USS Cape St. George (CG-71)

USS Cape St. George (CG-71): Named for Arleigh Burke's Fight

Commissioned on 12 June 1993, USS Cape St. George was named for the Battle of Cape St. George on 25 November 1943, where Captain Arleigh Burke's Destroyer Squadron 23 intercepted a Japanese resupply mission off New Ireland and destroyed three destroyers without loss. It was the battle that solidified Burke's reputation as the most aggressive and tactically creative destroyer commander in the Pacific War. His superiors' standing order to return by dawn had already earned him the nickname "31-Knot Burke" for the speed at which he pushed his ships. Cape St. George added the tactical mastery that would eventually put him in the Chief of Naval Operations chair.

Burke's destroyer tactics at Cape St. George, Empress Augusta Bay, Vella Gulf, and a dozen other engagements across the Solomons campaign defined how the U.S. Navy fought surface warfare at night and under pressure. Naming a ship for one of his victories was a statement about the institutional memory the Navy chose to keep.

USS Cape St. George deployed to the Middle East during Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003, firing Tomahawk cruise missiles at Iraqi strategic targets as part of the campaign's opening strikes. Her combat deployment added a real-world engagement to the battle heritage her name carried. She continued operational service through subsequent years, deploying regularly to the Mediterranean and Persian Gulf.

Tactically Acquired's USS Cape St. George (CG-71) collection honors Arleigh Burke's night fighting destroyers and the crew that carried his battle's name into Iraq.