USCGC Benjamin Bottoms (WPC-1132) is the 32nd Sentinel-class cutter built for the United States Coast Guard. She is the fourth of four Fast Response Cutters homeported in San Pedro, California.[1]
 Benjamin Bottoms arriving in Los Angeles
| |
| History | |
|---|---|
 United States | |
| Name | USCGC Benjamin Bottoms |
| Namesake | Benjamin A. Bottoms |
| Operator | United States Coast Guard |
| Builder | Bollinger Shipyards, Lockport, Louisiana |
| Commissioned | May 1, 2019[1] |
| Homeport | San Pedro, California |
| Identification |
|
| Status | in active service |
| Badge | _CoA.jpg) |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Sentinel-class cutter |
| Displacement | 353 long tons (359 t) |
| Length | 46.8 m (154 ft) |
| Beam | 8.11 m (26.6 ft) |
| Depth | 2.9 m (9.5 ft) |
| Propulsion |
|
| Speed | 28 knots (52 km/h; 32 mph) |
| Range | 2,500 nautical miles (4,600 km; 2,900 mi) |
| Endurance | 5 days |
| Boats & landing craft carried | 1 × Short Range Prosecutor RHIB |
| Complement | 2 officers, 20 crew |
| Sensors and processing systems | L-3 C4ISR suite |
| Armament |
|
Operational history
edit
The USCGC Benjamin Bottoms was placed in commission on 1 May, 2019 by ADM Charles Ray, vice commandant of the Coast Guard, with LT Lennie Day serving as her plank owner commander, who oversaw her fitting out from delivery.[2]
On July 15, 2021, Benjamin Bottoms, along with Munro and Haddock, were diverted to extinguish a boat fire on the Relentless, seven miles west of Carlsbad, California.[3]
Under the command of LT CDR Allice Gholson, Benjamin Bottoms participated in GALAPEX III from 23 June to 9 July, 2024, a joint training exercise centered around Ecuador's Galápagos Islands to gain greater cooperation and understanding with sailors from 14 partner nations in an effort to combat illegal fishing and other littoral violations. The Benjamin Bottoms transited over 7,500 nautical miles round trip across the Equator, spending 43 days deployed at sea as the only US surface asset to participate.[4][5]
Namesake
editBenjamin Bottoms is named after Benjamin A. Bottoms, who died in November 1942 while attempting to rescue the crew of a crashed USAAF bomber. He was assigned on a Grumman J2F-4 Duck floatplane as the radioman, and after receiving a radio message that a B-17 crashed, and accompanied pilot John A. Pritchard to search for the downed plane.[6] The pilot spotted the crashed bomber, and landed it as close to the wreak as possible. They were able to assist two of the injured crew back to their plane and back to the USCGC Northland. On their second trip, the plane encountered bad weather, causing the plane to crash, killing both men.[7]
References
edit- ^ a b "Coast Guard commissions 32nd fast response cutter". May 2, 2019. Retrieved February 1, 2024.
- ^ Barney, Mark (1 May 2019). "Benjamin Bottoms Commissioning". DVIDS. U.S. Coast Guard District 11 PADET Los Angeles.
- ^ "US Coast Guard Responds To Boat Fire Near Carlsbad, California". Baird Maritime. July 16, 2021. Retrieved February 1, 2024.
- ^ "Marinos de 14 países participan en Galapex 2024". El Universo. 23 June 2024.
- ^ "EJERCICIO MULTINACIONAL GALAPEX III-2024". Armada del Ecuador. Retrieved 3 August 2024.
- ^ Freeze, Ken. "Dramatic Rescue on Greenland's Ice Cap". Check-Six. Retrieved 19 August 2024.
- ^ Havern, Christopher B.; Thiesen, William H. (December 2, 2022). "The Long Blue Line: Benjamin Bottoms—Arctic aviator, wartime hero served with Lt. John Prichard". United States Coast Guard. Retrieved February 1, 2024.
