USS ''Josephus Daniels'' ( DLG/CG-27) was a ''Belknap''-class destroyer leader / cruiser. She was named for

Josephus Daniels Josephus Daniels (May 18, 1862 – January 15, 1948) was an American newspaper editor and publisher from the 1880s until his death, who controlled Raleigh's ''News & Observer'', at the time North Carolina's largest newspaper, for decades. A D ...

Secretary of the Navy The secretary of the Navy (or SECNAV) is a statutory officer () and the head (chief executive officer) of the Department of the Navy, a military department (component organization) within the United States Department of Defense. By law, the se ...

during

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

. She was launched as DLG-27, a

frigate A frigate () is a type of warship. In different eras, the roles and capabilities of ships classified as frigates have varied somewhat. The name frigate in the 17th to early 18th centuries was given to any full-rigged ship built for speed and ...

, and reclassified as a

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 hu ...

on 30 June 1975. The contract to construct ''Josephus Daniels'' was awarded on 18 May 1961. Her keel was laid down at

Bath Iron Works Bath Iron Works (BIW) is a major United States shipyard located on the Kennebec River in Bath, Maine, founded in 1884 as Bath Iron Works, Limited. Since 1995, Bath Iron Works has been a subsidiary of General Dynamics. It is the fifth-largest de ...

on 23 April 1962. She was launched on 2 December 1963, sponsored by Mrs. Robert M. Woronoff and Mrs. Clyde R. Rich Jr., granddaughters of Josephus Daniels; delivered to the navy on 4 May 1965 and commissioned on 8 May 1965. After more than 28 years of service, ''Josephus Daniels'' was decommissioned on 21 January 1994. She was struck from the register on 21 January 1994 and laid up at James River

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"; a ...

Fort Eustis, Virginia Fort Eustis is a United States Army installation in Newport News, Virginia. In 2010, it was combined with nearby Langley Air Force Base to form Joint Base Langley–Eustis. The post is the home to the United States Army Training and Doctrine ...

to be scrapped. The 'Joey D' was later dismantled by International Shipbreaking Ltd. of Brownsville, TX, with scrapping completed on 8 November 1999.

External links

*
USS ''Josephus Daniels'' unofficial website
Belknap-class cruisers Ships built in Bath, Maine 1963 ships Cold War cruisers of the United States {{US-mil-ship-stub