RICHMOND K TURNER CG 20

Ship Name and Designation History

This section lists the names and designations that the ship had during its lifetime. The list is in chronological order.

Leahy Class Guided Missile Cruiser Keel Laid January 9 1961 - Launched April 6 1963 USS RICHMOND K. TURNER DLG-20 Commissioned June 13 1964 - Decommissioned May 5 1971 Recommissioned May 27 1972 USS RICHMOND K. TURNER CG-20 Redesignated (CG) July 1 1975 Decommissioned April 13 1995 Struck from Naval Register April 13 1995 Sunk as target August 9 1998

Naval Covers

This section lists active links to the pages displaying covers associated with the ship. There should be a separate set of pages for each incarnation of the ship (ie, for each entry in the "Ship Name and Designation History" section). Covers should be presented in chronological order (or as best as can be determined).

Since a ship may have many covers, they may be split among many pages so it doesn't take forever for the pages to load. Each page link should be accompanied by a date range for covers on that page.

1. Richmond K. Turner Covers Page 1     (1964-95)

 

Postmarks

This section lists examples of the postmarks used by the ship. There should be a separate set of postmarks for each incarnation of the ship (ie, for each entry in the "Ship Name and Designation History" section). Within each set, the postmarks should be listed in order of their classification type. If more than one postmark has the same classification, then they should be further sorted by date of earliest known usage.

A postmark should not be included unless accompanied by a close-up image and/or an image of a cover showing that postmark. Date ranges MUST be based ONLY ON COVERS IN THE MUSEUM and are expected to change as more covers are added.
 
>>> If you have a better example for any of the postmarks, please feel free to replace the existing example.

 

Postmark Type --- Killer Bar Text	Date From to Date To	Thumbnail Link To Close-Up Image	Thumbnail Link To Full Cover Image

 

Camden NJ Slogan "LAW DAY U.S.A. / FREEDOM UNDER THE LAW / MAY 1

1963-04-06

Launching
Beck Cachet

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1st Commissioning June 13 1964 to May 5 1971

 

Locy Type FDC 2(n+)

1964-06-13

As DLG-20
First Day in Commission

 

Locy Type 2(n+) (USS)

1968-07-05

As DLG-20

 

Locy Type 9ef(n+u) (USS omitted)

1968-07-05

As DLG-20

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2nd Commissioning May 27 1972 to April 13 1995

 

Locy Type 2(n+) (USS)

1975-06-30

Last Day as DLG-20
Stephen Decatur Chapter No. 4, USCS

 

Locy Type 2t(n+u) (CG,USS)

1979-06-20 to 1979-06-21

As CG-20

 

Locy Type 2-1(n+) ("R.K.",USS)

1982-11-24

As CG-20

 

Locy Type 2-1(n+) ("R.K.",USS)

1987-11-24

As CG-20

 

Locy Type 2-1(n+) ("R.K.",USS)

1991-03-22

As CG-20

 

Locy Type 2-1(n+) ("R.K.",USS)

1992-10-27

As CG-20

 

Locy Type 2-1p(n+) ("R.K.",USS)

1995-02-13

As CG-20

 

Locy Type 9-1(n+u) ("R.K.",USS) 1980

1987-11-24

As CG-20

 

Locy Type 9-1(n+u) ("R.K.",USS) 1991

1995-02-13

As CG-20

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Locy Type F USS FRANK CABLE AS-40

1995-04-13

Decommissioning
Stephen Decatur Chapter No. 4, USCS

 

Other Information

NAMESAKE - Richmond K. Turner USN (May 27 1885 - February 12 1961)
Turner attended high school in Stockton, Calif., before his appointment to the Naval Academy. Graduating with distinction in June 1908, fifth in a class of 201, he served the 2 years at sea then required by law, before being commissioned Ensign in June 1910
After graduation in 1908, he served consecutively in USS MILWAUKEE C-21, USS PREBLE DD-12, and USS WEST VIRGINIA ACR-5 until June 1912, when he joined USS STEWART DD-13, assuming command a year later.
The World War I years found him on board the battleships USS PENNSYLVANIA BB-38, USS MICHIGAN BB-27, and USS MISSISSIPPI BB-23. After serving as Commanding Officer of the Destroyer USS MERVINE DD-322, he reported for flight training at the Naval Air Station, Pensacola, where he was designated Naval Aviator August 30 1927. Upon completion of more than 4½ years of shore duty, Turner returned to sea as Executive Officer of the Aircraft Carrier USS SARATOGA CV-3 and subsequently Commanding Officer of the Heavy Cruiser USS ASTORIA CA-34. In October 1940 he became Director of the War Plans Division, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, and in December 1941, in the rank of Rear Admiral, assumed additional duty as Assistant Chief of Staff to the Commander in Chief, U.S. Fleet. On June 18 1942 he became Commander, Amphibious Force, South Pacific, and from that time participated in most of the major amphibious engagements of the Pacific theater. Among Admiral Turner's most noteworthy achievements during the Pacific campaign were the Guadalcanal-Tulagi invasion, the New Georgia campaign, the Tarawa assault, the occupation of the Marshall Islands, and the seizure and occupation of Saipan.
So successful were Admiral Turner's amphibious operations throughout the Pacific theater, that he came to be known to the Japanese as the "Alligator," the symbol of fast and inexorable amphibious striking power. Besides the Navy Cross, he received the Distinguished Service Medal with three gold stars, the Navy Commendation Ribbon, the World War II Victory Medal, and the Philippine Liberation Ribbon. He was also made a Companion of the Order of the Bath by Great Britain.
Admiral Turner was transferred to the retired list of the Navy in the rank of Admiral on July 1 1947. He died in Monterey, Calif., February 12 1961.

 

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