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USS Rathburne (FF 1057)

USS RATHBURNE was the sixth ship in the KNOX class of frigates. Built and commissioned as a destroyer escort, USS RATHBURNE was redesignated a frigate on June 30, 1975. Decommissioned on February 14, 1992, and stricken from the Navy List on January 11, 1995, the RATHBURNE was then berthed at Pearl Harbor, HI. On July 5, 2002, the ship was finally sunk as a target during RIMPAC 2002.

USS RATHBURNE was last homeported in Pearl Harbor, HI.

The name RATHBURNE is an incorrect spelling of the name Rathbun, also spelled Rathbourne, Rathburn, or Rathbon making USS RATHBURNE one of the ships whose name is not identical to the one of its namesake.

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Crew List:

This section contains the names of sailors who served aboard USS RATHBURNE. It is no official listing but contains the names of sailors who submitted their information.

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About the Ship's Name:

John Peek Rathbun served in the Continental Navy from its beginning. As a lieutenant in PROVIDENCE, he participated in an attack on New Providence in 1776. When John Paul Jones took command, he remained in PROVIDENCE, then went with Jones to ALFRED. Promoted to captain of the sloop PROVIDENCE in April 1777, Rathbun took his ship back to the Bahamas, and on the night of 27 January 1778, sent a small landing party of marines ashore at New Providence. They captured Forts Nassau and Montague without bloodshed. On the 28th Rathbun brought PROVIDENCE into Nassau harbor. Before departing on the morning of the 30th, he and his crew had taken two sloops and a brig, MARY; released American prisoners; dismantled the fortifications; and acquired badly needed small arms, ammunition, and powder.

In 1779, Rathbun assumed command of the frigate QUEEN OF FRANCE and in July cruised off Newfoundland with PROVIDENCE and RANGER. On the 16th the ships sighted a convoy bound for Britain. Fog closed in, but when it lifted, QUEEN OF FRANCE was next to a merchantman whose crew mistook the American for a British escort vessel. Rathbun took advantage of the situation, exploited the mistake in identity, and captured the ship. RANGER and PROVIDENCE followed suit. Ten more ships were cut out of the convoy, their total value approaching $1 million.

In 1780, Rathbun took QUEEN OF FRANCE south in Commodore Whipple's force to bolster the defenses of Charleston, S.C. There, with smaller ships, she was stationed in the Ashley River to prevent British forces under Cornwallis from crossing and attacking the city. As the American position weakened, QUEEN OF FRANCE's guns were removed and she was sunk as a block ship. Her crew then went ashore and Rathbun served as an artilleryman until the city fell in May 1781.

Taken prisoner at the fall of Charleston, Rathbun and the other American captains were paroled and allowed to return to New England. There he found that the Continental Navy had dwindled and no commands were available. Thereupon, Rathbun, a true patriot, secured a commission from congress on 4 August to command the Massachusetts privateer brig WEXFORD. About two weeks later, he set sail from Boston bound for St. Georges Channel and, within another six weeks reached the coast of Ireland. There, less than 100 miles from Cape Clear, he ran afoul of the 32-gun frigate HMS RECOVERY. Following a 24-hour chase during which HMS RECOVERY fired at least one broadside, Rathbun and his ship were captured by the British warship. Incacerated first at Kinsale Prison near Cork Ireland, Rathbun was later transferred to Mills Prison in Plymouth, England, where he died on 20 June 1782.

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USS RATHBURNE History:

USS RATHBURNE was the second United States Navy ship to bear the name. She was named for John Peck Rathbun, an officer of the Continental Navy during the American War of Independence. The spelling RATHBURNE differed from the usual spelling of his surname but had already been used for the earlier WICKES-class destroyer USS RATHBURNE (DD 113), and the KNOX-class ship continued that established naval form.

The new destroyer escort was laid down by Lockheed Shipbuilding and Construction Company at Seattle, Washington, on January 8, 1968. She was launched on May 2, 1969, sponsored by Mrs. Charles A. Bowsher. Construction, machinery installation, fitting-out, combat-system work, and acceptance testing continued for approximately another year. USS RATHBURNE was commissioned at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton, Washington, on May 16, 1970, with Commander Richard B. Evans in command. RATHBURNE was assigned to Destroyer Squadron 25 and Destroyer Division 251 and was homeported at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.

Following commissioning, RATHBURNE completed fitting-out, sea trials, machinery and weapons tests, and initial crew training in the waters of the Pacific Northwest. She then proceeded toward her assigned home port and arrived at Pearl Harbor on July 20, 1970. The remainder of the year and the first quarter of 1971 were devoted to weapons-system testing and fleet exercises in Hawaiian waters. Her crew trained in engineering operations, navigation, damage control, communications, gunnery, sonar work, tactical maneuvering, replenishment at sea, and the operation of the newly installed machinery and electronics.

RATHBURNE departed Pearl Harbor on April 14, 1971, for her first deployment to the western Pacific. The six-month cruise placed her under the operational control of the United States Seventh Fleet while the Vietnam War remained the principal American military commitment in Southeast Asia and Soviet naval forces maintained an increasingly active presence in the Pacific. Her assignments included antisubmarine training, surveillance, escort work, carrier-support duties, tactical maneuvering, and the extended periods at sea required to maintain American naval forces across the western Pacific. Antisubmarine exercises allowed her sonar team to train against American and allied submarines, while aviation operations developed coordination between the ship and airborne antisubmarine units. Escort and screening work required RATHBURNE to maintain assigned stations around larger ships, exchange tactical information, and remain prepared to investigate air, surface, and underwater contacts.

The deployment introduced the ship to the principal operating areas, sea routes, and support facilities used by the Seventh Fleet. Maintenance and replenishment periods alternated with antisubmarine exercises and fleet operations, allowing the crew to develop the routines required for sustained service far from Pearl Harbor. RATHBURNE returned to her home port on October 27, 1971, and entered an extended upkeep period. Machinery and electronics that had accumulated months of use required inspection and repair, while the crew completed post-deployment leave, training, and preparations for the next operational cycle.

Commander Ming E. Chang relieved Commander Evans on March 1, 1972. Chang later became the first American naval officer of Asian ancestry to attain flag rank. During May and June, RATHBURNE made a short visit to the West Coast that combined training, logistics, and preparation for another western Pacific deployment.

The military situation in Vietnam had intensified following the beginning of North Vietnam's Easter Offensive in March 1972. The United States responded with expanded carrier air operations, naval gunfire missions, mine warfare, reconnaissance, search and rescue, and attacks against transportation and supply systems. RATHBURNE departed Pearl Harbor on July 31 for her second western Pacific deployment. During the following months, she operated off Vietnam in escort, surveillance, and antisubmarine assignments during the final period of direct American combat operations. Her work supported the wider naval force in the Gulf of Tonkin and adjacent waters, where aircraft carriers, escorts, logistics ships, and other units maintained sustained operations. RATHBURNE contributed sonar and radar surveillance, tactical communications, and the screening capability expected of a KNOX-class escort.

President Richard Nixon announced on January 23, 1973, that the United States and North Vietnam had reached a peace agreement. The Paris Peace Accords were signed on January 27, establishing a ceasefire and providing for the withdrawal of remaining American forces, although fighting between North and South Vietnam continued. RATHBURNE completed the concluding stage of her deployment during this transition. After leaving the operational area, she proceeded to Yokosuka, Japan. There, she formed Task Unit 70.0.7 with USS COCHRANE (DDG 21), USS PREBLE (DLG 15), and USS BRONSTEIN (DE 1037). The four ships departed for home on February 17. They passed from Seventh Fleet to Third Fleet operational control on February 19, stopped at Midway Island on February 22, and arrived at Pearl Harbor on February 25. RATHBURNE then began a post-deployment period of leave, maintenance, inspections, and local training.

Commander Harold B. Russell relieved Commander Chang on June 19, 1973. For the remainder of the year, RATHBURNE operated primarily in Hawaiian waters. Her schedule included engineering training, weapons qualifications, antisubmarine exercises, aviation work, tactical maneuvering, material inspections, and upkeep. These activities restored readiness following the western Pacific deployment and prepared the ship for future service. During the first three quarters of 1974, RATHBURNE continued operations and training from Pearl Harbor. In September, she was transferred from Destroyer Squadron 25 to Destroyer Squadron 33. The organizational change placed her with other Pearl Harbor-based escorts that would deploy together during the following years.

RATHBURNE departed Pearl Harbor on October 1, 1974, in company with COCHRANE, USS KNOX (DE 1052), and USS WHIPPLE (DE 1062). After a short stop at Midway, the ships passed under Seventh Fleet operational control on October 9 while proceeding toward Guam and the western Pacific. The 1974-75 cruise extended beyond the usual operating areas near Japan and the Philippines and took RATHBURNE into the Indian Ocean. The deployment occurred as the United States was giving increased strategic attention to the maritime routes connecting the Pacific, Indian Ocean, Red Sea, and Persian Gulf. The aftermath of the 1973 Arab-Israeli War and the international oil crisis had emphasized the importance of access to the Middle East, while the Soviet Union was expanding its naval activity in the Indian Ocean.

At different stages of the deployment, RATHBURNE operated with forces associated with the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS ENTERPRISE (CVAN 65). Her duties included antisubmarine screening, surface surveillance, plane-guard readiness, electronic monitoring, tactical communications, and replenishment at sea. On February 5, 1975, ENTERPRISE anchored approximately four miles outside Mombasa, Kenya. USS BENJAMIN STODDERT (DDG 22) and RATHBURNE secured to buoys within the harbor. The port call provided fuel, supplies, maintenance opportunities, and liberty for the crews and also served a representational purpose as the United States maintained naval and diplomatic contacts along the East African coast. Kenyan military and government officials visited the American force during the stay.

The deployment coincided with the final collapse of the American-supported governments in Cambodia and South Vietnam. During April 1975, Seventh Fleet amphibious and carrier forces conducted Operation Eagle Pull, the evacuation of Phnom Penh, and Operation Frequent Wind, the evacuation of Saigon. After completing her overseas cruise, RATHBURNE returned to Hawaiian waters by late May. On May 30, she conducted an exercise with the nuclear-powered submarine USS ASPRO (SSN 648), which had departed Pearl Harbor the previous day for a western Pacific deployment. The exercise allowed RATHBURNE to practice sonar detection, tracking, tactical maneuvering, and simulated attack procedures against a modern nuclear-powered submarine.

On June 30, 1975, the Navy's fleet-wide ship-classification change redesignated RATHBURNE from destroyer escort DE 1057 to frigate FF 1057.

Commander Leland E. Wood Jr. relieved Commander Russell on December 6, 1975. During the opening months of 1976, RATHBURNE continued local training, upkeep, aviation operations, inspections, and deployment preparations from Pearl Harbor. Her schedule reflected the continuing requirement to maintain antisubmarine proficiency after the end of the Vietnam War. Soviet submarines and surface ships remained active throughout the Pacific, while political instability in Korea and Southeast Asia continued to influence Seventh Fleet planning.

Later in 1976, RATHBURNE began another western Pacific deployment that continued into 1977. The cruise involved Seventh Fleet readiness training, antisubmarine and surface exercises, carrier and task-group support, surveillance, maintenance periods, and overseas port visits. During early 1977, she participated in Readiness Exercise 1-77. Vice Admiral Robert B. Baldwin, Commander Seventh Fleet, exercised overall control from his flagship, USS OKLAHOMA CITY (CG 5). The exercise tested the ability of dispersed naval units to respond to changing tactical conditions, exchange operational information, and operate together under simulated wartime circumstances.

Following her return to Hawaii in 1977, RATHBURNE resumed maintenance, inspections, local operations, and the training of her aviation detachment and ship's company. Commander Raymond W. Addicott relieved Commander Wood on December 3. The following period included industrial and repair work necessary to maintain the hull, propulsion plant, sonar, weapons, electronics, and auxiliary machinery of the steam-powered frigate.

During 1978, much of RATHBURNE's schedule was devoted to maintenance, testing, and restoration of operational readiness. Work on her machinery and combat systems was followed by dock trials, sea trials, engineering examinations, weapons checks, and refresher training. The crew had to reestablish proficiency in navigation, damage control, sonar operations, aviation support, communications, gunnery, and replenishment at sea before the ship could undertake another extended deployment.

RATHBURNE departed Pearl Harbor on March 17, 1979, in company with USS BADGER (FF 1071), USS BREWTON (FF 1086), USS RAMSEY (FFG 2), and USS LYNDE McCORMICK (DDG 8). The ships stopped at Guam for fuel on March 29 and arrived at Subic Bay in the Philippines on April 4. The ships spent much of April alternating between exercises in the local operating areas and periods of upkeep at Subic Bay. Training included tactical maneuvering, communications, gunnery, air defense, antisubmarine warfare, damage control, and replenishment procedures. Subic Bay provided repair facilities, technical assistance, ammunition, fuel, stores, and planning support before the group began more distant operations.

During the first half of May, BADGER, BREWTON, and RATHBURNE made a round-trip visit to Hong Kong. Late in May and early in June, RATHBURNE operated with a task group in the South China Sea before returning to Subic Bay on June 11. Except for a short period at sea in the local operating area, the remainder of June was devoted to upkeep and preparations for an extended Indian Ocean cruise. RATHBURNE departed Subic Bay on July 1 in company with BADGER, BREWTON, and USNS MISPILLION (T-AO 105). The task group reached Singapore on July 4 and remained there for a four-day port visit. On July 9, the ships joined USS JOUETT (CG 29) and USNS PASSUMPSIC (T-AO 107) and transited the Strait of Malacca into the Indian Ocean. Periods at sea were filled with antisubmarine, antiaircraft, surface-warfare, communications, replenishment, and damage-control exercises. The group visited Colombo, Sri Lanka, from July 14 through July 18, providing fuel, supplies, maintenance opportunities, and crew liberty before returning to sea.

The ships continued westward and rounded the southern end of Madagascar on August 1. RATHBURNE subsequently operated in East African waters and visited Mombasa and Mogadishu. The deployment placed the frigate along maritime routes connecting the Pacific with the Red Sea and Persian Gulf during a year of major political change. The Iranian Revolution had removed the shah from power, political instability around the Persian Gulf was increasing, and the Soviet Union maintained a substantial regional naval presence. After leaving Mogadishu on August 12, the ships continued operations in the western Indian Ocean, Gulf of Aden, and Gulf of Oman. These waters formed the approaches to the Red Sea, Arabian Sea, and Strait of Hormuz and were increasingly important to American naval planning. RATHBURNE maintained surface and air surveillance, participated in task-group exercises, and supported the American naval presence without becoming involved in direct hostilities.

The group left the Indian Ocean through the Strait of Malacca on August 29 and proceeded toward the Gulf of Siam. There, RATHBURNE joined ships of the Royal Thai Navy for Exercise Sea Siamex X. The exercise developed communications, tactical maneuvering, surface-warfare, and antisubmarine cooperation between American and Thai forces. Sea Siamex X concluded on September 7. The participating ships then made a four-day visit to Pattaya Beach before beginning the return toward the Philippines. Following additional upkeep and turnover activity at Subic Bay, RATHBURNE departed on September 21 with BADGER and BREWTON. After refueling stops at Guam and Midway, the ships arrived at Pearl Harbor on October 4, completing a deployment that had taken them through the western Pacific, South China Sea, Strait of Malacca, Indian Ocean, waters off East Africa, Gulf of Aden, Gulf of Oman, and Gulf of Siam.

Commander Thomas S. Althouse relieved Commander Addicott on February 8, 1980. During 1980, RATHBURNE conducted Pacific Fleet operations, maintenance, inspections, weapons work, aviation training, and local exercises. She was photographed underway off Oahu in August. Engineering drills, sonar exercises, helicopter qualifications, and readiness examinations continued to occupy much of the ship's operating schedule.

On March 14, 1981, RATHBURNE sailed with BREWTON for Auckland, New Zealand. The two frigates subsequently participated in Exercise LongEx 1-81 with New Zealand naval forces. The exercise included tactical maneuvering, communications, antisubmarine procedures, and surface-warfare training and concluded on April 3. The visit and exercise took place within the framework of the Australia, New Zealand, and United States security relationship, which continued to support regional naval cooperation. Following the New Zealand operations, RATHBURNE returned to the central Pacific and resumed her schedule from Pearl Harbor. During the remainder of 1981, she completed additional operations, maintenance, inspections, and preparations for another major deployment.

Commander John M. Schantz relieved Commander Althouse on February 3, 1982. Althouse resumed command on April 11 before Commander Bernard D. Cole relieved him on May 17.

RATHBURNE participated in the multinational Rim of the Pacific exercise during the spring of 1982. The exercise brought together naval forces from the United States and several Pacific partners for coordinated air, surface, submarine, and amphibious training. RATHBURNE's preparations included workups in Southern California and operations in Hawaiian waters. On May 22, RATHBURNE operated alongside WHIPPLE during a personnel transfer at sea. RATHBURNE subsequently deployed with units of Destroyer Squadron 33. The force included BREWTON, WHIPPLE, and USS OUELLET (FF 1077). The extended cruise combined western Pacific operations, antisubmarine and surface exercises, tactical maneuvering, aviation work, maintenance, port visits, and the logistics required to support ships operating far from Hawaii.

On October 2, BREWTON, WHIPPLE, and RATHBURNE departed for Hong Kong. They returned to Subic Bay on October 9. After completing final upkeep and turnover work, the ships of Destroyer Squadron 33 departed Subic Bay on October 14, stopped at Guam on October 19, and returned to Pearl Harbor on October 20.

Following the deployment, RATHBURNE entered an extended maintenance and modernization period. The availability included repair and maintenance of the hull, boilers, propulsion machinery, sonar, electrical distribution system, communications equipment, weapons, aviation facilities, auxiliary machinery, and accommodation spaces. RATHBURNE's defensive configuration was subsequently changed by the replacement of the manually operated Sea Sparrow launcher on the fantail with a Phalanx close-in weapon system. The radar-directed 20-millimeter gun provided an automated final defensive layer against aircraft and antiship missiles. The ship also retained the ability to employ Harpoon surface-to-surface missiles from the modified Mk 16 launcher.

Following completion of the industrial work, RATHBURNE underwent dock trials, sea trials, engineering examinations, combat-system checks, and refresher training. Commander Thomas M. Hutcheson Jr. relieved Commander Cole on June 22, 1984. The ship rebuilt readiness through local operations, antisubmarine exercises, helicopter work, gunnery, damage-control training, and fleet exercises. RATHBURNE subsequently began another major western Pacific and Indian Ocean operating cycle during 1985. The cruise continued into 1986 and included operations across the western Pacific, Southeast Asian waters, the Indian Ocean, and Australian waters. Her assignments centered on antisubmarine screening, surface surveillance, aviation support, communications, tactical maneuvering, replenishment at sea, and multinational training.

On May 12, 1986, RATHBURNE visited Cochin, India. American naval visits to India remained relatively uncommon during the Cold War because India maintained close defense relations with the Soviet Union while officially following a nonaligned foreign policy. The call combined logistics and crew rest with naval diplomacy. RATHBURNE later proceeded to Australia in company with the fleet oiler USS CIMARRON (AO 177). In June, the two American ships visited Melbourne, where the recently commissioned Australian replenishment ship HMAS SUCCESS (OR 304) served as host ship. The visit occurred during a period of active political debate in Australia and New Zealand concerning calls by American warships and the United States policy of neither confirming nor denying the presence of nuclear weapons aboard individual ships.

After leaving Melbourne, RATHBURNE and CIMARRON conducted passage exercises with SUCCESS while proceeding toward Jervis Bay. The operations allowed the new Australian ship to practice formation maneuvering, communications, and replenishment procedures with American surface units. They also maintained practical cooperation between the United States and Royal Australian navies during the period in which New Zealand's restrictions on nuclear-powered or potentially nuclear-armed ships were creating serious difficulties within the three-nation security relationship.

Commander Robert V. Coates Jr. relieved Commander Hutcheson on September 5, 1986. During 1987, RATHBURNE continued operations from Pearl Harbor, completing maintenance, inspections, weapons qualifications, helicopter training, antisubmarine exercises, and Pacific Fleet readiness work. Commander Stanley D. Guertin relieved Commander Coates on January 15, 1988. Throughout 1988 and the opening part of 1989, RATHBURNE continued Pacific Fleet training and operational commitments. Relations between the United States and the Soviet Union were improving, but Soviet submarines and surface ships remained active, and the Navy continued to maintain forward-deployed forces across the Pacific and Indian Ocean.

RATHBURNE was at Pearl Harbor on November 1, 1989, moored near the ballistic-missile submarine USS GEORGIA (SSBN 729). She subsequently began another western Pacific and Indian Ocean deployment and later joined forces associated with the carrier battle group centered on ENTERPRISE. Commander Ted S. Wide relieved Commander Guertin on December 15 during the opening stage of the ship's final major overseas operating period.

RATHBURNE became part of Surface Action Group Foxtrot. The group included USS HEWITT (DD 966), USS BERKELEY (DDG 15), USS BAGLEY (FF 1069), USS NIAGARA FALLS (AFS 3), and USS PONCHATOULA (AO 148). The ships operated in the Indian Ocean and northern Arabian Sea during a period of continuing tension involving Iran, the security of shipping routes through the Strait of Hormuz, and the regional consequences of the Iran-Iraq War.

On January 30, 1990, ENTERPRISE anchored off Al Masirah, Oman, while Surface Action Group Foxtrot, under Captain Linton Wells, began steaming eastward out of the northern Arabian Sea operating area. USS WICHITA (AOR 1) detached on a southerly route toward Diego Garcia. RATHBURNE continued the homeward sequence through the Indian and Pacific Oceans and returned to Pearl Harbor during 1990.

During 1991, RATHBURNE continued local operations, maintenance, inspections, and readiness training from Pearl Harbor. She was photographed approaching the Pearl Harbor entrance channel on June 1. By this stage, the international and naval environment had changed substantially. The Warsaw Pact was dissolving, the Soviet Union was approaching its final months, and the United States Navy was beginning a major reduction of older steam-powered surface combatants. The KNOX-class frigates required relatively large crews and increasingly expensive maintenance of their boilers, propulsion machinery, and aging electronics. Newer guided-missile frigates and destroyers had assumed many of their former escort and antisubmarine duties. RATHBURNE therefore entered the final phase of her commissioned service.

Commander Wide remained in command until December 13, 1991, when Lieutenant Commander Cedric A. Bradfield relieved him and became RATHBURNE's final commanding officer. The crew began the detailed process of preparing the ship for decommissioning. Ammunition, classified material, records, spare parts, stores, and reusable equipment were removed or transferred. Machinery, tanks, piping, weapons, electronics, and internal spaces were inspected and preserved for inactive custody.

USS RATHBURNE was decommissioned at Pearl Harbor on February 14, 1992, after 21 years and approximately nine months of commissioned service. Following decommissioning, RATHBURNE remained at Pearl Harbor in inactive status. She was struck from the Naval Vessel Register on January 11, 1995. Unlike several other KNOX-class frigates, she was not transferred to a foreign navy and was eventually selected for use as a target during a major fleet weapons exercise. On July 5, 2002, the former RATHBURNE was used as the target during the Rim of the Pacific 2002 sinking exercise approximately 30 miles north of Kauai. The exercise allowed American and partner naval forces to practice detection, targeting, missile employment, air attack, and naval gunfire against a former warship under controlled conditions. The former RATHBURNE sank on July 5, 2002, at approximately 22°11'42" north, 160°13'07" west. The wreck came to rest in water approximately 2,552 fathoms deep, ending the physical existence of the ship more than 32 years after her commissioning.

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SINKEX Image Gallery:

The multi-national forces participating in RIMPAC 2002 conducted a ship-sinking exercise (SINKEX) at Pacific Missile Range Facility (PMRF), off the coast of Kauai on July 5, 2002. A variety of surface-to-surface missiles and naval guns were used to sink RATHBURNE.

In the SINKEX, five naval warships formed a battle line to engage an "enemy" ship some 30 miles (48 km) north of Kauai. The Peruvian Navy frigate BAP MONTERO (FM 53), Chilean Navy patrol frigate CS LYNCH (PF 07), guided missile cruiser USS LAKE ERIE (CG 70), destroyer USS PAUL F. FOSTER (DD 964), and guided missile destroyer USS LASSEN (DDG 82) took their position three miles (about 5 km) from the RATHBURNE and fired a variety of missiles and naval guns in succession.

Other platforms participating in the sinking included the guided missile destroyer USS O’KANE (DDG 77), U.S. Coast Guard high performance cutter HAMILTON (WHEC 715), and aircraft of VP-9, and VMFA-321.

Naval gunfire from participating units and two AGM-84D Harpoon missiles fired from a USN P-3C Orion aircraft helped sink the RATHBURNE.

A P-3C Orion aircraft approached the RATHBURNE at 300 knots and fired the first of two Harpoon missiles from 20 miles (18 km) away. Then the aircraft followed its missile to see what it did to the ship.

The missile blasted through the hull at the starboard-aft quarter near the waterline. The concussion blew the steel doors off the ship’s hangar. The hit also caused a large explosion and a lot of smoke followed. The RATHBURNE sunk on July 5, 2002, at 022° 11' 42.0" North, 160° 13' 07.0" West.

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USS RATHBURNE Image Gallery:

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