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USS W. S. Sims (FF-1059)
Encyclopedia
The USS W. S. Sims (FF-1059) was a of the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
in commission from 1970 to 1991. She was named for William Sims
William Sims
William Sowden Sims was an admiral in the United States Navy who sought during the late 19th and early 20th centuries to modernize the Navy. During World War I he commanded all United States naval forces operating in Europe...
.
Construction and commissioning
W. S. Sims was laid down on 10 April 1967 by Avondale Shipyards, Inc., Westwego, LouisianaWestwego, Louisiana
Westwego is a city in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, United States, and a suburb of New Orleans. The population was 10,763 at the 2000 census. It lies along the west bank of the Mississippi River.-Geography:...
, launched
Ship naming and launching
The ceremonies involved in naming and launching naval ships are based in traditions thousands of years old.-Methods of launch:There are three principal methods of conveying a new ship from building site to water, only two of which are called "launching." The oldest, most familiar, and most widely...
on 5 January 1969, sponsored by Mrs. Robert H. Hopkins, and commissioned
Ship commissioning
Ship commissioning is the act or ceremony of placing a ship in active service, and may be regarded as a particular application of the general concepts and practices of project commissioning. The term is most commonly applied to the placing of a warship in active duty with its country's military...
on 3 January 1970, with C. M. Plumly in command.
History
Following an extended fitting-out period at the Charleston Naval ShipyardCharleston Naval Shipyard
Charleston Naval Shipyard was a U.S. Navy ship building and repair facility located along the west bank of the Cooper River, in North Charleston, South Carolina and part of Naval Base Charleston...
and a restricted availability at Jacksonville Shipyard for correction of minor construction faults, W. S. Sims became fully operational in June 1970 and proceeded to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, for shakedown training. After a two and one-half month post-shakedown availability at the Charleston Naval Shipyard to correct deficiencies uncovered during shakedown and to install additional equipment, W. S. Sims put to sea in November to evaluate the feasibility of installing the Light airborne multi-purpose system
Light airborne multi-purpose system
Light Airborne Multi-Purpose System is the United States Navy's program that developed manned helicopters that assist the surface fleet in anti-submarine warfare.*SH-2 Seasprite *SH-60 Seahawk...
(LAMPS). She was the first ship of her class to have a manned helicopter land on her deck; and, during the next four days, she successfully demonstrated the capability of these new ships to operate manned helicopters. Upon completion of the testing, the escort proceeded to her home port, Mayport, Florida, for the holiday season.
On 11 January 1971, W. S. Sims left Mayport with personnel from the Key West Testing and Evaluation Detachment embarked. The project consisted of six cruises, numbered 0 to 5, where W. S. Sims operated with various types of submarines in order to determine the capabilities and limitations of the installed long range underwater sound detection equipment. The tests continued throughout the year and took the escort to such ports as New Orleans; Fredriksted, St. Croix; San Juan, Puerto Rico
San Juan, Puerto Rico
San Juan , officially Municipio de la Ciudad Capital San Juan Bautista , is the capital and most populous municipality in Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 395,326 making it the 46th-largest city under the jurisdiction of...
; and Nassau, Bahamas
Nassau, Bahamas
Nassau is the capital, largest city, and commercial centre of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas. The city has a population of 248,948 , 70 percent of the entire population of The Bahamas...
.
The ship returned to Mayport in time for Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving (United States)
Thanksgiving, or Thanksgiving Day, is a holiday celebrated in the United States on the fourth Thursday in November. It has officially been an annual tradition since 1863, when, during the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a national day of thanksgiving to be celebrated on Thursday,...
and, between 22 November and 31 December 1971, was involved in a fleet standdown period during which officials representing the squadron, flotilla, and type commanders conducted a series of inspections.
The final cruise for the Key West testing project began on 4 January 1972. W. S. Sims returned to Mayport on 15 January and spent the next month preparing for operations with the 6th Fleet.
On 15 February 1972, the ocean escort sailed for the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
to participate in "LantFltRedEx 2-72" and then proceeded on to the Mediterranean. On 10 March, W. S. Sims inchopped to the 6th Fleet and took part in various antisubmarine exercises besides visiting Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, and Naples
Naples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. From 27 March to 6 April, the destroyer escort and maintained a close surveillance of Soviet naval units in the south central Mediterranean.
W. S. Sims visited Gaeta
Gaeta
Gaeta is a city and comune in the province of Latina, in Lazio, central Italy. Set on a promontory stretching towards the Gulf of Gaeta, it is 120 km from Rome and 80 km from Naples....
, Italy, and Golfe Juan, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, before taking part in Operation "Quickdraw", a combined United States and Italian naval exercise held on 17 April. A visit to Sanremo
Sanremo
Sanremo or San Remo is a city with about 57,000 inhabitants on the Mediterranean coast of western Liguria in north-western Italy. Founded in Roman times, the city is best known as a tourist destination on the Italian Riviera. It hosts numerous cultural events, such as the Sanremo Music Festival...
, Italy, and tender availability at Naples followed the exercise.
On 8 May 1972, the ship joined in a combined naval exercise, Operation "Dawn Patrol", with British, French, and Italian warships. After visiting Sfax
Sfax
Sfax is a city in Tunisia, located southeast of Tunis. The city, founded in AD 849 on the ruins of Taparura and Thaenae, is the capital of the Sfax Governorate , and a Mediterranean port. Sfax has population of 340,000...
, Tunisia
Tunisia
Tunisia , officially the Tunisian RepublicThe long name of Tunisia in other languages used in the country is: , is the northernmost country in Africa. It is a Maghreb country and is bordered by Algeria to the west, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Its area...
, W. S. Sims conducted special surveillance operations on Soviet submarines from 23 May to 10 June. The ship then participated in Operation "Good Friendship" with the Turkish Navy
Turkish Navy
The Turkish Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the Turkish Armed Forces.- Ottoman fleet after Mudros :Following the demise of the Ottoman Empire in the aftermath of World War I, on November 3, 1918, the fleet commander of the Ottoman Navy, Liva Amiral Arif Pasha, ordered all flags to be...
and a second Operation "Quick Draw" with the Italian Navy
Italian Navy
Italian Navy may refer to:* Pre-unitarian navies of the Italian states* Regia Marina, the Royal Navy of the Kingdom of Italy * Italian Navy , the navy of the Italian Republic...
. During August, the crew enjoyed leave at Sanremo, Italy; Barcelona, Spain; and Theoule, France. When relieved W. S. Sims late that month, the latter headed home and returned to Mayport on 5 September.
Upon completing a month-long standdown period, the ship commenced an extended availability at the Jacksonville Shipyards, Jacksonville, Florida, which lasted through the end of the year and the first three months of 1973. The ship then carried out post-availability sea trials. The discrepancies which the testing uncovered were corrected by 9 April. The following day, the ocean escort steamed south to Roosevelt Roads, Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
, and joined the surface missile fleet in gunfire support exercises conducted at the Atlantic Fleet weapons range, Culebra Island.
On 8 May 1973, W. S. Sims arrived at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, for refresher training, but an engineering casualty soon forced her to return to Mayport for repairs. When the corrections had been made, she returned to Cuba and conducted refresher training from the end of May to mid-June. Upon returning to Mayport, the ship executed a LAMPS workup from 17 June to 9 July.
From 12 to 26 July, W. S. Sims participated in "LantRedEx 1-74" in the Caribbean. As her next assignment, the ship evaluated the basic point defense missile. The ocean escort returned to her home port on 10 August, enabling the crew to enjoy a period of leave and liberty.
W. S. Sims sailed for North Atlantic and Mediterranean operations on 14 September. Upon arrival, the ship held a LAMPS demonstration for the Royal Netherlands Navy in Amsterdam. At the time of W. S. Sims
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
was in a state of war. For the first month and one-half, the ocean escort's duties involved operations in support of United States interests in the Middle East crisis. From 26 to 30 November, W. S. Sims guarded the King of Morocco embarked on the French luxury liner Roussilion en route to the Arab oil conference held in Algiers
Algiers
' is the capital and largest city of Algeria. According to the 1998 census, the population of the city proper was 1,519,570 and that of the urban agglomeration was 2,135,630. In 2009, the population was about 3,500,000...
, Algeria
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
. The King, as a gesture of gratitude, sent the officers and men a gift of three tons of oranges, tangerines, sardines, and orange juice. After visiting Naples, Italy, and Rota, Spain, W. S. Sims spent the 1973 holiday season at Valencia, Spain.
On 4 January 1974, W. S. Sims stood out of Valencia harbor to operate with . After a visit to Rota and exercises with , the escort ship participated in a search for survivors of a small British trawler; and four of six missing sailors were recovered. On 25 January, she proceeded via Gibraltar
Gibraltar
Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. A peninsula with an area of , it has a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region...
to Casablanca
Casablanca
Casablanca is a city in western Morocco, located on the Atlantic Ocean. It is the capital of the Grand Casablanca region.Casablanca is Morocco's largest city as well as its chief port. It is also the biggest city in the Maghreb. The 2004 census recorded a population of 2,949,805 in the prefecture...
, Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
, where she arrived on 1 February. The following day, the Soviet military attache came on board for a special tour of the ship. After brief stops at Rota and at Bermuda, W. S. Sims arrived at Mayport on 14 February.
1975–1980
During March and April, the ship took part in interim-sea-control ship-evaluation operations in waters between Jacksonville and Charleston. She returned to her home port on 27 April and underwent various inspections. The escort ship commenced tender availability on 6 May. On 1 July 1975, W. S. Sims was reclassified a frigate and redesignated FF-1059.On 7 August, W. S. Sims sailed for the Portsmouth (New Hampshire) Naval Shipyard for repairs in drydock. She returned to Mayport on 19 September and spent the rest of the year and the first part of 1975 in training and in improving the physical condition of the ship.
On 15 April 1975, the frigate joined in Fleet Exercise "Agate Punch" which involved naval air, surface, subsurface, and land forces. The exercise ended on the 27th, and W. S. Sims proceeded to the naval weapons station where she offloaded weapons in preparation for going into the shipyard in June.
The ship suffered an engineering casualty on 30 April and was towed to Charleston for repairs. Upon her arrival back at Mayport on 8 May, W. S. Sims commenced a month-long tender availability. The escort ship got underway on 11 June for Philadelphia for a nine-month overhaul. The ship went into drydock on 21 June and remained there until 8 December; and, after she was refloated, work renewing the ship continued into the spring of 1976.
After tests and sea trials in the Virginia capes area, the ship returned to Mayport on 14 April 1976. From the 23d to the 27th of that month, W. S. Sims was moored at Port Everglades and then got underway for Andros Island and trials to evaluate new antisubmarine warfare equipment. She next returned to Mayport and conducted operations in the Jacksonville area.
W. S. Sims arrived at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, on 23 May and spent the next five weeks in intensive training. After an operational readiness evaluation and gunfire support qualifications at Roosevelt Roads, Puerto Rico, the ship returned to Mayport on 2 July. Tender availability occupied the month of July and continued into August. After completing several inspections, W. S. Sims got underway on 2 September for a North Atlantic crossing.
En route, she participated in Operation "Joint Effort", a series of exercises conducted in a task group environment. On 14 September, W. S. Sims was 700 yards (640.1 m) aft of when collided with that carrier and searched the nearby waters for any men who might have been thrown overboard.
The North Atlantic cruise was divided into four separate operations. "Joint Effort", conducted during the crossing, was a workup phase. "Teamwork 76" was a major NATO exercise involving the forces of the United States, Great Britain, Belgium, Denmark, West Germany, the Netherlands, and Norway. It included a show of strength in the North Cape area. "Baltic Operations" was conducted in the Baltic Sea and was an exercise in fleet steaming in a confined area. "Bonded Item", the final exercise, was an exercise designed around an amphibious assault at Jutland.
On 27 October 1976, W. S. Sims departed Edinburgh, Scotland; headed home; and arrived at Mayport on 9 November. The ship spent the remainder of 1976 and January 1977 in availability. Shipyard work and underway training occupied February. On 1 March, a propulsion examining board embarked; and the ship passed in all respects. During the remainder of the month, the escort ship prepared for an upcoming deployment.
W. S. Sims departed Mayport on 30 March, bound for Lisbon
Lisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
, Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
, and a six and one-half month Mediterranean deployment. A severe storm with 20- to 30 feet (9 m) seas, encountered en route, damaged the main mast to the point where it had to be supported by riggings of mooring lines. As a result, the ship arrived in Rota rather than Lisbon and remained there from 12 April to 13 May undergoing repairs.
The destroyer escort then conducted operations in the areas of Crete, Greece, Tunisia, and Sicily. W. S. Sims arrived at Alexandria, Egypt, on 8 August and, during her visit there, was visited by the American consul general, the Governor of Alexandria, and the Commander in Chief of the Egyptian Navy. She then departed for Augusta Bay, Sicily
Augusta Bay, Sicily
coordinates: 37°13'N 15°14'E The Augusta Bay is located on the east coast of Sicily, Italy, about 270 nm south-southeast of Naples.It is the location of the Auguate Bay Port Facility which supports the Sixth Fleet of the US Navy. The facility is distributed among Porto Megarese, Porto Xifonio and...
.
"National Week XXIII" began on 15 August and consisted of intensive war games involving both 6th Fleet task groups, elements of the Italian Navy, and American Air Force planes. The exercise concluded on 22 August when the fleet anchored off Taranto
Taranto
Taranto is a coastal city in Apulia, Southern Italy. It is the capital of the Province of Taranto and is an important commercial port as well as the main Italian naval base....
, Italy, for debriefing.
The crew enjoyed a port visit to Palma de Mallorca
Palma de Mallorca
Palma is the major city and port on the island of Majorca and capital city of the autonomous community of the Balearic Islands in Spain. The names Ciutat de Mallorca and Ciutat were used before the War of the Spanish Succession and are still used by people in Majorca. However, the official name...
, Spain, before going to sea for "Bystander" operations near Gibraltar. After a tender availability at Naples, W. S. Sims joined the NATO Exercise "Display Determination"—already in progress—on 24 September. When the exercise ended, the escort ship acted as the sole escort for as they visited Malaga and Rota, Spain. On 14 October, W. S. Sims, along with Independence and several other ships, departed Rota and arrived at Mayport on the 21st.
The ship spent most of November undergoing tender availability and, on the 28th, participated in Operation "Marcot", a joint operation with the Canadian Navy.
On 3 December, while operating near Bermuda
Bermuda
Bermuda is a British overseas territory in the North Atlantic Ocean. Located off the east coast of the United States, its nearest landmass is Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, about to the west-northwest. It is about south of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, and northeast of Miami, Florida...
, the ship lost all power due to an engineering failure. The ship had no power to any equipment except those powered by batteries. An aircraft responded to distress flares and contacted surface ships in the area. responded and came alongside, "skin to skin" on the high seas, with all lines tripled. In the midst of six-foot swells, there began heavy movement between the two ships causing frequent contact, buckling several frames in the midships section, and causing considerable superficial damage to the starboard side. After temporary repairs were made, all lines were cleared, and W. S. Sims returned to home port for repairs. The year 1977 ended with the destroyer escort in restricted availability, conducting repairs on both diesels and structural repairs to the starboard side.
W. S. Sims remained in restricted availability into March 1978. On the 8th, she joined units of the 2d Fleet in the Caribbean for Exercise "Safepass "78". The ship then proceeded north to provide services for . After refueling at New London, Connecticut, W. S. Sims arrived back at Mayport on 24 March and began an upkeep period until 6 April.
After successfully undergoing an operational propulsion plant exam, the frigate got underway for the Caribbean and Exercise "Comptuex;" then headed up the Cooper River
Cooper River (South Carolina)
The Cooper River is a mainly tidal river in the U.S. state of South Carolina. These cities are located along the river, Mt. Pleasant, Charleston, North Charleston, Goose Creek and Hanahan. Short and wide, it is joined first by the blackwater East Branch, then farther downstream, the tidal Wando River...
to moor at the Charleston Naval Station on 27 April. After onloading weapons, the ship returned to her home port for availability and upkeep which lasted through 5 June.
W. S. Sims conducted tests and inspections at sea, followed by an in port period from 13 to 28 June during which she completed preparations for the upcoming Mediterranean cruise. On 29 June, the frigate sailed for her fourth and longest Mediterranean cruise. Following her Atlantic crossing, the ship arrived in Malaga on 9 July. After a brief run to Naples, she received on board Admiral H. E. Shear, Commander in Chief, Allied Forces, Southern Europe.
The ship got underway on 29 July for Augusta Bay, Sicily, and for operations in the Ionian Sea
Ionian Sea
The Ionian Sea , is an arm of the Mediterranean Sea, south of the Adriatic Sea. It is bounded by southern Italy including Calabria, Sicily and the Salento peninsula to the west, southern Albania to the north, and a large number of Greek islands, including Corfu, Zante, Kephalonia, Ithaka, and...
. "National Week XXV" was held from 23 July to 5 August. After visiting ports in Greece, she participated in "Anti-Aircraft Warfare Week" and returned to Naples on 21 August. During the last week of August, the Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral Thomas B. Hayward
Thomas B. Hayward
Admiral Thomas Bibb Hayward was Chief of Naval Operations for the United States Navy from July 1, 1978, until June 30, 1982, after which he retired from military service. He is a 1947 graduate of the United States Naval Academy...
, paid a visit to tour the ship.
The month of September found W. S. Sims taking part in Operation "Ocean Missilex" in the eastern Mediterranean; Operation "Display Determination-78", a combined NATO operation; and conducting antisubmarine warfare exercises with a Greek destroyer squadron and an opposing Greek submarine. The end of the month found W. S. Sims conducting tests with French submarine Daphne and NATO's oceanographic research ship Maria Paola Gee.
Upon returning to La Spezia
La Spezia
La Spezia , at the head of the Gulf of La Spezia in the Liguria region of northern Italy, is the capital city of the province of La Spezia. Located between Genoa and Pisa on the Ligurian Sea, it is one of the main Italian military and commercial harbours and hosts one of Italy's biggest military...
, Italy, on 2 November 1978, the ship took part in "Antisubmarine Warfare Week" from 7 to 14 November and then underwent intermediate maintenance availability at Cartagena, Spain
Cartagena, Spain
Cartagena is a Spanish city and a major naval station located in the Region of Murcia, by the Mediterranean coast, south-eastern Spain. As of January 2011, it has a population of 218,210 inhabitants being the Region’s second largest municipality and the country’s 6th non-Province capital...
. The frigate arrived at Toulon, France, on 9 December for a 10-day visit. W. S. Sims spent the holiday season from 21 December until the year ended in Alicante
Alicante
Alicante or Alacant is a city in Spain, the capital of the province of Alicante and of the comarca of Alacantí, in the south of the Valencian Community. It is also a historic Mediterranean port. The population of the city of Alicante proper was 334,418, estimated , ranking as the second-largest...
, Spain.
Late in January 1979, W. S. Sims departed Malaga; and she arrived at Mayport in February. She remained at her home port through May preparing for an upcoming shipyard period. After a brief visit to Portland, Maine, W. S. Sims reported to the Bath Iron Works
Bath Iron Works
Bath Iron Works is a major American shipyard located on the Kennebec River in Bath, Maine, United States. Since its founding in 1884 , BIW has built private, commercial and military vessels, most of which have been ordered by the United States Navy...
, Bath, Maine, on 7 May 1979 for an overhaul.
She was scheduled to return to Mayport in March 1980 and resume operations.
- [1979-1991]
Decommissioning and disposal
W. S. Sims was decommissionedShip decommissioning
To decommission a ship is to terminate her career in service in the armed forces of her nation. A somber occasion, it has little of the elaborate ceremony of ship commissioning, but carries significant tradition....
on 6 September 1991 and stricken from the Naval Vessel Register
Naval Vessel Register
The Naval Vessel Register is the official inventory of ships and service craft in custody of or titled by the United States Navy. It contains information on ships and service craft that make up the official inventory of the Navy from the time a vessel is authorized through its life cycle and...
on 11 January 1995. She was transferred to Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
on 21 December 1999 as a parts hulk.