warfare branch of the Japan Self-Defense Forces, tasked with the naval defense of Japan. The JMSDF was formed following the dissolution of the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) ...
and the
Royal Australian Navy
The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) is the principal naval force of the Australian Defence Force (ADF). The professional head of the RAN is Chief of Navy (CN) Vice Admiral Mark Hammond AM, RAN. CN is also jointly responsible to the Minister of ...
, and steamed more than in waters from the
Bering Sea
The Bering Sea (, ; rus, Бе́рингово мо́ре, r=Béringovo móre) is a marginal sea of the Northern Pacific Ocean. It forms, along with the Bering Strait, the divide between the two largest landmasses on Earth: Eurasia and The Amer ...
to the Indian Ocean.
Iran–Iraq War
During the Iran–Iraq War the United States
took active measures in the Persian Gulf to protect shipping, mainly oil tankers, that were being threatened by both countries.
Operation Earnest Will
On 14 April 1988, the guided missile
frigate hit a mine in the Persian Gulf during
Operation Earnest Will
Operation Earnest Will (24 July 1987 – 26 September 1988) was the American military protection of Kuwaiti-owned tankers from Iranian attacks in 1987 and 1988, three years into the Tanker War phase of the Iran–Iraq War. It was the largest na ...
. Six days later, ''Vincennes'' was re-deployed from Fleet Exercise 88–2, sent back to
San Diego, California
San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the List of United States cities by population, eigh ...
and told to prepare for a six-month deployment. The reason for the haste: Navy leaders decided that they needed an Aegis ship to protect the exit of the damaged ''Samuel B. Roberts'' through the
Strait of Hormuz
The Strait of Hormuz ( fa, تنگه هرمز ''Tangeh-ye Hormoz'' ar, مَضيق هُرمُز ''Maḍīq Hurmuz'') is a strait between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. It provides the only sea passage from the Persian Gulf to the ...
. One month later, the cruiser entered the Persian Gulf, and in early July, stood guard in the Strait as the damaged frigate was borne out on the heavy-lift ship ''
Mighty Servant 2''. The ship made 14 Hormuz transits during its Earnest Will operations.
Iran Air Flight 655
On 3 July 1988, ''Vincennes'', under the command of Captain
Will Rogers III, was on patrol when it was reported that Iranian
Revolutionary Guard gun boats had attacked a Pakistani merchant vessel. ''Vincennes'' deployed one of her helicopters to investigate. Shortly thereafter Rogers ordered his ship to move off station to the north. The destroyer flotilla commander ordered ''Vincennes'' to return to her original station. ''Vincennes''s helicopter had followed the Revolutionary Guard gunboats into Iranian waters, and while maintaining contact with the boats, came under gunfire from the Iranians.
[Crist, p. 365]
The helicopter crew reported that they had come under fire and with that report, Rogers turned his ship around and, with the frigate , moved to intercept the gunboats. By doing so, ''Vincennes'' crossed into Iranian waters herself. As the US ships approached, the Iranian gunboats maneuvered, in what Rogers claimed was a threatening fashion. Rogers requested permission to fire and permission was granted by command, without knowing that ''Vincennes'' had crossed into Iranian waters.
[ ''Vincennes'' and ''Elmer Montgomery'' commenced fire upon the gunboats at 9:43 a.m., scoring several hits on the gunboats, sinking two and damaging another.][Crist, p. 366]
While ''Vincennes'' was firing on the Iranian gunboats, confusion reigned aboard the ship as the tracking of aircraft in the area had become muddled, between ''Vincennes'' and other U.S. ships, and on ''Vincennes'' itself.[Crist, p.367–368] Crucially, ''Vincennes'' misidentified an Iran Air
The National Airline of Iran ( fa, هواپیمايی ملی ایران, Havâpeymâyi-ye Melli-ye Irân), branded as Iran Air, is the flag carrier of Iran, which is headquartered at Mehrabad Airport in Tehran. As of 2018, it operates schedul ...
Airbus A300
The Airbus A300 is a wide-body airliner developed and manufactured by Airbus.
In September 1967, aircraft manufacturers in the United Kingdom, France, and West Germany signed a memorandum of understanding to develop a large airliner.
West ...
civilian airliner, Iran Air Flight 655, as an attacking F-14 Tomcat
The Grumman F-14 Tomcat is an American carrier-capable supersonic, twin-engine, two-seat, twin-tail, variable-sweep wing fighter aircraft. The Tomcat was developed for the United States Navy's Naval Fighter Experimental (VFX) program after t ...
fighter aircraft. The Iran Air Flight 655 was climbing at the time, and her IFF transponder was on the Mode III civilian code rather than on the purely military Mode II, as recorded by ''Vincennes''s own shipboard Aegis Combat System. The naval officer in charge of firing the missile aboard the USS Vincennes hit the wrong key no fewer than 23 times before it was eventually fired. After issuing multiple radio challenges and receiving no response from the aircraft, ''Vincennes'' fired two radar-guided missiles and shot down the Iranian civilian airliner over Iranian airspace in the Strait of Hormuz
The Strait of Hormuz ( fa, تنگه هرمز ''Tangeh-ye Hormoz'' ar, مَضيق هُرمُز ''Maḍīq Hurmuz'') is a strait between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. It provides the only sea passage from the Persian Gulf to the ...
, killing all 290 passengers and crew on board. The victims included 66 children, and an entire family of 16 who were on their way to a wedding in Dubai. Meanwhile, the US media backed up the official line, with ''The New York Times'' apportioning blame to the pilot, Mohsen Rezaian, and Iran. The US military then claimed that the Vincennes was rushing to defend a merchant vessel under attack from Iran when an aircraft outside the commercial air corridor was descending in "attack mode" towards the ship – which was false on all three counts. They also tried to claim the ship was in international waters, and naval officials even deleted an Iranian island from the map they showed to Congress. In fact, it was in Iranian waters, in clear violation of international law.
The Iranian government has maintained that ''Vincennes'' knowingly shot down the civilian aircraft. Iran Air Flight IR655 flew every day out of Bandar Abbas—a civil as well as military airport—on a scheduled passenger flight to Dubai using established air lanes. The Italian navy and another U.S. warship, the frigate , confirmed that the plane was climbing—not diving to attack—at the time of the missile strike. The U.S. radio warnings were only broadcast on 121.5 MHz, not air traffic control frequencies and mistakenly identified the altitude and position of the plane, so the Airbus crew, if they were monitoring "guard," could have misinterpreted the warnings as referring to another aircraft. Captain David Carlson of ''Sides'' later said that the destruction of the airliner "marked the horrifying climax to Rogers' aggressiveness".
1990s
In February 1990, ''Vincennes'' was deployed on a third six-month tour of the western Pacific and Indian oceans, with SH-60 helicopters from HSL-45 Detachment 13. The ship coordinated all battle group air events and served as the command-and-control flagship
A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, characteristically a flag officer entitled by custom to fly a distinguishing flag. Used more loosely, it is the lead ship in a fleet of vessels, typically the f ...
during Harpoon-Ex-90. In July 1990, ''Vincennes'' returned home after steaming nearly .[
In August 1991, ''Vincennes'' departed for a fourth western Pacific deployment. Steaming with the aircraft carrier , ''Vincennes'' performed duties as the anti-air warfare commander for Battle Group Delta until detaching to participate as the United States representative in MERCUBEX 91, a joint United States and ]Republic of Singapore Navy
The Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) is the naval service branch of the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) responsible for defending the country against any sea-borne threats, and the protection of its sea lines of communications, that would com ...
exercise. Over the next three months, ''Vincennes'' participated in the bilateral exercise Valiant Blitz with the South Korean Navy
The Republic of Korea Navy (ROKN; ko, 대한민국 해군), also known as the ROK Navy or South Korean Navy, is the naval warfare service branch of the South Korean armed forces, responsible for naval and amphibious operations. The ROK Navy inc ...
, the bilateral exercise Annualex 03G with the Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force, and ASWEX 92-1K with the South Korean Navy before reaching Hong Kong
Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delta i ...
to act as the U.S. representative for the Navy Days ceremonies. ''Vincennes'' returned from deployment on 21 December 1991.
In June 1994, ''Vincennes'' departed on a fifth western Pacific deployment with the Battle Group. ''Vincennes'' performed duties as anti-air warfare commander for the battle group. During deployment, ''Vincennes'' conducted an anti-submarine exercise, PASSEX 94–2, with the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, the bilateral exercise MERCUB 94–2, a joint U.S. and Singaporean Navy exercise of the Malaysian peninsula, the bilateral exercise Keen Edge, with the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, and Tandem Thrust, a larger-scale joint exercise which ''Vincennes'' participated as the area air defense coordinator for the entire joint operating area. ''Vincennes'' returned from this deployment on 22 December 1994.
In August 1997, ''Vincennes'' changed homeport from San Diego to Yokosuka, Japan, with SH-60B helicopters from HSL-49 Detachment 8G embarked, then steamed to the South Pacific and took part in Exercise Valiant Usher 98–1 with the amphibious ready group and the Royal Australian Navy destroyer . The combined exercise took place near Townsend Island, Australia.
''Vincennes'' also took part in the U.S. Seventh Fleet's Fleet Battle Experiment Delta (FBE-D) from 24 October 1998, to 2 November 1998, in conjunction with the exercise, Foal Eagle, a regularly scheduled exercise that simulates the military defense of South Korea
South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...
. Sponsored by the Navy Warfare Development Command
The Navy Warfare Development Command (NWDC) is a command of the United States Navy for the generation and development of innovations in concepts and doctrine for enhanced operational level maritime capability and integration in joint and coalitio ...
, FBE-D was the fourth in a series of experiments that tested new combat systems and procedures at sea.
2000s
On 12 August 2000, ''Vincennes'' completed Sharem 134, a bilateral exercise with several Japanese ships and other U.S. participants. The exercise included a week of undersea warfare training and data collection in the South China Sea
The South China Sea is a marginal sea of the Western Pacific Ocean. It is bounded in the north by the shores of South China (hence the name), in the west by the Indochinese Peninsula, in the east by the islands of Taiwan and northwestern Phil ...
. The ship tested her submarine detection, sonar range testing, and use of sonobuoys, and developed new submarine prosecution procedures. The final Sharem events included a "freeplay", which allowed the cruiser to detect and prosecute other submarines, combining many of the tactics and systems tested during Sharem.
In mid-November 2000, the cruiser fired missile batteries at remote-controlled aerial drones provided by Fleet Activities Okinawa during MISSILEX 01–1.
''Vincennes'' took part in a 23 August 2001 to 27 August 2001, military training exercise called Multi-Sail, which was designed to provide U.S. and Japanese forces interoperability training in multiple warfare areas.
''Vincennes'' departed from Yokosuka on 17 September 2001, to conduct operations in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. The ship returned on 18 December 2001 after more than three months at sea.
In March 2003, ''Vincennes'' was assigned to Destroyer Squadron 15.
Decommissioning
While there had been several proposals through the 1990s to retrofit the vertical launch system
A vertical launching system (VLS) is an advanced system for holding and firing missiles on mobile naval platforms, such as surface ships and submarines. Each vertical launch system consists of a number of ''cells'', which can hold one or mo ...
into ''Vincennes'' and her four sister ship
A sister ship is a ship of the same class or of virtually identical design to another ship. Such vessels share a nearly identical hull and superstructure layout, similar size, and roughly comparable features and equipment. They often share a ...
s to extend their service life, none were funded, and all five ships were instead decommissioned; ''Vincennes'' herself on 29 June 2005 at San Diego, California and was stricken later that day. She was mothballed
Mothballing may refer to:
* Aircraft boneyard
* Mothball
Mothballs are small balls of chemical pesticide and deodorant, sometimes used when storing clothing and other materials susceptible to damage from mold or moth larvae (especially clothe ...
at the Naval Inactive Ship Maintenance Facility
A Naval Inactive Ship Maintenance Facility (NISMF) is a facility owned by the United States Navy as a holding facility for decommissioned naval vessels, pending determination of their final fate. All ships in these facilities are inactive, but s ...
in Naval Base Kitsap, in Bremerton, Washington. In 2008, ''Vincennes'' was slated for scrapping within the next five years along with her sister ships and .
On 9 July 2010, a contract to scrap ''Vincennes'' was issued to International Shipbreaking, Brownsville, Texas. On 21 November 2010, ''Vincennes'' arrived via the Panama Canal to International Shipbreaking in Brownsville, Texas, and was completely scrapped by 23 November 2011. After the completion of the scrapping of ''Vincennes'' in 2011, the United States presented pieces of the forward missile launcher used in the shoot down to the Interests Section of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the United States.
Awards and decorations
''Vincennes'' has been awarded the Combat Action Ribbon
The Combat Action Ribbon (CAR, ), is a high precedence United States Navy, United States Coast Guard, and United States Marine Corps military decoration awarded to United States sea service members "who have actively participated in ground or su ...
(3 July 1988),
* Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation (16 January 2 February 1987)
* Battle Efficiency "E" three times (1990, 1993, 2001)
*National Defense Service Medal
The National Defense Service Medal (NDSM) is a service award of the United States Armed Forces established by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1953. It is awarded to every member of the US Armed Forces who has served during any one of four ...
*''Vincennes'' also received a Meritorious Unit Commendation, along with the entire ''Kitty Hawk'' battle group, for 9 July 1994 9 December 1994.
*''Vincennes'' also received two Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
The Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (AFEM) is a military award of the United States Armed Forces, which was first created in 1961 by Executive Order of President John Kennedy. The medal is awarded to members of the U.S. Armed Forces who, after ...
s for Persian Gulf service, 22 May 1988 21 August 1988 and 5 May 1990 1 June 1990.[
]
Image gallery
File:USS Vincennes (CG-49) Aegis large screen displays.jpg, The Combat Information Center
A combat information center (CIC) or action information centre (AIC) is a room in a warship or AWACS aircraft that functions as a tactical center and provides processed information for command and control of the near battlespace or area of op ...
on board ''Vincennes'' in January 1988.
File:US Navy 050415-N-8157F-106 The guided-missile cruiser USS Vincennes (CG 49) heads toward the entrance of Pearl Harbor.jpg, ''Vincennes'' pulls into port at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii
Pearl Harbor is an American lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. It was often visited by the Naval fleet of the United States, before it was acquired from the Hawaiian Kingdom by the U.S. with the signing of the Re ...
, on 15 April 2005. is visible in the background.
File:USS Vincennes CG-49 at commissioning.jpg, ''Vincennes'' at commissioning on a rainy 6 July 1985, in Pascagoula, Mississippi.
File:USS Vincennes (CG-49) marker.jpg, A marker plaque sits in Patrick Henry Square, Vincennes, Indiana
Vincennes is a city in and the county seat of Knox County, Indiana, United States. It is located on the lower Wabash River in the southwestern part of the state, nearly halfway between Evansville and Terre Haute. Founded in 1732 by French ...
, commemorating ''Vincennes'' on 25 February 2008.
File:CAPT Will C. Rogers III with CG-49 behind.jpg, Captain Will C. Rogers III, the then-commanding officer of USS ''Vincennes'' speaks during the welcome home ceremony held for the crew at San Diego, California
San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the List of United States cities by population, eigh ...
, on 24 October 1988. The ship returned from a six-month deployment to the Western Pacific, Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third-largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, covering or ~19.8% of the water on Earth's surface. It is bounded by Asia to the north, Africa to the west and Australia to the east. To the south it is bounded by ...
and the Persian Gulf.
References
Sources
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Further reading
*
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External links
*
WebArchive.org – Archive of Official ship's history page from 2005
*
dod.mil – Investigation Report for the downing of Iran Air 655
{{DEFAULTSORT:Vincennes (Cg-49)
Ticonderoga-class cruisers
Ships built in Pascagoula, Mississippi
1984 ships
Cold War cruisers of the United States