USS New Orleans (LPH-11) - Fate

Fate

New Orleans was decommissioned and placed in reserve in San Diego, California, in October 1997. She was the recipient of the Navy Unit Commendation, four Battle Efficiency Awards, the Meritorious Unit Commendation, the Navy Expeditionary Medal, the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, the Southwest Asia Campaign Medal, the Vietnam Service Medal, and the Kuwait Liberation Medal. She was mothballed in Suisun Bay, California at 38° 4'37.86"N, 122° 5'24.66"W from 1997 until 2006 while a group tried to save her as a museum in Long Beach, California.

In 2006, the ship was relocated to Pearl Harbor to be prepared for a 'SINKEX'. In February 2008, New Orleans was listed for scrapping, instead of sinking, however, as of June 2010, New Orleans was once again scheduled to be sunk. Finally, New Orleans was sunk on 10 July 2010 during the RIMPAC 2010 exercise. The ship sustained direct hits by five 2000-pound GBU-10 precision bombs dropped from 2d Bomb Wing and 5th Bomb Wing B-52s. Prior to the B-52 strike at least seven Harpoon missiles, and naval gunfire of the joint force of the five nations – United States, Japan, Australia, Canada and France struck the ship with the majority hitting above the water line. New Orleans rolled on her side and sank at about 6:15 p.m. 70 miles north-west of Kauai.