USS Klakring (FFG-42) was a Oliver Hazard Perry class frigate of the United States Navy named for Rear Admiral Thomas B. Klakring (1904–1975), who was awarded three Navy Crosses as commander of the submarine during World War II.
Construction and commissioning Klakring was laid down on 19 February 1982 by the Bath Iron Works Corp. Bath, Maine; launched on 18 September 1982, sponsored by Beverly Bohen, niece of Rear Admiral Klakring, and commissioned on 20 August 1983 at Bath.
Service history
1983–1989
1983 Klakring completed a light-off examination on 8 September 1983, followed on 15 September by her initial crew certification. Prior to leaving for Charleston, South Carolina, Klakring visited Newport, Rhode Island while the America's Cup race was underway. New crew members had their first land leave after their first days at sea. The ship reached her initial home port of Charleston, South Carolina, on 18 September. Family members and friends on the pier displayed homemade banners while they welcomed the ship as she maneuvered up the Cooper River on 28 September.
The ship sailed for her shakedown cruise to Caribbean waters. She visited St. Thomas, Virgin Islands (4–7 November 1983), and on 13 November put into Guantánamo Bay, Cuba. Klakring sailed on 3 December, carried out a weapons systems accuracy test at Port Everglades, Florida, and then test-fired torpedoes on the range at Atlantic Undersea Test and Evaluation Center (AUTEC), Andros Island, on 13 December. She returned to Charleston on 16 December.
1984 Klakring carried out additional training during the New Year 1984, including a visit to Nassau, Bahamas (27–30 January 1984), a brief stop for fuel in Frederiksted, St. Croix, Virgin Islands, and another port visit on 18 February to Naval Station Roosevelt Roads, Puerto Rico. Klakring completed her Post Shakedown Availability at Bath (5 April–23 August). The yard work included the installation of fin stabilizers. The ship conducted her sea trials on 29 September, and on loaded weapons from Norfolk, Virginia, on 7 September. Hurricane Diana swept up the East Coast and delayed the frigate's return to Charleston from her scheduled date of 11 to 16 September. The ship completed a variety of training during the succeeding weeks, and escorted the aircraft carrier during mid November.
1985 Klakring sailed for nearly five weeks of refresher training off Guantánamo Bay on 14 January 1985. On 21 February, Helicopter Antisubmarine Squadron (Light—HSL-42) Detachment 3, equipped with a single Sikorsky SH-60B Seahawk Light Airborne Multi-Purpose System (LAMPS) Mk III, embarked on board Klakring. The ship began participation in her first major fleet exercise, Composite Unit Training Exercise (COMTUEX) 2-85, on 22 April 1985. She broke up the training with a three-day visit to Frederiksted, U.S. Virgin Islands, and returned to Charleston on 8 May.
The destroyer and Klakring sailed as MEF 3-85 Transit Group for the Middle East Force on 7 June 1985, in Klakring'''s first overseas deployment. Comdr. Whalig served as the group's officer in tactical command (OTC). The two ships fueled and provisioned at Ponta Delgada, Azores, on 13 June, entered the United States Sixth Fleet, and stopped for additional fuel and supplies at Rota, Spain, on 16 June. Klakring visited Palma de Mallorca, Spain (18–21 June). The ship then crossed the Mediterranean by easterly courses.Klakring passed southbound through the Suez Canal on 25 and 26 June 1985. As the ship crossed the Red Sea, she began to observe the weekends on Thursdays and Fridays to assimilate crewmen to Muslim daily routines. Klakring fueled and provisioned at Djibouti, Horn of Africa, on 30 June. On 1 July, she rendezvoused with guided missile destroyer and exchanged information and equipment. Whalig became Commander Task Unit (CTU) 109.1.2, and oversaw the scheduling of all multi-ship training in the Persian Gulf. Klakring sailed through the Strait of Hormuz, and on 7 July rendezvoused with command ship near Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE). Klakring escorted the flagship to Sitrah, Bahrain.
During the ship's first two months in the Persian Gulf, visibility averaged barely because of haze, sand, and dust. The daily temperature repeatedly rose to with 90% humidity. The frigate's Seahawk flew an average of two sorties per day, and the crew reported that the presence of the strong temperature inversion made radar ranges of 160 nautical miles at altitudes below common, which extended the helicopters' patrol coverage of the region.
The ship next visited Al Jubayl, Saudi Arabia (14–17 July 1985), briefly patrolled the Persian Gulf, and then completed upkeep at Mina Salman, Bahrain (22–31 July). On 6 August, Klakring escorted La Salle, and fueled and provisioned at Sitrah on 20 August. Klakring sailed from the Persian Gulf, and from 25 to 28 August visited Karachi, Pakistan. She passed through the Strait of Hormuz into the Persian Gulf on 31 August, and completed an additional upkeep at Dubai, UAE (3–10 September). The ship anchored at Sitrah for a Combat Systems Groom (13–15 September). On 20 September, she sailed from the Persian Gulf and trained with the Indian Ocean Battle Group, focusing on aircraft carrier operations, anti-air warfare, underway replenishment, and antisubmarine warfare. Klakring returned to the Persian Gulf on 24 September, training along the way with French aviso Quartier-Maître Anquetil.
After topping off her fuel and provisions on 26 October 1985, Klakring made for Ash Shuaibah, Kuwait, as the flagship for Commander Middle East Force. The ship patrolled the Persian Gulf, and completed upkeep at Mina Salman (30 October – 4 November). The guided missile frigate relieved Klakring in the Persian Gulf on 6 and 7 November. On 9 November, Klakring rendezvoused with Comte de Grasse and the two ships formed a transit group back to the United States. Comdr. Wahlig again served as OTC for the group.Klakring fueled and provisioned at Djibouti on 11 November 1985, and continued northward across the Red Sea, returning to the standard workweek when she reached the southern entrance to the Suez Canal on 15 November. The following day, both ships transited the canal northbound, and visited Málaga, Spain (20–23 November). On 24 November, Klakring fueled and provisioned at Rota on 24 November, and that same afternoon entered the Second Fleet. The frigate celebrated Thanksgiving in Ponta Delgada, and returned to Charleston on 6 December 1985. On 12 December, Comdr. James M. Coon relieved Comdr. Wahlig as the commanding officer.
1986 The ship carried out Combined at Sea Operations (CASTOPS) 2-86 (3–15 February 1986), including a visit to Nassau in the Bahamas (8–11 February). Klakring underwent an Operational Propulsion Plant Examination (OPPE) from 26 to 28 April, 1 and 2 May, and 29 and 30 May. The ship visited Savannah, Georgia, on 27 and 28 June. Klakring trained with Nimitz from 8 to 17 July 1986, including a visit to Port Everglades (11–14 July). On 31 July and 1 August, the ship conducted special projects for the Chief of Naval Operations (CNO).
Following her CNO project and a visit to Dodge Island Terminal, Miami, Florida (8–10 September) Klakring held a Tiger Cruise for her crew's dependants, on 11 September 1986. While the ship sailed to the operating area, she received a distress call from King Fisher II, a small fishing boat from Charleston. Klakring proceeded at full speed to King Fisher II and transferred her emergency party via small boat to render assistance. The frigate returned to port on 12 September. On 29 September she offloaded her weapons at the Naval Weapons Station Charleston, and completed her first Selective Restricted Availability (SRA-1) from 30 September to 5 December. On 12 December, Klakring re-loaded her weapons from the Naval Weapons Station, and carried out her sea trials (15–18 December).
1987Klakring completed a number of training exercises during the New Year, including Fleet Exercise (FLEETEX) 1-87 and a War at Sea scenario (10–27 February 1987), and Solid Shield 87, FLEETEX 2-87, and another War at Sea scenario from 30 April to 10 May. Klakring deployed from Charleston for the Middle East on 6 June 1987. On 8 June she rendezvoused with the other ships of her transit group, and refueled at Rota on 15 June. The frigate visited Taormina, Sicily (19–21 June). She passed through the Suez Canal into the Red Sea on 24 June, and on 29 June refueled at Djibouti.
The ship supported Operation Earnest Will. The Iranians and Iraqis escalated their attacks against ships sailing in the Persian Gulf during the Iran–Iraq War, and the U.S. launched operation Earnest Will to maintain freedom of navigation in the area, renaming and reflagging eleven Kuwaiti tankers. Klakring patrolled the Persian Gulf between Radar Picket Stations North and South. The ship repeatedly passed outbound through the Strait of Hormuz to refuel from underway replenishment ships, and then returned to the Persian Gulf. On 10 August, Klakring embarked a detachment of Army helicopters and helped coordinate the efforts of British tugs converted for minesweeping. —reflagged tanker Al Rekkah—struck an Iranian mine on 24 July, but survived; Klakring escorted Bridgeton outbound through the Strait of Hormuz on 30 August.
The frigate rendezvoused with cargo ship and steamship President Pierce, and escorted them to Fujairah (2 and 3 September 1987). On 3 September, she escorted tanker Sealift Mediterranean to Bahrain. Klakring escorted tanker Sealift Pacific through the Strait of Hormuz on 1 October. Klakring passed outbound through the Strait of Hormuz and anchored at Fujairah on 24 October. The guided missile frigate relieved Klakring on 26 October. Klakring refueled at Djibouti on 29 October, visited Jeddah, Saudi Arabia (1–4 November), passed northbound through the Suez Canal on 7 November, and (12–16 November) visited Saint Raphael, France. The ship put into Palma de Mallorca (17–21 November), on 22 November refueled at Rota, refueled again at Ponta Delgada on 26 November, and returned to Charleston on 4 December.Klakring participated in Operation Earnest Will in the Persian Gulf in 1987 as the first air-capable, air-embarked ship. The frigate participated in Operation Prime Chance in the Persian Gulf during the "Tanker War".
1988 CMDR Dennis J. Van Buskirk relieved CMDR Coon as the commanding officer on 22 January 1988. Klakring completed repairs in drydock at Jacksonville Shipyards, Florida (1–22 February). The ship carried out Interim Readiness Training with Task Group (TG) 43.2 at Guantánamo Bay (21 March–13 April). A variety of training exercises followed, broken by a visit to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida (8–13 May). She carried out further training, refueled at Roosevelt Roads on 18 May, visited St. Thomas (18–21 May), and on 27 May returned to Charleston. Klakring loaded a Coast Guard Rigid Inflatable Boat in preparation for her Caribbean Law Enforcement Operations (CDOPs) on 13 June 1988, setting sail the following day. The ship embarked a helicopter detachment at Mayport, Florida, on 18 June, and the following day the remaining Coast Guardsmen boarded with their equipment at Miami. Klakring participated in CDOPs (22 June–8 July), and returned to Charleston on 13 July.
The ship took part in Middle East Force Exercise (MEFEX) 1-89 with destroyer and guided missile frigates and in the Caribbean (12–28 October 1988). On 19 October, Klakring and De Wert anchored off Vieques Island, Puerto Rico, for drills with a Navy Sea, Air, Land (SEAL) team. Klakring also conducted flight operations with Army helicopters on 27 October.