Guided Missile Cruiser DLG 22 / CG 22 - USS England
Type, Class:		Guided Missile Cruiser; Leahy - class; built as DLG 22; redesignated to CG 22 on June 30, 1975
Builder:		Todd Shipyards Corp., Seattle, Washington, USA
STATUS:		Awarded: ? Laid down: October 4, 1960 (as DLG 22) Launched: March 6, 1962 (as DLG 22) Commissioned: December 7, 1963 (as DLG 22) Redesignated CG 22: June 30, 1975 Decommissioned: January 21, 1994 Fate: Sold for scrap to International Shipbreaking LTD, Brownsville, Texas. Scrapping completed October 20, 2004.
Homeport:		-
Namesake:		Ensign John Charles England (1920-1941)
Ship’s Motto:		-
Technical Data: (Measures, Propulsion, Armament, Aviation, etc.)		see: INFO > Leahy - class Guided Missile Cruiser
ship images
1992 1992 1992 Subic Bay, Philippines - 1992 Subic Bay, Philippines - 1992 1991 1991 1990 1990 off Phuket, Thailand - 1990 1989 Persian Gulf - 1989 1989 1988 1988 1988 1988 1988 1988 1988 1985 1985 1985 USS England (CG 22) with USS Midway (CV 41) during replenishment with USNS Navasota (T-AO 106) - 1983 1983 1983 1983 excerpt from image above 1983 with a sovjet IL-38 aircraft - 1979
John Charles England
Namesake & History:
Ensign John Charles England (1920 – 1941): John Charles England was born in Harris, Missouri, on December 11, 1920. His family then moved to Alhambra, California. He attended Alhambra High School, as did his sister Lennie England (Bemiss). He was president of his graduating class in 1938, acted in the senior play, was a member of the Light and Shadow drama club and Senior Hi-Y. He was voted Yell King of his senior class according to his sister Lennie. He later attended Pasadena City College, Pasadena, California graduating in 1940. He was a Yell King on the Pep Commission, a member of the Players Guild, were he was in the cast of their annual fall presentation of, "Bachelor Born". J.C. was also a member of Delta Psi Omega, a national honorary dramatics fraternity which he acted in their annual spring production, "Outward Bound". J.C. graduated in spring, 1940. He enlisted in the United States Naval Reserve as an Apprentice Seaman at Los Angeles on September 6, 1940. After active duty training on board the USS New York from November 25, to December 21, 1940 he attended Naval Reserve Midshipman's School, New York, N.Y. and was appointed Midshipman, USNR, March 6, 1941. He completed his training on June 5 and was commissioned Ensign, USNR, June 6, 1941. He was next assigned duty under instruction at the Naval Radio School, Norton Heights, Connecticut, reporting June 20, 1941. Upon detachment from school, he reported on September 3, 1941 to the USS Oklahoma at Pear Harbor. During this period he had also married and in early December he was eagerly awaiting the arrival of his wife and three week old daughter (Victoria Louise England) who were due to arrive in a few days. He had never seen his daughter. On the morning of December 7, 1941, just four days from his 21st birthday John C. England volunteered to work in the ship's radio room for a friend so that he might have more time with his family when they arrived. That morning the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor and the USS Oklahoma was one of their first targets. Oklahoma was moored Battleship Row 7, outboard alongside Maryland. USS Oklahoma took 3 torpedo hits almost immediately after the first Japanese bombs fell. As she began to capsize, 2 more torpedoes struck home, and her men were strafed as they abandoned ship. Within 20 minutes after the attack began, she had swung over until halted by her masts touching bottom, her starboard side above water, and a part of her keel clear. Ensign England survived the initial attack and escaped topside as the ship was capsizing. He remembered the men still in the radio room. He returned three times to the radio room, each time guiding a man to safety. He left to go back below decks for the fourth time and was never seen again. He was one of twenty officers and 395 enlisted men were killed on board USS Oklahoma that morning. Ensign England's gallant effort saved three, but cost him his life. His family would hear of his death by Postal Telegram sent by Rear Admiral Nimitz on December 16, 1941.
USS England (DLG 22 / CG 22): USS England (DLG-22/CG-22) was laid down 4 October 1960 by Todd Shipyards Corp.; launched 6 March 1962; and commissioned 7 December 1963. While under construction 30 March 1962, England suffered an explosion and fire at San Pedro, CA which injured eighteen workmen before the fire is brought under control. She received an anti-air warfare upgrade at Bath Iron Works 10 April 1970 to 26 June 1971. In the mid-1980s it was recognized that advances in Soviet made air-to-surface missiles necessitated a new upgrade to missile cruisers and England received the New Threat Upgrade (NTU) at Long Beach Naval Shipyard from October 1986 to October 1987. Decommissioned and stricken 21 January 1994 she was transferred to Maritime Administration custody 22 February 1994 and laid up at Suisan Bay CA. > more history wanted …
patches
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