Charles F Adams (DDG 2) - Naval Cruise Book

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OUR GREAT LADY AND HER RECORD On June 1 6, 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 (DDG-2), first of 21 ships in her class. She is named for Charles Francis Adams, great, great grandson of John Adams, second president of the United States. Charles F. Adams was noted for his untiring efforts to keep the Navy a power in international affairs while Secre- tary of the Navy in 1929-1933 in spite of an apathetic and economy minded public. A fine yachtsman, Charles F. Adams captained the 1921 America ' s Cup winner. USS CHARLES F. ADAMS was launched on Maine ' s Kennebec River on September 8, 1959 by Mrs. Robert Homans, sister of the namesake. Equipped with ASROC, TARTAR guided missile system, six conventional Torpedo tubes, and two 5 54 caliber gun mounts, CHARLES F. ADAMS conducted intensive tech- nical evaluations following commissioning. CHARLES F. ADAMS participated in the 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, CHARLES F. ADAMS along with two other ships, worked with USS SARATOGA (CV-60) to evaluate a new concept in tactical formations, the fast earner task group. CHARLES F. ADAMS made the first of her Mediterranean deployments in November 1964. In April 1968, CHARLES F. ADAMS became only the second DDG in history to hit a surface target ship with a TARTAR missile. In July 1969, CHARLES F. ADAMS left her homeport of eight years, Charleston, S.C. and moved to her new home, Mayport, Florida. CHARLES F. ADAMS became FLAGSHIP for DESRON 24 duhng her 1969 Mediterranean deployments. 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 counthes 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 Ship- yard in 1975, CHARLES F. ADAMS became authorized to conduct twin drop-zone helicopter flight operations. Also dunng 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. CHARLES F. ADAMS also received a 39A height finding radar unit.

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CHARLES F. ADAMS 1866-1954 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 Phila- delphia 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 INDE- PENDENCE (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 Bunbury, Australia, the farthest east CHARLES F. ADAMS had ever sailed in her twenty year career. On June 1 4, 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 SLO-32, a chaff deployment system, and a major revamping of shipboard air conditioning systems. Additionally, major structural work was accomplished along with other altera- tions 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 re mainder of 1984 was spent training. The CHARLES F. ADAMS made a Caribbean cruise for weapons systems training and com- pleted Refresher Training at Guantanmo Bay, Cuba. In October she spent 20 days patrolling Central America and in November she participated in COMTUEX-1-85. USS CHARLES F. ADAMS (DDG-2), first in her class of guided missile destroyers, is currently assigned as a unit of Destroyer Squadron TWELVE, and is homeported in May- port, Florida.