THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, May 21, 1996 TAG: 9605210324
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JACK DORSEY, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: PORTSMOUTH LENGTH: Medium: 93 lines
Not since about 1907, when Teddy Roosevelt's Great White Fleet left, has the Norfolk Naval Shipyard had warships that called this place home.
Usually only a stopover for overhauls, or repairs - albeit somewhat long ones - the Elizabeth River shipyard lost its characteristics of a naval base when World War I began.
From its beginning, it served as the area's only naval facility until work began in 1917 on the new facilities in Norfolk, now considered the largest naval base in the world and home to 110 ships.
That changes later this month when the first of eight frigates and destroyers begin moving here from Norfolk. Nearly 2,500 sailors, plus the staffs of two destroyer squadrons, will accompany the ships.
The first to arrive is the destroyer Nicholson, from Destroyer Squadron 18. Other ships from that squadron to join the Nicholson are the destroyer Thorn, guided-missile frigate Nicholas, destroyer Comte de Grasse and guided-missile destroyer Stout, in that order.
The Stout, currently deployed, will become part of Destroyer Squadron 18 on Sept. 1 and is scheduled to shift its berth shortly thereafter.
Destroyer Squadron 28 ships moving to the shipyard are the guided-missile frigates Halyburton and Elrod and the destroyer Peterson.
The Navy is making the move, it said, to ease congestion at its main base, where additional ships have been sent from Charleston, S.C., and Staten Island, N.Y. - bases ordered closed over the past few years. Pier renovations in Norfolk, expected to take several months, also contributed to the moves.
Mindful of high overhead costs at the shipyard, which cut back its force because of a lack of Navy work, the Navy's new presence also would help ease the shipyard's operation costs and help it function more efficiently.
That, said shipyard officials, would make it more competitive with other shipyards, particularly other Navy shipyards still open after the base closing process.
``These facilities were built to wartime workload requirements of new construction shipbuilding when 43,000 people worked three shifts a day,'' Capt. William R. Klemm, the yard's commander, wrote this year in a shipyard newsletter announcing the change.
``Today, we occupy the same space with 17 percent of the original number of people. All of that space burdens (us) with maintenance and utility costs.''
The shipyard employs about 7,000 people today, down from more than 12,500 in the late 1980s, before the Navy began shrinking.
Assigning warships to the shipyard ended about 80 years ago, according to historians. However, some special-duty ships have been based here on occasion.
``For historical purposes, this was the naval base before World War I,'' said Steve Milner, a shipyard spokesman. ``Teddy Roosevelt's Great White Fleet left from here, along with (Arctic explorer) Adm. (Robert E.) Peary.
``We've brought other ships in here in the past, but the big deal is this,'' he said.
The ships will be berthed along the north end of the 1,000-acre shipyard, which stretches five miles along the Southern Branch of the Elizabeth River.
That area is away from the more secure industrial area to the south, where nuclear-powered ships and submarines are repaired. Such a move will allow sailors and their families more freedom to come and go.
Sailors from the ships will man Gate Three along First Street, have parking facilities both inside and outside the shipyard, plus have access to the shipyard's amenities.
``The only thing we don't have on site is a movie theater,'' said Milner. The shipyard contains a commissary, exchange, health fitness center, pharmacy, clubs, laundry services and galley.
Safety in the downtown area adjacent to the shipyard has been addressed, he said. ``Safety is always a concern,'' said Milner.
``It is a concern over in Norfolk, too. We will brief the sailors and basically give them the lay of the land.''
Joint city and Navy police patrols, along with a shuttle bus service to Navy facilities in Norfolk, already are in place, he said. ILLUSTRATION: [Color Photo]
NORFOLK NAVAL SHIPYARD
DESTROYERS
Nicholson
Thorn
Comte de Grasse
Stout
Peterson
FRIGATES
Nicholas
Halyburton
Elrod
by CNB