USS Sampson DDG 10 / Rear Admiral William Thomas Sampson / Charles F. Adams class Guided Missile Destroyer – US Navy

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Guided Missile Destroyer
DDG 10 - USS Sampson
		USS Sampson (DDG 10)						US Navy photo
Type, Class:		Guided Missile Destroyer; Charles F. Adams - class; planned and built as DDG 10;
Builder:		Bath Iron Works, Bath, Maine, USA;
STATUS:		Awarded: January 17, 1958 Laid down: March 2, 1959 Launched: May 21, 1960 Commissioned: June 24, 1961 Decommissioned: June 24, 1991 Fate: Stricken November 20, 1992; Sold for scrap.
Homeport:		-
Namesake:		Named after and in honor of Rear Admiral William Thomas Sampson (1840 – 1902); > see history, below;
Ship’s Motto:		> FORTES FORTUNA JUVAT <
Technical Data: (Measures, Propulsion, Armament, Aviation, etc.)		see: INFO >> Guided Missile Destroyer / Charles F. Adams – Class
Pictures, photos & more ...
William Thomas Sampson
Photo credits: US Navy, US Naval Historical Center
Namesake & History:
Rear Admiral William Thomas Sampson (9. Februar 1840 – 6. Mai 1902)
Born at Palmyra, New York , February 9, 1840. Appointed to the United States Naval Academy September 24, 1857, and graduated at the head of his class in 1861. He subsequently earned an LLD degree from Harvard in 1899. Married to Margaret Sexton Aldrich, 1863. Married second time to Elizabeth Susan Buring, 1882. He was promoted to Master, 1861 and commissioned as a Lieutenant July 16, 1862. He was Executive Officer on the ironclad USS Patapsco when it was blown up by mine in Charleston harbor. He was blown into water, but then rescued.  Advanced to Lieutenant Commander, July 25, 1866, Commander, August 9, 1874, Captain, March 1889. He was Superintendet of the Naval Academy, 1886-90. An expert on ordnance, torpedoes, etc. With Lieutenant Joseph Strauss, he devised-perfected superimposed turrets introduced into the Navy in February 1898. He was President, Board of Inquiry as to cause of the destruction of the USS Maine in Havana Harbor, February 15, 1898, and after a declaration of war with Spain he commanded the North Atlantic Squadron with the rank of acting Rear Admiral. Promoted to Commodore, 1898, Rear Admiral, 1899. During the Spanish-American war his command numbered 125 vessels, the strongest ever organized for hostile purposes. His fleet captured many Spanish merchant vessels and blockade runners and finally defeated the Spanish fleet under Admiral Cevera. Appointed, September 1898, one of three commanders to Cuba. Resumed command of North Atlantic fleet, December 1898. Commandant, Boston USN Yard, Oct 14, 1899. In 1865-67 he served on the USS Colorado in European Squadron, advancing to Lieutenant Commander, Jul 1866. Again at USNA 1868-71, and, after service on the USS Congress in 1872 and European station in 1873 and promotion to Commander in August 1874, he returned for third tour, 1874-78, as head of Physics Department. 1879-82 he commanded USS Swatara in the Asiatic Squadron, after 2 years as Assistant Superintendent of the Naval Observatory in Washington, DC, during which time was delegate to International Prime Meridian Conference, October 1884, he commanded the Naval torpedo station at Newport from 1884 to 1886. September 1886 named Superintendent of the Naval Academy.  Promoted to Captain in March 1889, he left the Academy in 1890 to command the USS San Francisco. 1893-97 he was Chief of the Bureau of Ordnance, where under his leadership much progress was made in such matters as introduction of smokeless powder and improvement of gunnery training. Jun 1897 given command of new battleship Iowa, joining the North Atlantic Squadron as senior Captain. During February-March 1898 served as president of the Naval Board investigating the sinking of the Maine in Havana harbor. In the latter month he was advanced to acting Rear Admiral, and named to succeed the ailing Montgomery Sicard in command of the North Atlantic Squadron.  On declaration of war against Spain in April, he proceeded from Key West to institute a blockade of northern coast of Cuba, his own plan to attack Havana directly having been overruled by the Navy Department. In May while location of the Spanish fleet under Admiral Cevera was yet unknown, he made a cruise east to Puerto Rico and on May 12 bombarded San Juan. He then returned to blockade and joined by "Flying Squadron" under Winfield Scott Schley, who, though technically his senior, was placed under his command for the campaign. He sent Schley to reinforce the blockade of the southern coast, particularly at Cienfuegos and Santiago. Schley was tardy in movements, and Cevera slipped undetected into easily defended harbor at Santiago. When he was finally discovered there, Sampson concentrated his forces outside the harbor. He supported landing of Shafter's army at Daiquiri, June 22, and the capture of Siboney next day, and the subsequent advance to Santiago. Following capture of San Juan heights commanding the city on July 1 he and Shafter arranged a shore conference to plan a coordinated land-sea assault. On morning of July 3 aboard the USS New York, headed for the conference point some miles to east. Half an hour later the first of Cevera's ships appeared, steaming out of harbor to west. The Blockade Squadron, under the immediate command of Schley, went instantly into action and in less than 4 hours entire Spanish fleet was sunk or run ashore. The battle took place entirely to west of harbor entrance, and the New York was out of it altogether. Considerable controversy ensued, with Schley, who had been present aboard the USS Brooklyn, quickly becoming hero of day in papers, while the Navy Department and most knowledgeable observers credited Sampson's training, preparation, and standing orders with the squadron's success. A dispute, bitter at times, delayed promotions for both men for nearly a year. During September-December 1898 in Cuba as 1 of 3 US commissioners. He was made permanent Rear Admiral in March , and resumed command of his squadron until October 1899. He commanded the Boston Navy Yard until October 1901, waiting orders from then until hie retirment, February 1902. He died on May 6, 1902, at Washington, DC and it was originally suggested that he be buried at the Naval Academy. He was, however, subsequently buried in Section 21 of Arlington National Cemetery.
USS Sampson (DDG 10):
USS Sampson was laid down by the Bath Iron Works at Bath in Maine on 2 March 1959, launched on 21 May 1960 by Mrs. John S. Crenshaw and commissioned on 24 June 1961, Commander Forrester W. Isen in command. Following shakedown off Guantanamo Bay in September, Sampson tested and evaluated the Tartar Missile System off Puerto Rico. Homeported at Norfolk, she conducted further tests and trials in early 1962 before joining Destroyer Squadron 18 (DesRon 18) and Destroyer Division 182 (DesDiv 182) in July. Composed completely of missile ships, DesRon 18 was then the most modern squadron in the Navy. Further radar and missile tests followed in 1963; and, in July, Sampson operated in the Midshipman Training Squadron. Finally, in January 1964, Sampson fired two Tartar missiles under simulated combat conditions. During 1964, she also underwent her first regular overhaul, and received missile replenishment at sea from helicopters. In January 1965, Sampson sailed for her first Mediterranean deployment, but an electrical fire on the night of 14 January caused extensive damage to her fire control capability and forced her to abbreviate her deployment and enter the Norfolk Naval Shipyard for repairs on 15 March. The destroyer returned to fleet duties on 24 June. While conducting gunnery exercises, on 17 July, Sampson spotted the 50-foot sailing sloop, Cecelia Anna, flying distress signals and rescued her 6 crewmen and mascot puppy moments before the sloop sank. In 1966, Sampson conducted gunnery exercises and escort duties near Guantanamo Bay, Cuba; then, in March, she deployed to the Mediterranean for extensive operations with the 6th Fleet. She returned to Norfolk, Virginia in August. On 28 November, following three weeks of exercises in the Caribbean and additional tests, Sampson got underway to participate in exercise “Lantflex 66” in which she provided ASW and AAW services for the ASW carrier, Wasp (CVS-18), and conducted exercises in the Puerto Rico operating area before returning to Norfolk in December. Sampson deployed to the Mediterranean in mid-1967. While there, a Sampson radarman rescued a German seaman from the harbor at El Ferrol de Caudillo, Spain. Leaving the 6th Fleet at the end of August 1967, Sampson steamed back to the United States, and soon shifted to her new home port of Charleston, South Carolina. Sampson operated out of Charleston in the Atlantic and Caribbean during 1968 until again deploying to the Mediterranean in October. She returned to Charleston in January 1969 and resumed operations in the Atlantic and the Caribbean until redeploying to the Mediterranean in October of that year. After six months with the 6th Fleet, she returned to Charleston on 28 March 1970. Sampson operated out of Charleston in the western Atlantic until 23 September, when, after only two days notice, she got underway for special operations in the Mediterranean. She spent the month of October cruising first with John F. Kennedy (CVA-67), then with Saratoga (CV-60), during the latest Levantine crisis. On 1 November, she stood out of Barcelona, Spain, to return to the United States. Sampson entered the mouth of the Cooper River on the 12th, moored at Charleston, and began a leave and upkeep period. She ended 1970 and began 1971 in Charleston. During the first three months of the new year, she operated in the vicinity of the British West Indies; then prepared for overseas movement. On 9 April, following exercises and type training, Sampson steamed out of Charleston, passed Fort Sumter, and headed for the Mediterranean. She cruised with the 6th Fleet for six months, participating in exercises with both American and NATO forces. By 16 October, the guided missile destroyer was back in port at Charleston. She spent the rest of 1971 preparing for regular overhaul. For four months, from 4 January until 4 May 1972, Sampson underwent the first Compressed Regular Overhaul ever attempted on a DDG. From mid-May until 9 July, she was underway for post-overhaul trials, exercises, and refresher training. She was in Charleston during the period 9 July to 18 August, at which time Sampson stood out for her new home port, Athens, Greece. She stopped at Rota, Spain, ten days later and entered Phaleron Bay on 3 October. The guided missile destroyer remained in the Mediterranean, based at Athens, throughout 1973 and into 1974. In April 1974, she was in port at Athens. In 1976, Commander Albert L. Bartels assumed command. While under command of CDR James F. Chandler, SAMPSON deployed to Med & Persian Gulf in November 1982. After exiting Red Sea on the way to the Persian Gulf, SAMPSON chased & observed the Soviet carrier MINSK & cruiser TASHKENT, cruised the Persian Gulf, and then later parked off of Beirut in order to provide gunfire support for the Marines, if called upon. While there, she went into Beirut harbor to asist fighting a fire onboard civilian freighter AZIZ, which the Lebanese fire department had nearly sank. SAMPSON was present when the US Embassy was bombed in Beirut. Later she stoppped in Naples, Gaeta, and Monaco before returning to Mayport, FL. … more DDG 10 history wanted …
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