Navy League of the U.S., Barcelona Council -- Ship Visits to Spain: USS La Salle

Sixth Fleet Flagship
USS La Salle
Visits Tarragona

The Navy League, Barcelona Council, joined members of the Liga Naval de Catalunya, Tarragona, for a special group tour of the visiting Command Ship of the Sixth Fleet, the U.S.S. La Salle. The command vessel, home to the Admiral´s command operation center in the Mediterranean Sea, named after the city of La Salle, is a modified Rally Class LP vessel, commisioned in 1964. It carries a crew of 470 sailors and an additional compliment crew of 230 from the Sixth Fleet.The U.S.S. La Salle has one of the most advanced communication systems, including data links to other ships, the Internet, and even CNN! It is equipped to carry compliments of Navy SEALS and Marine Fast Platoons, and can employ amphibious vessels upon command.

Our special thanks to Cpt. Herman Shelanski for arranging our visit, to Lt.J.G. John Hoy for conducting our English tour and Ensign Riveras for conducting our Spanish tour of the ship, and to all the personnel of the U.S.S. La Salle for hosting us aboard. Our thanks also go to Nick Mancha from the U.S. Navy Criminal Investigative Service for liaison and to David Kennedy, Navy League Barcelona Council, for coordinating the tour.

Navy League of the United States,
Barcelona, Spain Council

USS La Salle
Navy Designation: AGF3
(formerly LPD3)
Vessel Type: Miscellaneous Command Ship
Keel Laid: April 2, 1962
Launched: August 3, 1963
Length: 521 feet
Beam: 84 feet
Draft: 21 feet
System: Steam Turbine (600 psi)
Propellers: Two
Speed: 20 knots (sustained)
21.6 knots (maximum)
Armament: Two Phalanx Close-In Weapons Systems
Displacement: 14,100 Tons (full load)
Crew:470 and 230 Sixth Fleet compliment

P.O. Box 5126, 08080, Barcelona, España
Email: barcelonanlus@gmail.com

The USS La Salle was named after the City of La Salle, Illinois, which in turn is named after Rene-Robert Cavellier, Sieur de la Salle, the French explorer. La Salle is most noted for his travels through the Mississippi River basin. His efforts formed the basis for the French territory, later acquired by the fledgling United States, known as the Louisiana Territory.

The USS La Salle served as flagship for the Atlantic Fleet Amphibious Forces in the 1960s. Amongst its many accomplishments were the recovery and return of space capsules to Cape Kennedy and serving as a test platform for the prototype Harrier fighter bomber. In the 1970s the La Salle was desginated as a Miscellaneous Command Ship and assumed duties as the flagship for the Commander of the Middle East Force. At one time it was painted white to reflect the Middle East sun and became known as the Great White Ghost of the Arabian Coast. During the Iranian hostage crisis, the La Salle assisted in the evacuation of civilians from Bandar Abbas, and in 1987 she provided crucial fire-fighting, damage control and medical aid to the USS Stark following an Iraqui missile attack.

The vessle was part of the U.S. Navy presence during the Iraqui invasion of Kuwait in 1990 and participated in both Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, serving concurrently as flagship for Commander, U.S. Naval Forces, Central Command. Prior to assuming the role of Sixth Fleet flagship, the La Salle underwent an extensive yard period to upgrade its capabilities.

After a long history of service in the U.S. Navy, the USS La Salle was scheduled to be decommissioned in May of 2005.

The ship´s crest combines features relating to the explorer, the city, and the ship´s mission. The upper right corer bears the charges from the coat-of-arms of La Salle´s family, an eight pointed star and a rabbit. The fort on the lower left side represents Fort St. Louis, which was built by La Salle in 1682 on the banks of the Illinois River. The background anchor symbolizes the Navy and the sea. The motto across the anchor´s base, Facilitas Ad Marem, translates to "Versatility at Sea".