G.E. Belknap
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R.R. Belknap
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77k

USS Belknap (DLG 26) was named to honor two naval officers, Rear Admiral George E. Belknap, USN and his son Rear Admiral Reginald R. Belknap, USN.

George Eugene Belknap was born on 22 January 1832 at Newport, New Hampshire and was appointed Midshipman on 7 October 1847, at the age of 15. During 1856-1857 he served with the East India Squadron, taking a prominent part in engagements with the Barrier Forts at Canton, China in November 1856. During the Civil War, he reported aboard the sloop St. Louis and commanded the ship's boats which reinforced Fort Picken Florida, in April 1861. Lieutenant Belknap was then assigned to the screw-steamer Huron and blockaded the coasts of South Carolina and Georgia from February to June of 1862. He participated in the intense bombardment of Charleston during April 1863. He commanded the single turret Iron Clad Canonicus in attacks at Fort Fisher, North Carolina on 24-25 December 1864 and 13-15 January 1865 which occasioned its surrender. He then also joined in the final firing against the Charleston defenses prior to their collapse. He cruised with the practice squadron of the U.S. Naval Academy, before being assigned to the screw-sloop Shenandoah, in the later part of 1865. He transited to the Far East, where in 1867, he became the commanding officer of the screw-sloop Hartford, the flagship of the Asiatic Squadron and led the expedition against Formosa. During 1873-1874 he performed internationally acclaimed coastal and deep ocean surveys work in the Pacific. Promoted to Captain in January 1875, he assumed the role of commanding officer of the receiving ship Ohio at Boston. He was promoted to commodore in June 1885 and was later served as the Commander-in-Chief of the Asiatic Station from 1889-1892. Before he accepted mandatory retirement on 22 January 1894, he was promoted to the rank of rear admiral and finished his active duty as president, Board of Inspection and Survey. He had served 47 years of active service. He died at Key West Florida on 7 April 1903, at age 71.

Reginald Rowan Belknap was born on 26 June 1871 at Malden, Massachusetts, the son of Rear Admiral and Mrs. George Eugene Belknap. He graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1891. From 1891 to 1907 he served on the USS Chicago, USS Baltimore, USS Monocacy, USS Yorktown, USS Newport, USS Indiana, USS Badger, USS Ranger, USS Maine and USS Kearsarge. From 1907 to 1910 he served simultaneously as Naval Attache to Germany, Austria-Hungary and Italy. In 1909, after the destructive earthquake which destroyed much of the Sicilian city of Messina, he planned and supervised the American relief effort in that city. He was made an Honorary Citizen of Messina by its grateful city government. In 1910 he reported aboard the USS North Dakota as Executive Officer. On 12 December 1914, Captain Belknap assumed command of the USS San Francisco. On 3 July 1915 he was designated Commander, Mining and Mine Sweeping Division, Atlantic Fleet. During World War I , as a captain, he was ordered to duty in the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations to plan and prepare for planting of an antisubmarine barrage of naval defense mines across the North Sea from the Orkney Islands to the coast of Norway. Such an antisubmarine barrage had been made possible by the development of a superior naval mine, the Mark VI. All plans and preparatory work being completed in the spring of 1918, Captain Belknap took command of Mine Squadron ONE, Atlantic Fleet, now consisting of ten large ships with a total capacity of six thousand Mark VI mines. In May 1918, the Squadron proceeded to its Scottish bases at Inverness and Iver Gordon on the east coast of Scotland. On 2 June1918, Captain Belknap conducted the Squadron in its first mining excursion into the North Sea. He commanded the Squadron on the nine other excursions required to complete the antisubmarine barrage, the last excursion being in late October 1918. The barrage was a success. Captain Belknap was advanced to Rear Admiral by a special act of Congress and was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal by the President. After serving on the Naval War College staff from May to July of 1920, he assumed command of the USS Delaware and in 1929 he took command of the Navy's newest battleship USS Colorado, as her first commanding officer. Rear Admiral Belknap died on 30 March 1959, at age 87 and was buried at Arlington National Cemetery.

ASW aircraft carrier USS Intrepid (CVS 11) and the guided missile destroyer leader USS Belknap (DLG 26) refuel from USS Severn (AO 61). 9 June 1968. This photo was taken at the beginning of Intrepid´s last deployment to Vietnam as an attack carrier, from 4 June 1968 to 8 February 1969.

US Navy National Museum of Naval Aviation photo # 1996.488.244.054

USS Belknap in the Kithira Strait off of Greece on October 1975. View from the Soviet ship Krasny Krim ( Kashin class DDG). This photo was taken about 1 month before her collision.

IONIAN SEA, 22 November 1975 - Firefighters aboard the guided-missile destroyer USS Claude V. Ricketts (DDG 5) direct spray from their hoses onto a fire aboard the guided-missile cruiser USS Belknap (CG 26). The Belknap was heavily damaged and caught fire when it collided with the aircraft carrier USS John F. Kennedy (CV 67) during night operations.

U.S. Navy photo #DN-SN-87-07336

IONIAN SEA, 22 November 1975 - Firefighters aboard the guided missile destroyer USS Claude V. Ricketts (DDG 5) direct spray from their hoses onto a fire aboard the guided-missile cruiser USS Belknap (CG 26). The Belknap was heavily damaged and caught fire when it collided with the aircraft carrier USS John F. Kennedy (CV 67) during night operations.

U.S. Navy photo #DN-SN-87-07337

Firefighters aboard the guided missile destroyer USS Claude V. Ricketts (DDG 5) direct spray from their hoses onto a fire aboard the guided missile cruiser USS Belknap (CG 26). The Belknap was heavily damaged and caught fire when it collided with the aircraft carrier USS John F. Kennedy (CV 67) during night operations

National Archives photo #6420119

Firefighters aboard the guided missile destroyer USS Claude V. Ricketts (DDG 5) direct spray from their hoses onto a fire aboard the guided missile cruiser USS Belknap (CG 26). The Belknap was heavily damaged and caught fire when it collided with the aircraft carrier USS John F. Kennedy (CV 67) during night operations.

National Archives photo #6420116

A firefighting team moves a hose into position to fight a fire near the bridge of the guided missile cruiser USS Belknap (CG 26). The Belknap was heavily damaged and caught fire when it collided with the aircraft carrier USS John F. Kennedy (CV 67) during night operations.

National Archives photo #6420115

IONIAN SEA, 23 November 1975 - An overhead amidships view of the damaged superstructure of the guided-missile cruiser USS Belknap (CG 26) the day after it collided with the aircraft carrier USS John F. Kennedy (CV 67) during night operations.

U.S. Navy photo #DN-SN-87-07295

A view of interior damage sustained by the guided missile cruiser USS Belknap (CG 26) when it collided with the aircraft carrier USS John F. Kennedy (CV 67) during night operations on 22 November 1975.

National Archives photo #6420097

An interior view of damage sustained by the sick bay aboard the guided missile cruiser USS Belknap (CG 26). The Belknap was heavily damaged and caught fire when it collided with the aircraft carrier USS John F. Kennedy (CV 67) during night operations on 22 November 1975.

National Archives photo #6420098

A view of interior damage sustained by the guided missile cruiser USS Belknap (CG 26) when the ship collided with the aircraft carrier USS John F. Kennedy (CV 67)) during night operations on 22 November 1975.

National Archives photo #6420099

Ionian Sea. A view of undamaged No. 1 engineroom control board aboard the guided missile cruiser USS Belknap (CG 26). The Belknap was heavily damaged and caught fire when it collided with the aircraft carrier USS John F. Kennedy (CV 67) during night operations on 22 November 1975.

National Archives photo #6420100

Ionion Sea: A view of undamaged No. 2 engineroom throttle board aboard the guided missile cruiser USS Belknap (CG 26). The Belknap was heavily damaged and caught fire when it collided with the aircraft carrier USS John F. Kennedy (CV 67) during night operations on 22 November 1975.

National Archives photo #6420101

Ionian Sea. A view of the undamaged No. 2 engineroom reduction gear aboard the guided missile cruiser USS Belknap (CG 26). The Belknap was heavily damaged and caught fire when it collided with the aircraft carrier USS John F. Kennedy (CV 67) during night operations on 22 November 1975.

National Archives photo #6420102

An interior view of damage sustained by the engineering officer's stateroom aboard the guided missile cruiser USS Belknap (CG 26). The Belknap was heavily damaged and caught fire when it collided with the aircraft carrier USS John F. Kennedy (CV 67) during night operations on 22 November 1975.

National Archives photo #6420096

Interior view of the bridge of the guided missile cruiser USS Belknap (CG 26) after a collision with the carrier USS John F. Kennedy (CV 67) and ensuing fire that occurred during night operations on 22 November 1975. Robert L. Lawson Photographic Collection

Aided by a tug, the USS Belknap (CG 26) leaves the Philadelphia Navy Yard, heading to Norfolk Navy Base on 16 June 1980. The cruiser has just completed a $235 million repair and renovation. This was necessary after the ship collided with the USS John F. Kennedy (CV 67) on 22 January 1975.

Philadelphia Evening Bulletin, George D. McDowell Collection, ID No. P556139B.

Port bow view, location unknown, 1983.

U.S. Navy photo.

Port bow view, location unknown, 1986.

U.S. Navy photo.

A port bow view of the guided missile cruiser USS Belknap (CG 26) and the guided missile destroyer USS Conyngham (DDG 17) moored at a pier, with the city of Gaeta in the background. Photo by JO1 Burke, 1 November 1989.

Port bow view of the Guided Missile Cruiser USS Belknap (CG 26), flagship of the 6th Fleet, underway, on 21 Jul 1992.

Photo taken by JO1 James Slater. ID: DN-ST-92-09889.

1946