THIRD DEPLOYMENT TO VIETNAM
In May 1972, the ship returned for her third and final combat tour in Vietnam. Along with guided missile cruisers USS Oklahoma City (CL-91) (CLG-5) and USS Providence (CL-82) (CLG-6) , as well as several screening destroyers, the Newport News took part in a high-speed night bombardment of Haiphong Harbor known as Operation Custom Tailor.
This was the largest cruiser/destroyer fleet in the Pacific since World War II. Military targets within four miles of Haiphong were hit and there was a lot of opposition. During the attack, the destroyer USS Hanson (DD-832) (DDR-832) entered the harbor to attack enemy shore batteries and other ships were able to mine the harbor entrance.
Then, in June 1972, the ship was in with Operation Linebacker which involved 64 aircraft carriers, cruisers, destroyers and supply ships of the U.S. 7th Fleet which was called the biggest American armada since World War II. This was the Nixon administration's air and naval campaign to prevent North Vietnam supplies from getting to South Vietnam.
--Cooter
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