History

USS Wichita (LCS 13) - Commissioned on 12 January 2019 in Mayport, Florida at Mayport Naval Station. It is the third US Navy vessel to bear the name of Kansas’ largest city. Wichita is homeported at Naval Station Mayport, FL. Since commissioning, Wichita has been designated as the training ship for Mine Division Two Two, responsible for training MCM variant LCS crews at sea.

USS Wichita (CA 45) – The first warship to bear this city’s name was the heavy cruiser USS Wichita (CA 45).  Built in the 1930s and commissioned in February, 1939, Wichita saw action in the Mediterranean in support of Operation Torch before transferring to the Pacific Theater and playing crucial roles in the Battles of the Philippine Sea and Leyte Gulf.  Additionally, she was crucial in the shore bombardment and fire support during the invasion of Okinawa.  Wichita was decommissioned in 1946 following World War II.

USS Wichita (AOR 1) – Second in the line of ships was USS Wichita (AOR 1), lead ship in the Wichita-class of replenishment ships.  Wichita was commissioned on June 7, 1969, and sailed west to her homeport of Long Beach, California.  Throughout the Vietnam War, Wichita was indispensable in her support of deployed ships in the Western Pacific.  She continued to deploy to the Pacific in support of numerous multi-national exercises until March, 1993 when she was decommissioned.