USS Detroit (AOE-4) was the fourth and last built for the United States Navy. She was laid down on 29 November 1966 by Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, Bremerton, Washington; launched 21 June 1969; and commissioned on 28 March 1970. She is the fifth United States Navy ship named after Detroit, Michigan, the largest city in the state of Michigan, and the river of the same name.
Detroit served for 35 years operating primarily with the U.S. 6th Fleet in the Mediterranean Sea and Persian Gulf regions.
Service history
1970–1980
After her initial shakedown cruise, Detroit departed Bremerton for her first operational home port, Newport, Rhode Island, rounding the horn of South America en route. In March 1971, she was involved in a minor collision with a US Navy oiler off the coast of South Carolina. Shortly thereafter, Detroit deployed for six months of extended operations with the 6th Fleet, returning to Newport in December 1971. In April 1972 the Detroit escorted USS Saratoga CV-60 to the southern tip of Africa on her way to support the war in Vietnam. Detroit refueled Saratoga then returned to home port. Detroit made her second deployment with 6th Fleet to the Mediterranean on 1 December 1972, returning to Newport in July of the following year. On 12 December 1973, while the ship was undergoing repairs and upkeep in Newport, Detroit suffered an explosion in her after engine room exhaust stack which caused extensive material damage.
A shore establishment realignment led to Detroit's home port shift to Norfolk, Virginia in January 1974. Detroit sailed from Norfolk 14 July 1974, en route to her third Mediterranean deployment in support of 6th Fleet operations. In addition to her normal taskings, she participated in contingency operations related to the Cyprus crisis, completing this task in December 1974 before returning to Norfolk.
Detroit sailed for her fourth Mediterranean deployment on 19 August 1975 and completed over 200 replenishments before returning to Norfolk on 28 January 1976.
On 13 July 1976, Detroit sailed north to commence her first shipyard overhaul at Bath Iron Works in Maine. The NATO Sea Sparrow missile system and new communications capabilities were added prior to her return to Norfolk in July 1977. Detroit sailed from Norfolk on her fifth Mediterranean deployment on 4 April 1978, returning on 26 October 1978. She and her CH-46 helicopter detachment conducted 232 underway and vertical replenishments during this deployment, serving in a Task Group led by USS Forrestal(CV-59). After another five-month Mediterranean deployment in 1979, Detroit returned to Norfolk for a short six-month turn-around in preparation for her seventh Mediterranean deployment, commencing on 14 July 1980. A Suez Canal transit followed National Week exercises, and the new routine became the support of U.S. 7th Fleet’s Indian Ocean Battle Group operating in the vicinity of the Persian Gulf. Returning through the Suez, Detroit proceeded to service 6th Fleet units prior to visiting Lisbon, Portugal, in late November. Detroit returned to Norfolk on 11 December 1980.
1981–1989
On 10 June 1981 Detroit ran aground when she veered from the dredged channel and ran aground in shallow water in Hampton Roads while the ship was entering port. She was refloated four days later after fuel and weapons were removed. There was no apparent damage to ship or injuries to the crew, but the commanding officer was relieved of command for the incident. Detroit departed Norfolk on 25 June 1981 for her eighth Mediterranean deployment. She serviced 6th Fleet and NATO units and participated in the missile exercises in the Gulf of Sidra, when two Libyan aircraft were shot down by F-14 Tomcats from USS Nimitz (CVN-68). Detroit returned to Norfolk on 8 November 1981.
In January 1982, Detroit began her second shipyard overhaul at Norfolk Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company’s Berkeley Yard in Chesapeake, Virginia. The focus of this overhaul was on the engineering plant and the crew’s living quarters. Her defensive capability was also upgraded by the addition of two 20 mm Phalanx CIWS Mark 15 guns. Detroit left the yard in January 1983.