DL Destroyer Leader Conversions - DLG DLGN to DDG CG CGN

[Bearmon]

An odd man out so to speak the USS Biddle DLG 5 which became the USS Claude V Ricketts DDG 5

 

[Salvage Sailor]

The first large Destroyer Leader, originally designed as a Hunter-Killer light cruiser

 

USS NORFOLK (DL-1) In service 1953 to 1970. As with all of the new DL classes, they were also designed to be flagships of Cruiser-Destroyer groups, flotillas and squadrons, having flag staff accommodations aboard. They were also used as flagships for the NATO squadron, STANAVFORLANT and UNITAS/SEATO cruises.

 

 

DL- Flagships of the Hunter Killer Force, US Atlantic Fleet

 

 

...and ASW Force Atlantic

 

 

NORFOLK and her sister ships were initially leaders of the Atlantic Cruiser Destroyer force

 

 

Bullion Cruiser Destroyer Force Atlantic Fleet - Versatile Spearhead of Seapower

This type of patch was often made for units of the Sixth Fleet and CTF 60 in the Med

 

 

Destroyer Force Atlantic Fleet - made by Hilborn Hamburger

 

 

NORFOLK was also the DL flagship for COMCRUDESLANT, COMCRULANT, COMCRUDIV SIX and others during her career at sea

 

 

...and COMCRUDESFLOT FOUR

 

[Salvage Sailor]

The second DL - class leader USS MITSCHER (DL-2) In service 1953 to 1978. She was renumbered to DDG-35 in 1975

 

 

 

Welcome Aboard and Decommissioning booklet

 

[Salvage Sailor]

USS WILLIS A. LEE (DL-4) In service 1954 to 1969. She had a short service life due to mechanical breakdowns and remained a DL during her career

 

 

 

Among her other flagship assignments, WILLIS LEE was the test bed for DESDEVGRU 2 and COMMIDEASTFOR. This last assignment was cut short due to mechanical breakdowns and she was replaced by LUCE (DLG-7)

 

 

[Salvage Sailor]

USS WILKINSON (DL-5) In service 1954 to 1969, she also had a short service life due to budget cuts and was never redesignated as DLG/DDG  6" fully embroidered US made patch, rescued from a tackboard at a garage sale

 

 

[Salvage Sailor]

"FIGHTING LUCE"  My third ship, Mayport Florida, serving with the Atlantic & Mediterranean Fleets and in the Tonkin Gulf

 

USS STEPHEN B. LUCE (DLG-7) Farragut class Destroyer Leader aka 'Guided Missile Frigate' Commissioned in 1961

 

 

 

 

USS LUCE (DLG-7) First patch circa 1961

 

 

 

USS LUCE (DLG-7) First version plaque

 

 

USS LUCE (DLG-7) Ball cap patches circa 1961

 

 

USS LUCE (DLG-7) Second version Pride, Power, Knowledge patch (also used for her DDG-38 patch and crest)

 

 

3 different manufacturers

 

 

Other DLG-7 items from my collection (she was my third ship)

 

 

Zippo knife, Zippo lighter, Piece of bridge railing from her modernization, DLG-7 coffee mug

 

 

 

 

 

Black & White photo I took of the 'FIGHTING LUCE' oil painting which hung in the wardroom.  Her hull number was changed from 7 to 38 and repainted to reflect the change in 1975. We raffled it off to a shipmate at our first reunion.

 

[Bearmon]

USS LUCE (DLG-7) First patch circa 1961

Two thumbs up on this Luce Patch.

[Salvage Sailor]

Mahalo Bearmon,

 

These are my DLG-7 Medalion and pin plus her post-1975 DDG-38 patches, cut edge and merrowed edge (Swiss-Tex) which I got from the ships' store when I was aboard

 

 

 

 

Along with my rocker and cap patch, chrome zippo and custom ivory zippo, and our STANAVFORLANT badge and zippo

 

 

 

 

 

Two additional USS LUCE (DDG-38) patches, the MED-IO patch is a Swiss-Tex, don't know who made the Second to None patch

 

 

[Salvage Sailor]

Two different sized class leader USS FARRAGUT (DLG-6) cut edge patches, in service 1960 to 1989

 

 

 

post 1975 conversion USS FARRAGUT (DDG-37) with rocker

 

 

[Salvage Sailor]

Farragut/Coontz class conversion USS MACDONOUGH (DLG-8/DDG-39) In service 1961 to 1992 cut edge patches

 

 

 

 

post 1975 Coontz class USS MACDONOUGH (DDG-39)

 

 

 

When the Farragut class Destroyer Leaders (Guided Missile Frigates) were converted to Coontz class DDG's their main batteries were upgraded to fire the Terrier SM2 Standard Missile

 

 

Cold War Gunners Mate DDG-39 Death from a Distance and SM-2 Mig Killer This One's For You (Ivan)

(Note the "DDG-39" on the anchor)

 

 

[Salvage Sailor]

Farragut class USS COONTZ (DLG-9) In service 1960 to 1989

 

 

 

post 1975 Farragut conversion class leader USS COONTZ (DDG-40), all subsequent DLG to DDG conversions were known as 'Coontz Class'

 

 

[Salvage Sailor]

"THE KING OF THE FLEET"

USS KING (DLG-10) Gemsco 1960's

 

 

Farragut class USS KING (DLG-10) In service 1960 to 1991

 

 

 

Farragut class USS KING (DLG-10) Hilborn-Hamburger

 

 

 

Farragut/Coontz class conversion USS KING (DLG-10) to (DDG-41)

Hilborn-Hamburger on left, Gemsco on right

 

 

post 1975 Coontz class USS KING (DDG-41)

 

 

[Salvage Sailor]

Farragut/Coontz class conversion USS MAHAN (DLG-11) to (DDG-42) In service 1960 to 1993

Pre and Post 1975 DLG-11 & DDG-42 Patches

 

 

Swiss-Tex redesignation version circa 1975

 

[Salvage Sailor]

Farragut class USS DAHLGREN (DLG-12) In service 1961 to 1992

Note, the rocker is for DDG-43 post 1975

 

 

 

 

post 1975 Coontz class USS DAHLGREN (DDG-43) cut edge and merrowed edge

 

 

[Salvage Sailor]

Farragut class USS WILLIAM V. PRATT (DLG-13) In service 1961 to 1991

 

 

 

 

USS WILLIAM V. PRATT (DLG-13) 6 1/2" Jacket patch

 

 

post 1975 Coontz class USS WILLIAM V. PRATT (DDG-44) 6 1/2" Jacket patch and 4" Swiss-Tex patch

 

 

 

WM V. PRATT Ships' store Swiss-Tex patch

 

 

and unknown maker patch

 

 

post 1975 USS WILLIAM V. PRATT (DDG-44)

 

 

[Salvage Sailor]

Farragut Class USS DEWEY (DLG-14) In service 1959 to 1990

"Navy's First Guided Missile Destroyer Leader"

 

 

 

Farragut Class USS DEWEY (DLG-14) Cut edge 1960's

 

 

 

Farragut Class USS DEWEY (DLG-14) Hilborn-Hamburger 1960's

 

 

 

Farragut Class USS DEWEY (DLG-14) Hilborn-Hamburger 1960's

Coontz Class conversion USS DEWEY (DDG-45) Gemsco 1975

 

[Salvage Sailor]

Farragut class Destroyer Leader USS PREBLE (DLG-15) In service 1960 to 1991

 

 

USS PREBLE (DLG-15) - the AS patch is a Vietnamese repro shown for illustration

 

 

 

 

USS PREBLE (DDG-46) As flagship, STANDING NAVAL FORCES ATLANTIC (SNFL) 1989

 

USS PREBLE (DDG-46) circa 1975

 

[Salvage Sailor]

12" x 18" Commissioning Artwork, Belknap class USS JOUETT (DLG-29) In service 1966 to 1994

 

 

 

Original USS JOULETT (DLG-29) patch which came with the artwork

 

 

 

Belknap class USS JOUETT (DLG-29) In service 1966 to 1994

 

 

 

 

Redesignated Cruiser CG-29 in 1975, cut edge white version

 

 

 

 

Belknap class USS JOUETT (CG-29) In service 1966 to 1994

 

CIC - CT, OS, EW patches

 

 

[Salvage Sailor]

Nuclear Machinist Mates - USS TRUXTUN (DLGN-35) pre-1975

Engineering Laboratory Technicians, the glow in the dark gang

 

 

 

 

 

[Bearmon]

Japanese manufacture USS Reeves DLG 24 and a US manufacture USS Richmond K Turner DLG 20

 

 

[Bearmon]

A smaller USS Truxtun CGN 35

 

[Salvage Sailor]

Farragut class Destroyer Leader USS PREBLE (DLG-15) In service 1960 to 1991

 

Another 1960's version USS PREBLE (DLG-15)

[Salvage Sailor]

USS RICHMOND K TURNER (DLG-20) Leahy Class

 

 

 

 

 

 

Leahy Class USS RICHMOND K TURNER (DLG-20), large cut edge pulled from a scrapbook

 

 

 

Leahy Class USS RICHMOND K TURNER (DLG-20), another cut edge but an error patch 'DG' rather than 'DLG'

 

[Salvage Sailor]

Mitscher class destroyer leader USS JOHN S. McCAIN (DL-3) In service 1953 to 1978. Reclassified DDG-36 in 1967

 

 

7" Crusader for Peace Jacket patch - Named after Adm. John S. "Slew" McCain, Sr.

 

 

Mitscher class destroyer leader USS JOHN S. McCAIN (DL-3) In service 1953 to 1978. Reclassified DDG-36 in 1967

 

 

Gemsco recommissioning patches, both black and red hull number versions

 

[Salvage Sailor]

On 4/26/2017 at 11:01 AM, Bearmon said:

There is a post for DDG's but DLG's and DLGN's that where reclassified as DDG's, CG's or CGN's were orphans until now.

Here is the post for those ships. I will start off with a very short lived Classified ship the USS South Carolina, DLGN 37. commissioned in January of 1975 and reclassified in June of 1975, giving this patch a roughly 6 month life span.

 

California class USS SOUTH CAROLINA (DLGN-37) Commissioning packet and patch (Swiss Tex, same as Bearmons)

 

 

 

 

California class USS SOUTH CAROLINA (DLGN-37) "The Fantastic" Shakedown cruise 1975 (Swiss Tex, same as Bearmons)

 

 

 

 

California class USS SOUTH CAROLINA (DLGN-37) Swiss Tex 1975

 

 

USS SOUTH CAROLINA (CGN-37) after redesignation from DLGN-37

 

 

1980 Iranian Hostage Crisis

 

 

USS SOUTH CAROLINA (CGN-37) Nuclear Engineering, after 1975 redesignation from DLGN-37