USS Comte de Grasse (DD-974) 550291 214302543 2008-05-22T23:08:57Z 128.196.23.228 /* External links */ {|{{Infobox Ship Begin}} {{Infobox Ship Image |Ship image=[[Image:USS Comte de Grasse (DD-974) port beam view.jpg|300px|USS Comte de Grasse (DD-974)]] |Ship caption= }} {{Infobox Ship Career |Hide header= |Ship country=US |Ship flag={{USN flag}} |Ship name= |Ship namesake=[[François Joseph Paul de Grasse|Admiral Francois-Joseph Paul, Comte de Grasse]] |Ship ordered=[[26 January]] [[1972]] |Ship builder=[[Ingalls Shipbuilding]] |Ship laid down=[[4 April]] [[1975]] |Ship launched=[[26 March]] [[1976]] |Ship acquired=[[July 17]] [[1978]] |Ship commissioned=[[5 August]] [[1978]] |Ship decommissioned=[[5 June]] [[1998]] |Ship in service= |Ship out of service= |Ship struck=[[5 June]] [[1998]] |Ship reinstated= |Ship honours= |Ship fate=Sunk as a target on [[June 7]], [[2006]]. |Ship status= |Ship notes= }} {{Infobox Ship Characteristics |Hide header= |Header caption= |Ship class=[[Spruance class destroyer]] |Ship displacement={{Spruance class destroyer displacement}} |Ship length={{Spruance class destroyer length}} |Ship beam={{Spruance class destroyer beam}} |Ship draught= |Ship draft={{Spruance class destroyer draft}} |Ship propulsion={{Spruance class destroyer propulsion}} |Ship speed={{Spruance class destroyer speed}} |Ship range={{Spruance class destroyer range}} |Ship complement={{Spruance class destroyer complement}} |Ship sensors={{Spruance class destroyer sensors}} |Ship EW={{Spruance class destroyer EW}} |Ship armament={{Spruance class destroyer armament ABL}} |Ship armour= |Ship armor= |Ship aircraft={{Spruance class destroyer aircraft}} |Ship motto=''Sans Précédent''<br />(Without Precedent) |Ship notes= }} |} '''USS ''Comte de Grasse'' (DD-974)''', named for [[François Joseph Paul, marquis de Grasetilly, comte de Grasse|Admiral Francois-Joseph Paul, Comte de Grasse]] ([[1722]]-[[1788]]), was a [[Spruance class destroyer]] built by the [[Ingalls Shipbuilding]] Division of [[Litton Industries]] at [[Pascagoula]] in [[Mississippi]]. She was laid down [[4 April]] [[1975]], launched [[26 March]] [[1976]] and commissioned [[5 August]] [[1978]]. The sponsor of ''Comte de Grasse'' was Madame [[Anne-Aymone Sauvage de Brantes]], wife of the former, and then [[President of the French Republic|President of France]] Monsieur [[Valéry Giscard d'Estaing]]. ==Operational history== In late Ferbruary-early March [[1980]], ''Comte de Grasse'' took part in Exercise Safepass-80. ''Comte de Grasse'' sailed on her maiden [[Mediterranean Sea]] deployment in April of 1980, returning home in December. Since then she deployed there six times. In February [[1981]], ''Comte de Grasse'' went to the [[Vieques]] NGFS Range. The following month, she took part in READEX 1-81. In May, she took part in a Comprehensive Training Unit Exercise (COMPTUEX) in the [[Virginia Capes]] Operations Area. In late August, she took part in Ocean Venture-81 and exercise Magic Sword. In September, she took part in Exercise Ocean Safari-81. She was drydocked for a short period in November for voyage repairs and replacement of her Sonar Dome Rubber Window, before departing for a Mediterranean deployment on [[1 December]]. [[1982]] saw ''Comte de Grasse'' take part in Exercise Sardinia-82 from [[27 February]] to [[9 March]]. She then took part in Exercise Norther Wedding/United Effort-82 from [[23 August]] to [[20 October]]. From [[7 December]] to [[14 December]], she took part in COMPTUEX 1-83. From [[8 January]] to [[July 10]], [[1983]], she deployed to join [[NATO]]'s Standing Naval Forces Atlantic. During that time, she took part in Exercise Roebuck near [[Scotland]], Spring Train off [[Gibraltar]], Bright Horizon and May West off [[Norway]], Nor Ops, and Ocean Safari. Upon her return home, she was drydocked from [[28 October]] [[1983]] to [[10 July]] [[1984]] for a routine overhaul at Ingalls Shipyard, Pascagoula, MS. From [[4 September]] to [[13 September]], she underwent [[RGM-84 Harpoon|Harpoon]] Certification, [[BGM-109 Tomahawk|Tomahawk]] Material Certification, and from [[24 September]] to [[26 September]], Combat Systems Ship Qualification Test (CSSQT), at the Virginia Capes Operations Area. From [[19 March]] to [[23 March]] [[1985]], ''Comte de Grasse'' underwent Tomahawk Tactical Qualification Test (TTQT). Then from [[22 April]] to [[7 May]], she participated in COMPTUEX 2-85, before deploying to join the Middle East Force on [[6 June]]. She transited the [[Suez Canal]] into the [[Red Sea]] on [[26 June]] and entered the [[Persian Gulf]] on [[4 July]]. She took part in Exercise Inferno Creek/Bright Star-85 from [[11 August]] to [[17 August]]. Transiting though the Suez Canal into the Mediterranean Sea on [[15 November]], she returned home on [[5 December]]. [[1986]] saw ''Comte de Grasse'' take part in a number of gunnery, air targeting and [[submarine]] tracking exercises in the Virginia Capes and [[Puerto Rico]] operations areas. From [[4 September]] to [[8 September]], she took part in drug interception operations in the [[Caribbean Sea]]. ''Comte de Grasse'' took part, from [[9 January]] to [[28 January]] [[1987]], in BLASTEX 1-87, and from [[10 February]] to [[1 March]], in FLEETEX 1-87. Then after being drydocked in March on [[USS Sustain (AFDM-7)| USS ''Sustain'' (AFDM-7)]], she took part in Solid Shield 87, from [[30 April]] to [[8 May]], and FLEETEX 2-87 from [[9 May]] to [[10 May]]. She departed for her Mediterranean deployment 3-87 on [[6 June]] and returned home on [[17 November]]. From [[11 May]] to [[23 May]] [[1988]], ''Comte de Grasse'' took part in a USN/FGN missile exercise. Then from [[15 June]] to [[1 July]], she participated in FLEETEX 2-88 (BASIC). From [[12 August]] to [[1 September]], she assisted [[United States Coast Guard]] law enforcement operations in the Caribbean operations area. Then, from [[7 November]] to [[22 November]], she participated in FLEETEX 1-89 (ADV) and SOCEX 1-89. From [[8 February]] to [[1 March]] [[1989]], ''Comte de Grasse'' took part in FLEETEX 1-89. She was in drydock from [[14 April]] to [[7 May]] at [[Norfolk Naval Shipyard]], [[Portsmouth, Virginia]], for replacement of its sonar dome rubber window. She deployed on [[11 May]] for her Mediterranean/[[Indian Ocean]] deployment 2-89. She transited on [[25 June]] through the Suez Canal into the Red Sea, then from 4-[[6 July]], conducted operations in the [[Strait of Hormuz]], Eastern Patrol Area (SOHEPA). Entering the Persian Gulf on [[14 August]], she transited the Suez Canal to the Mediterranean Sea on [[6 September]] before returning home on [[9 November]]. From [[16 January]] to [[28 January]] [[1990]], ''Comte De Grasse'' spent time at the Vieques Gunnery Range where she earned the designation of Top Gun of the Year. On [[15 February]] [[1990]], she was visited by a delegation of the [[Supreme Soviet]] and the Chairman of the [[U.S. House Committee on Armed Services]], [[Les Aspin]]. [[1991]] saw ''Comte de Grasse'' undergo a number of qualification training and tests. From [[6 January]] to [[10 January]] [[1992]], ''Comte de Grasse'' took part in the SWET Competition. Then from [[13 January]] to [[13 February]], she took part in FLEETEX 2-92; followed by Exercise Fabric Falcon Brave form [[26 February]] to [[3 March]]. ''Comte de Grasse's'' superior performance was again recognized in March of 1992 when she was awarded a second consecutive [[Navy "E" Ribbon|Battle Efficiency Award]], representative of the best destroyer in Cruiser - Destroyer Group Eight. This prestigious award encompassed Mission Area Excellence Awards in Navigation and Deck Seamanship, [[Anti-submarine warfare|Anti-Submarine Warfare]] (ASW), [[ASUW|Anti-Surface Warfare]] (ASUW), [[Electronic Warfare]] (EW), [[Anti-aircraft warfare|Anti-Aircraft Warfare]] (AAW), Engineering, Damage Control, Surface Ship Safety, and Command Control and Communications. In preparation for her next deployment, ''Comte de Grasse'' completed Refresher Training in [[Guantánamo Bay, Cuba|Guantanamo Bay]], [[Cuba]], conducted various battle group exercises in the Caribbean Sea, such as FLEETEX 2-92, and successfully passed a myriad of pre-deployment inspections and exercises, including a Combat Systems Assessment (CSA), in which ''Comte de Grasse'' received the highest grade of any unit in the entire [[U.S. Atlantic Fleet]] during [[1991]]. ''Comte de Grasse'' departed on her next Mediterranean deployment 2-92 on [[6 May]]. She sailed with the [[USS Saratoga (CV-60)|''Saratoga'' (CV-60)]] [[carrier battle group]] to the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea. During the deployment, she took part in intense battle group operations, developed and integrated new tactics for small combatants, conducted maritime interdiction operations in the Red Sea, took part in major exercises, such as NATO Display Determination, and supported [[United Nations]] humanitarian efforts in the [[Adriatic Sea]] near the troubled lands of the former [[Yugoslavia|Yugoslavian Republic]]. ''Comte de Grasse'' transited the Suez Canal into the Red Sea on [[7 September]], at which point she conducted maritime interdiction force operations until [[20 September]] when she transited the Suez Canal into the Mediterranean Sea. She returned home on [[6 November]]. One of the highlights of ''Comte de Grasse's'' deployment, was her participation in [[Grasse Day]] on [[19 October]] [[1992]]. On the occasion, which honors the French Admiral Francois-Joseph Paul, Comte de Grasse, the officers and crew of the ship took part in ceremonies in [[Grasse]] and [[Bar sur Loup, France|Bar sur Loup]], [[France]]. In commemorating the day, which is built on and symbolized by Franco-American friendship, the town of Grasse adopted the warship ''Comte de Grasse'', and proclaimed the town's populace as sponsors of ''Comte de Grasse''. From [[18 January]] to [[15 February]] [[1993]], ''Comte de Grasse'' took part in Operation Sea Signal in the Caribbean Sea. Then from [[3 May]] to [[25 May]], she conducted counter drug operations in the Caribbean. She spent time dry docked in August, then participated in COMPTUEX, in the Caribbean Sea from [[19 October]] to [[22 October]], before finishing off the year with a fleet exercise in the Cherry Point operations area from [[1 December]] to [[15 December]]. On [[12 January]] [[1994]], the ship's port main reduction gear was discovered to have been sabotaged, resulting in a delay in its deployment. It finally got underway for its Mediterranean deployment on [[5 February]]. She conducted operations in the Southern Adriatic in support of Operation Sharp Guard and returned home on [[24 June]]. From [[6 September]] until [[1 October]], ''Comte de Grasse'' took part in Operations Support/Uphold/Restore Democracy in the [[Haiti]]an operations area. [[1995]] saw ''Comte de Grasse'' take part in CART II, from [[7 January]] to [[16 January]]; in COMPTUEX in the Caribbean from [[24 April]] to [[14 May]]; then from [[1 July]] until [[3 December]], in UNITAS XXXVI-95. UNITAS 95 included operations and port calls in Puerto Rico, [[Venezuela]], [[Colombia]], [[Ecuador]], [[Peru]], [[Chile]], [[Argentina]], [[Uruguay]] and [[Brazil]]. From [[24 February]] to [[12 March]] [[1996]], ''Comte de Grasse'' conducted counter drug operations in the Caribbean Sea. In [[1997]], she took part in SPONTEX 97-1, from [[4 March]] to [[10 April]]. Then she took part in INDEX 97-3 from [[9 May]] to [[16 May]] in the Puerto Rican operations area. ''Comte de Grasse'' then took part in UNITAS XXXVIII-97 form [[1 July]] to [[26 November]] [[1997]]. ==Decommissioning & disposal== ''Comte de Grasse'' was decommissioned and stricken [[5 June]] [[1998]] and held at Philadelphia Naval Inactive Ships Maintenance Facility (NISMF) as a parts hulk. On [[7 June]], [[2006]], ''Comte De Grasse'' was towed approximately 275&nbsp;miles off the coast of [[North Carolina]] and sunk along with her sister ship, [[USS Stump (DD-978)|''Stump'' (DD-978)]], as a target during naval training exercises in a water depth of 12,000&nbsp;ft. ==See also== *[[List of United States Navy destroyers]] ==External links== {{commonscat}} * [http://www.nvr.navy.mil/nvrships/details/DD974.htm Naval Vessel Register entry for ''Comte de Grasse''] * [http://www.navsource.org/archives/05/974.htm navsource.org: USS ''Comte de Grasse''] * [http://www.united-states-navy.com/dd/dd974.htm united-states-navy.com: USS ''Comte de Grasse''] {{Spruance_class_destroyer}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Comte de Grasse (DD-974)}} [[Category:Spruance class destroyers]] [[Category:Cold War destroyers of the United States]] [[Category:United States naval vessels named after foreign nationals|Comte de Grasse (DD-974)]]