The U.S. Navy will commission the Osprey class Coastal Mine
Hunter Robin (MHC 54) in ceremonies at 10:00 a.m., Saturday, May
11,1996, at Naval Station Ingleside, Texas.
The Honorable Solomon Ortiz, Congressman from Texas, will be
the principle speaker at the ceremony. Mrs. Hope Kihune, wife of
Vice Admiral Robert Kihune, USN (Retired), ship's sponsor, will
give the first order to man our ship and bring her to life.
Rear Admiral John Pearson, Commander, Mine Warfare Command, will
be among the distinguished guests attending.
Ships in this class are named after birds. This ship
commemorates the prior service of minecraft of the same name.
The first Robin (AM 3) (1918-1945) helped clear the North Sea
Mine Barrage. The second was a coastal minesweeper (ex-YMS 311)
that earned five battle stars for service during World War II as
the unnamed YMS 311, and downed three kamikaze suicide planes off
Okinawa. Later, the ship was named Robin in 1947 and served
until 1961. Robin is the fourth of 12 Osprey Class ships
authorized by Congress to be built. Ships of this class are the
world's largest mine hunters to be constructed entirely of
fiberglass. The ship's primary mission is reconnaissance,
classification and neutralization of moored and bottle mines in
harbors and coastal waterways. The ship is armed with two .50
caliber machine guns, a high definition, variable-depth sonar and
a remotely-operated robotic submarine used to neutralize mines.
Following the commissioning, Robin will join with Lieutenant
Commander Mark J. Murphy, U.S. Navy, a native of Beach Grove,
Indiana, as the prospective Commanding Officer. The ship will be
homeported in Ingleside, Texas, with a crew of five officers and
46 sailors. This ship measures 188 feet in length, has a beam of
36 feet and displaces approximately 895 tons when fully loaded.
For information relating to the commissioning, contact LT
Ingrid Mueller, Naval Station Ingleside, Texas, at (512) 776-
4206.
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