US Navy destroyer Porter entered the Black Sea. The expert appreciated the entry of the American destroyer Porter into the Black Sea Missile destroyer porter

More than 70 years ago as part of naval forces The United States served a twin-tube destroyer with the name "William D. Porter"(DD-579). The ship was no different from dozens of Fletcher-class destroyers mass-produced during World War II. Entered service in 1943; an experienced officer, Lieutenant Commander Wilfred Walter, was appointed its commander.

In November 1943 "Willy Dee"(as the destroyer was familiarly called in sailor circles) was ordered to leave the naval base in Norfolk and join the escort battleship"Iowa", on which US President Franklin Delano Roosevelt went at the head of the American delegation to the Tehran Conference.

Departing from the pier, "Willy Dee" collided with a destroyer of the same type and, with a grinding noise, moving along the neighboring side, tore off its rails, boat, trawls and life rafts with its anchor.

Touching up the tattered side, "William D. Porter" finally joined the escort of the battleship, and the connection ("Iowa" and three destroyers) went into the Atlantic. Given the threat from the German submarines radio silence was ordered. Suddenly, the calm navigation of the marching order was disturbed by a strong explosion.

The escort ships switched to an anti-submarine zigzag. Anti-torpedo maneuvers continued until the Willie D semaphored that it was just one of her depth charges, which, accidentally falling off the rack, fell overboard and exploded. The wave raised by the explosion washed away everything that was not properly secured from the stern, as well as one of the sailors, who could not be saved.

Then, for some unknown reason, an accident occurred in the car. After some time, the steam pressure in one of the boilers dropped, etc., etc. Almost every hour, more and more accidents were reported from the Willie Dee to the flagship. It was shaped way of the cross, and probably no one would have condemned the commander of the formation if he had sent the ill-fated destroyer back to Norfolk.

The morning of November 14, 1943 was sunny and warm. The ocean calmly rolled its waves under a cloudless sky. As the Iowa escorted past Bermuda, President Roosevelt and his entourage expressed a desire to see what it would look like to repel an enemy air raid. The commander of the battleship ordered that weather balloons be launched into the air, the cylinders of which were supposed to serve as targets for anti-aircraft gunners.

As eyewitnesses recalled, the spectacle turned out to be impressive. Still - by balloons fired more than a hundred guns of various calibers. The President, who watched the course of the exercises, could well be proud of the power of his fleet.

From the William D. Porter, Lieutenant Commander Walter watched the anti-aircraft exercise, thinking hard about how to alleviate the negative impression caused by the depth charge explosion.

To show off with the best side he also announced combat alert. The destroyer's gunners opened fire on the balloons, and the rest of the crew began to prepare for a simulated torpedo attack on the Iowa battleship, which majestically cut through the ocean surface a few miles from the Willie D.

Two torpedomen were ordered to remove propellant charges (primers) from the torpedo tubes. However, evil fate stubbornly did not want to leave the destroyer alone: ​​one of the sailors, for a completely inexplicable reason, forgot to remove the primer from the torpedo tube of the torpedo tube. In the meantime, the commander of the mine-torpedo unit gave the order to fire a volley and began the countdown: “First - fire! The second - whoop! The third - cry!

He didn’t have time to command “Fourth - cry!”, As everyone heard the characteristic pop of a cannon shot and saw a deadly cigar. Lieutenant Seward Lewis, who was watching everything that was happening from the upper bridge, in a voice breaking with excitement, asked the commander if he had given the order for live torpedo firing.

The lieutenant-commander froze, terrified, when he saw the white-foamed torpedo breaker, as if nothing had happened, rushed towards the battleship on board which was the president. Panic broke out on the bridge of the Willie Dee. Showered chaotic, contradictory to one another team. Everyone understood that the main thing now was to warn the battleship of the impending danger.

They decided to break the radio silence order, but the radio operator on the Iowa did not work for reception. And precious seconds were gone. Finally, confirmation was received from the battleship that the radiogram was received. The huge ship increased speed and changed course.

The news of the torpedo attack reached the ears of President Roosevelt, who even asked the adjutant to move him forward. wheelchair to the railings in order to be able to personally observe the development of events. Meanwhile, the circulating battleship turned all its guns on the unfortunate William D. Porter, as the command had the idea that the destroyer's crew might be embroiled in a conspiracy to attempt on the life of the US president.

A minute later, an explosion thundered behind the stern of the battleship: the torpedo detonated in the water of the Iowa's wake, foamed by propellers. Everyone on her bridge breathed a sigh of relief. The crisis, which threatened with unpredictable consequences, has ended, and with it, several seafaring careers that looked very promising.

To persistent inquiries from the battleship, Lieutenant Commander Walter ruefully admitted that the responsibility for the almost tragic incident lay with him and his ship. The destroyer, along with the commander and the entire crew, was declared arrested and sent to the port of Hamilton in Bermuda, where a military court awaited the perpetrators of the fatal incident.

This was the first time in the history of the US Navy that a ship and its entire crew were seized on the high seas.

Arrived at the port of destination "Willy Dee" was immediately surrounded by a cordon marines, and the military court, in its closed sessions, began to find out what happened on board the destroyer on the memorable day of November 14th. After several interrogations, the torpedo operator Lawton Dawson confessed that he had mistakenly left a propellant charge in the torpedo tube, the ignition of which led to the launch of the torpedo.

When the truth was finally found out, the commission of inquiry recognized everything that happened as the result of an incredible combination of circumstances and, just in case, classified both the results of the investigation and the fact of the incident itself. Lieutenant Commander Walter, his assistant, and several other officers from the destroyer were transferred as a punishment to supernumerary coastal positions, and Dawson was dismissed from the Navy and sentenced to 14 years in prison.

However, President Roosevelt intervened and the convict was pardoned.

Unfortunately, the further history of the destroyer "William D. Porter" was replete with inexplicable incidents and accidents. When the ship was sent on patrol in the waters surrounding the Aleutian archipelago, before taking up combat watch, it mistakenly (but with great accuracy) hit a shell of its main caliber at the location of the headquarters of the American garrison on one of the islands.

Arriving later in the Okinawa region, "Willy Dee" as an air defense ship of the landing forces shot down several Japanese and three ... of their own aircraft.

After that, the American pilots, in order to avoid misfortune, preferred to bypass the fatal destroyer. The crew of the Lewis ship of the same type (DD-522) was convinced that this was a very useful precaution, whose side and superstructures of the Willie Dee were riddled with fire from their anti-aircraft artillery, trying to shoot down a Japanese aircraft.

On June 10, 1945, while the William D. Porter was on anti-aircraft duty, a Japanese dive bomber broke through the long-range defense line. It was a kamikaze loaded with bombs, targeting a large transport that was next to the destroyer.

The plane, struck by anti-aircraft fire, veered off course at the last moment and fell into the sea near the side of the Willy Dee. However, before the sailors had time to congratulate each other on their unprecedented luck, as if under the keel of the destroyer thundered powerful explosion: the downed Japanese pilot still managed to avenge his death.

The William D. Porter began to quickly fill with water, listing to starboard. Three hours later, the commander of the damaged destroyer, along with the crew, boarded the approaching landing barge. The ship that almost changed the course of world history sank at a depth of about 800 meters off the coast of the distant island of Okinawa.

Thus ended the incredible, full of unresolved mysteries, the story of the destroyer "William D. Porter".

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Missile USS destroyer The Porter (DDG-78) is the latest in a second series of seven Arleigh Burke-class ships. Arleigh Burke”) of the US Navy, as well as 28 missile destroyers of this class. The destroyer is named after US Navy officer Commander David Porter (David Porter) and his son Admiral David Dixon Porter (David Dixon Porter).

The construction contract dated July 20, 1994 was awarded to the shipbuilding company Ingalls Shipbuilding. Laid down on December 02, 1996 at the company's shipyard in Pascagoula (Mississippi). Launched on November 12, 1997. Transferred to the US Navy on January 11, 1999. It was put into operation on March 20, 1999. Homeport Norfolk, Virginia. Assigned to 2nd Squadron, US Atlantic Fleet. Since April 30, 2015, the port of registry has been the naval base of Rota, Spain.

Main characteristics: Displacement 6783 tons, total displacement 8915 tons. The maximum length is 153.92 meters, along the waterline 142.3 meters. Width 20.1 meters, waterline 18.0 meters. Draft with GAS 9.4 meters, without GAS 7.3 meters.

Powerplant 4 General Electric LM2500-30 gas turbines. Power 108000 l. with. Screws 2. Max speed 32 knots. Cruising range 4400 miles at 20 knots. The crew is 337 people (including 23 officers).

Armament:

tactical strike weapons: 2 launchers of the Aegis system for 29 (bow) and 61 (stern) missile cells, respectively. AT different combination can be armed: KR "Tomahawk" Tomahawk, ZUR RIM-66 SM-2 "Standard-2", PLUR RUM-139 ASROC.

Artillery weapons: 1x1 127 mm. AU Mark 45. Mod. 3/54 cal., 600 shells.

Flak: 2 6-barrel 20 mm. ZAU "Phalanx".

Anti-ship weapons: 2x4 anti-ship missiles Harpoon.

Anti-submarine weapons: PLUR RUM-139 ASROC.

Anti-aircraft missile armament: up to 74 RIM-66 SM-2 Standard-2 missiles.

Torpedo-mine weapons: 2x3 324 mm. TA Mk. 32 (torpedoes Mk.46 and Mk.50).

Aviation group: 1 SH-60 LAMPS helicopter, no hangar.

Left Norfolk in November 2000 for her first deployment as part of the USS Harry S. Truman Support Group (CVN 75). In May 2001 he returned to the port of registry.

On January 6, 2003, she left her home port for a planned deployment as part of the strike group of the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71), from which she returned to Norfolk in July.

May 28, 2005 arrived in New York, where he took part in the Fleet Week. Left Norfolk on 28 November for planned deployment in support global war with terrorism.

February 03, 2006 arrived on a scheduled visit to Souda, Crete. February 15 entered the Black Sea, where he conducted exercises with warships of Ukraine and Romania. April 7 for the second time entered the Black Sea. On April 10, she left the port of Poti, Georgia, after a four-day visit. On April 19, she arrived on a scheduled visit to the port of Varna, Bulgaria. Returned to homeport in May after a six-month deployment.

On August 01, 2007, she left Norfolk for a planned deployment as part of the strike group of the landing ship USS Kearsarge (LHD-3), from which she returned on January 25, 2008.

On March 1, 2010, she returned to her home port of Norfolk after a seven-month deployment in support of the fight against piracy.

Left Norfolk on 12 March 2012 for a planned deployment to the Middle East. Arrived in the Gulf of Aden on April 8, where he joined the anti-piracy support task force and maritime security. When moving to the location of the US Fifth Fleet in Bahrain on the night of August 11-12, not far from Strait of Hormuz with the Japanese oil tanker Otowasan sailing under the flag of Panama. October 12 returned to the Mediterranean. 04 November returned to Norfolk after an eight-month deployment.

On April 30, 2013, BAE Systems received a contract to dock the ship. The contract value was $50 million. The repair took place at the shipyard in Norfolk and was completed by April 2014.

Left Norfolk on 23 February 2015. April 30 arrived at its new home port at the naval base of Rota, Spain. On June 29, she left her home port of Rota for her first patrol in the area of ​​responsibility of the US 6th Fleet. July 2 arrived with a short visit to the naval base of Souda Bay on the island of Crete. 05 July Black Sea. 05 July Black Sea. July 06 in the port of Varna, Bulgaria. He took part in the annual international exercises "Breeze 2015", and also on July 14 held joint exercises with the ship ROS "Marcellariu" (265) of the Romanian Navy. July 17 Black Sea. July 26 in the port of Haifa, Israel. August 09 in the port of Haifa, Israel. October 06 to the Black Sea. October 09 with a two-day visit to Odessa port, Ukraine. October 10 in the Odessa seaport was held on the occasion of the visit of the ship. October 12 arrived at the port of Constanta. From 13 to 14 October in the western part of the Black Sea in international waters of the PASSEX type, in which the warships of the navies of Romania, Bulgaria, the USA, Ukraine and Turkey took part. October 20 with a visit to the port of Batumi, Georgia, which left on October 23. October 26 the Black Sea. October 28 with a scheduled visit to the port of Split, Croatia. November 04 Homeport Rota, Spain, after completing its first deployment in the area of ​​responsibility of the US 6th Fleet.

On March 16, 2016, it left its home port for its second patrol in the area of ​​responsibility of the US 6th Fleet as part of maintaining the missile defense system in Europe. April 15 arrived on a visit to the port of Haifa, Israel, which April 18. June 06 in the Black Sea. June 06 in the Black Sea. June 08 with a scheduled visit to the Bulgarian port of Varna, which left on June 10. On June 13, the Romanian port of Constanta, where he arrived on June 10 with a scheduled visit. On June 13, he took part in bilateral exercises with warships of the Romanian Navy, and on June 16 he took part in exercises with a frigate of the Romanian Navy and a frigate of the Turkish Navy. On June 18, the Black Sea, where he spent 12 days. June 25, participation in a bilateral exercise in the Mediterranean. July 2 returned to the port of registry Rota. September 01 left the port of registry Rota. September 29 with a four-day visit arrived at the naval base in Devonport, Plymouth, UK. October 28 returned to Rota.

On November 30, 2016, she left her home port of Rota for the third patrol in the area of ​​responsibility of the US 6th Fleet. December 11 arrived in Rota for minor repairs. On December 17, arrived with a four-day visit to the port of Valencia, Spain. On December 22, the Strait of Gibraltar transited, escorting an aircraft carrier that was heading to its home port. December 30 arrived on a four-day visit to Venice, Italy.On February 02, 2017, the Bosphorus Strait entered the Black Sea. 03 February to the port of Constanta, which is 08 February. After that, he took part in the international exercises "Sea Shield 2017" ("Sea Shield 2017"). February 11 Black Sea and went to the Mediterranean. February 17 returned to the port of Rota. March 7 left Rota and resumed patrolling. Since March 13, in the anti-submarine exercises "Dynamic Manta 2017", which take place in the Mediterranean Sea off the southern coast of Italy from March 13 to 24 this year. On April 7, at about 04:40 local time, Tomahawk cruise missiles were launched at the Shayrat air base in Syria, being in the eastern part of mediterranean sea. April 11 to the home port of Rota, completing the third patrol.

On August 07, 2017, she left her home port of Rota, starting her fourth patrol in the area of ​​responsibility of the US 6th Fleet, within which on August 11 she arrived on a short visit to Souda Bay, Crete, and on August 12 arrived on a four-day visit to the port of Piraeus, Greece . August 18 transited the Bosphorus and the Black Sea. On August 22, with a three-day visit to the port of Constanta, after which he will take part in joint exercises with a corvette of the Romanian Navy, which will be held from August 24 to 28 in the territorial waters of Romania and in the international waters of the Black Sea. September 01 the Black Sea. September 08 with a scheduled visit to Palma de Mallorca, Spain. September 21 with a scheduled visit to the port of Bar, Montenegro, becoming the first ship of the US Navy after Montenegro became a member of NATO in June of this year.

On April 02, 2018, the home port of the naval base of Rota (Spain) to begin its fifth Forward-Deployed Naval Force (FDNF) patrol in the area of ​​​​responsibility of the US 6th Fleet. April 07 arrived On January 01, 2019, she arrived on a scheduled visit to Aksaz, Turkey, as part of her 6th patrol, which was completed on January 03. January 23 with a scheduled visit to the port of Riga, Latvia, which is January 26. From March 30 to April 11, he took part in the international exercise "Joint Warrior 19-1". April 14 returned to home port, his sixth patrol.

American missile destroyer USS Porter DDG-78 entered the port of Odessa on Sunday morning, July 8. At 10:30 he moored at the 16th berth of the sea station.

The ship will take part in the annual Sea Breeze naval exercise. It should be noted that a few months ago, the Porter carried out a combat mission in the Mediterranean Sea: launches of Tomahawk cruise missiles were carried out from its side at Syrian infrastructure facilities.

The guided missile destroyer USS Porter (DDG-78) is the 28th ship of the Arleigh Burke class of the US Navy. The main armament of the destroyer is 90 missile launchers, which can contain anti-aircraft and anti-submarine missiles, as well as cruise missiles"Tomahawk". The ship's weapons are controlled by the Aegis system. In 2013, the ship was upgraded, now she is able to carry SM-3 missiles designed to combat ballistic missiles and satellites in Earth orbit.

The destroyer is named after the famous American dynasty naval officers, in particular Commander (Captain Second Rank) David Porter and his son, Admiral David Dixon Porter. The first distinguished himself during the Anglo-American War of 1812, the second was the superintendent of the US Naval Academy (Annapolis) during civil war 1861-1865.

Main characteristics
Displacement 6783 long tons, 8915 long tons (gross)
Length 153.92 m (maximum), 142.3 m (at the waterline)
Width 20, 1 m., 18.0 m (at the waterline)
Draft 9.4 m (with HAS), 7.3 m (without HAS)
Booking no
Engines 4 General Electric LM2500-30 gas turbines
Power 108 000 l. with.
Propeller 2 propellers
Travel speed 32 knots (maximum)
Cruising range 4400 miles at 20 knots.
Crew 337 (including 23 officers)

Armament
Tactical strike armament 2 Aegis launchers for 29 (bow) and 61 (stern) missile cells, respectively. In various combinations, they can be armed: KR "Tomahawk" Tomahawk, SAM RIM-66 SM-2 "Standard-2", PLUR RUM-139 ASROC
Artillery 1*1 127 mm. AU Mark 45. Mod. 3/54 cal., 600 rounds
Anti-aircraft artillery 2 6-barreled 20 mm. ZAU "Phalanx"
Missile weapons 2*4 RCC Harpoon
up to 74 RIM-66 SM-2 "Standard-2" missiles
Anti-submarine weapons PLUR RUM-139 ASROC
Mine and torpedo armament 2 * 3 324 mm. TA Mk. 32 (torpedoes Mk.46 and Mk.50)
Aviation group 1 helicopter SH-60 LAMPS, no hangar

USS Porter (DDG-78)- destroyer URO type "Arleigh Burke". Built at the Ingalls Shipbuilding shipyard, assigned to the Norfolk Marine Station, Virginia. Assigned to 2nd Squadron, US Atlantic Fleet.

combat service

During the transition to the location of the US Fifth Fleet in Bahrain on the night of August 11-12, 2012, the destroyer USS Porter collided in Persian Gulf near the Strait of Hormuz with the Japanese oil tanker Otowasan sailing under the flag of Panama. As noted on the official website of the US Navy, the ship has not lost its ability to move independently. The collision occurred around 01:00 local time on August 12, 2012.

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And he explained why Russia cannot prevent such demarches

Photos of the American military destroyer USS Porter DDG 78, which entered the Black Sea on June 6, appeared on the Internet. A ship that protects against air attacks equipped on it anti-aircraft missile system, is going to conduct operations with the aim of "ensuring security and stability in the region." Does Porter have any secret agenda other than an obvious show of force? We asked a military expert, reserve colonel Viktor Murakhovsky about this.

- Is the destroyer equipped with any special means for reconnaissance?

Yes. But there is no mystery here, these tools are all regular - for example, devices for radio engineering and hydroacoustic reconnaissance.

With their help, the United States can learn something new in the Black Sea - for example, about our Black Sea Fleet?

I think no. For such purposes, it is necessary to use, for example, reconnaissance aircraft. The destroyer's equipment is not so perfect.

Do our authorities have the right to prevent the presence of an American military equipment in the waters of the Black Sea?

No, they don't. This right is subject to international convention Montreux, where the conditions and terms for the stay of ships of non-Black Sea states in the Black Sea are prescribed. (Under this convention, ships from non-Black Sea countries can stay in the Black Sea for 21 days).

Help "MK"

During its history, the destroyer USS Porter managed to be in an accident. On the night of August 11-12, 2012, the ship collided in the Persian Gulf with the Japanese oil tanker Otowasan sailing under the flag of Panama. True, according to the statements of the US military, the accident was not too serious: the USS Porter did not lose the ability to move independently.

"Porter" is permanently deployed in Spain, it is equipped with controlled missile systems- Tomahawk missiles and the Aegis missile defense system.

The destroyer itself is of the Arleigh Burke class. It is curious that another ship of this type - "McFaul" - has already caused a political outcry in Russia. On August 24, 2008, 11 days after the end of hostilities in South Ossetia, "McFaul" entered the Georgian port and the main naval base of the Batumi Navy. The US military claimed that the destroyer delivered 55 tons of humanitarian cargo to Georgia. However, doubts were expressed by the Russian military about whether the ship only delivered humanitarian cargo to Georgia.