page_title: USS Mississippi (CGN-40)
section_title: Ship history
hierarchical_section_title: USS Mississippi (CGN-40) / Ship history
caption_attribution_description: Crewmen man the rails of the nuclear-powered guided missile cruiser USS MISSISSIPPI (CGN 40) as it enters the harbor. The MISSISSIPPI is returning to its home port after a 6-month deployment. Location: NAVAL AIR STATION, NORFOLK, VIRGINIA (VA) UNITED STATES OF AMERICA (USA)
context_page_description: USS Mississippi (CGN-40), a Virginia-class nuclear powered guided-missile cruiser, was the fourth ship of the United States Navy named in honor of the 20th state admitted to the Union. Her keel was laid down by the Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Company at Newport News, Virginia, on 22 February 1975. She was launched on 31 July 1976. The ship was commissioned on 5 August 1978 by Jimmy Carter, then serving as the 39th President of the United States. Early deployment included escorting the carrier USS Nimitz. She also was deployed in 1989 as a response to the capture and subsequent murder of U.S. Marine Corps Colonel William R. Higgins by terrorists.
context_section_description: Mississippi (DLGN 40) was laid down on 22 February 1975 at Newport News, Va., by Newport News Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Co.; reclassified as a guided missile cruiser and designated CGN 40 on 30 June 1975; launched on 31 July 1976; sponsored by Miss. Janet H. Finch, daughter of Governor Charles C. Finch of Mississippi; and, in ceremonies attended by President James E. [Jimmy] Carter, Jr., Secretary of Defense Harold Brown, and Senator John C. Stennis of Mississippi, was commissioned at Norfolk, Va., on 5 August 1978, Capt. Peter M. Hekman, Jr., in command.
  Mississippi conducted her shakedown cruise to Caribbean and South American waters (8 January–13 February 1979), then made her first deployment—to the Sixth Fleet in the Mediterranean – (3 August 1981 – 12 February 1982) during a confrontation between the United States and Libya. She operated as part of the screen for aircraft carriers Nimitz and Forrestal during the Gulf of Sidra incident. Mississippi fired three RIM-66B Standard SM-1 surface-to-air missiles during a live-fire exercise.
  While Mississippi steamed with Nimitz and guided missile cruiser Arkansas off the coast of Lebanon, she received a distress call from Greek cargo vessel Andalusia, at 00:30 on 3 December 1982). Crew 11, a Lockheed P-3C Orion from VP-49, vectored Mississippi to Andalusia and the cruiser rescued all 19 crewmembers. Two Sikorsky Sea Kings from HS-9 operating from Nimitz transferred survivors from Mississippi to the carrier. Mississippi's chief engineer and damage control assistant inspected Andalusia but determined that her damage precluded salvage, and the ship sank at 08:24, 1,200 yards off the port bow of the cruiser in 195 fathoms (36°1'N, 12°19'2"E).
  On 1 August 1989 Arab terrorists in Beirut, Lebanon, kidnapped and hanged Lt. Col. William R. Higgins, USMC, a member of the UN peacekeeping forces in Lebanon, and threatened to murder additional hostages they held. The carrier America departed early from a visit to Singapore and made for the Arabian Sea, and Coral Sea steamed from Alexandria, Egypt, to the Eastern Mediterranean as a show of force. Mississippi had deployed as part of the Sixth Fleet's Med 3–89 Battle Force and was visiting Haifa, Israel, when the crisis began. She emergency sortied and operated as the battle group's Composite Warfare Coordinator for anti-surface warfare off the Lebanese littoral throughout the remainder of the month. Midway had originally been scheduled to participate in Pacific Exercise-89, but sailed to fill a carrier commitment in the Indian Ocean, where she operated until mid-October.
  Mississippi deployed with the John F. Kennedy Battle Group to the Mediterranean for Operations Desert Shield/Storm (16 August 1990 – 28 March 1991). She escorted the carrier Theodore Roosevelt, which broke with her conventionally fueled battle group upon exiting the Suez Canal. These two ships travelled at flank speed the length of the Red Sea and through the Bab-el-Mandeb into the Gulf of Aden arriving on (15 January). The importance of that day and break-neck speed to arrive on it was due to uncertainty about Yemen's position on the war, getting the carrier beyond shore batteries and short range patrol boats in the narrow straights was a priority before hostilities could commence on (16 January). Mississippi then waited off the coast of Yemen to escort the engine room troubled Nitro through the Bab-el-Mandeb (18 January) and out beyond the Gulf of Aden. As an ammunition ship, Nitro was needed for battleship shore battery and amphibious landing support. Once escort duty was complete Mississippi made flank speed to her launch position in the northern Red Sea. Mississippi fired three BGM-109 Tomahawk Land Attack Missiles (TLAMs) at Iraqi strategic and military targets (25 January 1991) and two more the following day. One Tomahawk failed after launch and landed in the sea after a short erratic flight. The ship then operated as the local anti-air warfare screen commander for the Red Sea Battle Force (27 January – 24 February).
  Following the Haitian Army's overthrow of Presiden
caption: Mississippi returns to Norfolk in November 1989 at the end of a six-month cruise to the Mediterranean
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