The USS Francis Hammond (DE/FF-1067) was the sixteenth vessel of the Knox-class frigates, constructed by Todd Shipyards, Los Angeles Division, in San Pedro, California. Her keel was laid on July 15, 1967, and she was launched on May 11, 1968, with Mrs. Phyllis Hammond Smith, widow of Hospitalman Francis Colton Hammond, serving as her sponsor. The ship was commissioned on July 25, 1970, at Long Beach Naval Shipyard, with Commander John E. Elmore commanding. Design-wise, she was derived from the Brooke-class frigate, modified to extend range and eliminate long-range missile systems. Her overall length was 438 feet (133.5 meters), with a beam of 47 feet (14.3 meters) and a draft of 25 feet (7.6 meters). Displacing approximately 4,066 long tons at full load, she had a crew complement of 13 officers and 211 enlisted personnel. Propulsion was provided by a single Westinghouse geared steam turbine, capable of delivering 35,000 shaft horsepower through two C-E boilers, allowing her to reach speeds of up to 27 knots. Her operational range was 4,500 nautical miles at 20 knots. Armament included a 5"/54 caliber Mark 42 gun forward, a single 3-inch/50-caliber gun aft, and an eight-round ASROC launcher positioned between the guns and the bridge. Anti-submarine warfare was supported by two twin 12.75-inch Mk 32 torpedo tubes and a helicopter hangar and landing deck, initially accommodating a DASH drone helicopter, later replaced by an SH-2 Seasprite LAMPS I helicopter. Some ships also had the 3-inch gun replaced by an eight-cell BPDMS missile launcher in the early 1970s. Her primary mission was anti-submarine warfare, tasked with patrolling the Pacific, locating Soviet submarines, and engaging them if necessary. USS Francis Hammond participated in several operations, including Vietnam War support near the Cua Viet River, providing fire support during Operation Lam Son 72, and escort duties for Midway. Her service spanned over two decades, with notable deployments to the Western Pacific and various port visits. She was decommissioned on July 2, 1992, after nearly 22 years of active service, and was struck from the Navy Register in 1995. The vessel was ultimately scrapped on March 31, 2003. The USS Francis Hammond's operational history underscores her role in Cold War naval strategy and anti-submarine defense.

This description has been generated using GPT-4.1-NANO based on the Vessel's wikidata information and then modified by ShipIndex.org staff.