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USS ''Wilkinson'' (DL-5) was a Mitscher class destroyer in the United States Navy. She was named for Vice Admiral Theodore Stark "Ping" Wilkinson USN (1888–1946). ''Wilkinson'' was laid down by the Shipbuilding Division of the Bethlehem Steel Company at Quincy in Massachusetts on 1 February 1950; originally designated DD-930, she was reclassified as a destroyer leader and designated DL-5 on 9 February 1951, launched on 23 April 1952 by Lady Catherine Moore, the former Mrs. Theodore S. Wilkinson and commissioned on 3 August 1954. ==1955–1959== After shakedown training out of Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and the usual post-shakedown availability, ''Wilkinson'' departed her home port, Newport, Rhode Island, on 21 February 1955—with Rear Admiral Arleigh Burke, Commander, Destroyer Force, Atlantic Fleet (and soon to become the Chief of Naval Operations) and members of his staff embarked—and carried Admiral Burke on an inspection tour that included visits to San Juan, Puerto Rico; St. Thomas, Virgin Islands; Guantanamo Bay and Havana, Cuba; and Key West, Fla. Upon her return, the destroyer leader became flagship for Commander, Destroyer Flotilla (DesFlot) 2, part of the Atlantic Fleet's antisubmarine forces. For three months thereafter, the ship conducted antisubmarine warfare (ASW) exercises. On 11 July, ''Wilkinson''—with 70 1st and 3d class NROTC midshipmen embarked—departed the east coast for a training cruise. During the ensuing voyage, the warship touched at Edinburgh, Scotland; Copenhagen, Denmark; and Guantanamo Bay, before returning to the United States on 2 September. ''Wilkinson'' departed her home port on 24 October 1955 for air defense exercises in the Gulf of Mexico, with Commander, DesFlot 6 embarked. During that cruise, ''Wilkinson'' visited New Orleans and Havana, before she arrived back at Newport on 18 November. On 2 December, the ship entered the Boston Naval Shipyard for a five-month overhaul and the installation of improved 3 inch antiaircraft guns After successfully completing her sea trials for her newly installed 3 inch / 70 caliber battery, ''Wilkinson'' conducted underway training out of Guantanamo Bay. She later visited Port-au-Prince, Haiti; Charleston, S.C.; and Norfolk, Va.; before taking part in large-scale ASW maneuvers in June. The ship's performance during the fiscal year 1956 earned her the Battle Efficiency "E." In July 1956, ''Wilkinson'' departed Newport, bound for San Diego, Calif., and duty with the Pacific Fleet. En route to her new home port, the frigate visited Havana; Balboa, Canal Zone; and Buena Ventura, Colombia; before she became flagship of Commander, Destroyer Squadron (DesRon) 17—the first ship of her type assigned to the Pacific Fleet. Between August 1956 and March 1957, ''Wilkinson'' operated locally out of San Diego and took part in ASW, air defense, and amphibious exercises. One highlight of that period occurred on 14 September 1956, when ''Wilkinson'' headed a veritable "armada" of 70 fighting ships during a 1st Fleet review off Long Beach, in what some called the largest naval parade on the west coast in 22 years. During March and April 1957, ''Wilkinson'' operated in the Bering Sea and the Aleutians, visiting Kodiak and Dutch Harbor, Alaska, en route to her operating area. While steaming back to San Diego, she touched at Esquimalt, British Columbia; Seattle, Wash.; and San Francisco. Later, during part of May, Rear Admiral Chester Wood, Commander, Cruiser-Destroyer Force, Pacific Fleet, embarked in ''Wilkinson'' for air defense and ASW exercises. In June, the warship visited Portland, Oreg., to take part in the annual Rose Festival activities. ''Wilkinsons home port was changed from San Diego to Long Beach in July 1957, and the destroyer leader entered the naval shipyard there in February 1958 for extensive modifications to her power plant. Released from the yard in September, the destroyer leader conducted underway training out of San Diego and operated locally for the remainder of 1958. In January 1959, ''Wilkinson'' deployed on her first Western Pacific (WestPac) cruise, visiting Pearl Harbor, Hawaii; Subic Bay, Philippines; Buckner Bay, Okinawa; Kaohsiung, Taiwan; and the Japanese ports of Yokpsuka and Kure, before she returned to Long Beach in March, embarking Commander, DesRon 19, upon arrival. After again operating locally between April and October 1959, she participated in various exercises off the coast of California and in another 1st Fleet review. ''Wilkinson'' began her second WestPac deployment when she departed Long Beach in October. Coming under the operational control of Commander, 7th Fleet, ''Wilkinson'' took part in the Taiwan Strait patrol, ASW tactics, and various fast carrier task force operations in the Far East. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「USS Wilkinson (DL-5)」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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