Search the Site with

General Characteristics

Crew List

Memorabilia

Accidents aboard the Ship

Cruise Books

About the Ship's Name

History

Image Gallery

to end of page

USS Charles F. Adams (DDG 2)

- formerly DD 952 -
- decommissioned -

USS CHARLES F. ADAMS was the lead ship of the CHARLES F. ADAMS class and the first ship in the Navy built and commissioned as a guided missile destroyer. Initially, CHARLES F. ADAMS was designated DD 952 but in June 1957, this was changed to DDG 2.

USS CHARLES F. ADAMS was stricken from the navy list on November 20, 1992, and was subsequently laid up at the Naval Inactive Ship Maintenance Facility (NISMF), Philadelphia, PA. Initially retained for donation as a museum ship, the Navy reversed the ship's status in December 2018 and the CHARLES F. ADAMS was later sold for scrapping. She left Philadelphia under tow for Brownsville, Tx., on August 26, 2020. Scrapping was completed on May 19, 2021. She was last homeported in Mayport, Fla.

General Characteristics:	Awarded: March 28, 1957
	Keel laid: June 15, 1958
	Launched: September 8, 1959
	Commissioned: September 10, 1960
	Decommissioned: August 1, 1990
	Builder: Bath Iron Works, Bath, Maine.
	Propulsion system:4 - 1200 psi boilers; 2 geared turbines
	Propellers: two
	Length: 437 feet (133.2 meters)
	Beam: 47 feet (14.3 meters)
	Draft: 20 feet (6.1 meters)
	Displacement: approx. 4,500 tons
	Speed: 31+ knots
	Aircraft:none
	Armament: two Mk 42 5-inch/54 caliber guns, Mk 46 torpedoes from two Mk-32 triple mounts, one Mk 16 ASROC Missile Launcher, one Mk 11 Mod.0 Missile Launcher for Standard (MR) and Harpoon Missiles
	Crew: 24 officers and 330 enlisted

go to the end of the page

Crew List:

This section contains the names of sailors who served aboard USS CHARLES F. ADAMS. It is no official listing but contains the names of sailors who submitted their information.

Click here to view the list.

go to the end of the page

Click here to see which USS CHARLES F. ADAMS memorabilia are currently for sale on ebay.

go to the end of the page

Accidents aboard USS CHARLES F. ADAMS:

Date	Where	Events
February 10, 1970	Naples Harbor, Italy	USS SEMMES (DDG 18) is heavily damaged and USS SAMUEL B. ROBERTS (DD 823), USS CHARLES F. ADAMS and USS YELLOWSTONE (AD 27) are slightly damaged when a Greek freighter sideswipes the four ships in Naples Harbor, Italy.

go to the end of the page

USS CHARLES F. ADAMS Cruise Books:

go to the end of the page

About the Ship's Name:

Charles Francis Adams, born 2 August 1866 in Quincy, Mass., graduated from Harvard College in 1888 and from Harvard Law School in 1892. A successful lawyer, business man, outstanding civic leader, and well-known yachtsman and ocean racer, he served as Secretary of the Navy from 1929 to 1933. He vigorously promoted public understanding of the Navy's indispensable role in international affairs, and worked strenuously to maintain naval strength and efficiency during a period of severe economic depression. He served at the London Naval Conference in 1930 where he successfully maintained the principle of United States naval parity with Great Britain. He died in 1954 and is buried in Mount Wollaston Cemetery, Quincy, Mass., where the two Presidents, who were his ancestors, lie with other members of this distinguished American family.

go to the end of the page

go to the end of the page

Ship's History:

On June 15, 1958, the keel was laid for the first destroyer planned and built as a guided missile ship for the United States Navy, at Bath Iron Works, Bath, Maine. This was the birth of USS CHARLES F. ADAMS, first of 21 ships of her class. She was launched on Maine's Kennebec River on September 8, 1959 by Mrs. Robert Homans, sister of the namesake, and commissioned on September 10, 1960.

Equiped with ASROC, TARTAR guided missile system, six conventional Torpedo tubes and two 5”/54 caliber gun mounts, CHARLES F. ADAMS conducted intensive technical evaluations following her commissioning. The ship participated in Project Mercury manned space flight recovery operations in the Fall of 1962. Following CDR Schirra’s orbital flight on October 3, 1962 and the successful recovery, CHARLES F.ADAMS proceeded to Norfolk to commence her duties as surface to surface TARTAR missile school ship. This was a first, both for CHARLES F. ADAMS and the Navy. While engaged in these duties, the Cuban missile crisis developed and CHARLES F. ADAMS took her place in the Caribbean as one of the ships actively involved in the quarantine and surveillance operations.

During Operation SPRINGBOARD 1964, she along with two other ships, worked with USS SARATOGA (CVA 60) to evaluate a new concept in tactical formations, the first carrier task group. After completing, she made the first of her Mediterranean deployments in November 1964.

In April 1968, CHARLES F. ADAMS became only the second guided missile destroyer in history to hit a surface target ship with a TARTAR missile.

In July 1969, the ship left her homeport of eight years, Charleston, SC. and moved to her new home, Mayport, Florida.

In 1972, CHARLES F. ADAMS found herself as a member of the Standing Naval Forces Atlantic, where she operated in a task group with ships from Canada, Great Britain, The Federal Republic of Germany, Portugal, the Netherlands and Turkey.

In August of 1973, CHARLES F. ADAMS departed on an eventful cruise, stopping in many countries not normally visited by United States Navy ships. Transiting the South Atlantic, CHARLES F. ADAMS first stopped at Recife, Brazil, then transited straight across the Atlantic, rounding the Cape of Good Hope and visiting Angola, Mozambique, Mauritius, Kenya, and many other African countries during an eight month Middle East deployment.

During regular overhaul at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard in 1975, CHARLES F. ADAMS became authorized to conduct twin drop-zone helicopter flight operations. Also during the 1975 overhaul, CHARLES F. ADAMS gained a new MK-42 Mod 10 5”/54 gun system, a new Gunfire Control system, including a forward looking Infra-Red sensor unit, and a Laser ranging unit. She also received a 39A height finding radar unit.

1976 saw CHARLES F. ADAMS deployed as a test platform for the Gunnery Improvement Program.

After making Mediterranean deployments in 1977 and 1978, CHARLES F. ADAMS once again entered the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard where more changes were made on the weapons systems, including the addition of the new twin-dome PAIR sonar system and HARPOON surface-to-surface missile capabilities.

On November 19, 1980, CHARLES F. ADAMS began her first major deployment in two years. December 17, 1980 brought CHARLES F. ADAMS under control of the SEVENTH Fleet for Indian Ocean operations with the USS INDEPENDENCE (CV 62) Battle Group. During the 204 day Indian Ocean deployment CHARLES F. ADAMS steamed over 65,000 miles, crossed the Equator eight times, transited the Cape of Good Hope and Suez Canal and visited Banbury, Australia, the farthest east CHARLES F. ADAMS had ever sailed in her twenty year career.

On June 14, 1982, CHARLES F. ADAMS departed Mayport for her second STANAVFORLANT deployment.During the six-month tour, CHARLES F. ADAMS operated with the forces of and visited England, France, Norway, Belgium, Denmark, Holland and Germany. Upon her return, CHARLES F. ADAMS once again entered Philadelphia Naval Shipyard for regular overhaul.

During this overhaul, CHARLES F. ADAMS received the SLQ-32, a chaff deployment system, and a major revamping of shipboard air conditioning systems. Additionally, major structural work was accomplished along with other alterations to ensure reliable and effective operations during the next operating period.

On February 1. 1984, CHARLES F. ADAMS completed overhaul and returned to Mayport, Florida. The remainder of 1984 was spent training. The ship made a Caribbean cruise for weapons systems training and completed Refresher Training at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. In October she spent 20 days patrolling Central America and in November she participated in COMPTUEX 1-85.

In November 1985, CHARLES F. ADAMS underwent Law Enforcement Operations with the Coast Guard in the Caribbean. From January 1986 until March, CHARLES F. ADAMS remained in homeport for a three month Selective Restricted Availability. In April 1986 she participated in Exercise Ocean Venture 86 in the Caribbean. In October she once again got underway for CASTEX in the Caribbean with COMCRUDESGRU 8.

December 30, 1986, CHARLES F. ADAMS and her crew departed for her Mediterranean 1-87 Deployment.

go to the end of the page

USS CHARLES F. ADAMS Image Gallery:

The photos below were taken by Brian Barton on October 13, 2008, and show the CHARLES F. ADAMS laid up at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard.

The photos below were taken by me on November 7, 2008, and show the CHARLES F. ADAMS laid up at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard.

Click here to view more photos.

The photos below were taken by me and show the CHARLES F. ADAMS still laid up at Philadelphia, Penn., on October 26, 2010, awaiting possible use as a museum.

The photos below were taken by Michael Jenning and show the CHARLES F. ADAMS still laid up at Philadelphia, Penn., on October 16, 2015.

The photo below was taken by Michael Jenning and shows the CHARLES F. ADAMS still waiting for better times at Philadelphia, Penn., on October 17, 2016.

The photo below was taken by Michael Jenning and shows the CHARLES F. ADAMS laid up at Philadelphia, Penn., on October 7, 2018.

Back to Destroyer list.

Back to ships list.

Back to selection page.

Back to 1^st page.