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U.S.S. SEMMES
(DDG-18)DARE TO EXCEL
Click to view crew list
USS SEMMES (DDG-18) - a Charles F. Adams-class guided missle destroyer
In Commission 1962 to 1991DDG-18 Deployments - Major Events
Add a DDG-18 Shellback Initiation | Add a DDG-18 Deployment - Major Event | ||||
Month | Year | to | Month | Year | Deployment / Event |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
AUG | 1960 | - | Keel Date: 15 AUG 1960 at Avondale Marine | ||
MAY | 1961 | - | Launch Date: 20 MAY 1961 | ||
JAN | 1962 | - | APR | 1971 | West Pac-Viet Nam |
JUL | 1962 | - | NOV | 1962 | cuban missle crisis |
OCT | 1962 | - | OCT | 1962 | Guantanamo Bay - Cuban Missile Crisis |
DEC | 1962 | - | Commissioned: 10 DEC 1962 | ||
JAN | 1964 | - | DEC | 1966 | Antarctic Circle |
FEB | 1966 | - | JUL | 1966 | Mediterranean |
AUG | 1966 | - | Shellback Initiation - 3 AUG 1966 - Atlantic Ocean | ||
APR | 1967 | - | MAY | 1967 | Caribbean |
JUL | 1967 | - | FEB | 1968 | Mediterranean |
APR | 1968 | - | MAY | 1968 | Caribbean |
JUN | 1968 | - | DEC | 1968 | North Atlantic-Med-Indian Ocean |
JUN | 1968 | - | DEC | 1968 | North Atlantic-Med-Indian Ocean |
JAN | 1975 | - | MAY | 1976 | Mediterranean-Indian Ocean-Persian Gulf |
JAN | 1976 | - | JUN | 1976 | Mediterranean-Indian Ocean |
FEB | 1976 | - | Shellback Initiation - 14 FEB 1976 - Indian Ocean | ||
FEB | 1976 | - | Shellback Initiation - 14 FEB 1976 - Indian Ocean | ||
JAN | 1977 | - | JUN | 1977 | Mediterranean-West Africa |
OCT | 1979 | - | MAY | 1980 | Mediterranean |
JUL | 1981 | - | DEC | 1981 | Mediterranean-Indian Ocean |
APR | 1982 | - | OCT | 1982 | Mediterranean-Indian Ocean-Persian Gulf |
APR | 1984 | - | NOV | 1984 | Mediterranean |
JUN | 1986 | - | DEC | 1986 | gulf war |
APR | 1988 | - | OCT | 1988 | Mediterranean-Indian Ocean-Persian Gulf |
APR | 1991 | - | Decommissioned: 14 APR 1991 |
DDG-18 General Specifications
Class: Charles F. Adams-class guided missle destroyer
Named for: Raphael Semmes
Complement: 24 Officers and 330 Enlisted
Displacement: 3277 tons
Length: 437 feet
Beam: 47 feet
Flank Speed: 33 knots
Range: 4 500 nautical miles
Final Disposition:Sold to Greece
USS SEMMES (DDG-18)
The second Semmes (DDG-18) was laid down on 18 August
1960 at Avondale Shipyards, Inc., Westwego, La.; launched on 20 May 1961; sponsored by Mrs. F. E.
Hebert; and commissioned on 10 December
1962, Comdr. Richard G. Alexander in
command.
Following shakedown, Semmes joined Destroyer Division
(DesDiv) 62, Destroyer Squadron (DesRon) 6, at Charleston, S.C., in July
1963; and, into the summer of 1964, participated in various fleet exercises in
the Atlantic and Caribbean. Toward the end of that summer, she
sailed east for a six-week NATO exercise, Masterstroke/Teamwork, in the
North Atlantic-Norwegian Sea area; and, on 22 September, she crossed the
Arctic Circle. Two months later, on 28 November, she deployed to the
Mediterranean for her first tour, of four months, with the 6th
Fleet. She returned to Charleston in time to participate in the 2d Fleet's exercises
during the spring of 1965. She then took part in support operations off the
Dominican Republic.
From February to July 1966, the guided missile destroyer
conducted her second tour with the 6th Fleet; and, on her return to the
United States, changed her home port from Charleston to Norfolk, effective 1
August, in anticipation of her first major overhaul at the Norfolk
Naval Shipyard. In April 1967, Semmes resumed operations
with refresher training in the Caribbean. In July, she rejoined DesRon 6
at Charleston; and, in August, she deployed for her third tour with the 6th
Fleet. She participated in fleet and NATO exercises into January
1968; then returned to Charleston, arriving on the 31st for a month's rest
before resuming operations in the Caribbean and off the east coast.
On 10 June, Semmes again sailed east. During that month and
into July, she visited Germany and Denmark; then turned south for another
6th Fleet deployment. On 15 November, she was relieved by John King (DDG-3)
at Rota, Spain; and, 11 days later, she returned to Charleston where she
remained in port for the rest of the year.
In January 1969, she cleared Charleston to oarticipate in ASW
and Springboard exercises in the Puerto Rican operating area; then
returned to her homeport. In April, she returned to the Caribbean for 2d Fleet
exercises.
Through the summer, Semmes continued to conduct exercises
in the Caribbean and off the southeastern seaboard. In late September, she
again crossed the Atlantic for a seven-month deployment with the 6th
Fleet; and, on 10 February 1970, while moored at Naples, she was
struck by the Greek freighter, SS Mautric. The damage
sustained to her bow was quickly repaired; and, before the end of the month,
she had resumed operations. By mid-March, she had arrived at Barcelona for
turnover with Conyngham (DDG-17). On the 18th, she departed the
Mediterranean; and, on the 28th, she returned to Charleston.
During 1971, her schedule remained basically the same; but
her annual tour with the 6th Fleet, 16 July to 11 October, was followed by
visits to the Netherlands and to Denmark for binational and NATO operations.
On 20 December, Semmes returned to South Carolina; and, in January
1972, she entered the Charleston Naval Shipyard for conversion of her
engineering plant to the Navy Distillate Fuel Oil System. With the spring,
she resumed operations off the east coast and in the Caribbean. In
September, she participated in NATO exercise "Strong Express," which
again took her above the Arctic Circle and which was followed by visits
to Norway and Denmark. In October, she returned to Charleston. In
November, she conducted exercises in the Caribbean; and, in December, she prepared for
another deployment in the Mediterranean with NATO's Standing Naval Force,
Atlantic.
After sea trials in the Charleston operating area, Semmes got
underway from that port on 4 January 1973. She arrived in Portsmouth,
England, on the 15th, joining the NATO naval force there. For the next
seven months, the guided missile destroyer cruised the Atlantic
visiting ports on both sides of that ocean and participating in three
exercises: NATO Exercise Sunny Seas, in January and February; Canadian Exercise
MARCOT 2/73, in April and May; and Norwegian Exercise Midnight Sun
in June. On 1 July, Semmes changed operational control back
to the 2d Fleet and, nine days later, returned to Charleston.
Following a month of post-deployment standdown, from 10
July until 10 August, she resumed operations along the eastern seaboard and in
the Caribbean. In November and December, she took part in Exercises "Fun
in the Sun" and LANTREADEX 2-74. Semmes reentered
Charleston on 19 December to prepare for overhaul. As of 31 July 1974, she
is still in Charleston completing overhaul.
[Note: The above USS SEMMES (DDG-18) history may, or may not, contain text provided by crew members of the USS SEMMES (DDG-18), or by other non-crew members, and text from the Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships]