THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, September 19, 1995 TAG: 9509190044
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B7 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: STAFF REPORT
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Short : 44 lines
Uncertain weather produced by Hurricane Marilyn offshore has rushed a portion of the homebound ships in the carrier Theodore Roosevelt battle group.
Meanwhile, the others are steaming south, around the storm, counting on an end run that will bring them all home by Friday.
The good news, the Navy said, is that none of the 14 ships appears to be delayed by the storm.
Four of the 10 Norfolk-based ships in the group will arrive today after speeding up at the last minute. They got ahead of the storm, which is traveling north toward Bermuda, more than 600 miles from the United States.
Rather than have the four ships wait offshore until Thursday, the Navy has told them to get in quickly. Little chance exists that any ships in port at Norfolk will have to be moved because of the storm, officials said.
Ships scheduled to arrive today are:
The guided-missile cruiser Ticonderoga, arriving at Pier 10 of the Norfolk Naval Station at 8:30 a.m.
The guided-missile destroyer Arleigh Burke, Pier 25 at 9 a.m.
The guided-missile frigate Hawes, Pier 4 at 9:30 a.m.
The guided-missile frigate Kauffman, Pier 5 at 10 a.m.
The Theodore Roosevelt is scheduled to arrive at 7:30 a.m. Friday, with its air wing flying off for land bases beginning at 7 a.m. Thursday. A single squadron of 14 F-14 Tomcat fighters from Fighter Squadron 41 is to land at Oceana Naval Air Station about 11 a.m. Thursday.
Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron 124, based at the Norfolk Naval Air Station, is scheduled to arrive before noon Thursday.
The guided-missile cruiser Mississippi is scheduled to arrive Friday, along with the amphibious ships Kearsarge, Pensacola and Nashville. No times or pier locations are available.
Arrival times for the remaining ships - the submarines Key West and Montpelier - also have not been determined. by CNB