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USS Anzio (CG-68)
Encyclopedia
USS Anzio (CG-68) is a guided missile cruiser of the United States Navy
, named for the site of a beachhead invasion of Italy
by Allied troops from 22 January to 23 May 1944. It was laid down by the Litton-Ingalls Shipbuilding Corporation
at Pascagoula
, Mississippi
on 21 August 1989, launched on 2 November 1990 and commissioned on 2 May 1992. Anzio operates out of Norfolk
in Virginia
.
in Italy
, the site of an Allied amphibious assault during Operation Shingle
as part of the Italian Campaign
of World War II
. One other ship, an escort aircraft carrier, had been named USS Anzio.
On 6 April 2000, the Anzio, along with another cruiser and the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower
was participating in an exercise in the Eastern Mediterranean
, about 250 miles off the coast of Israel
. In an unannouced missile test, the Israel Defense Forces
fired a Jericho-1
medium-range ballistic missile from a test facility in Yavne
, which landed 40 miles from the ship. The missile was detected by the ship's radar, and the crew briefly thought that they were under attack.
On 9 January 2003 Anzio was pre-deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Ordered first to the eastern Mediterranean Sea
for the initial phase of President George W. Bush
's Shock and Awe strategy, during which the US Navy deployed to obliterate and defeat the Iraq
military before ground forces were sent in. Once the Anzio completed her mission in the eastern Mediterranean, she forward-deployed to the Persian Gulf
. Once the Anzio arrived in the Gulf, she had marked her 45th straight day at sea. In the Gulf, the Anzio continued carrier-flight support operations and coastal surveillance. After President Bush announced major combat had concluded in the Iraq War, on 1 May 2003, the Anzio was relieved of its duties, returning home on 3 July 2003 after 175 days at sea.
In 2004, Anzio participated at the annual Fleet Week
in New York City
. In January 2007, the warship was sent to the coast of Somalia
to conduct antiterrorist operations as part of the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower task force.
On 16 February 2007, Anzio was awarded the 2006 Battle "E" award.
The Anzio was anchored and a participant for 'Windjammer Days' in Boothbay Harbor, Maine, 25–26 June 2008.
Anzio has served as the flagship of the horn of Africa international anti-piracy Combined Task Force 151
. On October 15, 2009 a team from the cruiser working with U.S. Coast Guard
personnel from Maritime Safety and Security Team
91104 seized a skiff carrying an estimated 4 tons of hashish
worth an estimated $28 million about 170 nautical miles (314.8 km) southwest of Salalah, Oman. The boarding team destroyed the drugs by dumping them into the ocean and released the skiff's crew.
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
, named for the site of a beachhead invasion of Italy
Operation Shingle
Operation Shingle , during the Italian Campaign of World War II, was an Allied amphibious landing against Axis forces in the area of Anzio and Nettuno, Italy. The operation was commanded by Major General John P. Lucas and was intended to outflank German forces of the Winter Line and enable an...
by Allied troops from 22 January to 23 May 1944. It was laid down by the Litton-Ingalls Shipbuilding Corporation
Ingalls Shipbuilding
Ingalls Shipbuilding is a shipyard located in Pascagoula, Mississippi, USA, originally established in 1938, and is now part of Huntington Ingalls Industries...
at Pascagoula
Pascagoula, Mississippi
Pascagoula is a city in Jackson County, Mississippi, United States. It is the principal city of the Pascagoula, Mississippi Metropolitan Statistical Area, as a part of the Gulfport–Biloxi–Pascagoula, Mississippi Combined Statistical Area. The population was 26,200 at the 2000 census...
, Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
on 21 August 1989, launched on 2 November 1990 and commissioned on 2 May 1992. Anzio operates out of Norfolk
Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. With a population of 242,803 as of the 2010 Census, it is Virginia's second-largest city behind neighboring Virginia Beach....
in Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
.
Service
The ship is named for the battle of AnzioAnzio
Anzio is a city and comune on the coast of the Lazio region of Italy, about south of Rome.Well known for its seaside harbour setting, it is a fishing port and a departure point for ferries and hydroplanes to the Pontine Islands of Ponza, Palmarola and Ventotene...
in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, the site of an Allied amphibious assault during Operation Shingle
Operation Shingle
Operation Shingle , during the Italian Campaign of World War II, was an Allied amphibious landing against Axis forces in the area of Anzio and Nettuno, Italy. The operation was commanded by Major General John P. Lucas and was intended to outflank German forces of the Winter Line and enable an...
as part of the Italian Campaign
Italian Campaign (World War II)
The Italian Campaign of World War II was the name of Allied operations in and around Italy, from 1943 to the end of the war in Europe. Joint Allied Forces Headquarters AFHQ was operationally responsible for all Allied land forces in the Mediterranean theatre, and it planned and commanded the...
of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. One other ship, an escort aircraft carrier, had been named USS Anzio.
On 6 April 2000, the Anzio, along with another cruiser and the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower
USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69)
USS Dwight D. Eisenhower is an aircraft carrier currently in service with the United States Navy. Commissioned in 1977, the ship is the second of the ten Nimitz-class supercarriers currently in service, and is the first ship named after the thirty-fourth President of the United States, Dwight D....
was participating in an exercise in the Eastern Mediterranean
Eastern Mediterranean
The Eastern Mediterranean is a term that denotes the countries geographically to the east of the Mediterranean Sea. This region is also known as Greater Syria or the Levant....
, about 250 miles off the coast of Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
. In an unannouced missile test, the Israel Defense Forces
Israel Defense Forces
The Israel Defense Forces , commonly known in Israel by the Hebrew acronym Tzahal , are the military forces of the State of Israel. They consist of the ground forces, air force and navy. It is the sole military wing of the Israeli security forces, and has no civilian jurisdiction within Israel...
fired a Jericho-1
Jericho missile
Jericho is a general designation given to the Israeli ballistic missiles. The name is taken from the first development contract signed between Israel and Dassault in 1963, with the codename as a reference to the Biblical city of Jericho...
medium-range ballistic missile from a test facility in Yavne
Yavne
Yavne is a city in the Central District of Israel. According to the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics , at the end of 2009 the city had a population of 33,000.-History:...
, which landed 40 miles from the ship. The missile was detected by the ship's radar, and the crew briefly thought that they were under attack.
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...
for the initial phase of President George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
's Shock and Awe strategy, during which the US Navy deployed to obliterate and defeat the Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
military before ground forces were sent in. Once the Anzio completed her mission in the eastern Mediterranean, she forward-deployed to the Persian Gulf
Persian Gulf
The Persian Gulf, in Southwest Asia, is an extension of the Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.The Persian Gulf was the focus of the 1980–1988 Iran-Iraq War, in which each side attacked the other's oil tankers...
. Once the Anzio arrived in the Gulf, she had marked her 45th straight day at sea. In the Gulf, the Anzio continued carrier-flight support operations and coastal surveillance. After President Bush announced major combat had concluded in the Iraq War, on 1 May 2003, the Anzio was relieved of its duties, returning home on 3 July 2003 after 175 days at sea.
In 2004, Anzio participated at the annual Fleet Week
Fleet Week
Fleet Week is a United States Navy, United States Marine Corps, and United States Coast Guard tradition in which active military ships recently deployed in overseas operations dock in a variety of major cities for one week. Once the ships dock, the crews can enter the city and visit its tourist...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. In January 2007, the warship was sent to the coast of Somalia
Somalia
Somalia , officially the Somali Republic and formerly known as the Somali Democratic Republic under Socialist rule, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. Since the outbreak of the Somali Civil War in 1991 there has been no central government control over most of the country's territory...
to conduct antiterrorist operations as part of the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower task force.
On 16 February 2007, Anzio was awarded the 2006 Battle "E" award.
The Anzio was anchored and a participant for 'Windjammer Days' in Boothbay Harbor, Maine, 25–26 June 2008.
Anzio has served as the flagship of the horn of Africa international anti-piracy Combined Task Force 151
Combined Task Force 151
Combined Task Force 151 or CTF-151 or Combined Task Force One Five One is an international naval task force, set up in response to piracy attacks in shipping lanes off the coast of Somalia...
. On October 15, 2009 a team from the cruiser working with U.S. Coast Guard
United States Coast Guard
The United States Coast Guard is a branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven U.S. uniformed services. The Coast Guard is a maritime, military, multi-mission service unique among the military branches for having a maritime law enforcement mission and a federal regulatory agency...
personnel from Maritime Safety and Security Team
Maritime Safety and Security Team
A Maritime Safety and Security Team or MSST is a United States Coast Guard anti-terrorism team established to protect local maritime assets...
91104 seized a skiff carrying an estimated 4 tons of hashish
Hashish
Hashish is a cannabis preparation composed of compressed stalked resin glands, called trichomes, collected from the unfertilized buds of the cannabis plant. It contains the same active ingredients but in higher concentrations than unsifted buds or leaves...
worth an estimated $28 million about 170 nautical miles (314.8 km) southwest of Salalah, Oman. The boarding team destroyed the drugs by dumping them into the ocean and released the skiff's crew.
In Popular Culture
- The cruiser USS Anzio was part of the aerial battle over Washington D.C. in the game series Ace Combat: Assault HorizonAce Combat: Assault HorizonAce Combat: Assault Horizon is an installment of the Ace Combat arcade combat flight video game series developed by Project Aces and published by Namco Bandai for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. -Plot:...
.
External links
- Official website
- USS Anzio webpage
- USS Anzio (CG-68) command histories – Naval History & Heritage Command