A listing of all Adams Class DDGs
DDG-02 Charles F. Adams
Laid down by Bath Iron Works, Bath ME. on June 16 1958. Launched September 8 1959 and commissioned September 10 1960. Originally classified as DD- 952, Classification changed to DDG- 2 April 23 1957. Decommissioned November 20 1992, 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.
DDG-03 John King
Laid down by Bath Iron Works, Bath ME. on August 25 1958. Launched January 30 1960 and commissioned February 4 1961. Originally classified as DD- 953, Classification changed to DDG- 3 April 23 1957. Decommissioned March 30 1990, Stricken from the navy list January 12 1993. Sold July 25 1995, Repossessed, and was berthed at the Naval Inactive Ship Maintenance Facility (NISMF), Philadelphia, PA. On February 10, 1999, the ship was finally sold for scrap.
DDG-04 Lawrence
Laid down by New York Shipbuilding on October 27 1958. Launched February 27 1960 and commissioned January 6 1962. Originally classified as DD- 954, Classification changed to DDG- 4 April 23 1957. Decommissioned March 30 1990, Stricken May 16 1990. Sold April 15 1994, Repossessed, and was berthed at the Naval Inactive Ship Maintenance Facility (NISMF), Philadelphia, PA. On February 10, 1999, LAWRENCE was sold for scrapping.
DDG-05 Claude V. Ricketts (Ex-Biddle)
Laid down by New York Shipbuilding on May 18 1959. Launched June 4 1960 and commissioned May 5 1962. Originally classified as DD- 955, Classification changed to DDG- 5 April 23 1957. Renamed Claude V. Ricketts on July 28 1964. Decommissioned October 31 1989, Stricken June 1 1990. Sold April 15 1994, Contract terminated 10/01/96 Repossessed. Scrapping currently 30% completed. Currently berthed at Philadelphia, awaiting disposal..
DDG-06 Barney
Laid down by New York Shipbuilding on August 10 1959. Launched December 10 1960 and commissioned August 11 1962. Originally classified as DD- 956, Classification changed to DDG- 6 April 23 1957. Decommissioned December 17 1990, Stricken November 20 1992. Sold April 15, 1994, Repossessed, and was berthed at the Naval Inactive Ship Maintenance Facility (NISMF), Philadelphia, PA. The ship was later sold to Metro Machine Corp., Norfolk, VA for scrapping which was completed in February 2006.
DDG-07 Henry B. Wilson
Laid down by Defoe Shipbuilding, Bay City Mich. on February 28 1958. Launched April 22 1959 and commissioned August 11 1960. Originally classified as DD- 957, Classification changed to DDG- 7 April 23 1957. Decommissioned October 2 1989, Stricken January 26 1990. Sold June 20 1994 to Consolidated Minerals for conversion into power barge but was repossessed by the Navy on March 22, 1999. The HENRY B. WILSON spent the nest years berthed at Benicia, CA, as part of the Suisun Bay Reserve Fleet before she was towed to Mare Island in preparation for her SINKEX. The HENRY B. WILSON was finally sunk as a target on August 15, 2003, off the coast of southern California.
DDG-08 Lynde McCormick
Laid down by Defoe Shipbuilding, Bay City Mich. on April 4 1958. Launched July 28 1959 and commissioned June 3 1961. Originally classified as DD- 958, Classification changed to DDG- 8 April 23 1957. Decommissioned October 1 1991, Stricken November 20 1992. Sold June 20 1994 to Consolidated Minerals for conversion into power barge berthed in San Francisco. On February 24, 2001, the ship was finally sunk as a target.
DDG-09 Towers
Laid down by Todd – Pacific Shipyards, Seattle on April 1 1958. Launched April 23 1959 and commissioned June 6 1961. Originally classified as DD- 959, Classification changed to DDG- 9 April 23 1957. Decommissioned at Yokosuka on October 1 1990. She was towed to the Inactive Ship Maintenance Facility at Pearl Haror and Stricken May 26, 1992. Plans to convert her into a barge were cancelled, and ultimately the guided-missile frigate USS Sides (FFG-14) sank her as a target in a fleet training exercise (SINKEX) off the coast of California on October 9, 2002.
DDG-10 Sampson
Laid down by Bath Iron Works, Bath ME. on March 2 1959. Launched May 21 1960 and commissioned June 24 1961. Decommissioned June 14 1991, Stricken November 20 1992. Sold July 25 1995. SAMPSON was repossessed by the US Navy on March 14, 2000 after the scrap yard failed to dismantle the ship in a timely manner. On February 10, 2003 the Navy issued a contract to Metro Machine of Philadelphia, PA to dismantle the SAMPSON for #2,900,000. SAMPSON was completely dismantled on October 15, 2003.
DDG-11 Sellers
Laid down by Bath Iron Works, Bath ME. on August 3 1959. Launched September 9 1960 and commissioned October 28 1961. Decommissioned October 31 1989, Stricken November 20 1992. Sold July 25 1995, Repossessed, was berthed at the Naval Inactive Ship Maintenance Facility (NISMF), Philadelphia, PA until sold for scrapping in 2004.
DDG-12 Robison
Laid down by Defoe Shipbuilding, Bay City Mich. on April 28 1959. Launched April 27 1960 and commissioned December 9 1961. Decommissioned October 1 1991, Stricken November 20 1992. Sold June 20 1994 to Consolidated Minerals for conversion into power barge. The US Navy changed plans and the hull of the ROBISON eventually was sunk off the coast of South Carolina as part of the Marine Resources Division of the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources artificial fishing reef project.
DDG-13 Hoel
Laid down by Defoe Shipbuilding, Bay City Mich. on August 3 1959. Launched August 4 1960 and commissioned June 16 1972. Decommissioned October 1 1990, Stricken November 20 1992. Sold to Charleston Shipbuilders Inc. for conversion to a power barge on June 20 1994. In 1997, the ship was towed to Manaus, Brazil, to provide the city with electricity. However, electricity output was too low and the project was stopped again. Today, the hulk of the HOEL is still located at Manaus, Brazil.
DDG-14 Buchanan
Laid down by Todd – Pacific Shipbuilding, Seattle on April 23 1959. Launched May 11 1960 and commissioned February 7 1962. Decommissioned October 1 1991, Stricken November 20 1992. On June 13, 2000 she was allocated to be sunk as a target during RIMPAC 2000 as part of Operation SINKEX. She finally was scuttled on June 14, 2000 by the detonation of 200 pounds of explosives that had been placed aboard her. She lay 64 miles off Hawaii in a depth of 2,540 fathoms.
DDG-15 Berkeley
Laid down by New York Shipbuilding on August 29 1960. Launched July 29 1961 and commissioned December 15 1962. Decommissioned May 1 1992, Stricken October 1 1992. Sold To Greece October 1 1992 and Renamed as H.S.Themistoces (DD-221). Decommissioned by the Hellenic Navy of Greece on 18 Feb, 2002. She was sold for scrap on February 19, 2004.
DDG-16 Joseph Strauss
Laid down by New York Shipbuilding on December 27 1960. Launched December 9 1961 and commissioned April 20 1963. Decommissioned February 1 1990, Stricken October 1 1992. Sold To Greece October 1 1992 and Renamed FORMION. There she remained in service until decommissioned on July 29, 2002. Subsequently laid up at Souda Bay, Crete, the ship was sold for scrapping on February 19, 2004.
DDG-17 Conyngham
Laid down by New York Shipbuilding on May 1 1961. Launched May 19 1962 and commissioned June 13 1963. Decommissioned October 20 1990, Stricken May 31 1991. Sold April 15 1994 and broken up for scrap by J&L Metals, Wilmington N.C. during 1995.
DDG-18 Semmes
Laid down by Avondale Marine, Avondale LA. on August 15 1960. Launched May 20 1961 and commissioned December 10 1962. Decommissioned April 14 1991, Stricken September 13 1991. To Greece September 13 1991. Renamed Kimon. She was decommissioned on June 17, 2004, placed in reserve at Souda Bay, Crete until scrapped fall 2006.
DDG-19 Tattnall
Laid down by Avondale Marine, Avondale LA. on November 14, 1960. Launched August 26, 1961 and commissioned April 13, 1963. Decommissioned January 18, 1991, Stricken June 12, 1993, TATTNALL was stored at the Naval Inactive Ships Maintenance Facility, Philadelphia, PA. She was sold for scrapping to International Shipbreaking Ltd., Brownsville, Texas, on February 10, 1999, towed to Brownsville by salvage tug Eisbeth III starting March 18, 1999 and dismantled at Brownsville between April 12, 1999 and March 22, 2000.
DDG-20 Goldsborough
Laid down by Puget Sound Bridge & Dredging, Seattle on January 3, 1961. Launched December 15, 1961 and commissioned November 9, 1963. Decommissioned April 29, 1993, Stricken April 29, 1993. Sold to Australia September 17, 1993 and was cannibalized for spare parts. After all useable parts had been removed, the ship was sold to Indian Shipbreakers. In late 1994, GOLDSBOROUGH was towed from Sydney to Goa, India where she was finally scrapped.
DDG-21 Cochrane
Laid down by Puget Sound Bridge & Dredging, Seattle on July 31, 1961. Launched July 18, 1962 and commissioned March 21, 1963. Decommissioned October 1, 1990, Stricken November 20, 1992. COCHRANE was berthed in Pearl Harbor before being sold as scrap to International Shipbreaking Inc. of Brownsville, Texas on November 14, 2000.
DDG-22 Benjamin Stoddert
Laid down by Puget Sound Bridge & Dredging, Seattle on June 11, 1962. Launched January 8, 1963 and commissioned September 12, 1964. Decommissioned December 20, 1991, Stricken November 20, 1992. On September 7, 1995, she was transferred to the Maritime Administration and was berthed at its National Defense Reserve Fleet at Suisan Bay, CA to await disposal. On February 3, 2001, while under tow to Brownsville, Texas, for scrapping, the BENJAMIN STODDERT sank in the Pacific.
DDG-23 Richard E. Byrd
Laid down by Todd – Pacific Shipyards, Seattle on April 12, 1961. Launched February 6, 1962 and commissioned March 7, 1964. Decommissioned April 27, 1990, Stricken October 1, 1992. Was given to the Hellenic Navy in Greece October 1 1992 and was cannibalized for spare parts.
DDG-24 Waddell
Laid down by Todd – Pacific Shipyards, Seattle on February 6 1962. Launched February 26 1963 and commissioned August 28 1964. Decommissioned Octobber 1 1992, Stricken October 1 1992. Sold to Greece October 1 1992 and renamed NEARCHOS. NEARCHOS was decommissioned from the Greek Navy on June 3, 2004 and was scuttled as a target on May 29, 2006.
DDG -25 ( Perth )
Laid down by Defoe Shipbuilding, Bay City Mich on September 21, 1962. Launched September 26, 1963 and entered service as HMAS Perth (D 38). PERTH was decommissioned on October 15, 1999. The destroyer was gifted to the Western Australian government in December of 1999. She was scuttled as a dive wreck off the coast of Albany, Western Australia, on November 24, 2001
DDG -26 ( Hobart )
Laid down by Defoe Shipbuilding, Bay City Mich on October 26, 1962. Launched January 9, 1964 and commissioned in the RAN on December 18, 1965 as HMAS Hobart (D 39). Built for the Australian Navy it served until May 12, 2000. She was given to the South Australian government by the Australian Dept of Defense in August of 2000. The ship was sunk as a dive wreak on November 2002 in Yankalilla Bay, South Australia.
DDG -27 ( Brisbane )
Laid down by Defoe Shipbuilding, Bay City Mich on February 15, 1965. Launched May 5, 1966 and was commissioned into the RAN on December 7, 1967 as HMAS Brisbane (D 41). Built for the Australian Navy, it served until October 19, 2001. BRISBANE was eventually marked for scuttling as a Dive wreck off the coast of Queensland. She was sunk approximately 2.8 nautical miles off the coast of Mudjimba, Sunshine Coast, Queensland, on July 31, 2005in 27 meters (89ft) of water.
DDG -28 ( Lutjens )
Laid down by Bath Iron Works, Bath ME on March 1, 1966 with the Hull Classification of DDG-28. Launched August 11, 1967 and commissioned in the West German Navy on March 22, 1969 as Lutjens (D185). LUTJENS served in the German Navy until its decommission on December 18, 2003.
DDG -29 ( Molders )
Laid down by Bath Iron Works, Bath Me. on April 12, 1966 with Hull Classification DDG-29. Launched April 13, 1968. On April 13, 1967 it was commissioned Molders (D186). MOLDERS was built for the (Former West German) German Navy and served until May 28, 2003. Molders is now on display as a museum ship at the Deutsches Marine Museum at Wihelmshaven. Molders is the sole surviving member of the Charles F. Adams class destroyers.
DDG -30 ( Rommel )
Laid down by Bath Iron Works, Bath ME on August 22, 1967 with Hull Classification of DDG-30. Launched February 1, 1969. The vessel was commissioned on May 2, 1970 as Rommel (D187). Built for the (Former West German) German Navy, the Rommel served until September 30, 1998. She was towed to Wilhelmshaven to be cannibalized for spare parts to support her two sister ships, Lutjens and Molders. These two vessels continued to serve for five more years. In 2004 the hull of ROMMEL was scrapped in Turkey.