Charleston class amphibious cargo ship: Difference between revisions

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[[Image:USSCharleston.jpg|right|thumb|200px|USS ''Charleston'' (LKA-113)]]The '''''Charleston''-class [[Attack cargo ship|amphibious cargo ship]]s''' were built by [[Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Co.]] in 1968 and 1969. They were among the first Navy ships to have a fully automated main propulsion plant. The assigned mission of the amphibious cargo ship was to transport and land combat equipment and material with attendant personnel in an amphibious assault. To optimize their capability for [[combat loading]], they provided considerable flexibility in cargo stowage methods. The cargo [[elevator]]s servicing holds 1, 3, and 4 make all categories of supplies and all levels available simultaneously to either the main deck or the [[helicopter]] platform. Use of the ship's [[forklift]]s and pallet transporters speed the maneuvering of cargo in the holds and enable delivery to various debarkation stations via the main deck passageways, which run the length of the ship. The arrangement and quantity of booms and cargo elevators make it possible to simultaneously embark/debark vehicles and cargo.
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Vehicles in upper stowage spaces can be embarked/debarked through the hatches with cargo booms, while pallets are embarked/debarked in lower stowage spaces by elevators. The main deck hatch of hold 2 is unobstructed and can be opened for embarking/debarking of vehicles without the delay of unloading landing craft stowed on the hatch. Hold 4 is well suited for high priority cargo because of its direct access to the [[flight deck]] or main deck via elevator number 5.
 
==Ships==
Built in the late 1960s, these ships participated in the [[Vietnam War]]. Four of the five ships in the class had been transferred to the [[reserve fleet]] in the late [[1970s]] and early [[1980s]]. The need for additional [[sealift]] capacity resulted in all four being returned to the active fleet in 1982. The lead ship of the class, [[USS Charleston (LKA-113)|''Charleston'']] was decommissioned in 1992, and was joined by [[USS St. Louis (LKA-116)|''St. Louis'']] in November of 1992. The remaining ships were decommissioned in 1994. All ships are [[mothball]]ed for possible activation in the future.
 
==See also==
* [[Andromeda class attack cargo ship|''Andromeda''-class attack cargo ship]]
* [[Arcturus class attack cargo ship|''Arcturus''-class attack cargo ship]]
* [[Artemis class attack cargo ship|''Artemis''-class attack cargo ship]]
* [[Tolland class attack cargo ship|''Tolland''-class attack cargo ship]]
 
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