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USS Joseph Hewes (FF 1078)

USS JOSEPH HEWES was the 27^th KNOX - class frigate and one of the eight ships of her class transfered to the Naval Reserve Force serving as Reserve Training Frigates (FFT). Each of the eight Reserve Training Frigates had its own reserve crew, and was also assigned four "nucleus crews" which would man the 32 decommissioned KNOX-class frigates in the case of a reactivation of these ships.

Decommissioned on June 30, 1994, the JOSEPH HEWES was sold to Taiwan where she was recommissioned as LAN YANG.

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Crew List:

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

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Accidents aboard USS JOSEPH HEWES:

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About the Ship's Name:

Joseph Hewes was an American merchant, political leader, and one of the founders of the Continental Navy. He was born near Princeton, New Jersey, on July 9, 1730, into a Quaker family. After receiving a commercial education, he moved to Edenton, North Carolina, in the 1750s and established himself as a successful merchant and shipowner.

Hewes entered colonial politics and was elected to the North Carolina Assembly in 1766. As relations with Great Britain deteriorated, he represented North Carolina in the Continental Congress beginning in 1774. Although initially cautious about complete separation from Britain, he eventually supported independence and signed the Declaration of Independence on behalf of North Carolina in 1776.

Hewes made his most important contribution through his work on the Marine Committee and Naval Board. He helped acquire merchant vessels, arrange their conversion into warships, obtain weapons and supplies, select officers, and administer the finances and correspondence of the new naval service. He also assisted John Paul Jones in obtaining his commission. Because of this work, Hewes is sometimes regarded as the first civilian administrator of the American Navy.

Poor health repeatedly interrupted his political service, but he returned to the Continental Congress in 1779. He died in Philadelphia on November 10, 1779, at the age of 49 and was buried at Christ Church Burial Ground. His role in establishing the Continental Navy was later commemorated by the naming of two United States Navy ships, including the KNOX-class frigate USS JOSEPH HEWES.

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USS JOSEPH HEWES History:

USS JOSEPH HEWES was a KNOX-class destroyer escort, later redesignated as a frigate and finally as a reserve training frigate. The contract for the new destroyer escort was awarded on August 25, 1966. Her keel was laid at Avondale Shipyards in Westwego, Louisiana, on May 14, 1969. She was launched and christened on March 7, 1970, with Caroline Groves Gayler, the wife of Vice Admiral Noel A. M. Gayler, serving as sponsor. The Navy accepted the completed ship on April 6, 1971. USS JOSEPH HEWES was commissioned at the Boston Naval Shipyard in Charlestown, Massachusetts, on April 24, 1971. Commander Robert E. Klee became her first commanding officer. The ship was assigned to the Atlantic Fleet and initially homeported at Newport, Rhode Island.

Following commissioning, USS JOSEPH HEWES completed fitting-out work, acceptance trials, engineering qualifications, weapons testing, sonar evaluations, aviation training, and individual-ship exercises. The crew also corrected deficiencies discovered during the initial months of operation and prepared the ship for her first extended deployment.

On March 15, 1972, USS JOSEPH HEWES suffered a significant propulsion casualty approximately 600 miles east of Jacksonville, Florida. A main-engine line-shaft bearing failed while the ship was operating in stormy seas, causing her to lose propulsion. The casualty was especially serious aboard a single-shaft ship because she had no second propulsion train. Repairs and subsequent testing interrupted her preparations but did not prevent her from deploying later that year.

In early June 1972, USS JOSEPH HEWES departed the East Coast for the western Pacific and service off Vietnam. Commander Jerry R. Haynes relieved Commander Klee and assumed command on June 30 while the ship was already engaged in the deployment. USS JOSEPH HEWES embarked Helicopter Antisubmarine Squadron Light 32 Detachment 3 with an SH-2D Seasprite. The deployment represented the first operational cruise by a LAMPS SH-2D detachment and tested the new ship-helicopter combination under sustained conditions far from its normal Atlantic bases.

After crossing the Pacific, USS JOSEPH HEWES operated from Subic Bay in the Philippines and joined United States naval forces off Vietnam. Her arrival came during the intensified American air and naval campaign of 1972, when North Vietnam's Easter Offensive had increased the demand for naval gunfire, carrier aviation, surveillance, and logistical support. USS JOSEPH HEWES carried out naval gunfire-support missions with her 5-inch gun. A well-documented action occurred near Hon Gio Island, where she operated with USS DAVIS (DD 937) against North Vietnamese coastal positions. The embarked LAMPS helicopter observed the bombardment and corrected the ships' gunfire. The aircraft's ability to see beyond the ships' direct line of sight allowed the gun crews to adjust their fire against positions that could not be observed accurately from the surface.

After completing combat operations, USS JOSEPH HEWES and USS DAVIS visited Hong Kong before returning to Subic Bay. USS JOSEPH HEWES then departed the Philippines with USS DAVIS and USS DEWEY (DDG 45) as Task Unit 27.8.4. Instead of returning directly across the Pacific, the ships proceeded westward through Southeast Asian and Indian Ocean waters, making the deployment an around-the-world voyage.

The task unit visited Singapore and then passed through the Strait of Malacca into the Indian Ocean. It anchored at Sitra, Bahrain, on November 15, 1972. USS JOSEPH HEWES subsequently participated in Exercise Midlink XV with American, British, Iranian, and Pakistani naval forces. The exercise included combined operations intended to improve communications, tactical coordination, and maritime cooperation in the approaches to the Persian Gulf and northern Indian Ocean. USS JOSEPH HEWES visited Bandar Abbas, Iran, from November 18 through November 20. The task unit crossed the Equator and reached Mombasa, Kenya, on November 26. Continuing around the Cape of Good Hope and into the South Atlantic, the ships arrived at Recife, Brazil, on December 10 and remained until December 12. They then proceeded to Port of Spain, Trinidad, arriving on December 16. USS JOSEPH HEWES returned to Newport on December 22, 1972. She had completed more than six months away from her home port.

The opening months of 1973 were devoted to post-deployment leave, maintenance, repairs, inspections, and the restoration of equipment after extended operations. USS JOSEPH HEWES then resumed Atlantic Fleet training, including engineering exercises, damage-control drills, sonar operations, gunnery, helicopter qualifications, and Caribbean training periods.

Later in 1973, USS JOSEPH HEWES deployed to the Mediterranean. Her service coincided with the Yom Kippur War, which began on October 6 when Egyptian and Syrian forces attacked Israeli positions. The conflict led both the United States and the Soviet Union to increase their military readiness in the region. American carrier forces moved to sea while the Soviet Mediterranean Squadron also maintained a substantial presence. By October 15, USS FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT (CVA 42), accompanied by USS TRIPPE (DE 1075) and USS JOSEPH HEWES, had taken station approximately 100 miles southeast of Sicily. From this position, the force could respond to developments in the central or eastern Mediterranean while remaining outside the immediate combat area.

USS JOSEPH HEWES provided antisubmarine protection, surface surveillance, communications, and general escort support for the carrier. The presence of Soviet submarines and surface ships made continuous tracking and contact reporting particularly important. The immediate crisis eased following the ceasefire later in October, although American naval forces remained ready while diplomatic efforts attempted to stabilize the region.

Commander Thomas B. Buell assumed command on December 7, 1973. Buell later became known as a naval historian and the author of biographies of Admirals Ernest J. King and Raymond A. Spruance.

By 1974, USS JOSEPH HEWES was operating from Charleston, South Carolina. Her activities during the year included maintenance, Atlantic and Caribbean training, inspections, helicopter operations, and preparations for another extended overseas deployment.

In 1975, USS JOSEPH HEWES began a deployment of approximately six months that took her to the west coast of Africa, the Mediterranean, the Red Sea, the Arabian Peninsula, and the Indian Ocean. The deployment occurred while the United States was adjusting its naval posture after the end of direct combat involvement in Vietnam and while the Middle East remained strategically important because of the Arab-Israeli conflict, the international oil crisis, Soviet naval activity, and instability around the Horn of Africa. Ports associated with the deployment included Dakar, Senegal; Bahrain; Bandar Abbas, Iran; and Karachi, Pakistan. The calls reflected the wide geographical range of the cruise and the continuing American interest in maintaining access to ports and sea routes linking the Atlantic, Mediterranean, Red Sea, Persian Gulf approaches, and Indian Ocean.

A particularly significant event followed the reopening of the Suez Canal on June 5, 1975. The canal had been closed since the Arab-Israeli War of June 1967 and remained blocked through the subsequent War of Attrition and the October 1973 conflict. After mines, wrecks, and other obstructions had been cleared, Egypt reopened the waterway to international traffic. USS JOSEPH HEWES and USS TRIPPE became the first commissioned United States Navy warships to make a complete transit of the canal after its reopening. Their passage restored a direct naval route between the Mediterranean and Red Sea, allowing American ships to reach the Indian Ocean without sailing around the African continent. The transit had both operational and diplomatic significance as relations between the United States and Egypt were improving.

On June 30, 1975, a fleet-wide revision of United States Navy ship classifications changed the ship's designation from DE 1078 to FF 1078. She was thereafter officially classified as a frigate.

USS JOSEPH HEWES returned to the United States later in 1975. Commander Zeanious L. Newcomb relieved Commander Buell and assumed command on September 5. The post-deployment period included leave, upkeep, inspections, and repairs after months of operation in warm-water regions that placed particular demands on the ship's boilers, condensers, ventilation systems, electronic equipment, and aviation facilities.

During 1976, USS JOSEPH HEWES remained with the Atlantic Fleet. Her schedule centered on local and regional exercises, engineering and weapons inspections, Caribbean training, maintenance periods, and antisubmarine operations involving the ship, her helicopter, patrol aircraft, submarines, and other surface units. Commander Richard J. Fromholtz assumed command on August 16, 1977. During that year, USS JOSEPH HEWES participated in North Atlantic Treaty Organization operations associated with Exercise Ocean Safari. The exercise tested the alliance's ability to protect shipping and move naval forces across the North Atlantic during a major confrontation with the Soviet Union. USS JOSEPH HEWES and USS VALDEZ (FF 1096) operated as LAMPS-equipped frigates within a multinational antisubmarine formation that also included Canadian naval forces. The ships joined other allied units near Lisbon, Portugal, and later operated in the North Atlantic under difficult autumn weather conditions. Exercise activity included submarine detection and tracking, air defense, surface surveillance, convoy protection, communications, replenishment, and tactical maneuvering.

The year 1978 was devoted largely to Atlantic Fleet readiness work. USS JOSEPH HEWES underwent maintenance, inspections, helicopter training, antisubmarine exercises, engineering drills, and operations in the Caribbean and western Atlantic. These periods between overseas deployments were necessary to repair machinery, qualify new personnel, and maintain readiness for later Sixth Fleet service.

Commander Guy R. Campbell III assumed command on August 1, 1979. USS JOSEPH HEWES operated in the Mediterranean during that year and was documented at Barcelona, Spain, on August 4. Mediterranean operations continued to emphasize surveillance of Soviet naval activity, carrier-group escort, multinational exercises, and readiness for regional contingencies.

During 1980, USS JOSEPH HEWES continued Atlantic and Mediterranean operations. The international environment was influenced by the continuing American hostage crisis in Iran, the Soviet intervention in Afghanistan, and the expansion of the United States naval presence in the Indian Ocean and Arabian Sea. Although USS JOSEPH HEWES remained principally an Atlantic and Mediterranean escort, these events affected the readiness and deployment planning of the Sixth Fleet.

During 1981, USS JOSEPH HEWES underwent an extended maintenance and modernization period. Her propulsion plant, auxiliary machinery, hull, piping, weapons, sensors, aviation facilities, electrical equipment, and living spaces received attention. After completing the work, the crew conducted engineering trials, weapons testing, inspections, and refresher training before the ship returned to full operational status.

In January 1982, USS JOSEPH HEWES participated in Composite Training Unit Exercise 2-82. The exercise combined air defense, surface warfare, antisubmarine operations, communications, replenishment, and casualty-response training in preparation for deployment. USS JOSEPH HEWES departed Charleston on March 17, 1982 for Mediterranean and Middle Eastern service. She initially sailed with USS JESSE L. BROWN (FF 1089), USS THOMAS C. HART (FF 1092), USS FORREST SHERMAN (DD 931), USS SAMUEL ELIOT MORISON (FFG 13), and USS CALOOSAHATCHEE (AO 98). The ships reached Rota, Spain, on March 28 and completed turnover arrangements with units finishing their Sixth Fleet assignments.

After reaching the Mediterranean, the ships separated for different missions. USS JOSEPH HEWES carried out escort, surveillance, antisubmarine, and readiness operations during a period of increasing tension in Lebanon and continuing conflict between Iran and Iraq. Israel invaded Lebanon in June 1982 in an effort to remove Palestine Liberation Organization forces from positions near its northern border. Fighting spread toward Beirut and created a complex crisis involving Israel, Syria, Lebanese factions, Palestinian forces, and foreign governments. American naval forces gathered in the eastern Mediterranean to support diplomatic activity, protect United States interests, and prepare for possible evacuations.

USS JOSEPH HEWES began the Atlantic crossing home on July 27 in company with USS JESSE L. BROWN, USS THOMAS C. HART, USS FORREST SHERMAN, USS SAMUEL ELIOT MORISON, USS CALOOSAHATCHEE, and USS BUTTE (AE 27). On August 3, USS JOSEPH HEWES, USS FORREST SHERMAN, and USS JESSE L. BROWN separated from the remainder of the formation. The three ships arrived at Charleston on the morning of August 6, completing a deployment of almost five months.

Captain Lorry M. Hardt assumed command on November 18, 1982. USS JOSEPH HEWES then began preparations for another Mediterranean deployment while the situation in Lebanon remained unresolved and United States Marines were serving ashore as part of a multinational force. USS JOSEPH HEWES departed Charleston on April 29, 1983 in company with USS MAHAN (DDG 42), USS BOWEN (FF 1079), and USS JOHN RODGERS (DD 983). The ships formed part of the wider force deploying in support of USS DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER (CVN 69).

USS DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER entered the Mediterranean on May 8. USS JOSEPH HEWES participated in carrier screening, antisubmarine exercises, surveillance, communications, and multinational training while remaining available for contingencies in the eastern Mediterranean. After departing Trieste, Italy, on June 27, USS JOSEPH HEWES, USS JOHN RODGERS, and USS BELKNAP (CG 26) conducted a freedom-of-navigation operation off Albania. Albania maintained restrictive maritime claims and remained one of Europe's most isolated communist states. The operation demonstrated the American position that naval vessels were entitled to exercise lawful navigational rights in international waters.

USS JOSEPH HEWES subsequently served with the rotating American naval force off Lebanon. United States Marines were stationed near Beirut International Airport as part of a multinational force that also included French, Italian, and British contingents. Their mission was intended to support the Lebanese government and contribute to stability following the evacuation of Palestine Liberation Organization forces. The security situation deteriorated during the summer and autumn of 1983. Lebanese government units, Druze and Shiite militias, Christian forces, Syrian troops, Israeli forces, and the multinational contingents occupied or contested positions in and around Beirut. American ships offshore provided surveillance, communications, air-defense support, evacuation capability, logistical assistance, and readiness for naval gunfire support.

USS JOSEPH HEWES remained available for naval gunfire support, but no verified record establishes that she fired her 5-inch gun against targets in Lebanon. Confirmed American naval gunfire missions during the period were conducted by other ships, including USS BOWEN and USS JOHN RODGERS.

On October 23, 1983, a truck carrying explosives destroyed the United States Marine barracks near Beirut International Airport, killing 241 American service members. A nearly simultaneous attack destroyed the French paratrooper headquarters and killed 58 French personnel. USS JOSEPH HEWES was serving with the offshore naval force during the period surrounding the attacks. The ships off Lebanon supported communications, medical response, transportation, security, and the movement of personnel and supplies. They also remained alert for additional attacks and renewed fighting. The bombing became a major turning point in the American involvement in Lebanon and led to a reassessment of the multinational force's position. USS JOSEPH HEWES returned to Charleston after completing her Mediterranean service.

During 1984, USS JOSEPH HEWES underwent post-deployment maintenance and resumed Atlantic Fleet training. Her schedule included engineering and damage-control exercises, helicopter operations, sonar tracking, inspections, gunnery, and coordinated work with other surface ships and submarines. On February 15, 1985, USS JOSEPH HEWES responded to the grounding of the passenger and cargo ferry A. REGINA near Mona Island, between Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. The ferry's passengers and crew reached Mona Island, but heavy surf complicated efforts to remove them. USS JOSEPH HEWES remained in the area to support the rescue operation. Her embarked helicopter delivered drinking water, food, and other supplies to the people ashore while American and Puerto Rican authorities organized their evacuation from the island.

Commander Carl I. Lundquist relieved Captain Hardt and assumed command on April 5, 1985. During the second half of the year, USS JOSEPH HEWES participated in Unitas XXVI, the annual series of exercises conducted by the United States Navy with South American naval forces. The American task group consisted of the flagship USS STUMP (DD 978), USS CLAUDE V. RICKETTS (DDG 5), USS SAGINAW (LST 1188), and USS JOSEPH HEWES. The deployment took the ships to operating areas on both sides of South America. At successive stages, the American vessels trained with ships, submarines, aircraft, and shore commands of participating Latin American countries. Exercises included formation maneuvering, tactical communications, antisubmarine warfare, air defense, surface engagements, gunnery, replenishment, search-and-rescue procedures, and amphibious operations. USS JOSEPH HEWES's sonar equipment and embarked helicopter made her particularly useful during the antisubmarine phases. The exercises required the frigate to exchange tactical information with ships and aircraft using different national procedures and a variety of equipment.

The task group visited Valparaiso, Chile, where the crews participated in a community-relations project following a damaging earthquake. Through an effort known as Operation Coinbox, sailors from the U.S. ships donated remaining local currency and raised additional money through shipboard activities. Almost $1,400 was collected to help repair three damaged school buildings. During October, the American ships operated with the Brazilian Navy between Santos and Salvador. The Brazilian force included surface ships, submarines, support vessels, and naval aircraft. These exercises formed one of the final major phases of Unitas XXVI before the United States ships continued northward and returned home. USS JOSEPH HEWES returned to Charleston late in 1985.

During 1986, USS JOSEPH HEWES underwent maintenance, inspections, refresher training, and preparations for another Mediterranean deployment. Work on the ship's propulsion, weapons, sonar, electronic-warfare, and aviation systems reflected both the demands of the Unitas deployment and the continuing modernization of the KNOX-class.

USS JOSEPH HEWES deployed to the Mediterranean in 1987 with the wider force centered on USS SARATOGA (CV 60). Commander Gary S. Nelson relieved Commander Lundquist and assumed command on August 5, 1987 while the deployment was in progress. USS JOSEPH HEWES's principal responsibility was antisubmarine protection of the carrier and other high-value ships. She used her bow sonar, passive sensors, combat information center, torpedoes, and embarked SH-2 helicopter to detect and track possible submarine contacts. The deployment also included air-defense exercises, surface surveillance, replenishment, communications training, and operations with allied navies. The Mediterranean remained an active Cold War region in which Soviet submarines and surface ships closely observed American carrier operations. At the same time, the Iran-Iraq War was entering an increasingly dangerous maritime phase, with attacks on tankers and other shipping in the Persian Gulf.

USS JOSEPH HEWES remained in Mediterranean waters through the summer and autumn and returned to the United States during November 1987. Post-deployment leave and upkeep were followed by maintenance, inspections, and renewed Atlantic Fleet training. During 1988, USS JOSEPH HEWES conducted Atlantic and Caribbean operations while preparing for another major deployment. The ship's age and steam propulsion required increasing attention to boilers, condensers, turbines, piping, electrical systems, and auxiliary machinery. Nevertheless, improvements to sonar, electronic warfare, antiship missiles, and close-range defenses allowed her to remain useful as an antisubmarine escort.

USS JOSEPH HEWES departed on May 11, 1989 with the wider deployment force centered on USS AMERICA (CV 66). The cruise included operations in the Mediterranean and Indian Ocean. USS JOSEPH HEWES participated in exercises including National Week, Beacon Flash, and Display Determination. These exercises tested carrier operations, antisubmarine warfare, air defense, communications, surface surveillance, and cooperation with allied naval and air forces. The deployment extended through the Suez Canal, Red Sea, and Indian Ocean and included a port period at Singapore. Throughout the deployment, USS JOSEPH HEWES carried out antisubmarine screening, surface surveillance, helicopter operations, engineering exercises, and replenishments at sea. She returned to the United States with the deployment force on November 10, 1989.

Commander Frank J. Dobrydney relieved Commander Nelson and assumed command on December 15, 1989. During 1990, USS JOSEPH HEWES remained with the Atlantic Fleet and conducted local operations, maintenance, inspections, and training. The Iraqi invasion of Kuwait on August 2 led to the rapid deployment of American naval forces to the Middle East, but USS JOSEPH HEWES did not join the principal carrier groups assigned to Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm.

Commander Kristopher M. Kennedy assumed command on July 26, 1991. On September 30, USS JOSEPH HEWES was transferred from the active Atlantic Fleet to the Naval Reserve Force Atlantic. The transfer formed part of the large reduction in American naval strength following the collapse of Soviet power in Eastern Europe, the end of the Cold War, and the reassessment of fleet requirements after the Gulf War. From October 13 through October 15, 1991, USS JOSEPH HEWES visited Fort Lauderdale, Florida, during Broward Navy Days and observances marking the 216th anniversary of the United States Navy. The event allowed the public to visit naval vessels and gave the crews opportunities to participate in community activities.

On December 15, 1991, USS JOSEPH HEWES was redesignated FFT 1078, identifying her as a reserve training frigate. She retained the same hull number and general capabilities, but her personnel organization and operating schedule changed. A reduced active-duty crew maintained the ship throughout the year, while reservists embarked for scheduled training periods and exercises. USS JOSEPH HEWES later operated from Naval Station Ingleside, Texas. The location gave her access to the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean training areas and placed an operational ship near a substantial reserve population. Reserve training covered engineering, navigation, communications, damage control, gunnery, sonar operation, antisubmarine tactics, and seamanship.

Commander Wayne K. Frey relieved Commander Kennedy on March 26, 1993 and became the ship's final commanding officer. During 1993 and the first half of 1994, USS JOSEPH HEWES continued reserve training while the Navy prepared to withdraw the remaining KNOX-class frigates from American service. The Navy had concluded that retaining the class was no longer economical. Their steam plants required larger crews and more maintenance than the gas-turbine machinery of newer frigates and destroyers. The disappearance of the Soviet Union also reduced the requirement for the large force of ocean escorts originally built to protect Atlantic convoys and carrier groups.

USS JOSEPH HEWES was decommissioned at Ingleside on June 30, 1994, after more than 23 years of commissioned service. She was subsequently leased to the Republic of China under the Security Assistance Program. The United States formally struck JOSEPH HEWES from the Naval Vessel Register on January 11, 1995. The former frigate entered Republic of China Navy service as ROCS LAN YANG, with the hull number FFG-935, on August 4, 1995. The transfer initially took the form of a lease, with ownership passing to Taiwan through a later sale.

ROCS LAN YANG became part of the CHI YANG-class, the Republic of China Navy's designation for its former American KNOX-class frigates. Her principal mission remained antisubmarine warfare, but she was also employed for patrols, surveillance, escort duties, training, and the monitoring of naval activity around Taiwan. ROCS LAN YANG was decommissioned on January 23, 2025. She had served for almost 30 years with the Republic of China Navy in addition to her more than 23 years with the United States Navy. Taiwanese reports credited her with more than 810,000 kilometers, approximately 437,000 nautical miles, of steaming during her Taiwanese service.

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