USS Germantown (LSD-42)

USS Germantown (LSD-42)

USS Germantown passing the Coronado Bridge in San Diego Bay in August 2003.
History
United States
Name	Germantown
Namesake	Battle of Germantown
Ordered	26 March 1982
Builder	Lockheed Shipbuilding
Laid down	5 August 1982
Launched	29 June 1984
Commissioned	8 February 1986
Homeport	San Diego, California
Motto	Folgen Sie unseren Fusspuren! (Follow in Our Footsteps)
Status	in active service
Badge
General characteristics
Class and type	Whidbey Island-class dock landing ship
Displacement	11,496 tons (light) 16,396 tons (full)
Length	610 ft (190 m)
Beam	84 ft (26 m)
Draft	21 ft (6.4 m)
Propulsion	4 Colt Industries, 16-cylinder diesel engines, 2 shafts, 33,000 shp (25,000 kW)
Speed	over 20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph)
Boats & landing craft carried	5 LCACs
Troops	Marine detachment: 402 + 102 surge
Complement	22 officers, 391 enlisted
Armament	2 × 25 mm Mk 38 cannons 2 × 20 mm Phalanx CIWS mounts 2 × Rolling Airframe Missile 6 × 0.5 in (12.7 mm) M2HB machine guns

USS Germantown (LSD-42) is the second Whidbey Island-class dock landing ship in the United States Navy. She is the second navy ship named after the Revolutionary War Battle of Germantown.

Germantown was the first ship in the class to serve in the Pacific. The amphibious ship's mission is to project power ashore by transporting and launching amphibious craft and vehicles loaded with embarked Marines in support of an amphibious assault. The ship was designed specifically to operate with Landing Craft Air Cushion (LCAC) vessels. She has the largest capacity for these landing craft (four to five) of any US Navy amphibious platform.