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General Characteristics Crew List Memorabilia About the Ship's Coat of Arms About the Name "Klakring" Patch Gallery Image Gallery to end of page

USS Klakring (FFG 42)


- decommissioned -


USS KLAKRING was the 33rd OLIVER HAZARD PERRY - class guided missile frigate and the first ship in the Navy named after Rear Admiral Thomas B. Klakring. Her last homeport was Mayport, Fla.

General Characteristics:Keel laid: February 19, 1982
Launched: September 18, 1982
Commissioned: August 20, 1983
Decommissioned: March 22, 2013
Builder: Bath Iron Works, Bath, Maine
Propulsion system: two General Electric LM 2500 gas turbines, two 350 Horsepower Electric Drive Auxiliary Propulsion Units
Propellers: one
Blades on each Propeller: five
Length: 453 feet (138 meters)
Beam: 47 feet (14.32 meters)
Draft: 24,6 feet (7.5 meters)
Displacement: 4,100 tons
Speed: 28+ knots
Aircraft: two SH-60 Sea Hawk (LAMPS 3)
Armament: one Mk 75 76mm/62 caliber rapid firing gun, MK 32 ASW torpedo tubes (two triple mounts), one Phalanx CIWS
Crew: 17 Officers and 198 Enlisted


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Crew List:

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


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About the Ship’s Coat of Arms:

The Shield:

The shield is divided with a wavy band to suggest the ocean surface. The blue base alludes to the ocean beneath the Surface. The trident alludes to Admiral Klakring's long involvement with the submarine service. The trident and the colors blue and gold also allude to the Naval Academy, Admiral Klakring's alma mater. The red smbolizes the enemy and is split vertically to suggest a break in the enemy's defense as a result of the successful submarine actions conducted by Admiral Klakring as a submarine commander and later as Commander, Submarine Division 102. The two stars indicate Admiral Klakring's rank and superiority over enemy forces.

The Crest:

The dolphin is the symbol of the submarine service. It is grasping a crosslet representing the three Navy Crosses awarded the Admiral for heroism while commanding the submarine USS GUARDFISH. The two stars on the caller refer to the Silver and Bronze stars awarded Admiral Klakring for World War II submarine activities.


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About the Ship’s Name, about Rear Admiral Thomas B. Klakring:

Born in Annapolis, Maryland on 19 December 1904, as the only child of Colonel and Mrs. Leslie Klakring, he entered the Naval Academy from the State of Connecticut, and graduated with the Class of 1927.

A submarine hero of the Pacific War in World War II, Admiral Klakring was credited with sinking eight Japanese ships within sight of Japanese ports, after taking his submarine, USS GUARDFISH, into Japanese water previously un-patrolled by American submarines. Without the benefit of sophisticated SONAR, GUARDFISH sighted, or torpedoed, 77 enemy vessels in about 35 days, during one of her war patrols. Then LCDR Klakring commanded GUARDFISH from 1941 to 1943.

While under LCDR Klakring's command, GUARDFISH chalked up an impressive record. She left on her first war patrol on 6 August 1942 for the eastern shore of Honshu, and sent eight enemy ships, totaling 51,055 tons, to the bottom, and damaged a 7,000 ton freighter. In October, during her second war patrol, GUARDFISH sank another freighter and a tanker, and damaged another freighter in the East China Sea. On GUARDFISH's third war patrol, in the Rabaul-Kavieng area, additional Japanese shipping was sunk, including two naval vessels.

For his heroism while commanding GUARDFISH, Klakring was awarded the Navy Cross with two Gold Stars (in lieu of second and third awards). In addition, GUARDFISH was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation while under Klakring's command.

Admiral Klakring's other decorations include the Silver Star, Bronze Star (both for heroism during World War II), China Service Medal, American Defense Service Medal, American Area Campaign Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Area Campaign Medal, and the World War II Victory Medal.


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USS KLAKRING Patch Gallery:

HSL Detachment MEF 1992


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The photo below was taken by Karl-Heinz Ahles and shows USS KLAKRING at Portsmouth, Va., on May 11, 1999.



The photos below were taken by Michael Jenning and show the KLAKRING laid up among her sisterships at the former Philadelphia Naval Shipyard. The photos were taken on October 21, 2014.



The photos below were taken by Michael Jenning and show the KLAKRING laid up with her sisterships alongside at the former Philadelphia Naval Shipyard. The photos were taken on October 17, 2016.



The photos below were taken by Michael Jenning and show the KLAKRING laid up at the former Philadelphia Naval Shipyard. The photos were taken on October 7, 2018.



The photo below was taken by Michael Jenning and shows the KLAKRING laid up at the former Philadelphia Naval Shipyard on May 27, 2022. KLAKRING is the first ship in the row. Her hullnumber has been painted over.



The photos below were taken by Michael Jenning and show the KLAKRING laid up at the former Philadelphia Naval Shipyard on May 26, 2023.



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