01 SEP during the morning NEWPORT NEWS left TG 75.9 to vertrep with USS MARS (AFS 1) at 0750. Refueling and highlining took place with the HASSAYAMPA at 1015. Three missions during the day totalled 96 8-inch and 36 5-inch rounds, and resulted in one secondary explosion and two fires. Gunline activity on the 2nd was curtailed due to a storm and storm evasion was undertaken by TG 75.9. NEWPORT NEWS rearmed from the VESUVIUS at 1015. Storm evasion continued through the next day. The ship returned to station on the 4th to fire a single mission totaling 94 8-inch shells. Supporting VNMC troops NEWPORT NEWS fired seven missions through the 5th, accounting for 371 8-inch and 66 5-inch rounds. No GDA was observed. Two missions were fired on the 6th, with 496 8-inch and 36 5-inch expended. The ship rearmed from the VESUVIUS at 1236. At 0824 September 7th NEWPORT NEWS refueled from the KIWISHIWI (AO 146). More than 900 rounds were fired through the day, as the ship undertook three missions and expended 361 8-inch and 619 5-inch rounds. On the eighth the ship rearmed again from the VESUVIUS at 0812. Returning to the line she fired three missions totaling 509 8-inch and 320 5-inch rounds.. The next day NEWPORT NEWS supported another amphibious demonstration north of the Qua Viet river to relieve the NVA pressure on South Vietnamese front line positions. Firing two missions she poured out 346 8-inch and 120 5-inch rounds. At 1359 she rearmed with USS SURIBACHI (AE 21). During her last day as a unit of TG 75.9 NEWPORT NEWS fired one mission totaling 100 8-inch and 300 5-inch rounds. No GDA was observed. The day also marked the sad loss of one of the crewmembers. Seaman J.J. Sansone, while working on a 5-inch mount, fell into the sea and was lost at 0847.
September 11th NEWPORT NEWS joined TU 77.1.1 to participate in gunfire action against North Vietnamese targets in the Than Hoa area, including the famous Than Hoa bridge. Firing one mission, the ship expended 272 8-inch and 403 5-inch rounds at nine targets in nine minutes. One incident of hostile fire totalled 15 rounds.
Following completion of the mission, NEWPORT NEWS was detached from TU 77.1.1 to proceed to Hong Kong.
At 0830 on the 12th NEWPORT NEWS moored in the Man of War Anchorage in Hong Kong Harbor. For the next five days the ship observed liberty and routine maintenance. She departed Hong Kong on the 18th in the morning to transit to Subic Bay for periodic upkeep. The ship arrived in Subic Bay in the morning, and moored outboard of the USS KANSAS CITY (AOE 3). Routine upkeep began, continuing through late morning on the 23rd, when she got underway for rendezvous with TU 77.1.1. NEWPORT NEWS joined TU 77.1.1 late in the evening the next day, and General Quarters was called away at 2245. Operating with TU 77.1.1 NEWPORT NEWS conducted two missions against the Than Hoa and Vinh areas through the early hours of the 25th. She fired 377 8-inch and 100 5-inch rounds at 9 targets, and received 100 rounds of hostile fire. Upon completion of the second mission, she reported to CTG 75.9 in MR I. There she fired an additional two missions accounting for 39 8-inch and 12 5-inch rounds. At 1200 she rearmed with the VESUVIUS. On the 26th supporting VNMC units once more, NEWPORT NEWS fired 12 missions and 406 8-inch and 122 5-inch rounds. No GDA was observed. The following day four missions were fired by the ship, accounting for 120 8-inch and 9 5-inch rounds. At 1107 NEWPORT NEWS rearmed with the VESUVIUS again. September 28 was twelve missions during the day which gave the ship its first confirmed GDA since the line period began on the 25th. Firing 420 8-inch and 20 5-inch rounds the ship caused four secondary explosions, two fires and destroyed six structures. The morning of the 29th began with another rearming from the VESUVIUS at 0720. Returning to the line the ship fired three missions accounting for 263 8-inch and 15 5-inch rounds. Damage amounted to four structures destroyed, five damaged and 50 yards of trenches destroyed. The next day eight missions were fired totaling 190 8-inch and 133 5-inch causing three secondary explosions, three structures destroyed and six damaged and two enemy killed in action.
Map supplied by Captain Farnham of USS PROVIDENCE CLG-6 - Thanks!
*click to enl
arge
More Mission Charts can be seen HERE