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USS Barnstable County (LST 1197)

USS BARNSTABLE COUNTY was the 19^th ship in the NEWPORT - class of Tank Landing Ships and was homeported at the Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek, Va. After decommissioning, BARNSTABLE COUNTY was leased to the Spanish Navy where she was commissioned as HERNÁN CORTÉZ (L 41) on August 26, 1994.

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Crew List:

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

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• Click here to see which USS BARNSTABLE COUNTY memorabilia are currently for sale on ebay.

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USS BARNSTABLE COUNTY Cruise Books:

• UNITAS Cruise Book 1992

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Accidents aboard USS BARNSTABLE COUNTY:

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USS BARNSTABLE COUNTY History:

The construction contract for USS BARNSTABLE COUNTY was awarded on July 15, 1966, and her keel was laid at the National Steel and Shipbuilding Company in San Diego, California, on December 19, 1970. She was launched on October 2, 1971, sponsored by Mary Ellen Sanders, wife of Assistant Secretary of the Navy Frank P. Sanders, and commissioned at Long Beach, California, on May 27, 1972, with Commander Warren R. Ellsworth in command.

Following commissioning, USS BARNSTABLE COUNTY completed fitting-out work at Long Beach and San Diego. Her guns were fired for the first time off San Clemente Island on July 10, 1972. She departed San Diego for the Atlantic Fleet and her permanent home port at Little Creek, Virginia, on July 24. Her first foreign port call was Acapulco, Mexico, which she reached on July 29. Continuing south along the Pacific coast of Central America, she transited the Panama Canal eastbound on August 7 and arrived at Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek on August 14.

On September 6, she departed for Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to conduct shakedown training. The period included the engineering, navigation, communications, weapons, damage-control and amphibious evolutions required to prepare the newly commissioned ship and crew for operational service. She returned to Little Creek on October 21. Final contract trials followed in early November, after which she conducted additional training before beginning an extended in-port period in December. After loading ammunition on January 11, 1973, USS BARNSTABLE COUNTY proceeded to Morehead City, North Carolina, embarked Marines and sailed for the Caribbean. During the deployment, she operated at Guantanamo Bay, Vieques and Roosevelt Roads, Puerto Rico, and visited St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands. She returned to Little Creek on January 24.

On January 31 she took part in an amphibious landing at Onslow Beach, North Carolina, followed by independent ship exercises on February 1 and February 2. On February 28, she departed Little Creek and reached Philadelphia Naval Shipyard on March 1 for a post-shakedown availability. The work continued through the first half of April, and she returned to Little Creek on April 13. During the following months, she conducted amphibious exercises between the Virginia Capes and the North Carolina coast. Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps midshipmen were embarked for training during July, and Marine Corps student officers used the ship for amphibious instruction during August.

USS BARNSTABLE COUNTY departed Little Creek again on September 4, 1973, embarked Marines at Morehead City the following day and reached Guantanamo Bay on September 9. Training there was followed by operations around Vieques and Puerto Rico and port calls at Roosevelt Roads, San Juan and Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas. She departed San Juan on October 8, unloaded the Marines at Morehead City on October 11 and returned to Little Creek on October 12. On November 1, she again sailed south, embarking Marines at Morehead City on November 2 before continuing toward Panama. She arrived at Colon on November 6 and proceeded to Cartagena, Colombia, on November 7. After several days in Cartagena, including the Colombian national holiday on November 11, she returned to Colon on November 13 to reembark her Marines. A visit to Curacao followed from November 17 through November 20. The deployment continued with amphibious training in the Puerto Rico and Vieques area and calls at St. John, Antigua, St. Thomas and San Juan. She departed San Juan on December 10 and returned to Little Creek on December 14.

After an extended period at Little Creek at the beginning of 1974, USS BARNSTABLE COUNTY briefly returned to sea during January but remained in home port for much of the following three months. In April, she received orders for an unscheduled Mediterranean deployment. She departed Little Creek on May 9, embarked Marines at Morehead City on May 10 and crossed the Atlantic. The ship reached Rota, Spain, on May 20. Her deployment soon became connected with one of the most unusual naval operations of the decade. The Suez Canal had remained closed to normal international shipping since the Arab-Israeli Six-Day War of June 1967. Warfare in and around the canal zone, including the War of Attrition and the October 1973 Arab-Israeli War, had left mines, unexploded ordnance, wrecks and other hazards throughout the waterway.

Following the disengagement agreements after the 1973 war, Egypt began preparations to reopen the canal, supported by an international clearance effort in which the United States participated. Before taking up her Suez assignment, USS BARNSTABLE COUNTY conducted Mediterranean amphibious training, including exercises in Spanish and Turkish waters. She reached the Suez Canal area on June 8, 1974, and entered Port Said on June 9, where she relieved USS INCHON (LPH 12) as the principal American support ship for the canal-clearance force. The American effort included Operation Nimbus Star, concerned primarily with mine clearance, and Operation Nimbus Moon, which covered further clearance of unexploded ordnance and related hazards. USS BARNSTABLE COUNTY herself was not employed as a minesweeper. Her main responsibilities were command, communications, logistics and general support for the American personnel and equipment engaged in the clearance effort.

On June 22, 1974, USS BARNSTABLE COUNTY made the southbound passage through the canal to Lake Timsah at Ismailia, completing the transit in about six hours. She remained anchored in the Ismailia area for more than fifteen weeks, an unusually long stationary assignment for an amphibious ship. During this period, she supported the multinational effort to make the canal safe for eventual reopening. On October 8, she began the northbound canal passage toward Port Said, and on October 9 USS BOULDER (LST 1190) relieved her of the support assignment. USS BARNSTABLE COUNTY began the voyage home that afternoon. Engineering difficulties caused by contaminated or otherwise unsuitable fuel required a two-day stop at Souda Bay, Crete. A five-day liberty visit to Palma de Mallorca followed before she reached Rota on October 22. After refueling she departed the same evening and returned to Little Creek on November 1, ending a deployment of almost six months. The Suez Canal itself reopened to international shipping in June 1975.

USS BARNSTABLE COUNTY resumed operations early in 1975. She was underway for exercises from January 7 through January 10 and conducted weapons training from January 14 through January 16. On January 23, she began a Caribbean deployment. After embarking Marines at Morehead City, she proceeded south and reached Roosevelt Roads on February 1. Approximately two weeks of amphibious training followed, but a problem involving a propeller-shaft bearing required her to enter dry dock at San Juan on February 17. Repairs continued through the remainder of February. She refueled on March 1, resumed operations around Vieques on March 2 and subsequently returned the embarked Marines to Morehead City before arriving at Little Creek on March 7.

Further amphibious exercises followed during April. In May, the ship visited Washington, D.C., and during June she conducted training cruises to Halifax, Nova Scotia, carrying midshipmen. A later summer training cruise combined a visit to New York City with another call at Halifax. Refresher training and maintenance occupied much of August, September and October, followed by local training during November and a final short underway period on December 8 and December 9.

A major Mediterranean deployment began on January 5, 1976, when USS BARNSTABLE COUNTY departed Little Creek with USS SPIEGEL GROVE (LSD 32), USS RALEIGH (LPD 1), USS GUADALCANAL (LPH 7) and USS CHARLESTON (LKA 113). The ships reached Morehead City on January 6, embarked the 34th Marine Amphibious Unit and conducted rehearsal landings at Onslow Beach. After weather delays, the force began the Atlantic crossing on January 10. Upon reaching Rota, the squadron entered Sixth Fleet service at a time when the Lebanese Civil War was creating a growing requirement for American amphibious forces to remain available for possible evacuation and contingency operations.

USS BARNSTABLE COUNTY subsequently operated in the central and eastern Mediterranean. A severe storm struck while the amphibious force was anchored at Augusta Bay, Sicily. The ship later visited Reggio di Calabria, Italy, from February 1 through February 6, conducted training near Brindisi and reached Villefranche, France, on February 16. She departed Villefranche on February 23 and conducted further amphibious training in Italy. A four-day visit to Naples ended on March 5, after which the ship took part in Exercise Sardinia 76. The continuing instability in Lebanon increasingly shaped the deployment. After reembarking Marines during March, the force moved toward the eastern Mediterranean and remained available for possible noncombatant evacuation operations.

The amphibious force spent extended periods at sea during the Lebanese crisis. After returning briefly to Naples from June 1 through June 4 and conducting further amphibious training near Carboneras, Spain, the ships again moved toward Lebanon. USS SPIEGEL GROVE eventually approached the Lebanese coast and participated directly in the evacuation of civilians by landing craft while USS BARNSTABLE COUNTY and the other amphibious ships remained offshore in support. After relief by another amphibious group, USS BARNSTABLE COUNTY reached Rota on June 30. She departed on July 5 and returned to Little Creek on July 15.

Only a little more than a month later, USS BARNSTABLE COUNTY departed again. On August 20, 1976, she sailed for Exercise Teamwork 76, a large North Atlantic and northern European operation designed to test NATO reinforcement and maritime capabilities during the Cold War. The ship transported equipment for a Marine aviation element. Following a fuel stop in Scotland, she proceeded to Oslo, Norway, where the Marines went ashore for training. USS BARNSTABLE COUNTY subsequently visited Trondheim and Copenhagen before returning to Oslo to reembark the Marines and their equipment. On October 1, she reached Esbjerg, Denmark, and unloaded equipment. Four days later, she sailed for Nantes, France, where she represented the U.S. Navy during events connected with the American Bicentennial. She departed Nantes on October 11 and arrived at Bremerhaven, West Germany, on October 18, remaining there until October 21. She then returned to Esbjerg to reload Marine equipment and visited Portsmouth, England, from October 26 through October 29. After crossing the Atlantic, she unloaded at Morehead City on November 9 and returned to Little Creek on November 11. Amphibious training between November 29 and December 3 completed her principal operational activity for the year.

The first deployment of 1977 began on January 13. USS BARNSTABLE COUNTY embarked elements of the 34th Marine Amphibious Unit at Morehead City on January 14, conducted a rehearsal at Onslow Beach on January 16 and joined the amphibious force on January 17. Training around Vieques included rehearsals and an amphibious exercise involving American forces together with British, Brazilian and Dutch participants. Following the exercise, the ship visited San Juan and transported Dutch Marines to Curacao. On February 11, while clearing a berth at Curacao under pilot control, USS BARNSTABLE COUNTY collided with the moored Liberian merchant ship POUNENTES. The damage was minor and did not prevent the ship from continuing her deployment. She rejoined the amphibious force near Vieques the following day, later visited Frederiksted, St. Croix, and participated in further exercises. She unloaded at Morehead City on February 22 and returned to Little Creek on February 23.

During the spring of 1977, USS BARNSTABLE COUNTY carried out local operations and reserve training. In May, she participated in Exercise Solid Shield 77. The exercise included Army wet-net training, amphibious operations and an unusual demonstration of the LST's logistical capabilities. While anchored, the ship supplied fuel to four minesweepers in succession through a streamed rig. On the following day, she pumped fuel ashore through a floating pipeline to a shore reservoir for use by Marine vehicles. She returned to Little Creek early on May 23.

The ship subsequently visited Annapolis, Maryland, in connection with Naval Academy activities and was back at Little Creek on June 8. On June 30, she sailed to the Washington Navy Yard, remaining in Washington through the Independence Day period and returning to Little Creek on July 5. Reserve amphibious training occupied much of July and early August. On August 10, she began another Caribbean cruise supporting target-drone operations, with visits that included Nassau, Roosevelt Roads and St. Thomas.

On September 19, 1977, USS BARNSTABLE COUNTY entered Maryland Shipbuilding and Drydock Company in Baltimore for the first phase of an overhaul. She left Baltimore on December 7, conducted sea trials and moved to Horne Brothers Shipyard at Newport News on December 9 for the second phase of the work. The overhaul continued into 1978. Following completion of the major work and sea trials during May, the ship formally returned to Amphibious Squadron 8 on June 2. She departed for Guantanamo Bay on June 18 and spent approximately three weeks there in refresher training, followed by additional amphibious refresher training from Little Creek.

Between July 30 and August 12, 1978, USS BARNSTABLE COUNTY supported Composite Training Exercise 4-78 by launching five BQM-34 target drones. On August 21, she proceeded to Morehead City to embark Marines and equipment for Exercise Northern Wedding. More than one hundred ships from ten NATO countries participated in the multinational exercise, which was designed to test reinforcement of northern Europe and protection of Atlantic sea routes. USS BARNSTABLE COUNTY sailed with the amphibious force on August 23. After approximately three weeks at sea she reached Brunsbüttel, West Germany, where personnel and equipment were landed. The deployment also included port calls at Kiel, West Germany; Edinburgh, Scotland; Copenhagen, Denmark; and Brest, France. She returned to Little Creek on October 30. Operations off the North Carolina coast from November 27 through December 7 were followed by an end-of-year upkeep period.

USS BARNSTABLE COUNTY departed Little Creek on January 10, 1979, for a Mediterranean deployment with USS INCHON, USS AUSTIN (LPD 4), USS SPIEGEL GROVE and USS SPARTANBURG COUNTY (LST 1192). The five ships formed Marine Amphibious Ready Group 1-79. They reached Morehead City on January 11, where USS BARNSTABLE COUNTY embarked elements of Battalion Landing Team 3/8, and subsequently loaded fourteen tracked landing vehicles at Onslow Beach. The force reached Rota on January 23 and entered Sixth Fleet service after turnover with the preceding amphibious group.

USS BARNSTABLE COUNTY departed Rota on January 26 and called at Almeria, Spain, from January 27 through February 1 before conducting amphibious training near Carboneras. An availability at Barcelona followed from February 10 through February 23. She then participated in training with U.S. Sixth Fleet and Italian naval forces before arriving at Naples on March 10. The ship remained there until March 24 and subsequently conducted amphibious operations off Vatica, Greece. After completing that phase on March 31, she returned to Naples for maintenance alongside USS SIERRA (AD 18). USS BARNSTABLE COUNTY departed Naples on April 6, 1979, and later anchored near Pian di Spille, Italy, for amphibious training. During the night of April 23, a Marine tracked landing vehicle operating from the ship suffered a mechanical failure. Twenty-two Navy and Marine Corps personnel were aboard the vehicle while it was being towed back toward the ship in heavy seas. The vehicle foundered and sank during the recovery attempt. Eighteen of those aboard survived, but four Navy and Marine Corps personnel were lost.

USS BARNSTABLE COUNTY reached Toulon, France, on April 28 and departed on May 2 for Palma de Mallorca, remaining there from May 3 through May 7. After returning to Toulon, she embarked Norwegian and Dutch Army personnel and sailed on May 9 for Exercise Dawn Patrol. Rehearsal landings took place at Capo Teulada, Sardinia, on May 13 and May 14. The principal amphibious assault was conducted at Doganbey Bay, Turkey, on May 25. USS BARNSTABLE COUNTY returned the allied troops to Toulon on May 28 and proceeded to Rota, arriving on May 31. After turnover with the succeeding amphibious group, she departed for the United States on June 6, unloaded Marines and the fourteen tracked landing vehicles at Morehead City on June 18 and returned to Little Creek on June 19.

After a period at Little Creek, USS BARNSTABLE COUNTY sailed to New Haven, Connecticut, on July 26 for Naval Reserve training and returned to Little Creek on August 9. Another major deployment began on September 11 when she sailed with Amphibious Group Two. After embarking personnel and loading amphibious vehicles at Morehead City and Onslow Beach, she crossed the Atlantic and reached Capo Teulada, Sardinia, on September 27 for preparations for Exercise Display Determination 79.

On October 1, she sailed with an eleven-ship multinational force toward Saros Bay, Turkey, arriving on October 8. Approximately ten days of rehearsals, amphibious operations and cross-deck training followed. USS BARNSTABLE COUNTY departed the exercise area on October 18 and reached Barcelona on October 22 for a five-day port visit. She departed on October 27, stopped at Rota from October 29 through November 1 and began the homeward crossing. The return route took her past the Virgin Islands, around Puerto Rico, through the Windward Passage and Old Bahama Channel and north along the U.S. East Coast. She unloaded Marines at Morehead City on November 18 and returned to Little Creek on November 19.

USS BARNSTABLE COUNTY resumed operations on January 14, 1980, with Readiness Exercise 1-80. She paused at Onslow Beach from January 15 through January 19 for reserve amphibious-vehicle training, then proceeded to Roosevelt Roads, arriving on January 24. Four target drones were loaded there for operations on the Atlantic training range near the Bahamas. After completing the drone-launching assignment she returned to Roosevelt Roads, unloaded the associated equipment and subsequently made a five-day liberty visit to Freeport. She returned to Little Creek on February 14. During April, she trained with USS GUADALCANAL, USS NASHVILLE (LPD 13) and USS LA MOURE COUNTY (LST 1194). The workups included formation steaming, amphibious operations, gunnery and a port visit to Newport, Rhode Island.

On June 4, 1980, USS BARNSTABLE COUNTY began another Mediterranean deployment. Marines embarked at Morehead City on June 5, and the ship reached Rota on June 17. Following turnover, she sailed on June 21 and conducted approximately eight days of amphibious training near Carboneras at the end of the month. A visit to Palma de Mallorca included the July 4 holiday. The ship then moved to the Tunisian coast for combined training with Tunisian forces during the second week of July. On July 17, she transited the Suez Canal southbound, continued through the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden and proceeded along the East African coast. She visited Mombasa, Kenya, near the end of July and departed on July 31.

USS BARNSTABLE COUNTY transited the Suez Canal northbound on August 9, 1980, and visited Kalamata, Greece, from August 11 through August 14, followed by Alexandria, Egypt, from August 16 through August 19. A stay of nearly two weeks at Naples followed. After departing Naples on September 6, she resumed amphibious training in Italian waters and later underwent a restricted availability at Toulon from September 17 through September 29. Further operations around Sardinia culminated in Exercise Display Determination 80 at Capo Teulada during early October. The ship reached Barcelona on October 10. That same day, a major earthquake struck northern Algeria, causing extensive destruction around El Asnam. USS BARNSTABLE COUNTY was ordered to prepare for possible disaster-relief duties and put to sea early on October 12, but was released before reaching Algeria. A short call at Malaga followed on October 15 and October 16. She arrived at Rota on October 18, completed turnover and departed for home on October 22. Following gunnery work near Roosevelt Roads on November 2, she unloaded at Morehead City on November 8 and returned to Little Creek on November 9.

From January 7 through January 12, 1981, USS BARNSTABLE COUNTY operated with USS GUAM (LPH 9) and USS AUSTIN, conducting formation steaming and amphibious training. On February 4, she departed for northern Europe, embarking Marines at Morehead City before crossing the winter North Atlantic. She reached Portsmouth, England, on February 18, where damage to the bow-ramp system sustained during the crossing was repaired.

After departing on February 21, she proceeded to Norway for Cold Winter and related NATO exercises. Marines and amphibious vehicles went ashore in the Sorreisa region, and the ship subsequently visited Trondheim. Further operations included exercises with British and Norwegian naval forces and repeated amphibious landings in northern Norwegian waters. USS BARNSTABLE COUNTY visited Tromso from March 20 through March 22 and operated north of 72 degrees north latitude before recovering the Marines on March 27. She called at Narvik on March 28, proceeded to Rota from April 4 through April 9 and crossed the Atlantic. She unloaded at Morehead City on April 17 and returned to the Little Creek area on April 18.

In May 1981, USS BARNSTABLE COUNTY participated in Exercise Solid Shield 81, which involved a substantial concentration of Atlantic Fleet amphibious ships and operations at Camp Pendleton, Virginia, and Onslow Beach. During the summer, she trained with USS SAIPAN (LHA 2) and USS RALEIGH in preparation for another Mediterranean deployment. The workups included gunnery, a simulated night raid and amphibious rehearsals. USS BARNSTABLE COUNTY moved to Morehead City on September 3 and sailed on September 5 as part of an amphibious group centered on USS SAIPAN and carrying the 32nd Marine Amphibious Unit. During the Atlantic crossing, the group participated in phases of Exercise Ocean Venture 81 and refueled from USS KALAMAZOO (AOR 6) on September 11. Joint operations with Spanish naval forces followed before the group reached Rota on September 19.

USS BARNSTABLE COUNTY then participated in Exercise Display Determination, including an amphibious landing at Capo Teulada on September 26. She reached Naples on September 28 and later moved east. The ship was at Souda Bay, Crete, when Egyptian President Anwar Sadat was assassinated on October 6, 1981. Because of the uncertain situation in Egypt, the amphibious force sailed toward the Egyptian coast and remained available for contingency operations for approximately twelve days before being released on October 18. USS BARNSTABLE COUNTY subsequently visited Alicante, Spain, and participated in further amphibious exercises.

During November, the amphibious group moved east again. After a visit to Athens and maintenance at the Skaramangas ship-repair facility, USS BARNSTABLE COUNTY transited the Suez Canal on November 20. She reached Hodeidah, Yemen, on November 24 and remained there for four days, during which assistance was provided to Yemeni naval craft. The group later operated in the Gulf of Aden and trained with forces from Oman. During part of the deployment, USS BARRY (DD 933) operated in support in the Bab el-Mandeb region. USS BARNSTABLE COUNTY began the northbound passage through the Suez Canal on December 13 and reached Barcelona on December 23.

The ship departed Barcelona on January 4, 1982, and proceeded to Marseille for maintenance. After leaving Marseille on January 18 she resumed western Mediterranean training. Planned amphibious activity off Tunisia was affected by weather, but other exercises continued, including Phiblex 1-82. A visit to Valencia followed late in January. USS BARNSTABLE COUNTY then proceeded to Rota for turnover, agricultural washdown and preparations for the Atlantic crossing. She departed for the United States on February 10, unloaded personnel and equipment at Morehead City and returned to Little Creek on February 24.

A very different assignment began during the spring of 1982. USS BARNSTABLE COUNTY spent approximately nine weeks preparing for Operation Smokey Topaz, including the embarkation of specialized intelligence equipment and personnel. She departed Little Creek on May 7, reached Glasgow, Scotland, on May 18 for fuel and crossed the Arctic Circle on May 23. On May 25, she rounded North Cape and later that day took station off Kildin Island, near the Soviet Kola Peninsula. For approximately five weeks, the ship served as an intelligence-collection platform observing Soviet naval activity. The area contained some of the Soviet Union's most important Northern Fleet submarine and surface-force bases, and movements into the Barents and Norwegian seas were of substantial interest during the Cold War. USS BARNSTABLE COUNTY observed numerous Soviet submarines and surface ships during the operation. She reached Tromso on July 1 to refuel and then continued south for four-day visits to Bremerhaven and London. Departing London on July 15, she returned to Little Creek on July 24.

On August 16, 1982, USS BARNSTABLE COUNTY entered Norfolk Drydock and Shipbuilding Company for a major overhaul. The work continued through February 1983, and the ship returned to Little Creek on March 7. After inspections and preparations she departed on May 12 for approximately three weeks of refresher training at Guantanamo Bay. During June and July, the ship concentrated on amphibious training in the Virginia Capes and Onslow Bay areas.

On August 3, 1983, USS BARNSTABLE COUNTY was directed to assist the U.S. Coast Guard in a drug-interdiction operation approximately 180 nautical miles southeast of Onslow Bay. A three-man Coast Guard law-enforcement team was flown aboard and transferred to one of the ship's boats to intercept the Panamanian-registered vessel T GRIT. The boarding resulted in the discovery of approximately 28,000 pounds of marijuana and seizure of the vessel. USS BARNSTABLE COUNTY returned to the amphibious training area later that day and continued operations before reaching Little Creek on August 6.

During the autumn of 1983, USS BARNSTABLE COUNTY trained with USS GUAM, USS TRENTON (LPD 14), USS FORT SNELLING (LSD 30) and USS MANITOWOC (LST 1180). The five ships formed the amphibious force for a deployment carrying the 22nd Marine Amphibious Unit, including Battalion Landing Team 2/8. Personnel and equipment were loaded at Morehead City on October 18, and the force sailed for the Mediterranean on October 19. Events in Grenada quickly altered the schedule. A political crisis on the island culminated in the killing of Prime Minister Maurice Bishop on October 19, and the amphibious force was ordered toward Grenada on October 21.

USS BARNSTABLE COUNTY reached the Grenada area during the night of October 24 and participated in Operation Urgent Fury beginning on October 25, 1983. She supported operations ashore by transporting Marines, vehicles, equipment and supplies and by providing landing craft and logistical support. Activities also extended to Carriacou. By early November, the embarked Marine battalion was being reassembled aboard the amphibious ships, and the force resumed its interrupted movement toward the Mediterranean.

The Grenada operation was immediately followed by another contingency. On October 23, while the ships had been heading toward Grenada, a truck bomb had destroyed the U.S. Marine barracks at Beirut International Airport, killing 241 American military personnel. The U.S. contingent of the multinational force in Lebanon remained in an increasingly dangerous environment. USS BARNSTABLE COUNTY and the other ships of the amphibious group reached the Beirut area in November. The ship arrived on station on November 17 and began offloading personnel, vehicles and equipment on November 18 and November 19. During the following month, she provided logistical and amphibious support to American forces in Lebanon. On December 21, she departed for Izmir, Turkey, where the crew spent the Christmas period, and returned to the Beirut area on December 30.

USS BARNSTABLE COUNTY remained connected with the Lebanon contingency into 1984. After approximately two more weeks off Beirut, she reached Haifa, Israel, on January 14 and underwent a five-day intermediate maintenance availability alongside USS PUGET SOUND (AD 38). She returned to the Beirut station on January 20. As security conditions deteriorated and the multinational force prepared to reduce its presence, the ship became involved in evacuation and withdrawal operations. Beginning in early February, American personnel and dependents were moved from Beirut to ships offshore. USS BARNSTABLE COUNTY carried evacuees and equipment to Haifa, arriving there on February 16. She subsequently returned to Beirut and assisted in the withdrawal of U.S. Marine forces from the area on February 25. The amphibious group remained in the eastern Mediterranean for several more weeks and was relieved on April 9. USS BARNSTABLE COUNTY returned to Little Creek on May 2, 1984.

Post-deployment leave, upkeep and maintenance occupied much of May and the summer of 1984. On September 11, the ship made an emergency sortie from Hampton Roads because of an approaching hurricane. Training during the autumn included amphibious beach operations on October 4, loading exercises on October 16 and antisubmarine-warfare-related training off North Carolina from November 13 through November 19. An engineering inspection later in November identified deficiencies requiring corrective work during the winter.

The opening months of 1985 were dominated by machinery repairs and engineering training. USS BARNSTABLE COUNTY assisted a disabled fishing vessel on January 27 until Coast Guard assistance arrived. After additional corrective work and training, the ship successfully completed her required engineering examination on May 14. Preparations then shifted toward another Mediterranean deployment, including amphibious rehearsals at Onslow Beach from May 20 through May 29. USS BARNSTABLE COUNTY departed Little Creek on July 2 and embarked Marines of the 22nd Marine Amphibious Unit at Morehead City on July 3. She reached Rota on July 13.

On July 30, 1985, USS BARNSTABLE COUNTY sailed south in preparation for participation in Exercise Bright Star. The U.S.-Egyptian exercise took place in early August and formed part of a recurring series intended to improve interoperability and test the ability of American forces to operate with regional partners. During August, the ship operated with USS IWO JIMA (LPH 2). On August 20 the ships reached the Taormina area of Sicily. A short maintenance visit to Naples preceded Exercise Display Determination 85, which began on September 13 in waters around Sardinia.

On September 16, 1985, a fire broke out in an auxiliary boiler aboard USS BARNSTABLE COUNTY. The fire was extinguished without forcing the ship to leave the exercise immediately. Shortly afterward an AH-1T Sea Cobra helicopter crashed during the exercise, prompting search-and-rescue operations. USS BARNSTABLE COUNTY participated in the response together with USS CARON (DD 970). A boat from USS CARON recovered the surviving copilot, while personnel involved in the wider search also recovered wreckage; the pilot was not recovered. USS BARNSTABLE COUNTY reached Naples on September 23 for repairs associated with the boiler casualty and remained there until October 19.

After repairs, USS BARNSTABLE COUNTY moved back into the eastern Mediterranean for contingency operations with USS IWO JIMA. She later visited Catania, Sicily, and spent approximately a week at Palma de Mallorca before beginning the homeward movement on December 1. Turnover was completed at Rota on December 6, and the ship returned to Little Creek on December 20.

Most of 1986 was devoted to maintenance, inspections and local training rather than an overseas deployment. USS BARNSTABLE COUNTY conducted amphibious training at Onslow Beach during April and again in July. On August 7, she entered the Metro Machine Corporation yard at Norfolk for dry-docking and a substantial maintenance availability. The ship remained there until December 15 before returning to Little Creek for further upkeep.

USS BARNSTABLE COUNTY departed for refresher training on February 13, 1987, loaded an engineering support element at Morehead City on February 14 and reached Guantanamo Bay on February 21. During the transit and subsequent Caribbean operations, she also supported U.S. Coast Guard law-enforcement activity. Refresher training continued through March, supplemented by visits to St. Thomas and Miami. She returned to Little Creek on April 4.

A much longer deployment began on June 10, 1987, combining a West African Training Cruise with the annual UNITAS series of multinational exercises around South America. During the West African phase, USS BARNSTABLE COUNTY visited Praia, Cape Verde; Dakar, Senegal; Banjul, Gambia; Bissau, Guinea-Bissau; Conakry, Guinea; Freetown, Sierra Leone; and Monrovia, Liberia. The deployment combined naval training and official contacts with humanitarian assistance. Approximately 50,000 pounds of Project Handclasp material, including medical supplies, were carried for distribution, and the crew also provided technical assistance during visits to African naval organizations.

After returning west across the Atlantic, USS BARNSTABLE COUNTY began the UNITAS phase on July 28, 1987. Amphibious training with Venezuelan forces took place near Vieques. On August 2, a sailor fell overboard and was recovered by the ship's boat within approximately ten minutes. The ship subsequently visited Bridgetown, Barbados, before proceeding south to Brazil. Calls included Recife, Salvador and Rio de Janeiro, which she reached on August 25. A three-day amphibious exercise with Brazilian Marines at Marambaia Island followed.

USS BARNSTABLE COUNTY continued southward, conducting operations with Brazilian and Uruguayan forces before arriving at Montevideo on September 13. She subsequently passed through the Strait of Magellan and reached Talcahuano, Chile, on September 29. Damage sustained in heavy weather required almost two weeks of repairs at the Chilean naval shipyard there. She sailed again on October 10. The northbound Pacific itinerary included Valparaiso, Chile; Ancon, Peru; and Manta, Ecuador, together with amphibious exercises involving Chilean, Peruvian and Ecuadorian forces. Other U.S. Navy participants in the broader UNITAS deployment included USS ARTHUR W. RADFORD (DD 968), USS JOHN KING (DDG 3), USS DE WERT (FFG 45), USS DACE (SSN 607) and USS SCULPIN (SSN 590). USS BARNSTABLE COUNTY crossed the equator northbound on November 12, transited the Panama Canal on November 17 and conducted a final exercise with Colombian forces on November 19. She returned to Little Creek on November 29 after almost six months away from home.

On January 29, 1988, USS BARNSTABLE COUNTY entered the Metro Machine Corporation yard at Norfolk for another maintenance availability. Repairs were completed on June 6. She departed for the Caribbean on June 28, arrived at Kingston, Jamaica, on July 3 and hosted a reception aboard on July 4. She left Kingston on July 5 and reached Guantanamo Bay on July 6 for refresher training, which continued until early August. The ship returned to Little Creek on August 6.

Another deployment began on October 7, 1988. USS BARNSTABLE COUNTY sailed south, called at Puerto Cortes, Honduras, and transited the Panama Canal on October 18. She conducted operations in the eastern Pacific until November 10, when she entered Rodman, Panama. After retransiting the canal on November 14, she visited Cartagena, Colombia, and returned to Little Creek on November 23.

The first months of 1989 were occupied by inspections, repairs and preparations for another Sixth Fleet deployment. Following maintenance at Metro Machine and amphibious workups during April and May, USS BARNSTABLE COUNTY moved to Morehead City on May 30 to load Marines, vehicles and equipment. She sailed for the Mediterranean on May 31 and formally entered Sixth Fleet operational control at Rota on June 17.

Beginning on June 18, she conducted approximately a week of amphibious exercises at Sierra del Retin, Spain. She reached Villefranche, France, on June 30 and remained there until July 6. After passing through the Strait of Messina on July 8, she arrived at Haifa on July 11 and subsequently remained active in the eastern Mediterranean. A three-day visit to Alexandria, Egypt, was also made during the deployment. USS BARNSTABLE COUNTY reached Naples on September 6, 1989, and subsequently participated in Exercise Display Determination, including amphibious operations around Capo Teulada from September 13 through September 18. Further exercises included operations with Turkish forces and training in Saros Bay beginning on September 26. She began moving west on October 5, passed Gibraltar on October 9 and reached Rota on October 10. Together with USS NASSAU (LHA 4) and USS SHREVEPORT (LPD 12), she proceeded to Lisbon on October 11 for voyage repairs at the Lisnave shipyard.

During the port visit, an altercation ashore on October 12 involving American sailors and Marines and Portuguese police resulted in several American personnel being injured and detained; those detained were subsequently released. USS BARNSTABLE COUNTY departed Lisbon on October 20. Further training with Spanish amphibious ships followed before she began the Atlantic crossing on October 28. She unloaded Marines at Morehead City on November 9 and returned to Little Creek on November 10.

USS BARNSTABLE COUNTY began 1990 with a visit to Newport, Rhode Island, departing on January 8. Later that month, she transported a construction detachment and associated equipment to Honduras. She sailed south on January 16, delivered the personnel and equipment at Puerto Cortes and returned to the Virginia area in early February. From April 23 through May 18, she participated in Exercise Ocean Venture 90.

On July 5, 1990, USS BARNSTABLE COUNTY departed on another West African Training Cruise. Seven West African naval officers were embarked for part of the voyage. During July, the ship visited Cape Verde, Senegal, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau and Guinea before continuing to Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast and Ghana. The cruise combined training and official contacts with the delivery of Project Handclasp supplies. By August 15, the planned program was nearing completion and the ship was preparing to leave Tema, Ghana, for home. On August 16, however, she was diverted toward Liberia.

Liberia was then in the first year of a destructive civil war, and fighting around Monrovia endangered foreign nationals and personnel at the U.S. Embassy. The United States had begun Operation Sharp Edge to protect the embassy and evacuate civilians. Earlier phases of the operation involved USS SAIPAN, USS PONCE (LPD 15), USS SUMTER (LST 1181) and USS PETERSON (DD 969). USS BARNSTABLE COUNTY later operated with USS WHIDBEY ISLAND (LSD 41) off Liberia. Marines were landed to reinforce security at the U.S. Embassy while the amphibious ships remained offshore and transported evacuees to safer locations, particularly Freetown, Sierra Leone.

USS BARNSTABLE COUNTY remained associated with Operation Sharp Edge for more than two months and embarked, processed or transported a total of 514 noncombatant evacuees. She made repeated movements between the Liberian operating area and Freetown. USS NEWPORT (LST 1179) relieved her on November 3, and USS BARNSTABLE COUNTY finally returned to Little Creek on November 16. Her prolonged participation in the Liberian evacuation coincided with the large-scale deployment of other U.S. forces to the Middle East after Iraq's invasion of Kuwait, but her own principal operational commitment during this period remained Operation Sharp Edge.

USS BARNSTABLE COUNTY entered Norfolk Shipping Company on January 7, 1991, for repairs and equipment upgrades. Sea trials began on May 20, followed by inspections, maintenance surveys and training. On July 1, she departed for a combined UNITAS XXXII and West African Training Cruise. She reached Roosevelt Roads on July 6 and trained with Peruvian and Venezuelan ships off Puerto Rico between July 11 and July 16. Further exercises followed in Colombian waters. She departed Cartagena on July 25, transited the Panama Canal on August 1 and entered Rodman, Panama, for preparations for the South American phase of the deployment.

USS BARNSTABLE COUNTY sailed from Rodman on August 5, 1991. Operations included flight training with Colombian Army helicopters and visits to Bahia Malaga, Colombia, and Manta, Ecuador. She subsequently continued south along the Pacific coast to Peru and Chile. Port visits included Callao, Coquimbo, Valparaiso and Talcahuano, while amphibious exercises were conducted with several South American navies and marine forces. After operating in southern Chile, the ship passed through the Strait of Magellan on October 3 and entered the South Atlantic. Calls in Argentina included Puerto Belgrano and Buenos Aires, and she conducted amphibious training with Argentine forces before proceeding to Montevideo. Other American participants in the UNITAS force included USS DAHLGREN (DDG 43), USS O'BANNON (DD 987), USS AYLWIN (FF 1081) and USS SAND LANCE (SSN 660).

USS BARNSTABLE COUNTY reached Rio de Janeiro on October 28, 1991. Following exercises around Marambaia Island, she departed Brazil in early November for the West African Training Cruise portion of the deployment. She reached Pointe-Noire, Congo, on November 15, where official contacts, training and Project Handclasp activities were conducted before departure on November 18. The subsequent itinerary included Libreville, Gabon; Sao Tome; Malabo, Equatorial Guinea; and Cotonou, Benin. She began the homeward passage on December 3 and arrived at Little Creek on December 18.

Another repair period began on February 11, 1992, when USS BARNSTABLE COUNTY entered Norfolk Shipping Company. The availability ended on May 5, after which sea trials, inspections and local training followed. During the summer, the ship took part in Sail Boston 92 and visited Greenport, New York; Sandwich, Massachusetts; and Boston. The Sandwich visit brought USS BARNSTABLE COUNTY into Cape Cod Canal within the Massachusetts county for which she had been named. She was photographed alongside the power station at Sandwich during the visit. The remainder of 1992 consisted primarily of local operations, maintenance and preparations for the following year's deployment.

USS BARNSTABLE COUNTY began 1993 with a training cruise to Puerto Rico from January 19 through February 11. Following final readiness preparations, she sailed from Little Creek on February 23. On February 24, she headed across the Atlantic with USS WASP (LHD 1), USS EL PASO (LKA 117) and USS NASHVILLE. The amphibious force carried the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, whose ground combat element was Battalion Landing Team 1/2. The ships passed through the Strait of Gibraltar on March 8, transited the Suez Canal on March 15 and arrived off Mogadishu, Somalia, on March 23.

Somalia had been without an effective central government since 1991, and civil conflict, disruption of food distribution and famine had led to a major international humanitarian intervention. At the time of USS BARNSTABLE COUNTY's arrival, U.S. forces were supporting the final phase of the Unified Task Force associated with Operation Restore Hope while preparations were being made for transition to United Nations Operation in Somalia II. On March 25, the amphibious ships moved south to Kismaayo, where Marines and other international forces were protecting humanitarian activities. USS BARNSTABLE COUNTY also carried out maritime assistance while operating off Somalia. On March 27, she took a disabled cargo vessel in tow and assisted in repairing hull and machinery damage. On April 14, a boarding party from the ship assisted another small cargo vessel suffering steering difficulties. The frequency of such assistance led to the informal nickname "The Somali Coast Guard" among personnel associated with the deployment.

Detached from the Somalia operating area on April 28, 1993, USS BARNSTABLE COUNTY proceeded north through the Arabian Sea and entered the Persian Gulf. She arrived at Dubai on May 2 for a four-day visit and subsequently rejoined USS WASP, USS EL PASO and USS NASHVILLE in the Gulf. She participated in regional amphibious training, including Exercise Nautical Mantis, and later underwent maintenance alongside USS CAPE COD (AD 43). During June, the amphibious group participated in Exercise Eager Mace with Kuwaiti and British forces.

Violence in Mogadishu on June 5, 1993, in which United Nations peacekeepers were killed, led to a renewed requirement for American amphibious forces off Somalia. USS BARNSTABLE COUNTY was ordered back toward the region on June 10. After embarking Marines required for the contingency, she reached the Somali operating area on June 19 and became part of the amphibious quick-reaction capability available to commanders ashore. From July 5 through July 9, she operated at Boosaaso in northern Somalia in support of humanitarian activity. She departed Somali waters on July 9, transited the Suez Canal on July 15 and headed west through the Mediterranean. Port calls during the return included Rhodes, Greece, and Benidorm, Spain. After turnover at Rota, she departed on August 6, returned the Marines to Morehead City on August 18 and arrived at Little Creek on August 20. This was the final major overseas deployment of her U.S. Navy career.

During the winter of 1993-1994, USS BARNSTABLE COUNTY underwent inspections and limited training while plans for her transfer to Spain moved forward. Spanish naval representatives began participating in turnover preparations on February 8, 1994. Her final substantial voyage under U.S. Navy operation began on April 5. USS BARNSTABLE COUNTY accompanied the salvage ships USS RECOVERY (ARS 43) and USS GRAPPLE (ARS 53), which were towing two decommissioned submarines south toward the Panama Canal. She detached from them on April 18, later visited Key West, Florida, and returned to Little Creek for the last time on April 29. Additional members of the future Spanish crew arrived during the following weeks, with the final contingent arriving on June 3.

USS BARNSTABLE COUNTY was decommissioned at Little Creek on June 29, 1994, ending just over twenty-two years of commissioned U.S. Navy service. Arrangements for her transfer to Spain were completed during the following summer. The ship was recorded as sold to Spain on August 22 and entered Spanish Navy service as HERNAN CORTES (L 41) on August 26, 1994. Although she had left active U.S. Navy service in 1994, the former USS BARNSTABLE COUNTY remained on the U.S. Naval Vessel Register until July 23, 2002, when she was formally struck. The Spanish Navy retained HERNAN CORTES for considerably longer than originally expected. She was finally withdrawn from active service on November 13, 2009. The ship was subsequently sold for dismantling, and in August 2014 the former USS BARNSTABLE COUNTY was taken to Arinaga on Gran Canaria for scrapping.

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