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Friday 22 November 2019

PHOTO GALLERY #31: Oak Hill, dock landing ship of the United States Navy

USS Oak Hill moored at Tirpitz quay, Kiel Naval Base
This is the eighth photo gallery from my visit to Kiel in 2018, on the first weekend of the 136th Kiel Week. More galleries will follow from 2018-19 Kiel Weeks. The Kiel Week (German: Kieler Woche) or Kiel Regatta is an annual sailing event in Kiel, the capital of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. The first weekend of the Kiel Week, the famous Naval Base of Kiel, opens its gates for just four hours per day, for thousands of tourists who are eager to visit the German Navy warships and dozens of foreign warships which visit the city of Kiel, to honor the Kiel Week. Τhe United States Navy was represented by a number of ships including the USS Oak Hill (LSD-51), a Harpers Ferry-class dock landing ship (LSD). She is named in honor of Oak Hill, the residence of James Monroe, the fifth President of the United States. The Monroe Doctrine was penned at Oak Hill, and subsequently delivered at an 1823 Congressional address which asserted that the Western Hemisphere was never to be colonized again. This doctrine is the inspiration for the Ship’s Motto: Nations’ Protector. Oak Hill is the second ship to honor the residence. Oak Hill was commissioned on 8 June 1996 and is the third vessel in a class of four. She is 186 meters long and has a full displacement around 16,600 tons. Enjoy the photos!

USS Oak Hill moored alongside the Berlin-class AOR Frankfurt am Main
View of the warships gathered for the Kiel Week
USS Oak Hill moored alongside Frankfurt am Main
View of the warships gathered for the Kiel Week
The huge LSD!
Bow view of the ship
Ship's superstructure. Forward of the bridge there is a Phalanx Block 1B
Baseline 2 CIWS and atop the bridge a Mk49 RAM launcher CIWS.
View of the bridge

LSD-51, the third vessel in the Harpers Ferry class
Close-up photo of the bridge and the forward armament
12.7mm heavy machine gun mounting
It's a really huge warship with incredible capabilities!
USS Oak Hill LSD
Oak Hill alongside Frankfurt am Main
Oak Hill alongside Frankfurt am Main

Port side view of USS Oak Hill
Cutaway diagram of the ship

Port side view of USS Oak Hill
Port side view of USS Oak Hill
Half of the flight deck is occupied by various vehicles and equipment

The Irish Naval Service William Butler Yeats moored close to Oak Hill
Half of the flight deck is occupied by various vehicles and equipment
A long queue was created very quickly
A long queue was created very quickly
People enter the ship after passing the security check
View of the ship's superstructure
The powerful crane on the flight deck
The long queue before going aboard. This was typical for every
US ship due to the security measures.
Numerous vehicles in the vehicle deck including M-1A1 MBTs and AAVP-7A1s
Dozens of AAVP-7A1s on board
An USMC AAVC-7A1 forward of the well deck where a 41-meter LCU-1646 class
carries one of the two LARC-Vs
The ramp from the cargo-vehicle are to the flight deck
On the flight deck. The rear armament is visible (RAM and Phalanx CIWS)
The port-side funnel with the fly ops room
View of the superstructure. Note the starboard side funnel
Or tour guide describes the capabilities of the ship
RAM launcher (left) and Phalanx behind the SATCOM antenna
The upper vehicle bay with numerous USMC wheeled vehicles
The upper vehicle bay with numerous USMC trucks and TRAM tractors
The mission statement of USS Oak Hill crew
Dozens of Assault Amphibious Vehicles (AAV) forward of the well deck
Dozens of AAVP-7A1s forward of the well deck
The ship was carrying four M1A1 Abrams Main Battle Tanks (MBTs)
The "Check Mate" featuring "Josey Wales" (coaxial machine gun)
The USMC armored tracked vehicles forward of the well deck
Another M1A1 Abrams MBT equipped with front-mounted wide plow
M1A1 Abrams MBT equipped with front-mounted wide plow
US Marines describe their vehicles
AAV-7/A1's UGWS armed with both a 12.7 mm M2HB machine gun
and a Mk-19 40 mm grenade launcher.
Judgement "Time to Pay the Reaper"
"Boom-Boom Betty" featuring "The Goat" (machine gun not visible).
The "El Jeffe" and "Hand of Mattis" were the other two MBTs.
Thanks
Matthias Klingspohn for the information.
Dionysus M88A2 Track Recovery Vehicle
The well deck can accommodate one LCU or two LCAC
41-meter LCU-1646 class carries one LARC-V and a tractor
LARC-V aluminium-hulled amphibious cargo vehicle
"Boom-Boom Betty" M1A1 tank
M88A2 Track Recovery Vehicle

The impressive M88A2 TRV "Dionysus"
One of the two 66-mm 6-barrelled grenade launchers of TRV
The well deck is smaller than the one of Whidbey Island class LSDs
Ramp for the vehicle bay
High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV) on the flight deck
Humvees on the flight deck
M1152(A1) with integrated armor
Two M1152(A1)
The large flight deck can land and service two heavy-lift helicopters
The large flight deck as seen from the stern
Frankfurt am Main is shorter than Oak Hill for about 13 meters
but larger for 3,000tons approximately
M1 Mine Clearing Blade System
View of the superstructure. Besides the RAM and Phalanx CIWS, the ship
is equipped with six 6-barrelled SRBOC decoy launchers, Nulka decoy launchers,
two Mk38 25mm guns and numerous heavy and light machine guns
The flag of United States of America



2 comments:

  1. Great gallery, memories came to life, even I found myself in the picture "People enter the ship after passing the security check" - the guy in beige trousers and a green baseball cap is me, taking a picture of the USS OAK HILL tradition table.
    Regards Lukasz "U-kasz" Blaszczak (https://wobiektywieshipspottera.blogspot.com)

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    Replies
    1. That's very cool!
      Wow, Lukasz, you have a very interesting blog! Kaszub, interior of Caio Duilio, etc. I will follow you. I must admit, that you are a better photographer than me :-)
      Your name also reminded me immediately your photo gallery the same day http://www.navsource.org/archives/10/12/1251.htm
      The next time i will be in Kiel perhaps we will meet there.
      Regards,
      Dimitris

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