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U.S.S. HENRY B. WILSON

(DDG-7)

MAGNIFICENT SEVEN

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USS HENRY B. WILSON (DDG-7) - a Charles F. Adams-class guided missle destroyer

In Commission 1960 to 1989

DDG-7 Deployments - Major Events

Add a DDG-7 Shellback Initiation Add a DDG-7 Deployment - Major Event
Month Year to Month Year Deployment / Event
FEB1958-Keel Date: 28 FEB 1958
at Defoe Shipbuilding Company Bay City MI
APR1959-Launch Date: 22 APR 1959
DEC1960-Commissioned: 17 DEC 1960
MAR1961-Shellback Initiation - 27 MAR 1961 - Pacific Ocean
JUN1965-NOV1965West Pac-Viet Nam
DEC1967-OCT1968West Pac-Viet Nam
JAN1968-JUL1968West Pac-Viet Nam
FEB1968-AUG1968West Pac-Viet Nam
JUN1968-JUN1968Damaged by Enemy gunfire
JUL1968-Shellback Initiation - 17 JUL 1968 - Pacific Ocean
OCT1969-APR1970West Pac-Viet Nam
JUN1971-DEC1971West Pac-Viet Nam
JUN1971-DEC1971West Pac
NOV1971-Shellback Initiation - 28 NOV 1971 - Pacific Ocean
JUN1972-FEB1973West Pac
JUN1972-FEB1973West Pac-Viet Nam
JUN1972-FEB1973West Pac
JAN1975-SEP1975Mayaguez Rescue - May 12-15 1975
OCT1975-Shellback Initiation - 2 OCT 1975 - Pacific Ocean
OCT1976-MAR1977West Pac
OCT1976- Shellback Initiation - 2 OCT 1976 - Pacific Ocean
AUG1979-FEB1980West Pac
FEB1981-SEP1981West Pac
SEP1981-JUL1982Overhaul- Northwest Shipyard, Swan Island, Portland, Oregon
MAR1983-JAN1984West Africa
FEB1986-AUG1987Mediterranean-Indian Ocean-Persian Gulf
APR1986-Shellback Initiation - 22 APR 1986 - Pacific Ocean
APR1986- Shellback Initiation - 26 APR 1986 - Indian Ocean
DEC1988-JUN1989West Pac
OCT1989-Decommissioned: 2 OCT 1989
OCT1991- Shellback Initiation - 18 OCT 1991 - Atlantic Ocean

DDG-7 General Specifications

Class: Charles F. Adams-class guided missle destroyer

Named for: Henry Braid Wilson

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:Sunk as target ship 15 August 2003



USS HENRY B. WILSON (DDG-7)



Henry B. Wilson (DDG-7) was launched 22 April 1959 by Defoe Shipbuilding Co., Bay City, Mich.; sponsored by Mrs. Patrick J. Hurley, daughter of Admiral Wilson ; and commissioned 17 December 1960, Comdr. L. D. Caney in command.

One of a new class of destroyers built from the keel up to fire guided missiles, Henry B. Wilson was the first ship of her size to be side-launched and when launched was the largest warship ever constructed on the Great Lakes. Because of these unique circumstances, she was christened not with the traditional champagne but with a bottle filled with water from the Great Lakes, the St. Lawrence River, and the Atlantic Ocean. Following shakedown in the Caribbean she arrived in early May 1961 at her new home port, San Diego. During the months that followed Henry B. Wilson conducted tests and drills of her missile systems, fleet exercises, and type training.

The guided missile destroyer sailed 6 January 1962 for duty in the Western Pacific, the first ship in that region to be armed with Tartar missiles. Stopping at Pearl Harbor and Yokosuka, she carried out antisubmarine exercises until returning to the United States 19 July 1962.

Training off the California coast, punctuated with several missile firings, occupied Henry B. Wilson until 17 October 1963, when she sailed with carrier Kitty Hawk for duty with 7th Fleet in the Western Pacific. During the next 5 months she operated as part of America's mobil peacekeeping fleet between Japan and the Philippines. After returning to San Diego 16 April 1964, she resumed ASW and fire support operations.

Henry B. Wilson sailed on her third deployment to the Far East 4 June 1965. Arriving Subic Bay, Luzon, 21 June, she became flagship for Destroyer Squadron 21, then began rescue and air defense picket duty in the Gulf of Tonkin 31 July, along with shore bombardment support. As escort for Midway (CV-41), she departed Subic Bay 7 November and arrived San Diego the 24th.

After a year's operation off the West Coast, Henry B. Wilson departed San Diego for the Far East 5 November 1966. She resume picket duty off Vietnam 23 December. During the first 3 months of 1967 she cruised the South China Sea and Gulf of Tonkin, performing search and rescue missions and pounding enemy coastal positions in support of ground operations. She returned to San Diego early in May.

Henry B. Wilson (DDG-7) decommissioned on 2 October 1989 and was sunk as a target in the Pacific Ocean on 15 August 2003.

[Note: The above USS HENRY B. WILSON (DDG-7) history may, or may not, contain text provided by crew members of the USS HENRY B. WILSON (DDG-7), or by other non-crew members, and text from the Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships]