Ordered 28 March 1957 Commissioned 10 September 1960 Construction started 16 June 1958 Length 133 m | Laid down 16 June 1958 Decommissioned 1 August 1990 Launched 8 September 1959 Builder Bath Iron Works | |
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Name Charles F Adams (DDG-2) Namesake Charles Francis Adams, III | ||
The uss charles f adams
USS Charles F. Adams (DDG-2), named for Charles Francis Adams, III (Secretary of the Navy from 1929 to 1933), was the lead ship of her class of guided missile destroyers of the United States Navy.
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History
The ship was laid down by the Bath Iron Works at Bath, Maine, on 16 June 1958, launched on 8 September 1959 by Mrs. R. Homans, sister of Mr. Adams, commissioned on 10 September 1960, and stationed in its homeport of Charleston, South Carolina.
Intended as a follow-on to the Forrest Sherman-class destroyers, the ship was originally designated as DD-952. Outwardly similar to the Sherman-class, Charles F. Adams was the first U.S. Navy ship designed from the keel up to launch anti-aircraft missiles. To reflect the increased capabilities of the ship and to distinguish her from previous destroyer designs, Charles F. Adams was re-designated DDG-2 prior to the ship's launching.
Following commissioning, Charles F. Adams took part in recovery operations for Walter M. Schirra's Mercury 8 mission. While engaged in this operation the Cuban Missile Crisis developed and Adams moved to the Caribbean Sea as part of the quarantine forces around the island of Cuba. In July 1969, Charles F. Adams left her homeport of Charleston and relocated to Mayport, Florida.
Decommission
Charles F. Adams was decommissioned and stricken from the Naval Vessel Register on 1 August 1990 and is being held for donation at Philadelphia Naval Shipyard in Pennsylvania. The Saginaw Valley Naval Ship Museum attempted to acquire the ship as a museum and memorial to be located in Bay City, Michigan; however, the cost of preparing the ship for movement through the Saint Lawrence Seaway proved too expensive and the project was abandoned.
Present Use
As of September 2008, Charles F. Adams remains at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard on Donation Hold status. She is currently scheduled to be preserved by the Adams Class Veteran's Association and the Jacksonville Historic Naval Ship Association (JHNSA) in Jacksonville, Florida. An application was delivered 31 March 2008.
In October 2010, the Jacksonville City Council supported efforts to bring the ship to that city as a museum. The preservation effort will require approximately $300,000 to tow the ship to Jacksonville, $3 million for repairs and restoration of the vessel, and $5 million to construct a pier to moor it. As of late 2013, the preservation groups had raised about $1.4 million. On 27 August 2014 the Jacksonville City Council approved a lease of city-owned riverfront property to the JHNSA and authorized the Downtown Investment Authority to manage the project. The groups expected to have the ship moored downtown on the St. Johns River by the end of 2015. Jacksonville Jaguars owner Shad Khan's proposal to develop the riverfront includes a location for the USS Adams.