The USS White Plains (AFS-4) was a Mars-class combat stores ship constructed for the United States Navy, serving from 1968 until her decommissioning in 1995. Built by the National Steel and Shipbuilding Company in San Diego, she was laid down on October 2, 1965, launched on July 26, 1966, and commissioned at Long Beach Naval Shipyard on November 23, 1968. The vessel measured approximately 553 feet in length, with a beam of around 75 feet, and was designed to carry and transfer supplies to support naval operations at sea. Throughout her service, White Plains was primarily engaged in underway replenishment missions, supporting the U.S. Seventh Fleet during the Vietnam War, the Cold War, and subsequent conflicts. Her first deployment to the Western Pacific began in September 1968, during which she operated off Vietnam, providing logistical support through multiple replenishment cruises along the Vietnamese coast. She completed several extended deployments in the Vietnam combat zone, making numerous port calls and replenishment runs to sustain fleet operations. Her service included significant modifications, such as converting her propulsion system to Navy distillate fuel in 1972 and serving as the trial vessel for mounting Vulcan Phalanx CIWS systems. White Plains was notable for being among the first U.S. Navy ships to have women sailors aboard, with female officers and enlisted personnel integrated into her crew by 1991. She also participated in humanitarian relief efforts, notably delivering supplies to Guam after Typhoon Pamela in 1976, and undertook special missions such as resupplying forces in the Indian Ocean during regional conflicts. In 1989, White Plains suffered a major fire in her engine room resulting in six fatalities and 161 injuries, caused by procedural failures and equipment issues. Later, in 1992, she was damaged when she ran aground during Typhoon Omar at Guam’s Polaris Point, after being improperly moored with incompatible lines during the storm. Despite this, the ship was repaired and returned to service until her decommissioning on April 17, 1995. She was ultimately sunk as a target during the RIMPAC 2002 exercise in deep waters off Hawaii, serving as a maritime target and contributing to naval training and testing.

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