USSRacine underway
History
United States
Name	USSRacine
Namesake	Racine, Wisconsin
Ordered	15 July 1966
Builder	National Steel and Shipbuilding Company,San Diego, California
Laid down	13 December 1969
Launched	15 August 1970
Commissioned	9 July 1971
Decommissioned	2 October 1993
Stricken	1 December 2008
Identification	LST-1191
Motto	Honor, Vigilance, Valor
Fate	Sunk as a target duringRIMPAC 2018 on 12 July 2018
Badge
General characteristics as built
Class & type	Newport-classtank landing ship
Displacement	4,793long tons (4,870 t) light 8,342 long tons (8,476 t) full load
Length	522 ft 4 in (159.2 m)oa 562 ft (171.3 m) overderrick arms
Beam	69 ft 6 in (21.2 m)
Draft	17 ft 6 in (5.3 m) max
Propulsion	2 shafts 6 Alcodiesel engines (3 per shaft) 16,500 shp (12,300 kW) Bow thruster
Speed	22knots (41 km/h; 25 mph) max
Range	2,500 nmi (4,600 km; 2,900 mi) at 14 knots (26 km/h; 16 mph)
Troops	431 max
Complement	213
Sensors & processing systems	2 × Mk 63 GCFS SPS-10radar
Armament	2 × twin3"/50 caliber guns
Aviation facilities	Helicopter deck

USSRacine (LST-1191) was the thirteenth of twentyNewport-classtank landing ships of theUnited States Navy (USN) which replaced the traditionalbow door-design tank landing ships (LSTs). The second ship named after thecity inWisconsin, the ship was constructed byNational Steel and Shipbuilding Company ofSan Diego,California. The LST waslaunched in 1970 and wascommissioned in 1971.Racine was assigned to the United States west coast and deployed to the western Pacific Ocean during theVietnam War. The ship was transferred to theNaval Reserve Force in 1981. The LST wasdecommissioned in 1993 and placed inreserve.Racine was struck from theNaval Vessel Register in 2008 and after an attempted sale to Peru failed, was discarded as atarget ship during asinking exercise in July 2018.

Racine was aNewport-classtank landing ship which were designed to meet the goal put forward by the United Statesamphibious forces to have a tank landing ship (LST) capable of over 20knots (37 km/h; 23 mph). However, the traditionalbow door form for LSTs would not be capable. Therefore, the designers of theNewport class came up with a design of a traditionalship hull with a 112-foot (34 m)aluminum ramp slung over the bow supported by twoderrick arms. The 34-long-ton (35 t) ramp was capable of sustaining loads up to 75 long tons (76 t). This made theNewport class the first to depart from the standard LST design that had been developed in earlyWorld War II.^[1][2][3]

The LST had adisplacement of 4,793 long tons (4,870 t) when light and 8,342 long tons (8,476 t) at full load.Racine was 522 feet 4 inches (159.2 m)long overall and 562 ft (171.3 m) over thederrick arms which protruded past the bow.^[2][3] The vessel had abeam of 69 ft 6 in (21.2 m), adraft forward of 11 ft 5 in (3.5 m) and 17 ft 5 in (5.3 m) at the stern at full load.^[4]

Racine was fitted with six ALCOdiesel engines turning twoshafts, three to each shaft. The system was rated at 16,500brake horsepower (12,300 kW) and gave the ship a maximum speed of 22 knots (41 km/h; 25 mph) for short periods and could only sustain 20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph) for an extended length of time. The LST carried 1,750 long tons (1,780 t) ofdiesel fuel for a range of 2,500nautical miles (4,600 km; 2,900 mi) at the cruising speed of 14 knots (26 km/h; 16 mph). The ship was also equipped with abow thruster to allow for better maneuvering near causeways and to hold position while offshore during the unloading of amphibious vehicles.^[3][5]

TheNewport class were larger and faster than previous LSTs and were able to transport tanks, heavy vehicles and engineer groups and supplies that were too large for helicopters or smaller landing craft to carry.^[6] The LSTs have a ramp forward of thesuperstructure that connects the lower tank deck with the main deck and a passage large enough to allow access to the parking area amidships. The vessels are also equipped with a stern gate to allow the unloading of amphibious vehicles directly into the water or to unload onto autility landing craft (LCU) or pier. At either end of the tank deck there is a 30 ft (9.1 m) turntable that permits vehicles to turn around without having to reverse.^[1][2] TheNewport class has the capacity for 500 long tons (510 t) of vehicles, 19,000 ft² (1,800 m²) of cargo area and could carry up to 431 troops.^[1][7] The vessels also havedavits for fourvehicle and personnel landing craft (LCVPs) and could carry four pontoon causeway sections along the sides of the hull.^[2][3]

Racine was initially armed with four Mark 333-inch (76 mm)/50 caliber guns in two twinturrets. The vessel was equipped with two Mk 63gun control fire systems (GCFS) for the 3-inch guns, but these were removed in 1977–1978.^[3] The ship also had SPS-10 surface searchradar.^[8] Atop the stern gate, the vessels mounted ahelicopter deck. They had a maximum complement of 213 including 11 officers.^[6]

The LST was ordered as the fourth hull of the third group inFiscal Year 1967 and a contract was awarded on 15 July 1966.^[6][9] The ship waslaid down by theNational Steel & Shipbuilding Company, at their yard inSan Diego,California on 13 December 1969. Named for thecity inWisconsin,Racine waslaunched on 15 August 1970,sponsored by the wife of Vice AdmiralEdwin B. Hooper.Racine was placedin commission on 9 July 1971.^[10]

Racine entered service on the west coast of the United States and spent time performing routine tasks along the coast and participating innaval exercises. Beginning in June 1972, the ship was sent on a training cruise to South America before returning to the US in July. On 13 September 1972, the LST was deployed to the western Pacific, transporting troops and supplies between the various US bases there and Vietnam.Racine returned to San Diego on 17 May 1973. The LST returned to the western Pacific in 1974, 1976–1977, 1978–1979 and 1980. For service during theVietnam War,Racine earned onebattle star. On 6 November 1979,Racine collided withLi Tung Sol, a small fishing vessel. No injuries were reported.^[11] On On 15 January 1981, the LST was transferred to theNaval Reserve Force.^[8]

Racine wasdecommissioned on 2 October 1993 was placed in inactive reserve atPearl Harbor,Hawaii. The ship was struck from theNaval Vessel Register on 1 December 2008.^[9][11] In 2009, there was discussion of a possible sale of ex-Fresno and ex-Racine to Peru.^[12] This plan did not materialize and ex-Fresno was sunk as a target in 2014.^[13] Ex-Racine was listed as "disposal by experimental use" byNaval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) in September 2016.^[14]

On 12 July 2018, ex-Racine was struck by live fire as part of a sinking exercise (SINKEX) involving units from Australia, Japan, and the United States.^[10][15] The ship was sunk by aHarpoon missile fired from aRoyal Australian Air ForceBoeing P-8A Poseidon and aMark 48 torpedo from the United States NavyLos Angeles-classsubmarineUSS Olympia. The torpedo hit the LST amidships, breaking the vessel's keel and sinking it in waters 15,000 feet (4,600 m) deep, 55 nmi (102 km; 63 mi) north ofKauaʻi, Hawaii.^[10][16]

• Blackman, Raymond V. B., ed. (1972).Jane's Fighting Ships 1972–73. London: Sampson Low, Marston & Company.OCLC 28197951.
• Couhat, Jean Labayle, ed. (1986).Combat Fleets of the World 1986/87. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press.ISBN 0-85368-860-5.
• "Racine II (LST-1191)".Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships.Navy Department,Naval History and Heritage Command. Retrieved13 February 2020.
• Gardiner, Robert; Chumbley, Stephen & Budzbon, Przemysław, eds. (1995).Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1947–1995. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press.ISBN 1-55750-132-7.
• Moore, John, ed. (1974).Jane's Fighting Ships 1974–75 (77th ed.). New York: Franklin Watts Incorporated.ISBN 0-531-02743-0.
• Moore, John, ed. (1975).Jane's Fighting Ships 1975–76 (78th ed.). New York: Franklin Watts Incorporated.ISBN 0-531-03251-5.
• Moore, John, ed. (1976).Jane's Fighting Ships 1976–77 (79th ed.). New York: Franklin Watts Incorporated.ISBN 0-531-03261-2.
• Moore, John, ed. (1978).Jane's Fighting Ships 1978–79 (81st ed.). New York: Franklin Watts Incorporated.ISBN 0-531-03297-3.
•  This article incorporatespublic domain material fromRacine (LST-1191) at theNaval Vessel Register.
• Sharpe, Richard, ed. (1990).Jane's Fighting Ships 1990–91 (93 ed.). Surrey, United Kingdom: Jane's Information Group.ISBN 0-7106-0904-3.

Wikimedia Commons has media related toUSS Racine (LST-1191).

• "Sinking the ex-USS Racine".YouTube.com. 27 July 2018.Archived from the original on 21 December 2021.
• Photo gallery of USSRacine (LST-1191) at NavSource Naval History

• Newport-class tank landing ships
• Ships built in San Diego
• 1970 ships
• Cold War amphibious warfare vessels of the United States
• Ships transferred from the United States Navy to the Peruvian Navy
• Ships sunk as targets
• Maritime incidents in 2018

• Articles with short description
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• Use dmy dates from July 2018
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