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General Characteristics Crew List Memorabilia Cruise Books Accidents aboard the Ship About the Ship's Name History to end of page |  |
USS KOELSCH was the eighth GARCIA - class frigate and the first ship in the Navy to honor Lieutenant (Junior Grade) John Kelvin Koelsch. Decommissioned on May 31, 1989, the KOELSCH was subsequently leased to Pakistan where she was recommissioned as SIQQAT. Stricken from the Navy list on July 1, 1994, and given back to the United States in August 1994, the KOELSCH was finally sold for scrapping on September 28, 1994.
| General Characteristics: | Awarded: March 21, 1963 |
| Keel laid: February 19, 1964 | |
| Launched: June 8, 1965 | |
| Commissioned: June 10, 1967 | |
| Decommissioned: May 31, 1989 | |
| Builder: Defoe Shipbuilding, Bay City, Michigan | |
| Propulsion system: 2 Foster-Wheeler boilers; 1 Westinghouse geared turbine; 35,000shp; 1 shaft | |
| Length: 414.4 feet (126.3 meters) | |
| Beam: 44.3 feet (13.5 meters) | |
| Draft: 25.9 feet (7.9 meters) | |
| Displacement: approx. 3,500 tons full load | |
| Speed: 27 knots | |
| Armament: one Mk-16 missile launcher for ASROC missiles, two Mk-30 5-inch/38 caliber guns, | |
| Aircraft: one | |
| Crew: 16 officers, 231 enlisted |
back to top go to the end of the pageback to top go to the end of the pageCrew List:
This section contains the names of sailors who served aboard USS KOELSCH. It is no official listing but contains the names of sailors who submitted their information.
back to top go to the end of the pageback to top go to the end of the pageUSS KOELSCH Cruise Books:
back to top go to the end of the pageAccidents aboard USS KOELSCH:
| Date | Where | Events |
|---|---|---|
| April 8, 1975 | Mayport, Fla. | USS KOELSCH experiences flooding in the diesel generator room when an air conditioning main ruptures while the ship is in Mayport, Fla. |
back to top go to the end of the pageAbout the Ship's Name:
John Kelvin Koelsch was born on 22 December 1923 in London, England. He joined the Naval Reserve as an Aviation Cadet in September 1942 and was commissioned as an Ensign in October 1944 after completing flight training. During the next few years, he served in Composite Squadron 15 and in two torpedo squadrons. In August 1950, Lt(jg) Koelsch joined Helicopter Squadron One (HU-1) and was Officer in Charge of the helicopter detachment of USS PRINCETON (CV 37) during her 1950-51 Korean War deployment. In June 1951, he moved to Helicopter Squadron Two (HU-2), based at Wonsan, North Korea, for pilot rescue duty.
On 3 July 1951, while attempting to rescue an injured flyer, his helicopter was hit by enemy gunfire and crashed. Koelsch, his crewman and the rescued pilot survived the crash and hid from the surrounding enemy for nine days before they were captured. As a prisoner of war, Lt(jg) Koelsch exhibited great bravery and inspired his companions with his "fortitude and consideration for others". He died of malnutrition and dysentery while a captive on 16 October 1951. In August 1955, Lieutenant (Junior Grade) John Kelvin Koelsch was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his Korean War heroism.
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back to top go to the end of the pageUSS KOELSCH History:
USS KOELSCH was laid down at Bay City, Michigan, by Defoe Shipbuilding Company on February 19, 1964. She was launched on June 8, 1965, sponsored by Virginia L. Koelsch, Lieutenant Koelsch's niece. She belonged to the GARCIA-class of ocean escorts developed primarily for anti-submarine warfare at a time when the Soviet submarine fleet was becoming an increasingly important element of Cold War naval planning. Builder's trials were conducted on Lake Huron on April 14 and April 15, 1967. USS KOELSCH departed Bay City on May 11 and began the passage through the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway toward the Atlantic. She reached Boston, Massachusetts, where she was commissioned at Boston Naval Shipyard on June 10, 1967, with Commander John A. Buck in command. Newport, Rhode Island, was designated as her home port.
The remainder of 1967 was dominated by fitting-out work, tests and modifications at Boston. USS KOELSCH received an experimental rubber coating on her sonar dome and had the Anti-Submarine Warfare Ship Command and Control System installed. This system was intended to integrate tactical information from the ship's sonar and other sensors and was installed in only a small number of ships for operational evaluation. USS WASP (CVS 18) and USS VOGE (DE 1047) were also associated with the program. Repairs and modifications included work on boiler superheater tubes, while equipment connected with the original DASH installation was removed as the Navy moved toward future manned-helicopter concepts. The prolonged fitting-out period meant that USS KOELSCH spent relatively little time at sea during her first months in commission.
Early in 1968 the ship began to emerge from this extended technical phase. On February 7, she operated from Boston to test recently repaired equipment, including her hull fin stabilizers, before returning to port that evening. During the early months of the year, she participated with WASP and VOGE in operational evaluation of the new Anti-Submarine Warfare Ship Command and Control System. The ships rendezvoused in the vicinity of Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, where the system was tested under more realistic fleet conditions.
USS KOELSCH subsequently completed the training and preparations necessary for extended Atlantic Fleet service. On August 20, 1968, she departed for Northern European and Mediterranean operations. The deployment gave the new destroyer escort its first sustained opportunity to operate with NATO forces and to exercise the anti-submarine systems that had occupied so much of her fitting-out period. During a port-intensive cruise she visited Southampton, England, from September 3 through September 9; Stavanger, Norway, from September 11 through September 16; Hamburg, West Germany, from October 1 through October 7; Lisbon, Portugal, from October 21 through October 24; Naples, Italy, from November 1 through November 7; Barcelona, Spain, from December 2 through December 7; and Gibraltar from December 9 through December 11.
The deployment also included significant anti-submarine experimentation. On November 7, 1968, USS KOELSCH and VOGE began operations in the Tyrrhenian Sea intended to evaluate tactics for exploiting the convergence-zone detection capability of the SQS-26 sonar. Convergence-zone propagation could allow a powerful low-frequency sonar to detect submarines at ranges considerably beyond the first direct-path sonar zone under suitable oceanographic conditions. The two SQS-26-equipped escorts therefore conducted search patterns intended to determine how multiple ships could use these distant acoustic zones cooperatively. These trials formed part of the Navy's broader effort to counter increasingly quiet and capable Soviet submarines in the Atlantic and Mediterranean. USS KOELSCH completed the deployment and returned to Newport on December 19.
After the Christmas and New Year period, USS KOELSCH entered Boston Naval Shipyard on January 14, 1969, for a post-deployment availability that continued until March 22. She returned to Newport and on April 1 departed for the Virginia Capes operating area, where she carried out individual ship exercises and type training. These activities prepared her for another transatlantic cruise beginning only a month later.
USS KOELSCH departed Newport on May 1, 1969, refueled in the Azores and joined a task group centered on WASP in the eastern Atlantic. On May 14, she anchored at Spithead between Portsmouth and the Isle of Wight in preparation for an international naval review. On May 16, Queen Elizabeth II reviewed the assembled ships from the Royal Yacht HMY BRITANNIA. USS KOELSCH subsequently made a five-day visit to Cherbourg, France, before rejoining WASP on May 22. The task group then conducted hunter-killer anti-submarine operations in the northeastern Atlantic, including further evaluation of tactical systems west of Ireland. USS KOELSCH visited Oslo, Norway, from June 4 through June 7 and later Amsterdam, Netherlands, from June 23 through June 30. She left the European operating area on July 5, conducted replenishment operations with WASP during the return passage and reached Newport on July 11.
The remainder of 1969 was spent primarily in Atlantic Fleet training. From October 15 through October 24, USS KOELSCH participated in the anti-submarine exercise Squeeze Play I along the East Coast. A second iteration, Squeeze Play II, followed from December 1 through December 12. These exercises emphasized coordinated detection and tracking of submarines.
USS KOELSCH departed Newport on February 5, 1970, for Squeeze Play III in the western Atlantic. The exercise included experimental anti-submarine work and was interrupted by visits to Bermuda from February 14 through February 16 and again on February 22 and February 23. She returned to Newport on March 2. On April 13, she left for approximately two weeks of independent exercises in the Virginia Capes area and made a liberty visit to Norfolk beginning on April 17. Further anti-submarine exercises followed in rapid succession. USS KOELSCH participated in Squeeze Play IV from May 18 through May 28 and Squeeze Play V from June 8 through June 21. Her performance during this period resulted in receipt of the Rhode Island Navy League's anti-submarine warfare trophy as the outstanding Atlantic Fleet ship in that specialty.
From July 31 through August 3, 1970, USS KOELSCH visited Rockland, Maine, in connection with the annual Maine Lobster Festival. During the return voyage, she received unusual orders to search for three sailors believed to be attempting to desert to Canada in a pleasure craft. The men were located and taken aboard, and USS KOELSCH later turned them over to naval investigative authorities after returning to Newport.
On August 10, the ship visited Naval Weapons Station Earle, New Jersey, to offload ammunition before a maintenance period. A tender availability at Newport began on August 21 and continued until September 14. USS KOELSCH then entered Boston Naval Shipyard on September 15 for an overhaul that occupied the remainder of the year. Sea trials were conducted on December 9 and December 10, and the ship left the shipyard on December 21.
USS KOELSCH began 1971 by rearming at Earle on January 18 and January 19. She then moved south for weapons and refresher training. From January 23 through January 26, she operated in the Roosevelt Roads weapons-training area in Puerto Rico and visited St. Croix from January 27 through January 31 before proceeding to Guantanamo Bay for approximately seven weeks of refresher training. A short liberty visit to Kingston, Jamaica, took place on February 14 and February 15.
On March 10, while still operating in Caribbean waters, USS KOELSCH received information concerning a Soviet submarine tender in Bahia de Nipe on Cuba's northeastern coast. The ship was ordered to investigate and reached the area during the night. Early on March 11 she relieved another U.S. naval unit and spent approximately 24 hours monitoring maritime activity around the bay before being relieved in turn. The assignment was characteristic of Cold War naval surveillance, in which U.S. surface ships routinely observed Soviet naval support vessels and other Soviet activity around Cuba. USS KOELSCH ultimately returned to Newport on March 29.
From April 26 through May 11, 1971, USS KOELSCH conducted specialized towed-sonar-array testing in Exuma Sound in the Bahamas. These trials were significant because long passive arrays streamed behind surface ships were emerging as an important means of detecting submarines at greater ranges while reducing the acoustic interference created by the searching ship itself. The equipment involved in these tests preceded the later AN/SQR-15 Towed Array Sonar System that USS KOELSCH would operate during the 1980s.
During the summer, the ship supported the training of Naval Academy and Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps midshipmen. The first training period ran from June 17 through July 18. Squeeze Play operations followed from July 19 through July 31, and another midshipman training period ran from August 29 through September 22. USS KOELSCH then participated in Atlantic Fleet coordination training from September 23 through October 6, carried out type training from October 18 through October 29 and concluded the principal operating year with combined Canadian-American exercises from November 1 through November 16.
On March 10, 1972, USS KOELSCH departed Newport for an approximately six-week operation in the eastern Atlantic centered on exercises with the Spanish and Portuguese navies. After conducting bilateral anti-submarine training with Spanish forces, she visited Rota, Spain, from March 30 through April 5. Portuguese exercises followed, together with a three-day visit to Porto. She returned to Newport on April 23.
Additional Atlantic Fleet training began on May 16 with Destroyer Squadron 24. Engineering repairs required a visit to Norfolk from May 18 through May 22, after which USS KOELSCH returned to Newport on May 25. Preparations then concentrated on the ship's first extended Mediterranean deployment.
USS KOELSCH departed Newport on June 14, 1972, and reached Rota on June 22. She entered Sixth Fleet service at a time when the Mediterranean remained one of the principal maritime theaters of the Cold War, with NATO naval forces routinely operating in proximity to Soviet surface ships and submarines. The first weeks included task-force exercises, anti-submarine operations and carrier support. An urgent medical requirement resulted in a brief visit to Naples on June 25 and June 26.
After initial fleet operations, USS KOELSCH spent approximately a week at Palma de Mallorca before returning to sea from July 14 through July 21. An upkeep period at Naples followed. During August, the ship shifted to the eastern Mediterranean and Aegean, conducting carrier and anti-submarine operations and visiting Limnos, Greece, from August 10 through August 13 and Athens from August 21 through August 26. USS KOELSCH paused again at Palma at the beginning of September and then participated in a NATO anti-submarine exercise. She subsequently proceeded to Barcelona to embark a U.S. Navy band and visited Mahon on Menorca from September 6 through September 9 in connection with local festivities. Rota followed on September 12.
The frigate then moved east for a NATO amphibious exercise in the vicinity of Alexandroupoli, Greece. Engineering difficulties required boiler repairs at Athens from September 26 through September 28. After returning to sea for further anti-submarine work, USS KOELSCH visited Sfax, Tunisia, from October 2 through October 5 and reached Barcelona on October 7 for approximately two weeks of leave and upkeep. From October 21 through October 30, USS KOELSCH operated in the Tyrrhenian Sea in carrier and air-defense-related exercises. A two-day visit to Naples followed, after which she conducted special operations along the Adriatic coast of Albania. Albania's political isolation and its strategic position at the entrance to the Adriatic made the area of continuing interest to NATO surveillance forces. USS KOELSCH later took part in another major Sixth Fleet exercise and anchored briefly at Souda Bay, Crete.
The final weeks of the Mediterranean cruise included visits to Livorno, Italy, from November 23 through November 28 and Toulon, France, from November 29 through December 5. USS KOELSCH then proceeded to Gibraltar for turnover and began the transatlantic passage home. She returned to Second Fleet control on December 10 and arrived at Newport on December 18.
After local Atlantic Fleet operations early in 1973, USS KOELSCH participated in Sharem XIV from March 5 through March 11. The exercise was designed to evaluate sonar tactics and improve coordinated anti-submarine procedures. Destroyer Squadron 24 type training followed from April 16 through April 20. From June 3 through June 9, USS KOELSCH operated in connection with visiting French naval units associated with NATO activities. She subsequently supported midshipman training from June 10 through June 16 and again from June 23 through June 29. On June 29, she embarked approximately 75 civic guests for transportation to Bristol, Rhode Island, where she remained through July 5 and participated in Independence Day activities. Additional training cruises for the Destroyer School occupied July 24 through August 19.
USS KOELSCH departed Newport on August 20, 1973, ending more than six years of association with the Rhode Island home port. She reached Mayport, Florida, on August 26, establishing her new home-port relationship with the southeastern United States. During September, both of her 5-inch/38-caliber gun mounts were replaced with reconditioned mounts obtained from the naval ammunition facility at Crane, Indiana.
On October 1 USS KOELSCH departed Mayport for refresher training at Guantanamo Bay. She conducted naval gunfire-support training at Culebra on October 18 and October 19 and returned to Mayport on October 21. Preparations then began for an unusually long deployment that would take the Atlantic Fleet escort around Africa and into the Indian Ocean.
USS KOELSCH departed Mayport on November 15, 1973. On November 18, she rendezvoused near Roosevelt Roads with USS BRUMBY (DE 1044), which became her principal companion during much of the long deployment. The ships crossed the Atlantic to West Africa. USS KOELSCH visited Dakar, Senegal, on November 27 and November 28 and Freetown, Sierra Leone, from November 30 through December 5. During the Freetown visit she hosted Sierra Leonean President Siaka Stevens aboard on December 4. USS KOELSCH crossed the Equator on December 7. During the passage the ships received fuel support from the Royal Fleet Auxiliary tankers RFA TIDESPRING (A 75) and RFA TIDEREACH (A 96).
By the days immediately preceding Christmas, KOELSCH and BRUMBY had joined USS CHARLES F. ADAMS (DDG 2) and USS McCANDLESS (DE 1084) in the Indian Ocean. The four ships operated together before arriving at Port Louis, Mauritius, on December 24. Their presence reflected the expanding U.S. Navy interest in the Indian Ocean during the 1970s, when Soviet naval activity was increasing and political developments around East Africa, the Arabian Peninsula and the Persian Gulf were giving the region greater strategic importance.
USS KOELSCH departed Mauritius after the holiday period and visited Port des Galets, Reunion, from January 3 through January 9, 1974. Fleet exercises occupied much of the remainder of January. She then proceeded independently toward the Red Sea and visited Massawa, Ethiopia, from February 8 through February 12. At the time, Massawa remained part of Ethiopia, although the Eritrean independence conflict was already affecting the region.
USS KOELSCH entered the Persian Gulf area and visited Bahrain from February 23 through March 6. She then proceeded to Bandar Abbas, Iran, where she remained from March 6 through March 9 for briefings before a combined naval exercise involving U.S., British and Iranian forces. From March 9 through March 12 she operated with BRUMBY; HMS SCYLLA (F 71), HMS ARIADNE (F 72) and HMS DANAE (F 47); and Iranian naval units including SAAM (DE 12), ZAAL (DE 14), KANNAMOUIE (F 28) and MILANIAN (F 27). Iran under Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi was then a major U.S. security partner in the Persian Gulf, and combined naval exercises were part of the regional military relationship.
After the exercise, USS KOELSCH proceeded to Karachi, Pakistan, where she remained from March 12 through March 18. The visit included professional exchanges with the Pakistan Navy. She returned to Bahrain beginning on March 21 for approximately another week before beginning the long homeward passage.
USS KOELSCH rendezvoused with BRUMBY at Mombasa, Kenya, on April 9, 1974, in connection with turnover of Middle East Force responsibilities. The two ships then continued south and west around Africa. They visited Lourenco Marques, Mozambique, from April 13 through April 15; Luanda, Angola, from April 22 through April 24; Monrovia, Liberia, from April 29 through May 1; and Recife, Brazil, from May 5 through May 7. USS KOELSCH subsequently called at Port of Spain, Trinidad, on May 12 and May 13 and Roosevelt Roads on May 14 and May 15 before arriving at Mayport on May 18.
Less than a month later, on June 17, 1974, USS KOELSCH entered Charleston Naval Shipyard for a regular overhaul. The work was originally expected to be completed in December but expanded into March 1975. The overhaul included installation or improvement of a number of systems. The SPS-40D air-search radar and Tactical Air Navigation equipment were added, sewage collection and holding equipment was installed, and the ship received improved aqueous film-forming foam firefighting capability. Work was carried out on her boilers and superchargers, the SQS-26 sonar dome received a new rubberized acoustic window and an impressed-current system was added to reduce hull corrosion. Most significantly for future operations, USS KOELSCH was modified to support the Light Airborne Multi-Purpose System and manned SH-2 Seasprite helicopter operations.
The extended overhaul was completed on March 19, 1975, and USS KOELSCH returned to Mayport on March 22. On May 5, she sailed for the Atlantic Undersea Test and Evaluation Center area around Andros Island in the Bahamas. During weapons-system testing from May 9 through May 12, she fired exercise torpedoes and Anti-Submarine Rockets. Over the following days, she provided assistance during test operations involving USS GLENARD P. LIPSCOMB (SSN 685) and USS TINOSA (SSN 606).
USS KOELSCH reached Jacksonville on May 16 and received her first operational LAMPS helicopter, an SH-2 Seasprite from Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron Light 34. The arrival of the helicopter marked a major change from the ship's original unmanned DASH concept. The SH-2 could carry sensors and weapons beyond the effective range of the ship's own sonar and could also perform logistics, surveillance and search-and-rescue missions. On June 30, 1975, a Navy-wide surface-ship classification change redesignated USS KOELSCH from destroyer escort DE 1049 to frigate FF 1049.
USS KOELSCH visited Charleston on July 7 for degaussing-range work and subsequently proceeded to Guantanamo Bay for refresher training. In August 1975, she participated in CaribEx 1-76, whose exercise designation referred to the coming fiscal and training cycle rather than the calendar year. Naval gunfire-support exercises were conducted at Vieques on August 18, followed by anti-submarine training against USS SAND LANCE (SSN 660) on August 24 and USS ANDREW JACKSON (SSBN 619) on August 28. An Operational Propulsion Plant Examination followed on October 9 and October 10. Later in 1975, USS KOELSCH participated in CompTUEx 3-76 from October 16 through October 24 and CompTUEx 4-76 from November 17 through November 26. A Combat Systems Readiness Review from December 1 through December 12 completed the principal readiness cycle.
USS KOELSCH began 1976 with submarine-support operations off Charleston from January 9 through January 11 and participated in CaribEx 2-76 from January 15 through February 15. These exercises formed part of the preparations for another Mediterranean deployment. The frigate departed Mayport on April 14, 1976, with Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron Light 34 Detachment 4 embarked. During the first two weeks of Sixth Fleet service, she participated in the NATO exercise Open Gate 76. She entered Naples for a tender availability beginning on May 7 and remained there for approximately two weeks before returning to operational duties, including Sharem XXI and other anti-submarine exercises.
After a five-day port visit at Brindisi, Italy, USS KOELSCH returned to sea. Beginning on June 7, she carried out surveillance operations east of Crete. From June 19 through June 21 she was placed on standby southeast of Crete during Operation Fluid Drive I, the first U.S. Navy evacuation of American citizens from Beirut during the Lebanese Civil War. The deteriorating security situation in Lebanon had prompted Sixth Fleet amphibious and surface forces to position themselves for evacuation and support tasks. USS KOELSCH's role was part of the naval force covering these operations.
At the end of June, the frigate made a six-day visit to Syracuse, Sicily. After further Mediterranean operations, she returned to the eastern part of the sea. On July 19, she anchored near Kithera, Greece, but was soon ordered to support Operation Fluid Drive II, a second evacuation of U.S. citizens from Beirut as the Lebanese conflict continued.
USS KOELSCH reached Naples on August 3 for a tender availability that continued through August 17. During the following weeks, she participated in the anti-submarine exercise Galaxy Griddle and carried out surveillance operations through September 1. She visited Barcelona from September 5 through September 14 and then returned to sea for exercise Side Saddle and additional surveillance operations in the Kithera area.
The final major exercise of the deployment was NATO's Display Determination, which occupied much of the last part of the cruise. USS KOELSCH completed turnover with USS VALDEZ (FF 1096) and USS JULIUS A. FURER (FFG 6) on October 14 and October 15 and began the transatlantic passage home. She arrived at Mayport on October 25.
From November 15, 1976, through January 15, 1977, USS KOELSCH underwent modifications and repairs affecting her anti-submarine tactical-data systems and propulsion plant. Once this work was completed, she resumed Caribbean training. Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron Light 36 Detachment 6 embarked on January 19 for CaribEx 1-77. USS KOELSCH visited Port of Spain from January 31 through February 2, conducted naval gunfire-support training at Vieques on February 3 and February 4 and returned to Mayport on February 11.
USS KOELSCH again departed Mayport on February 28 and reached Norfolk on March 2. After approximately eleven days of upkeep, she participated in Operation Cleansweep, an anti-submarine exercise conducted from March 14 through March 25. A two-month period of tender and restricted availability at Mayport followed. At the beginning of June 1977, USS KOELSCH conducted anti-submarine training in Narragansett Bay. During a subsequent Combat Systems Readiness Review at Mayport, she hosted the Spanish frigate EXTREMADURA (F 75). Carrier task-group training off Charleston followed from June 24 through June 27, and on June 30 the frigate conducted a dependents' cruise.
Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron Light 36 Detachment 6 embarked again on July 8. USS KOELSCH departed Mayport on July 11 with USS SARATOGA (CV 60) for another Mediterranean deployment. She reached Gibraltar on July 21 and remained there for approximately three days before beginning operational training. The initial portion of the deployment included ASW Week I from July 25 through July 31 and Sharem XXIII from August 1 through August 10, followed by further Sixth Fleet training. USS KOELSCH reached Naples on August 25 and remained there through September 8. The ship subsequently operated in the eastern Mediterranean and Ionian Sea in gunfire and anti-submarine exercises. She visited Skiathos, Greece, from September 20 through September 23, the first visit by a U.S. warship to the island in several years. NATO exercise Display Determination followed. USS KOELSCH then visited Taranto, Italy, from October 8 through October 14 and Palma de Mallorca from October 16 through October 27.
Another anti-submarine training period, ASW Week II, continued through November 4. USS KOELSCH visited Ibiza on November 7 and Cartagena, Spain, from November 8 through November 13. She arrived at Toulon on November 16 for briefings connected with NATO exercise Iles d'Or 77, which continued through November 25. A visit to Saint-Tropez followed from November 26 through December 4. The ship subsequently participated in the anti-submarine exercise Poopdeck 2-77 while moving toward Rota. After completing turnover in Spanish waters, USS KOELSCH began the return passage and carried out additional exercises with SARATOGA during the Atlantic crossing. She arrived at Mayport on December 23.
USS KOELSCH embarked Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron Light 36 Detachment 6 again on February 1, 1978, for ReadiEx 1-78. The exercise included naval gunfire-support training at Vieques on February 13 and February 14. She then visited St. John's, Antigua, from February 18 through February 21 before continuing exercise operations through February 26 and returning to Mayport on March 1.
The frigate went to sea again on March 8 for an exercise that was subsequently canceled. She proceeded to Yorktown, Virginia, to offload ammunition and returned to Mayport on March 15 to prepare for a major overhaul. Before entering the shipyard, her forward and after 5-inch guns, gun director, Anti-Submarine Rocket launcher, torpedo tubes and associated combat-system equipment were removed for overhaul or replacement. On April 3, 1978, USS KOELSCH entered the Bethlehem Steel Key Highway shipyard at Baltimore, Maryland, for a regular overhaul. The work was extensive and continued for more than a year. Refurbished or replacement weapons were installed, the sonar dome received another new rubber acoustic window and the Naval Tactical Data System was upgraded. The long maintenance period occupied the remainder of 1978 and most of the first half of 1979.
Sea trials were conducted in Chesapeake Bay and the Virginia Capes operating areas during the spring of 1979. USS KOELSCH finally departed Baltimore on June 27, loaded ammunition at Yorktown and reached Mayport on July 1. July and August were devoted to restoration of readiness, including midshipman training periods, type training, weapons-system acceptance work and sonar trials. From October 1 through October 12, 1979, USS KOELSCH participated in CompTUEx 1-80, which included naval gunfire-support training at Vieques. Preparations for another overseas deployment continued during the following weeks. Between October 13 and November 26, the ship underwent final predeployment work that included replacement of sonar equipment and further combat-system preparations.
USS KOELSCH departed Mayport on November 27, 1979, for a Mediterranean and Middle East deployment. She reached Rota on December 9 and remained there through December 13. From December 13 through December 22 she operated in a carrier battle group centered on USS FORRESTAL (CV 59). Other participating ships included USS WAINWRIGHT (CG 28), USS TATTNALL (DDG 19), USS PAUL (FF 1080) and USS CONNOLE (FF 1056). The group conducted coordinated anti-submarine, air-defense and surface-warfare operations before dispersing for the Christmas period. USS KOELSCH spent the holidays at Toulon in company with USS SPRUANCE (DD 963), remaining there from December 23 through January 4, 1980.
After leaving Toulon, USS KOELSCH rejoined battle-group operations from January 4 through January 9. She subsequently visited Brindisi and anchored at Souda Bay from January 19 through January 21 before participating in the amphibious exercise PhibLEx 3-80 in Greek waters. A four-day visit to Catania, Sicily, followed. The frigate then departed the Mediterranean for duty with the Middle East Force. She transited the Suez Canal on February 2 and February 3, 1980, and proceeded down the Red Sea. After refueling at Djibouti on February 7, she carried out surveillance operations in the vicinity of Socotra. The island's position near the entrance to the Gulf of Aden and the presence of Soviet-supported facilities in the region made these waters a focal point of Cold War naval intelligence and surveillance.
USS KOELSCH crossed the Equator on February 12 and reached Mombasa, Kenya, on February 13. She remained there through February 23. Between February 15 and February 18, the ship supported recovery operations connected with NASA sounding rockets launched for observations associated with a solar eclipse. USS KOELSCH returned to Djibouti on February 28 and subsequently resumed surveillance in the Gulf of Aden. Another Djibouti stop occurred on March 7, after which the frigate again operated around Socotra and monitored a Soviet naval anti-submarine group. She then moved into the Arabian Sea and spent approximately a week operating around the Strait of Hormuz before visiting Bahrain from March 21 through March 25.
Additional Persian Gulf operations followed, including work with BRUMBY. USS KOELSCH left the region, called at Djibouti on March 31 and transited the Suez Canal on April 5. She reached Naples on April 8. During her return to the Mediterranean operating area she conducted surveillance of the Soviet helicopter carrier LENINGRAD and associated escorts. An intermediate maintenance availability at Naples continued until April 22. USS KOELSCH rejoined the FORRESTAL battle group before reaching Rota on April 25. She departed Spain on April 27 and completed the transatlantic passage to Mayport on May 7.
After post-deployment leave and maintenance, the frigate resumed Atlantic Fleet operations. From July 2 through July 8, 1980, she operated with elements of the Joint Caribbean Task Force. ReadiEx 2-80 followed from July 9 through August 8 and included anti-air and surface-warfare exercises. USS KOELSCH visited Roosevelt Roads from July 17 through July 21 and Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, from August 1 through August 3. CompTUEx 5-80 began on September 30. Predeployment preparations followed in October and November. USS KOELSCH conducted sea trials on November 15 after receiving communications and electronic-system improvements, including additional secure communications equipment.
The frigate departed Mayport again on November 18, 1980, for another Mediterranean and Middle East deployment. She reached Rota on November 29 and remained there through December 1 before continuing east. An intermediate maintenance availability at Barcelona ran from December 5 through December 15. USS KOELSCH then participated in a large Sixth Fleet surface anti-submarine sweep across the western Mediterranean and made a short visit to Gaeta, Italy, on December 18. USS KOELSCH subsequently proceeded independently toward the Middle East. She transited the Suez Canal shortly before Christmas, refueled at Djibouti on December 26 and reached the Persian Gulf on December 30. There, she relieved USS PATTERSON (FF 1061) and began radar-picket and Strait of Hormuz patrol duties on December 31.
These operations continued into 1981. The Iranian Revolution, the continuing consequences of the 1979 seizure of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran and the Iran-Iraq War, which had begun in September 1980, had made the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz increasingly important to U.S. naval planning. USS KOELSCH therefore alternated radar-picket duty, maritime surveillance and patrol work with logistics visits. She was at Bahrain from January 21 through January 30 and continued Strait of Hormuz operations during February.
After completing her Middle East assignment, USS KOELSCH returned through the Suez Canal to the Mediterranean and reached Naples on March 18, 1981, for maintenance. She remained in the Mediterranean until departing on April 15. After refueling stops in the Azores and underway replenishment from USS SYLVANIA (AFS 2), she arrived at Mayport on April 28.
The ship returned to sea from June 15 through June 27 for western Atlantic operations that included visits to Albany, New York, and Newport. On July 14, she departed on a South Atlantic deployment associated with Unitas XXII, the annual series of multinational exercises between the U.S. Navy and South American maritime forces. The passage included a visit to St. Kitts before USS KOELSCH reached Recife on August 3. She remained there through August 5 and later visited Rio de Janeiro from August 12 through August 16. During this phase, she operated in combined U.S.-Brazilian naval exercises. USS KOELSCH returned to Mayport on August 31.
Much of the following two months was devoted to preparations for and completion of an inspection by the Board of Inspection and Survey. From November 1 through November 24, USS KOELSCH participated in ReadiEx 1-82 in waters north of Puerto Rico, maintaining her readiness for another overseas deployment scheduled early the following year.
USS KOELSCH departed Mayport on January 27, 1982, for another Mediterranean and Middle East cruise. She reached Rota on February 7 and visited Algeciras, Spain, from February 9 through February 13. Anti-submarine exercises followed before she reached Gaeta for an intermediate maintenance availability from February 16 through February 27. The frigate transited the Suez Canal on March 3, refueled at Djibouti and arrived in the Persian Gulf on March 12. Radar-picket and surveillance duties continued until April 27, interrupted by a short visit to Bahrain. USS KOELSCH left the Persian Gulf area, refueled at Djibouti on May 5 and passed through the Suez Canal on May 9. After refueling in Augusta Bay, Sicily, the frigate visited Syracuse from May 14 through May 22. She subsequently underwent an intermediate maintenance availability at Naples from May 24 through May 28 and continued maintenance at Gaeta until June 7.
During much of June 1982, USS KOELSCH operated with Sixth Fleet forces in the eastern Mediterranean off Lebanon. The deployment coincided with the Israeli invasion of Lebanon beginning on June 6 and the rapid expansion of the 1982 Lebanon War. U.S. naval forces maintained a substantial presence in the eastern Mediterranean as the regional crisis developed. USS KOELSCH completed this phase of the deployment and reached Rota on June 30. She departed for the United States on July 4 and arrived at Mayport on July 14.
After summer leave and upkeep, USS KOELSCH briefly resumed local operations from September 15 through September 18. On October 13, she proceeded to Charleston to offload ammunition and then headed north. She reached New York on October 15 and spent October 18 through October 20 in Manhattan before entering the Coastal Drydock and Repair Corporation facilities at the Brooklyn Navy Yard for an extensive overhaul. The overhaul lasted approximately eleven months and included communications, engineering and combat-system work. Among the changes were installation of a single integrated audio system, additional UHF radio transceivers and new high-pressure air compressors. The yard period was interrupted by a fatal industrial accident on April 4, 1983, when a steam-boiler explosion killed a civilian shipyard employee and caused minor injuries to three other people, including a Navy lieutenant.
Contractor delays affected the overhaul schedule. The ship completed a light-off examination on September 8 and September 9, 1983, followed by dock trials on October 20 and October 21 and sea trials around Long Island on October 21 and October 22. USS KOELSCH loaded ammunition at Earle on October 25 and returned to Mayport on October 28. The remaining months of 1983 were devoted to post-overhaul inspections, trials and training. USS KOELSCH conducted shakedown operations from Jacksonville from November 29 through December 2, followed by additional training from December 5 through December 9. She provided services in support of submarine training on December 12 and again later in the month and conducted a burial-at-sea ceremony before the end of the year.
USS KOELSCH began 1984 by departing Mayport on January 4 for Port Everglades and the Atlantic Undersea Test and Evaluation Center operating areas. Weapons-system acceptance work was interrupted when the ship became involved in search-and-rescue activity after a Drug Enforcement Administration helicopter accident. USS KOELSCH coordinated the surface search effort and recovered two Bahamian police officers who had survived the crash. She returned to Mayport on January 14.
Additional naval weapons and tactical training followed. USS KOELSCH conducted operations from January 16 through January 20 and underwent nuclear-certification-related inspections on January 26 and January 27. She returned to the Andros Island test area at the beginning of February and then entered a prolonged refresher-training program. A final battle problem was completed on March 12, followed immediately by an Operational Propulsion Plant Examination on March 13. The ship later proceeded to Charleston for weapons work and conducted a burial-at-sea ceremony on March 28.
From April 4 through April 17, 1984, USS KOELSCH participated in CompTUEx 2-84. The exercise included coordinated anti-submarine operations and marked the resumption of helicopter operations following the long overhaul. She visited St. Thomas from April 18 through April 20, refueled at Roosevelt Roads and returned to Mayport on April 25. A restricted availability followed and continued through June 4. Combat-system qualification work resumed during June. An intermediate maintenance availability beginning on June 25 continued until July 27 and included work requiring ammunition to be removed from some magazines.
From August 2 through August 9, USS KOELSCH conducted operations with USS INDEPENDENCE (CV 62), including anti-submarine and radiated-noise evaluations. She subsequently participated in ReadiEx 2-84 from August 21 through September 7, concentrating on anti-air warfare and gunnery. Immediately before her next Mediterranean deployment, USS KOELSCH received an AN/SQR-15 Towed Array Sonar System. The long passive array significantly extended her acoustic surveillance capability and represented another stage in the ship's long involvement with advanced anti-submarine technology. Initial testing of the installation was conducted from September 27 through September 29. A dependents' cruise followed on October 4.
USS KOELSCH departed Mayport on October 13, 1984. She reached Gibraltar on October 23 and completed turnover with USS BIDDLE (CG 34). During the subsequent passage toward the Adriatic, the new towed-array system was tested under operational conditions. She reached Trieste, Italy, on October 29 for an intermediate maintenance availability that continued through November 7. From November 8 through November 28, USS KOELSCH operated on an anti-submarine surveillance line in the Mediterranean. Training included coordinated operations with USS GATO (SSN 615), and during the period the ship also obtained contact on an unidentified submarine. She entered Palermo, Sicily, on November 28 and remained there through the Christmas period before returning to another anti-submarine line that continued into January 1985.
USS KOELSCH completed this phase on January 4, 1985, and proceeded to Palma de Mallorca for maintenance. She departed on January 14. On January 15, a flareback in the number 1A boiler damaged the associated supercharger and significantly affected the ship's propulsion capability. USS KOELSCH nevertheless continued toward the western Mediterranean, conducted an underway replenishment with USS BUTTE (AE 27) on January 19 and made a five-day stop at Las Palmas in the Canary Islands. The frigate reached Barcelona on January 25, where the damaged supercharger was replaced. Repairs continued until February 15. USS KOELSCH then proceeded east and reached Naples on February 18 to prepare for an unusual Black Sea operation.
After departing Naples on March 1, 1985, USS KOELSCH conducted anti-submarine exercises in the central Mediterranean and rendezvoused with WAINWRIGHT on March 8. The two ships passed through the Turkish Straits and entered the Black Sea on March 10. U.S. Navy visits to the Black Sea were conducted under the limitations of the Montreux Convention and were routinely monitored closely by Soviet naval and air forces. USS KOELSCH and WAINWRIGHT spent approximately a week conducting operations before leaving the Black Sea through the Bosphorus on March 16.
After returning to the eastern Mediterranean, USS KOELSCH joined the carrier force centered on USS DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER (CVN 69) and performed escort duties. She reached Naples on March 26 and departed again on April 5 for another anti-submarine surveillance period in the central Mediterranean. USS KOELSCH reached Malaga, Spain, on April 15 for an intermediate maintenance availability. During the visit, the ship received the Sixth Fleet "Hook 'Em" Award for anti-submarine warfare performance. She completed turnover with USS MOINESTER (FF 1097), departed Malaga on April 26 and arrived at Mayport on May 7.
Local readiness operations resumed quickly. USS KOELSCH conducted naval training from June 3 through June 7, followed by sea trials on June 10. She departed on June 17 for specialized anti-submarine operations extending into the western and central Atlantic. On the return passage, an engineering casualty involving the feed system for the number 1B boiler required emergency repairs at Bermuda around the beginning of July. USS KOELSCH returned to Mayport on July 7.
Further local training and inspections occupied July. For much of August and September the ship remained in port for maintenance and readiness work. Hurricane Isabel forced USS KOELSCH to leave her normal berth on October 9 and move up the St. Johns River to the Blount Island area for protection. She returned after the storm threat passed on October 10. Sea trials followed from October 15 through October 17. After further inspections, USS KOELSCH went to Charleston on November 20 and November 21 to offload ammunition. She returned to Mayport on November 22, and the AN/SQR-15 Towed Array Sonar System was removed from November 23 through November 27.
On December 2, 1985, USS KOELSCH proceeded to Key West to provide drone and exercise support for Patrol Hydrofoil Missile Squadron 2. Further exercise activity occurred on December 5. She departed Key West on December 9, performed support work with submarines in the Jacksonville operating area and returned to Mayport on December 13.
USS KOELSCH began 1986 with independent operations off Jacksonville. On January 28, the Space Shuttle Challenger broke apart shortly after launch from Kennedy Space Center. USS KOELSCH was among the naval units assigned to search and recovery operations off Florida following the disaster, remaining involved through January 31.
The ship spent most of February and early March at Mayport. A surprise technical inspection was conducted on February 12 and February 13. An Operational Propulsion Plant Examination followed on March 24 and March 25, and further diesel and auxiliary-machinery inspections were carried out from March 31 through April 4. Ammunition was offloaded on April 3 in preparation for a selected restricted availability. The availability began on April 17 and continued until July 7, 1986. USS KOELSCH underwent a readiness evaluation on July 10 and July 11 and resumed local training from July 14 through July 16 and again from July 28 through July 31.
On August 26, the frigate departed for Charleston, loaded ammunition there on August 27 and returned through Mayport on August 29 before heading for the Caribbean. Refresher training at Guantanamo Bay lasted from September 1 through October 17. USS KOELSCH subsequently visited Grenada from October 24 through October 26 during commemorative activities marking the third anniversary of the 1983 U.S.-led intervention on the island. She conducted naval gunfire-support training at Vieques on October 28 and October 29 and anti-submarine exercises in the Andros Island test area on November 2 and November 3.
Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron Light 32 Detachment 9 embarked on November 26. USS KOELSCH departed Mayport on December 3 and proceeded to Roosevelt Roads. From December 8 through December 14 she embarked a U.S. Coast Guard Tactical Law Enforcement Team and conducted counter-narcotics patrols in Caribbean waters. These operations reflected the growing use of Navy ships as platforms for Coast Guard law-enforcement teams in maritime drug-interdiction missions. USS KOELSCH subsequently visited Guantanamo Bay and returned to Mayport on December 20.
The helicopter detachment embarked again on January 5, 1987, and USS KOELSCH departed Mayport on January 7 for another counter-drug patrol. She reached Roosevelt Roads on January 10 and embarked a five-person Coast Guard law-enforcement team. From January 11 through January 30 the frigate inspected or investigated 51 vessels. On January 13, the embarked law-enforcement personnel boarded the merchant vessel GRANELERO II and discovered a quantity of cocaine. Twenty people were detained. Two days later, USS KOELSCH rendezvoused with USCGC NUNIVAK (WPB 1306), transferring the seized vessel, contraband and prisoners for delivery to federal authorities at San Juan. The case became one of the more substantial seizures made during USS KOELSCH's counter-drug assignments.
After completing the patrol, USS KOELSCH visited Antigua from February 2 through February 4 and returned to Mayport. An intermediate maintenance availability from February 9 through March 12 followed. During this period, she hosted the British destroyer HMS BRISTOL (D 23) at Mayport from March 4 through March 14.
USS KOELSCH conducted weapons firings on March 16 and March 17, including an operational Anti-Submarine Rocket and exercise torpedoes. Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron Light 32 Detachment 9 embarked again on March 20, and the frigate departed Mayport on March 21 for another law-enforcement patrol. During the initial passage she conducted a burial at sea for retired Chief Storekeeper William Wallace off the Bahamas. USS KOELSCH embarked another Coast Guard law-enforcement team at Guantanamo Bay on March 23 and began a patrol that continued until April 12. During this deployment, approximately 112 vessels were investigated. Also on March 23, the embarked helicopter evacuated a civilian suffering a heart attack from USS MOUNT BAKER (AE 34) and transported the patient to medical care at Guantanamo Bay.
During the patrol the crew recovered floating packages of marijuana from the sea. After confirming their contents, the material was destroyed in accordance with procedures. The Coast Guard team disembarked at Roosevelt Roads on April 12. USS KOELSCH subsequently visited St. Croix from April 14 through April 18 before proceeding to Vieques. From April 19 through April 22 she conducted intensive naval gunfire-support and spotting exercises, firing more than 400 rounds from her 5-inch guns. She returned to Mayport on April 25.
A boiler-control alteration occupied April 28 through May 6. On June 1 and June 2, USS KOELSCH underwent a Defense Nuclear Surety Inspection without significant discrepancies. The Board of Inspection and Survey inspected the ship from June 7 through June 12. Although found suitable for continued service, her combat readiness in the condition inspected was assessed as deficient, and further work followed.
From June 15 through July 3 an SSQ-99 electronic-support-measures system housed in a temporary van was installed for specialized operations planned in Central America. A Naval Security Group detachment subsequently embarked, and USS KOELSCH departed Mayport on July 10. The frigate proceeded by way of Guantanamo Bay to the Panama Canal, transited on July 15 and reached Naval Station Rodman on the Pacific side. A Stinger missile security detachment was also embarked for the deployment. Beginning on July 20, USS KOELSCH conducted specialized surveillance and support operations in the eastern Pacific off Central America. The deployment occurred amid continuing regional conflicts involving Nicaragua, El Salvador and neighboring states and formed part of the larger U.S. military presence in the region. The ship operated in support of Combined Task Force 84 and Joint Task Force Bravo.
The first major operating period continued through July 29. USS KOELSCH then entered Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala, for fuel, provisions and repairs and returned to sea on August 1. Over the following two months, she accumulated 56 days at sea while conducting special operations in the eastern Pacific. Logistics and civic-action visits punctuated the deployment. USS KOELSCH returned to Rodman from August 10 through August 13, during which crew members participated in community-assistance projects. From August 22 through August 25 personnel traveled to Guatemala City for additional assistance activities. During another Puerto Quetzal visit from September 16 through September 19, members of the crew painted a school and delivered humanitarian supplies under the Navy's Project Handclasp program.
After completing her special operations assignment, USS KOELSCH returned to Rodman and transited the Panama Canal eastbound on October 10, 1987. During the final Rodman period, Panamanian security personnel detained three USS KOELSCH sailors together with six U.S. Air Force members and accused them of involvement in anti-government activity. The Americans were held for approximately 20 hours. The United States protested the detention, and the servicemen were released, although some remained temporarily in Panama for further proceedings before rejoining the ship later. The incident occurred during a period of rapidly deteriorating relations between the United States and the government of General Manuel Noriega.
USS KOELSCH visited Montego Bay, Jamaica, from October 12 through October 15 and Guantanamo Bay on October 16 before proceeding toward the United States. She reached New Orleans on October 21 for Fleet Week activities and received more than 3,200 visitors aboard. The frigate departed on October 26 with approximately 60 guests embarked for a Tiger Cruise and returned to Mayport on October 29.
A two-month intermediate maintenance availability began on November 2 and continued through the end of the year. It was interrupted by a trip to Charleston on December 10 to offload ammunition in preparation for another major shipyard period.
USS KOELSCH departed Mayport on January 4, 1988, and arrived at Bath Iron Works' Portland, Maine, facilities on January 7 for overhaul. The maintenance period became complicated by rapidly changing Navy plans for the aging GARCIA-class. On January 28, Atlantic Fleet authorities issued a stop-work order intended to limit expenditures after proposals emerged to remove the remaining GARCIA-class ships from active U.S. Navy service. Work resumed on February 25, but several expensive items originally intended for the overhaul were canceled or reduced, including major sonar-dome work, replacement of the forward 5-inch gun mount and a complete overhaul of portions of the Naval Tactical Data System.
On March 21, 1988, the Department of Defense announced plans under which remaining GARCIA- and BROOKE-class frigates would be placed in reserve or made available for foreign military transfer. This decision had an immediate effect on the scope and objectives of USS KOELSCH's overhaul. On April 16, the Chief of Naval Operations nevertheless directed that the ship emerge from the yard in fully functional condition, while Atlantic Fleet planners increasingly considered her a candidate for transfer to a foreign navy.
On April 30, Commander Naval Surface Force Atlantic formally recommended USS KOELSCH for foreign military sale or lease. By May 20, the Navy had clarified the minimum work required to return her to fully functional condition. The changing scope, reduced manpower and repeated revisions to the yard plan placed the overhaul behind schedule, and by the end of July, completion had slipped several weeks beyond the earlier target. On August 18, 1988, USS KOELSCH was identified as a primary candidate for transfer to Pakistan. The original planning called for decommissioning at Charleston in March 1989 with a direct turnover, but the schedule was subsequently delayed while the necessary foreign military arrangements were completed. The revised shipyard completion date moved into early February 1989.
The Pakistan Navy began preparing crews for several former U.S. frigates intended for transfer. Groups of Pakistani sailors assigned to USS KOELSCH arrived in April 1989, with contingents reaching the United States on April 15, April 24 and April 28. Engineering, damage-control and shipboard familiarization training began during the week of April 17. USS KOELSCH's engineering plant was lit off on April 24 as the training program became increasingly practical. Beginning on May 9, 1989, USS KOELSCH conducted a three-day underway training period during which Pakistani personnel operated shipboard equipment under the supervision of the American crew. Further training and turnover activities continued through the middle of the month. The remaining U.S. crew held its final ship's picnic on May 21, and final awards and administrative ceremonies followed on May 26.
USS KOELSCH was decommissioned from the U.S. Navy at Charleston, South Carolina, on May 31, 1989. On the same day, she was transferred to Pakistan under a five-year lease and entered Pakistan Navy service as PNS SIQQAT (F 267). Her U.S. Navy service had lasted almost twenty-two years.
PNS SIQQAT remained in Pakistani service through the period covered by the original five-year lease. The ship was returned to U.S. custody at Singapore on August 19, 1994. On September 28, she was removed from the U.S. Naval Vessel Register and transferred to the Maritime Administration for disposal. She was subsequently sold to Trusha Investments Pte. Ltd. for $625,824 and taken to Hong Kong for scrapping.
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