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USS Dubuque (LPD 8)

- decommissioned -

USS DUBUQUE was the fifth AUSTIN - class Amphibious Transport Dock and the second ship in the Navy named after the city in the state of Iowa.

General Characteristics:Keel laid: January 25, 1965
Launched: August 6, 1966
Commissioned: September 1, 1967
Decommissioned: June 30, 2011
Builder: Ingalls Shipbuilding, West Bank, Pascagoula, Miss.
Propulsion system: two boilers, two steam turbines
Propellers: two
Length: 569 feet (173.4 meters)
Beam: 105 feet (32 meters)
Draft: 23 feet (7 meters)
ballasted: 34 feet (10.4 meters)
Displacement: approx. 16,900 tons
Speed: 21 knots
Well deck capacity: one LCAC or one LCU or four LCM-8 or nine LCM-6 or 24 amphibious assault vehicles (AAV)
Aircraft: none, but telescopic hangar installed aboard. The hangar is not used to accommodate helicopters but on the flight deck there is space for up to six CH-46 helicopters.
Crew: Ship: 24 officers, 396 enlisted
Marine Detachment: approx. 900
Armament: two 20mm Phalanx CIWS, two 25mm Mk 38 guns, eight .50-calibre machine guns


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Crew List:

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


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USS DUBUQUE Cruise Books:


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Accidents aboard USS DUBUQUE:

DateWhereEvents
August 10, 2005 A BM2 has both legs severed while testing the strength of a mooring line’s eye-splice.


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History of USS DUBUQUE:

USS DUBUQUE was commissioned on 1 September 1967, at Norfolk Naval Shipyard in Portsmouth, Virginia. In November 1967, the ship arrived at its first homeport of San Diego, California after transiting the Panama Canal. From 1968 to 1975, DUBUQUE made five Western Pacific deployments that saw extensive duty in Vietnam. In a highly publicized event in October 1968, the ship returned 14 repatriated prisoners of war to North Vietnam. From 1969 to 1971, the ship conducted ten KEYSTONE CARDINAL troop lifts to Okinawa as part of the "Vietnamization" of the war. From February to June 1973, the ship operated helicopters that conducted mine clearance operations in Haiphong Harbor. In April 1975, the ship participated in the evacuation of Saigon and the rescue of refugees fleeing South Vietnam.

On 15 August 1985, USS DUBUQUE departed San Diego for its new homeport of Sasebo, Japan. The ship arrived in Sasebo on 4 September 1985 to join the U. S. SEVENTH Fleet Overseas Family Residency Program. Since joining the SEVENTH Fleet, the primary mission of the ship has been the support of U. S. Marines stationed in the Western Pacific.

In May 1988, USS DUBUQUE deployed to the Arabian Gulf and served as the control ship for mine sweeping operations to protect U. S.-flagged tankers during the Iran-Iraq War. For its participation in this operation, the ship was awarded the Meritorious Unit Citation. On 10 June 1988 DUBUQUE discovered a boat with 110 Vietnamese refugees. They had been stranded out at sea for 19 days due to an engine failure and the refugees requested assistance from DUBUQUE but were refused. Only 52 of the 110 refugees survived and were later picked up by Filipino fishermen. DUBUQUE's Commanding Officer, Alexander Balian, was relieved of his duties following this incident.

In 1989, the DUBUQUE participated in the contingency operation to evacuate U.S. personnel from the Philippines during a failed coup attempt.

Immediately following the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in August 1990, USS DUBUQUE received tasking in the Arabian Gulf as part of Operation DESERT SHIELD. The ship functioned as the leading element of Amphibious Ready Group Bravo, which transported Marine Regimental Landing Team Four to Al Jubayl, Saudi Arabia during the critical early stages of the multi-national buildup.

In 1992, USS DUBUQUE celebrated 25 years of distinguished service. It has received three Battle Efficiency Awards and participated in countless amphibious exercises and operations throughout the Western Pacific and Indian Oceans.


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The photo below was taken by William Chiu and shows USS DUBUQUE at Hong Kong on February 16, 1992.



The photo below was taken by Ian Johnson and shows the DUBUQUE arriving at Fremantle, Australia, on April 29, 2007. The visit marked the sixth time that DUBUQUE has visited the state. The second photo was taken on May 3, 2007. At the time, she was assigned to the USS BOXER (LHD 4) ESG.



The photo below was taken by me and shows the DUBUQUE at Naval Base San Diego, Calif., on March 10, 2008.



The photo below was taken by Thomas Heinrich and shows the DUBUQUE at San Diego, Calif., on March 21, 2009.



The photos below were taken by me and show the DUBUQUE laid up at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, Bremerton, Wash., on May 12, 2012.



The photos below were taken by Michael Jenning and show the DUBUQUE laid up at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, Bremerton, Wash., on April 17, 2016.



The photos below were taken by Michael Jenning and show the DUBUQUE laid up at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, Bremerton, Wash., on October 13, 2017.



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