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USS Lansing (DE-388)
Encyclopedia
USS Lansing (DE-388), an Edsall-class destroyer escort
, was the only ship of the United States Navy
to be named for Aviation Machinist Mate First Class William Henry Lansing
. Her keel was laid down on 15 May 1943 by Brown Shipbuilding
of Houston, Texas
. She was launched
on 2 August 1943 sponsored by Mrs. Alberta L. Lansing, widow of AD1 Lansing, and commissioned
on 10 November 1943 with Lieutenant Commander S. R. Sands in command.
, on 13 February 1944 on her first transatlantic cruise escorting convoy UGS 33 bound to Casablanca
, the first of eight voyages to north Africa
n ports protecting convoys loaded with vital war material. During Lansing’s second cruise, a convoy ship G. S. Walden was damaged by a torpedo
fired from a U-boat
on 12 May.
Arriving Boston, Massachusetts, on 12 June 1945 from her final transatlantic mission, the destroyer escort prepared for service in the Pacific. She transited the Panama Canal 2 August and was en route to Pearl Harbor when she received news of the Japanese surrender. Lansing returned New York 26 September, and decommissioned at Green Cove Springs 25 April 1946, joining the Atlantic Reserve Fleet.
She was transferred to the Coast Guard in June 1952. Upon her return to the Navy in 1954 Lansing was converted to a radar picket escort ship and given the hull classification symbol
DER-388 21 October 1955. She was recommissioned 18 December 1956 with Lieutenant Commander G. N. DeBuer in command.
Lansing joined the Pacific Barrier 2 June 1957 for operations out of Pearl Harbor as a radar picket. From 1957 until 1965 she made regular patrols, ready to provide early warning in the event of an enemy attack. Lansing participated in the atomic tests at Johnston Island in the summer of 1958 and again in the fall of 1962. She sailed on Far East cruises during 1961 and 1963 and engaged in search operations for a downed Air Force Globemaster in January 1964.
keel, due to be laid down in 2015.
named for Lansing, Michigan
, is the setting of the 2001 made-for-TV movie Danger Beneath the Sea
. SSN-975, Lansing a Virgina class submarine appears in the direct to video film Solar Attack
.
Edsall class destroyer escort
The Edsall class destroyer escorts were built primarily for ocean anti-submarine escort service during World War II. The lead ship, USS Edsall was commissioned on 10 April 1943 at Orange, Texas. The class was also known as the FMR type from their Fairbanks-Morse Reduction-geared diesel drive...
, was the only ship of the United States Navy
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...
to be named for Aviation Machinist Mate First Class William Henry Lansing
William Henry Lansing
William Henry Lansing born in Amsterdam, New York, enlisted in the United States Naval Reserve on 14 February 1933. He joined the regular United States Navy on 8 May 1934 and was assigned toLexington in August...
. Her keel was laid down on 15 May 1943 by Brown Shipbuilding
Brown Shipbuilding
The Brown Shipbuilding Company was founded in Houston, Texas in 1942 as a subsidiary of Brown and Root by brothers Herman and George R. Brown to build ships for the US Navy during World War II....
of Houston, Texas
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
. She was launched
Ship naming and launching
The ceremonies involved in naming and launching naval ships are based in traditions thousands of years old.-Methods of launch:There are three principal methods of conveying a new ship from building site to water, only two of which are called "launching." The oldest, most familiar, and most widely...
on 2 August 1943 sponsored by Mrs. Alberta L. Lansing, widow of AD1 Lansing, and commissioned
Ship commissioning
Ship commissioning is the act or ceremony of placing a ship in active service, and may be regarded as a particular application of the general concepts and practices of project commissioning. The term is most commonly applied to the placing of a warship in active duty with its country's military...
on 10 November 1943 with Lieutenant Commander S. R. Sands in command.
History
After shakedown, Lansing departed Norfolk, VirginiaNorfolk, 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....
, on 13 February 1944 on her first transatlantic cruise escorting convoy UGS 33 bound to Casablanca
Casablanca
Casablanca is a city in western Morocco, located on the Atlantic Ocean. It is the capital of the Grand Casablanca region.Casablanca is Morocco's largest city as well as its chief port. It is also the biggest city in the Maghreb. The 2004 census recorded a population of 2,949,805 in the prefecture...
, the first of eight voyages to north Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
n ports protecting convoys loaded with vital war material. During Lansing’s second cruise, a convoy ship G. S. Walden was damaged by a torpedo
Torpedo
The modern torpedo is a self-propelled missile weapon with an explosive warhead, launched above or below the water surface, propelled underwater towards a target, and designed to detonate either on contact with it or in proximity to it.The term torpedo was originally employed for...
fired from a U-boat
U-boat
U-boat is the anglicized version of the German word U-Boot , itself an abbreviation of Unterseeboot , and refers to military submarines operated by Germany, particularly in World War I and World War II...
on 12 May.
Arriving Boston, Massachusetts, on 12 June 1945 from her final transatlantic mission, the destroyer escort prepared for service in the Pacific. She transited the Panama Canal 2 August and was en route to Pearl Harbor when she received news of the Japanese surrender. Lansing returned New York 26 September, and decommissioned at Green Cove Springs 25 April 1946, joining the Atlantic Reserve Fleet.
She was transferred to the Coast Guard in June 1952. Upon her return to the Navy in 1954 Lansing was converted to a radar picket escort ship and given the hull classification symbol
Hull classification symbol
The United States Navy, United States Coast Guard, and United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration use hull classification symbols to identify their ship types and each individual ship within each type...
DER-388 21 October 1955. She was recommissioned 18 December 1956 with Lieutenant Commander G. N. DeBuer in command.
Lansing joined the Pacific Barrier 2 June 1957 for operations out of Pearl Harbor as a radar picket. From 1957 until 1965 she made regular patrols, ready to provide early warning in the event of an enemy attack. Lansing participated in the atomic tests at Johnston Island in the summer of 1958 and again in the fall of 1962. She sailed on Far East cruises during 1961 and 1963 and engaged in search operations for a downed Air Force Globemaster in January 1964.
Fate
Arriving Bremerton, Washington, 22 February 1965, Lansing decommissioned there 21 May and entered the Pacific Reserve Fleet.Future usage
The name Lansing has been assigned to the SSN-795 a Virginia Class submarineVirginia class submarine
The Virginia class is a class of nuclear-powered fast attack submarines in service with the United States Navy. The submarines are designed for a broad spectrum of open-ocean and littoral missions...
keel, due to be laid down in 2015.
Fiction
A fictional submarine USS Lansing (SSN-795), a Virginia class submarineVirginia class submarine
The Virginia class is a class of nuclear-powered fast attack submarines in service with the United States Navy. The submarines are designed for a broad spectrum of open-ocean and littoral missions...
named for Lansing, Michigan
Lansing, Michigan
Lansing is the capital of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is located mostly in Ingham County, although small portions of the city extend into Eaton County. The 2010 Census places the city's population at 114,297, making it the fifth largest city in Michigan...
, is the setting of the 2001 made-for-TV movie Danger Beneath the Sea
Danger Beneath the Sea
Danger Beneath the Sea is a thriller TV movie released in 2001 and starring Casper Van Dien.-Plot:After a North Korean nuclear missile test goes wrong, the American nuclear attack submarine USS Lansing is cut off from communications...
. SSN-975, Lansing a Virgina class submarine appears in the direct to video film Solar Attack
Solar Attack
Solar Attack is a 2005 direct-to-video film by Lions Gate Entertainment.It concerns large coronal mass ejections that cause the Earth's atmosphere to burn, potentially suffocating all life on Earth. All of this happens during a time of political tension between the United States and Russia...
.