USS Noa (DD-841)

After shakedown at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, Noa departed her homeport of Norfolk, Virginia for her first Mediterranean deployment. She called at Gibraltar, Nice, Naples, Malta, Venice, Piraeus, and Lisbon. After participating in fleet maneuvers in the South Atlantic in early 1947, the Noa returned to the United States. For the next two years she exercised in type training, underwent overhaul, and acted as school training ship for the Fleet Sonar School in Key West, Florida.

The Noa served as rescue destroyer for the aircraft carrier Mindoro (CVE-120) during June and July 1949. From September 1949 through January 1951, she engaged in extended antisubmarine warfare training in a permanent ASW hunter-killer group as a unit of Destroyer Squadron Eight (DesRon 8). She also made a second Mediterranean deployment during this period. In early 1951 she participated in Convex II, a large scale convoy escort exercise, after which she called at Baltimore, Maryland. The next two years were devoted to upkeep and operational training along the East coast.

In August 1953, the Noa departed from Norfolk on a 42,000-mile (78,000 km) around-the-world cruise. She arrived Sasebo, Japan on 3 October and spent four months operating in the Sea of Japan with Task Force 77. Here she participated in operational readiness exercises while maintaining truce patrol off the Korean coast.

In November 1953, the Noa operated in Japanese waters as part of a hunter-killer group. She patrolled the Korean coast together with the Cone (DD-866) in late November and early December. From then until her return to the United States in April 1954, the Noa engaged in underway training. Upon her return to Norfolk, she was reassigned to hunter-killer duty in the Atlantic Ocean.

On 7 September 1954, the Noa left Norfolk to participate in a joint NATO antisubmarine warfare exercise named "Black Jack". After visiting Derry, Northern Ireland, and ports in the Mediterranean, she was due to return to Norfolk on 12 November 1954. After leaving Gibraltar, the destroyer group was caught in hurricane force winds reaching 64 knots (119 km/h; 74 mph). The Noa recorded rolls in excess of 50 degrees, Some of the destroyers sustained heavy damage in the storm. The Noa and the other destroyers found safe haven at the port of Ponta Delgada on São Miguel Island in the Azores. The destroyer group, along with the aircraft carrier Valley Forge (CV-45), arrived at Norfolk one day late, on 13 November 1954. After returning, the Noa reported to the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard at Philadelphia for an overhaul.

During the overhaul in the summer of 1955, the Noa was outfitted with experimental sonar equipment that she tested in the Key West area. She departed Norfolk Naval Shipyard in February 1956 for her third Mediterranean deployment. Upon return to homeport the following summer, she trained in the eastern Atlantic. In the spring 1957 she steamed to the Caribbean for Operation Springboard 1–57 and Desairdex 1–57.

After completion of a three-month overhaul at Norfolk Naval Shipyard in August 1957 she steamed for five weeks of refresher training at Guantanamo and for shore bombardment exercises at Culebra Island, Puerto Rico. In winter of 1957–8, Noa served as test ship for experimental radio equipment and in spring 1958 she was again taking part in Springboard exercises in the Caribbean.

March 1957 saw the Noa as a participant in Lantphibex 1–58, an exercise designed to test the latest amphibious warfare concepts. During the summer of 1958, the Noa took part in 6th Fleet operations during the Lebanon crisis. After a short tour in the Persian Gulf she returned to Norfolk and joined the 2nd Fleet for Lantphibex 2–58.

In February 1959, the Noa was again deployed to the Mediterranean. She participated in Sixth Fleet exercises through 1 April when she steamed for the Middle East via the Suez Canal. She called at Massawa, Ethiopia; Bombay, India; Bahrain; Saudi Arabia; Bandar Shahpur, Iran; and Aden. In late June, the Noa rejoined the Sixth Fleet after having gone eighty-three days without replenishment. She returned to Norfolk on 1 September, and then transferred from Destroyer Squadron Six to Squadron Fourteen, with a new homeport at Mayport, Florida. Through spring 1960 she operated off the Atlantic Coast and in the Caribbean, She entered the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard on 25 May for a Fleet Rehabilitation and Modernization (FRAM), and she received the latest in antisubmarine warfare (ASW) equipment.

Noa completed her FRAM I overhaul on 2 May 1961, and she rejoined the Atlantic Fleet. After a four-week ready-for-sea period and ASROC qualification trials, she reported to Fleet Training Command, Guantanamo, for six weeks refresher training. Noa returned to Mayport on 23 July for a two-week destroyer-tender period alongside the Yellowstone (AD-27).

Training followed, and the Noa steamed for the United Kingdom, for combined exercises in the Eastern Atlantic with the Royal Navy. She arrived at Portsmouth, England on 6 November, and also called at Belfast and Dublin before standing in to homeport on 20 December. After leave and upkeep, the Noa resumed ASW training on 29 January 1962 in the western Atlantic.

The Noa returned to Mayport on 6 February for modifications to her boat davits and briefings in preparation for the recovery of both America's first astronaut to orbit the Earth and his spacecraft. Preparations completed, she steamed on 11 February for the Project Mercury recovery area in the southwestern Atlantic, she reported on station on 14 February as part of the 24-ship recovery task force.

After two reschedulings of the space flight, the Noa put in at San Juan, Puerto Rico, for two days. She was underway on 19 February for the recovery station, located 200 miles WNW of San Juan. On 20 February, at precisely 14:40, five hours and 53 minutes after launch, Friendship 7 reentered the atmosphere with a loud sonic boom that was clearly audible in Noa. She sighted and recovered Lt. Col. John H. Glenn, Jr., USMC, Project Mercury astronaut, after he had completed three orbits of the Earth and splashed down three miles from the destroyer. Enthusiastic crewmen used white paint to draw circles around Glenn's footsteps when he stepped onto the ship's deck.[1] Col. Glenn remained aboard Noa for three hours before a helicopter transferred him to the Randolph (CV-15), the primary recovery ship.

Upon completion of recovery operations, the Noa returned to Mayport for ASW operations with Task Group Alpha until on 31 May. The Noa then conducted type training and midshipmen cruises out of her homeport between Mediterranean operational deployments and upkeep. She steamed for the Mediterranean on 3 August 1962 for a seven-month tour with the Sixth Fleet and on 8 February 1964 saw her stand out of Mayport for another six-month Mediterranean deployment.

Her regularly scheduled overhaul took place at Charlestown from September 1964 through January 1965, followed by a Mediterranean deployment from mid-May through 1 September. In early October 1965, the Noa steamed from Mayport for the Gemini VI recovery off the west coast of Africa. The flight was cancelled after the Agena-B rocket designed to launch a docking vehicle failed to achieve an orbital insertion.

The Noa then participated in training and Atlantic Fleet exercises, including "High Time", an amphibious exercise in the Caribbean from late January through early March 1966. She also served as a unit of the Gemini 8 recovery forces 14–17 March 1966. Her April–October deployment to the Mediterranean was followed by leave, upkeep and Lantflex (28 November – 15 December).

In January 1967, the Noa received two QH-50 DASH drone antisubmarine helicopters. She then served as school ship for the Fleet Sonar School at Key West (28 January – 11 February). "Operation Springboard" took her to the Caribbean 3–11 March and she steamed in Mediterranean waters June through November.

The Noa stood out of Mayport on 5 January 1968 to conduct a solemn mission – the burial at sea of George H. Flynt, YN1 (Ret.). Flynt's last wish was that his remains be consigned to the deep.

The Noa underwent regular availability and overhaul at Charleston commencing 8 January 1968. Work was completed 17 June and the destroyer was in Mayport on 25 June. Because of excessive vibration in her starboard shaft, the Noa returned to drydock at Charleston on 8 July for one week. She steamed for Guantanamo for refresher training after which she returned to Mayport on 11 September. Homeported once again the destroyer conducted maintenance and training and began preparation for deployment to the Pacific.

During October she was in restricted availability at Jacksonville, Florida, for boiler repairs. She rode out Hurricane Gladys on 19 October and then spent the rest of the year in training and in preparation for her deployment to the Western Pacific in 1969.

"1969 West Pac Cruise serving off the coast of the Republic of Vietnam proceeding within 12 Nautical Miles on at least two occasions, April and May of 1969. In May 1972, the Noa went to Guantanamo Bay for training. The ship was scheduled for overhaul and needed work done before she could again be deployed." In June – September 1972, Noa underwent overhaul at the Jacksonville, Fl shipyard. Repairs were made to the outer and inner hull. Lagging was replaced throughout the ship. Noa returned to Gitmo in November, 1972 for refresher training. She left Mayport for her last deployment as an American ship in January 1973, headed for the Middle East. Her deployment was a second one to the Middle East Force in the Indian Ocean and Arabian (Persian) Gulf. Because the Suez Canal was still mined from the Arab-Israeli war, [i]Noa[/i] went to the Indian Ocean via the Cape of Good Hope. She transited via Port of Spain, Trinidad, Recife, Brazil, Luanda, Angola, Laurenco Marques (Now Maputo) Mozambique and relieved in Port Louis, Mauritius. During the next months she operated in the Indian Ocean, Red Sea and Arabian (Persian) Gulf, visiting Diego Garcia, Chagos Archipelago, Diego Suarez Madagascar, Victoria, Seychelles, Djibouti, Mombasa, Kenya, Massawa, (then) Ethiopia Bandar Abbas, Iran. While there she was visited by the Shah. Later ports included Dubai, UAE where the Emir called upon the Captain and toured the ship. [i]Noa's[/i] Landing Party Team won Plaudits from COMMIDEAST for their preparation for and survey of Sir Abu Nu Air. During a mid-deployment visit to Bahrain, the ship underwent upkeep and restocking and enjoyed a visit by several wives of crewmen. She returned to Mayport in June, 1973 after being relieved in Mombasa Kenya.

Noa returned via the same route as her journey into the Middle east. She participated in Bilateral Operations with the Brazilian Navy while in Brazilian waters.

Noa was decommissioned on 31 October 1973. Then she was loaned to the Spanish Navy for less than two years. She was struck from the U.S. Naval Vessel Register on 2 June 1975.

The ship served in the Spanish Navy as Blas de Lezo (D65), named after Adm. Blas de Lezo y Olavarrieta (1689–1741). She was sold by the United States to Spain on 17 May 1978. Blas de Lezo was stricken and scrapped in 1991.

This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entries can be found here and here.

• Photo gallery of USS Noa at NavSource Naval History