PHOTO GALLERY #31: Oak Hill, dock landing ship of the United States Navy

USS Oak Hill moored at Tirpitz quay, Kiel Naval Base

This is the eighth photo gallery from my visit to Kiel in 2018, on the first weekend of the 136th Kiel Week. More galleries will follow from 2018-19 Kiel Weeks. The Kiel Week (German: Kieler Woche) or Kiel Regatta is an annual sailing event in Kiel, the capital of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. The first weekend of the Kiel Week, the famous Naval Base of Kiel, opens its gates for just four hours per day, for thousands of tourists who are eager to visit the German Navy warships and dozens of foreign warships which visit the city of Kiel, to honor the Kiel Week. Τhe United States Navy was represented by a number of ships including the USS Oak Hill (LSD-51), a Harpers Ferry-class dock landing ship (LSD). She is named in honor of Oak Hill, the residence of James Monroe, the fifth President of the United States. The Monroe Doctrine was penned at Oak Hill, and subsequently delivered at an 1823 Congressional address which asserted that the Western Hemisphere was never to be colonized again. This doctrine is the inspiration for the Ship’s Motto: Nations’ Protector. Oak Hill is the second ship to honor the residence. Oak Hill was commissioned on 8 June 1996 and is the third vessel in a class of four. She is 186 meters long and has a full displacement around 16,600 tons. Enjoy the photos!

USS Oak Hill moored alongside the Berlin-class AOR Frankfurt am Main

View of the warships gathered for the Kiel Week

USS Oak Hill moored alongside Frankfurt am Main

View of the warships gathered for the Kiel Week

The huge LSD!

Bow view of the ship

Ship's superstructure. Forward of the bridge there is a Phalanx Block 1B
Baseline 2 CIWS and atop the bridge a Mk49 RAM launcher CIWS.

View of the bridge

LSD-51, the third vessel in the Harpers Ferry class

Close-up photo of the bridge and the forward armament

12.7mm heavy machine gun mounting

It's a really huge warship with incredible capabilities!

USS Oak Hill LSD

Oak Hill alongside Frankfurt am Main

Oak Hill alongside Frankfurt am Main

Port side view of USS Oak Hill

Cutaway diagram of the ship

Port side view of USS Oak Hill

Port side view of USS Oak Hill

Half of the flight deck is occupied by various vehicles and equipment

The Irish Naval Service William Butler Yeats moored close to Oak Hill

Half of the flight deck is occupied by various vehicles and equipment

A long queue was created very quickly

A long queue was created very quickly

People enter the ship after passing the security check

View of the ship's superstructure

The powerful crane on the flight deck

The long queue before going aboard. This was typical for every
US ship due to the security measures.

Numerous vehicles in the vehicle deck including M-1A1 MBTs and AAVP-7A1s

Dozens of AAVP-7A1s on board

An USMC AAVC-7A1 forward of the well deck where a 41-meter LCU-1646 class
carries one of the two LARC-Vs

The ramp from the cargo-vehicle are to the flight deck

On the flight deck. The rear armament is visible (RAM and Phalanx CIWS)

The port-side funnel with the fly ops room

View of the superstructure. Note the starboard side funnel

Or tour guide describes the capabilities of the ship

RAM launcher (left) and Phalanx behind the SATCOM antenna

The upper vehicle bay with numerous USMC wheeled vehicles

The upper vehicle bay with numerous USMC trucks and TRAM tractors

The mission statement of USS Oak Hill crew

Dozens of Assault Amphibious Vehicles (AAV) forward of the well deck

Dozens of AAVP-7A1s forward of the well deck

The ship was carrying four M1A1 Abrams Main Battle Tanks (MBTs)

The "Check Mate" featuring "Josey Wales" (coaxial machine gun)

The USMC armored tracked vehicles forward of the well deck

Another M1A1 Abrams MBT equipped with front-mounted wide plow

M1A1 Abrams MBT equipped with front-mounted wide plow

US Marines describe their vehicles

AAV-7/A1's UGWS armed with both a 12.7 mm M2HB machine gun
and a Mk-19 40 mm grenade launcher.

Judgement "Time to Pay the Reaper"

"Boom-Boom Betty" featuring "The Goat" (machine gun not visible).
The "El Jeffe" and "Hand of Mattis" were the other two MBTs.
Thanks Matthias Klingspohn for the information.

Dionysus M88A2 Track Recovery Vehicle

The well deck can accommodate one LCU or two LCAC

41-meter LCU-1646 class carries one LARC-V and a tractor

LARC-V aluminium-hulled amphibious cargo vehicle

"Boom-Boom Betty" M1A1 tank

M88A2 Track Recovery Vehicle

The impressive M88A2 TRV "Dionysus"

One of the two 66-mm 6-barrelled grenade launchers of TRV

The well deck is smaller than the one of Whidbey Island class LSDs

Ramp for the vehicle bay

High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV) on the flight deck

Humvees on the flight deck

M1152(A1) with integrated armor

Two M1152(A1)

The large flight deck can land and service two heavy-lift helicopters

The large flight deck as seen from the stern

Frankfurt am Main is shorter than Oak Hill for about 13 meters
but larger for 3,000tons approximately

M1 Mine Clearing Blade System

View of the superstructure. Besides the RAM and Phalanx CIWS, the ship
is equipped with six 6-barrelled SRBOC decoy launchers, Nulka decoy launchers,
two Mk38 25mm guns and numerous heavy and light machine guns

The flag of United States of America