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USS Stephen W. Groves (FFG-29)
Encyclopedia
USS Stephen W. Groves (FFG-29), twenty-first ship of the Oliver Hazard Perry class
of guided-missile frigate
s, was named for Ensign
Stephen W. Groves
(1917–1942), a naval aviator who was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross
for his heroism at the Battle of Midway
during World War II
.
on 23 January 1978 as part of the FY78 program, Stephen W. Groves was laid down on 16 September 1980, launched
on 4 April 1981, and commissioned
on 17 April 1982, Commander
Philip A. Bozzelli commanding.
Stephen W. Groves (FFG-29) is the first ship of that name in the U.S. Navy. A previous ship named for Ensign Groves, destroyer escort
USS Groves (DE-543)
was cancelled in 1944 prior to completion. Assigned to Destroyer Squadron 14 and home-ported at Naval Station Mayport
, Florida
, She remains active until her decommissioning on February 24, 2012.
of Pascagoula
, Mississippi
, along with sister ship
John L. Hall (FFG-32)
under threat from Hurricane Katrina
; Naval Station Pascagoula
is now closed as a result of Hurricane Katrina.
Deployed to the Indian Ocean, on 10 May 2011 she met the Somali pirate longliner Jih Chun Tsai 68 after being ordered to intercept the hijacked Taiwanese fishing vessel. Receiving fire from the longliner, the Stephen W. Groves engaged her in a single ship action that saw the pirate vessel sunk with 3 pirates killed, 2 wounded, and one of the Taiwense hostages killed.
Oliver Hazard Perry class frigate
The Oliver Hazard Perry class is a class of frigates named after the American Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry, the hero of the naval Battle of Lake Erie...
of guided-missile frigate
Frigate
A frigate is any of several types of warship, the term having been used for ships of various sizes and roles over the last few centuries.In the 17th century, the term was used for any warship built for speed and maneuverability, the description often used being "frigate-built"...
s, was named for Ensign
Ensign (rank)
Ensign is a junior rank of a commissioned officer in the armed forces of some countries, normally in the infantry or navy. As the junior officer in an infantry regiment was traditionally the carrier of the ensign flag, the rank itself acquired the name....
Stephen W. Groves
Stephen W. Groves
Ensign Stephen W. Groves, USN was a United States Navy aviator during World War II who was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross for his heroism in the Battle of Midway.-Early life:...
(1917–1942), a naval aviator who was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross
Navy Cross
The Navy Cross is the highest decoration that may be bestowed by the Department of the Navy and the second highest decoration given for valor. It is normally only awarded to members of the United States Navy, United States Marine Corps and United States Coast Guard, but can be awarded to all...
for his heroism at the Battle of Midway
Battle of Midway
The Battle of Midway is widely regarded as the most important naval battle of the Pacific Campaign of World War II. Between 4 and 7 June 1942, approximately one month after the Battle of the Coral Sea and six months after Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor, the United States Navy decisively defeated...
during 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...
.
Background
Ordered from Bath Iron WorksBath Iron Works
Bath Iron Works is a major American shipyard located on the Kennebec River in Bath, Maine, United States. Since its founding in 1884 , BIW has built private, commercial and military vessels, most of which have been ordered by the United States Navy...
on 23 January 1978 as part of the FY78 program, Stephen W. Groves was laid down on 16 September 1980, 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 4 April 1981, 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 17 April 1982, Commander
Commander
Commander is a naval rank which is also sometimes used as a military title depending on the individual customs of a given military service. Commander is also used as a rank or title in some organizations outside of the armed forces, particularly in police and law enforcement.-Commander as a naval...
Philip A. Bozzelli commanding.
Stephen W. Groves (FFG-29) is the first ship of that name in the U.S. Navy. A previous ship named for Ensign Groves, destroyer escort
Destroyer escort
A destroyer escort is the classification for a smaller, lightly armed warship designed to be used to escort convoys of merchant marine ships, primarily of the United States Merchant Marine in World War II. It is employed primarily for anti-submarine warfare, but also provides some protection...
USS Groves (DE-543)
USS Groves (DE-543)
USS Groves was a proposed World War II United States Navy John C. Butler-class destroyer escort that was never completed.Groves was laid down at the Boston Navy Yard in Boston, Massachusetts. Her construction was cancelled on 5 September 1944 before she could be launched. The incomplete ship was...
was cancelled in 1944 prior to completion. Assigned to Destroyer Squadron 14 and home-ported at Naval Station Mayport
Naval Station Mayport
Naval Station Mayport is a major United States Navy base in Jacksonville, Florida. It contains a military airfield with one asphalt paved runway measuring 8,001 x 200 ft. ....
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, She remains active until her decommissioning on February 24, 2012.
History
On 28 August 2005, she sailed from her then-home portHome port
A vessel's home port is the port at which it is based, which may not be the same as its port of registry shown on its registration documents and lettered on the stern of the ship's hull...
of 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...
, along with sister ship
Sister ship
A sister ship is a ship of the same class as, or of virtually identical design to, another ship. Such vessels share a near-identical hull and superstructure layout, similar displacement, and roughly comparable features and equipment...
John L. Hall (FFG-32)
USS John L. Hall (FFG-32)
USS John L. Hall , twenty-fourth ship of the Oliver Hazard Perry class of guided-missile frigates, was named for Admiral John L. Hall, Jr. ....
under threat from Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
; Naval Station Pascagoula
Naval Station Pascagoula
Naval Station Pascagoula was a base of the United States Navy, in Pascagoula, Mississippi. The base officially closed November 15, 2006. The base's property, on Singing River Island in the Mississippi Sound at the mouth of the Singing River, was formally transferred to the Mississippi Secretary of...
is now closed as a result of Hurricane Katrina.
Deployed to the Indian Ocean, on 10 May 2011 she met the Somali pirate longliner Jih Chun Tsai 68 after being ordered to intercept the hijacked Taiwanese fishing vessel. Receiving fire from the longliner, the Stephen W. Groves engaged her in a single ship action that saw the pirate vessel sunk with 3 pirates killed, 2 wounded, and one of the Taiwense hostages killed.