Search the Site with

General Characteristics

Crew List

Memorabilia

Accidents aboard the Ship

About the Ship's Name

History

Image Gallery

to end of page

USS W. S. Sims (FF 1059)

USS W. S. SIMS was the 8^th KNOX-class frigate and the fourth ship in the Navy named in honor of Admiral William Sowden Sims. Decommissioned on September 6, 1991, and stricken from the Navy list on January 11, 1995, the W. S. SIMS was finally purchased by Turkey on December 21, 1999.

USS W. S. SIMS was last homeported in Mayport, Fla.

back to top

go to the end of the page

back to top

go to the end of the page

Crew List:

This section contains the names of sailors who served aboard USS W. S. SIMS. It is no official listing but contains the names of sailors who submitted their information.

• Click here to view the list.

back to top

go to the end of the page

• Click here to see which USS W. S. SIMS memorabilia are currently for sale on ebay.

back to top

go to the end of the page

Accidents aboard USS W. S. SIMS:

back to top

go to the end of the page

back to top

go to the end of the page

About the Ship's Name:

William Sowden Sims was born on October 15, 1858, in Port Hope, Ontario, Canada, to American parents. His family later returned to Pennsylvania, and he entered the United States Naval Academy in 1876. He graduated in 1880 and spent the following years in a succession of assignments at sea and ashore, including service as naval attache in Paris, St. Petersburg, and Madrid.

Sims became one of the most influential reformers in the development of the modern United States Navy. While serving in Asian waters around the beginning of the twentieth century, he studied improvements introduced by the Royal Navy in continuous-aim gunfire. Convinced that similar methods were urgently needed in the American fleet, he pressed for their adoption and eventually appealed directly to President Theodore Roosevelt. Appointed Inspector of Target Practice in 1902, Sims helped introduce new training methods that substantially improved American naval gunnery. He later served as Roosevelt's naval aide, commanded several ships and the Atlantic Torpedo Flotilla, and became known for challenging established procedures when he believed they reduced operational efficiency.

Sims became president of the Naval War College on February 11, 1917. Shortly before the United States entered the First World War, he was sent secretly to Britain to coordinate American naval cooperation with the Allies. After the declaration of war in April 1917, he assumed command of United States naval forces operating in European waters. Promoted temporarily to vice admiral and later admiral, he directed the deployment of American destroyers, auxiliaries, and other vessels supporting the campaign against German submarines. He advocated the convoy system, worked closely with the Royal Navy, served on the Allied Naval Council, and supervised American participation in operations that included the North Sea Mine Barrage.

After the war, Sims returned to the Naval War College and remained its president until his retirement on October 15, 1922. His account of the American naval effort, The Victory at Sea, received the 1921 Pulitzer Prize for History. Admiral Sims died in Boston, Massachusetts, on September 28, 1936, and was buried at Arlington National Cemetery. Four U.S. Navy ships were named in honor of Admiral William Sowden Sims: USS SIMS (DD 409), USS SIMS (DE 154), later reclassified as APD 50, USS ADMIRAL W. S. SIMS (AP 127), and USS W. S. SIMS (DE 1059), later reclassified as FF 1059.

back to top

go to the end of the page

USS W. S. SIMS History:

The contract for USS W. S. SIMS was awarded on July 22, 1964, and her keel was laid at Avondale Shipyards in Westwego, Louisiana, on April 10, 1967. She was launched on January 4, 1969, sponsored by Mrs. Robert H. Hopkins, Admiral Sims' eldest daughter, Margaret. Construction, fitting-out, installation of machinery and electronic equipment, and acceptance testing continued throughout the remainder of 1969. USS W. S. SIMS was commissioned at Charleston Naval Shipyard, South Carolina, on January 3, 1970, with Commander Charles M. Plumly in command.

After commissioning, W. S. SIMS remained at Charleston Naval Shipyard for an extended fitting-out period. She then entered a restricted availability at Jacksonville Shipyards in Florida, where minor construction faults and deficiencies identified during acceptance were corrected. The ship became fully operational in June 1970 and proceeded to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, for shakedown training. Her crew practiced navigation, engineering operations, damage control, communications, gunnery, antisubmarine warfare, replenishment procedures, and the routines required to operate a newly commissioned escort.

Following shakedown, W. S. SIMS returned to Charleston Naval Shipyard for a post-shakedown availability lasting approximately two and a half months. Deficiencies identified during the Caribbean training period were repaired, and additional equipment was installed or adjusted. In November 1970, the ship participated in an important evaluation of the feasibility of operating manned helicopters from KNOX-class escorts. During a four-day demonstration, she became the first ship of the class to have a manned helicopter land aboard. The successful trials contributed to the development of the Light Airborne Multi-Purpose System and the later regular employment of SH-2 Seasprite helicopters aboard KNOX-class frigates. W. S. SIMS subsequently returned to Mayport, Florida, where she spent the Christmas and New Year period.

On January 11, 1971, W. S. SIMS departed Mayport to begin a prolonged series of sonar tests with the Key West Testing and Evaluation Detachment. During the year, she completed six test cruises, numbered zero through five, with a variety of submarines serving as cooperating or opposing units. Much of the work took place at the Atlantic Undersea Test and Evaluation Center near Andros Island in the Bahamas. The purpose was to determine the capabilities and limitations of the ship's AN/SQS-26CX long-range sonar under different water conditions and against different submarine targets.

The test program required repeated periods at sea, carefully controlled approaches, tracking runs, sonar calibrations, and comparison of shipboard observations with data collected by range instrumentation. On March 6, 1971, W. S. SIMS conducted her first dependents' cruise, embarking more than 300 relatives and guests of crew members for a demonstration of shipboard operations. Port visits during the year included New Orleans, Louisiana; Frederiksted on St. Croix; San Juan, Puerto Rico; and Nassau in the Bahamas. W. S. SIMS returned to Mayport before Thanksgiving. From November 22 through December 31, the ship took part in a fleet standdown during which she underwent inspections conducted through the squadron, flotilla, and type-command organization. At the end of the year she received the squadron Battle Efficiency "E" for overall performance and the antisubmarine warfare "A" in recognition of the proficiency demonstrated during the extensive sonar evaluation program.

Her final cruise supporting the Key West evaluation project lasted from January 4 through January 15, 1972. After completing this work, W. S. SIMS prepared for her first deployment to the Mediterranean. She departed Mayport on February 15, initially participating in Atlantic Fleet Readiness Exercise 2-72 in the Caribbean before proceeding eastward across the Atlantic. W. S. SIMS entered the operational control of the United States Sixth Fleet on March 10, 1972. Her first Mediterranean deployment combined antisubmarine warfare, surveillance of Soviet naval forces, multinational exercises, carrier and task-force support, and port visits intended to sustain the American naval presence in southern Europe and North Africa. The Mediterranean was one of the principal areas of direct naval contact between the United States and the Soviet Union. Soviet submarines, surface combatants, auxiliaries, and intelligence ships maintained a substantial presence, while the Sixth Fleet supported American commitments to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and monitored political and military developments in the Middle East.

Early calls included Barcelona, Spain, and Naples, Italy. W. S. SIMS also conducted antisubmarine exercises and other fleet training. From March 27 through April 6, she operated with USS WILLIAM V. PRATT (DLG 13) while maintaining surveillance of Soviet naval units in the south-central Mediterranean. Such missions required the American ships to establish the identity, course, speed, and activities of Soviet vessels while maintaining safe separation and remaining prepared for prolonged operations. Following the surveillance assignment, W. S. SIMS visited Gaeta, Italy, and Golfe Juan, France. On April 17, she participated in Operation Quick Draw with units of the Italian Navy. She subsequently visited San Remo, Italy, and underwent a tender availability at Naples. On May 8, the frigate took part in Operation Dawn Patrol, a multinational exercise involving British, French, Italian, and American warships. The exercise tested communications, tactical maneuvering, air defense, antisubmarine warfare, and the coordination of naval units from several allied countries.

W. S. SIMS later called at Sfax, Tunisia. From May 23 through June 10, 1972, she conducted another special surveillance assignment involving Soviet submarines. She then visited Mykonos and Athens in Greece and participated in Operation Good Friendship with the Turkish Navy and in a second Operation Quick Draw with Italian forces. During July, she took part in a Sixth Fleet National Week, which combined carrier operations, air defense, antisubmarine warfare, surface tracking, and coordinated operations by ships and aircraft. During August, her liberty ports included San Remo, Barcelona, and Theoule-sur-Mer, France. Late in August, W. S. SIMS was relieved by USS VREELAND (DE 1068) and began the westbound Atlantic crossing. She returned to Mayport on September 5 after completing approximately six months away from her home port. Her performance during the deployment brought the ship her second consecutive antisubmarine warfare "A" and the Atlantic Fleet Antisubmarine Warfare Trophy.

The crew received a month-long post-deployment standdown before the ship began an extended availability at Jacksonville Shipyards around October 5, 1972. The industrial period continued until March 1973. Among the important changes was the conversion of her boilers from Navy Special Fuel Oil, commonly called black oil, to Navy Distillate Fuel. Structural alterations were made to support regular operation of the Light Airborne Multi-Purpose System Mk I, and a Basic Point Defense Missile System launcher was installed on the fantail. The latter provided a limited close-range defense against aircraft and antiship missiles using Sea Sparrow missiles.

After completing the availability, W. S. SIMS conducted sea trials and corrected the discrepancies found during testing. That work was completed by April 9, 1973. On April 10, she departed for Roosevelt Roads, Puerto Rico, and the Atlantic Fleet weapons ranges. From April 23 through April 27, the ship fired eleven AIM-7E-2 Sparrow missiles as part of a Chief of Naval Operations evaluation project examining the fuzing of missiles used by the Basic Point Defense Missile System. She then conducted naval gunfire-support training at Culebra.

W. S. SIMS arrived at Guantanamo Bay on May 8 to begin refresher training. A ruptured tube in the No. 1B boiler interrupted the program and required her to return to Mayport for a tender availability. After repairs, she returned to Guantanamo Bay late in May and continued training until the middle of June. From June 17 through July 9, she completed a workup involving her Light Airborne Multi-Purpose System detachment. From July 12 through July 26, 1973, W. S. SIMS participated in Atlantic Fleet Readiness Exercise 1-74 in the Caribbean. Although the exercise designation referred to the forthcoming fiscal year, the event took place during July 1973. The ship's recently installed point-defense missile system was evaluated during this period. After completing the second phase of the associated Chief of Naval Operations evaluation project on August 1, W. S. SIMS returned to Mayport on August 4 and began preparations for another Atlantic and Mediterranean deployment.

W. S. SIMS departed Mayport on September 14, 1973. During the Atlantic phase of the voyage, she visited Amsterdam and conducted a demonstration of the Light Airborne Multi-Purpose System for the Royal Netherlands Navy. She then proceeded into the Mediterranean at a time of rapidly increasing tension in the Middle East. On October 6, 1973, Egypt and Syria attacked Israeli positions in the Sinai Peninsula and on the Golan Heights, beginning the Yom Kippur War. The conflict produced a confrontation involving the regional states and their principal international supporters. The Soviet Union supplied Egypt and Syria, while the United States supported Israel. Both the Sixth Fleet and the Soviet Mediterranean Squadron increased their readiness, concentrated major forces, and monitored one another closely. During the first approximately six weeks of her Mediterranean service, W. S. SIMS operated in support of American interests during the crisis.

From November 26 through November 30, 1973, W. S. SIMS carried out an unusual protective assignment involving King Hassan II of Morocco. The king traveled aboard the French passenger ship ROUSSILLON between Tangier and Algiers to attend a conference of Arab oil-producing states. W. S. SIMS provided protection during the outward and return passages. In recognition of the service, the king presented the crew with approximately three tons of oranges, tangerines, sardines, and orange juice.

During the remainder of 1973, the ship called at Naples and Rota, Spain, and spent the Christmas and New Year period at Valencia. She departed Valencia on January 4, 1974, and resumed operations with the carrier force centered on USS INDEPENDENCE (CVA 62). W. S. SIMS subsequently visited Rota and Menton, France, and participated in exercises with USS AMERICA (CVA 66). During this period, the ship joined a search for sailors from a British fishing trawler that had sunk. Other ships rescued four of the six missing men, while W. S. SIMS recovered bodies from the sea. The frigate passed through the Strait of Gibraltar on January 25 and reached Casablanca on February 1 at the invitation of King Hassan II. On February 2, the Soviet military attache visited the ship, an event reflecting both the diplomatic character of port visits and the close observation of American naval activity during the Cold War.

After refueling at Rota, W. S. SIMS left Sixth Fleet control and began the westbound Atlantic crossing. Heavy weather damaged the ship when the antenna for her surface-search radar broke loose from its mounting. She made a brief stop at Bermuda for fuel and repairs and arrived at Mayport on February 14, 1974. During March and April, W. S. SIMS participated in an interim evaluation connected with the Navy's proposed sea-control ship concept. The project examined whether a smaller aviation-capable vessel could provide antisubmarine and limited air-defense support for convoys and amphibious groups at a lower cost than a full-sized aircraft carrier. W. S. SIMS operated between Jacksonville and Charleston while supporting the tests. She returned to Mayport on April 27 and underwent inspections followed by a tender availability beginning on May 6.

Plans for W. S. SIMS to take part in North Atlantic and allied operations later in 1974 were cancelled because of technical problems, shortages of experienced engineering personnel, and repeated delays in completing the required propulsion examinations. The ship instead remained concentrated on correcting machinery deficiencies and restoring the condition of her engineering plant. On August 7, 1974, W. S. SIMS departed Mayport for Norfolk Naval Shipyard at Portsmouth, Virginia. She entered Dry Dock No. 4 on August 12 and remained there until September 13. Work included repairs to the sonar system and two fire pumps, maintenance of the main-engine throttle block, and replacement of the propeller. She returned to Mayport on September 19.

Additional engineering personnel were assigned to the ship during the following months. In November 1974, W. S. SIMS completed her first underway material inspection conducted by the Board of Inspection and Survey. The remainder of the year and the opening months of 1975 were devoted to local training, upkeep, inspections, and the restoration of engineering and material readiness. During February 1975, W. S. SIMS operated with the carrier force centered on USS FORRESTAL (CVA 59). Early in April, she successfully completed an operational propulsion plant examination in its entirety for the first time. From April 15 through April 27, she participated in Fleet Exercise Agate Punch. The large exercise brought together naval air, surface, submarine, amphibious, and land forces. W. S. SIMS served with the Orange force, which simulated attacks against the Blue task group centered on USS JOHN F. KENNEDY (CVA 67).

After the exercise, she proceeded to Charleston Naval Weapons Station to offload ammunition. On April 30, an engineering casualty involving a main circulating pump left W. S. SIMS requiring assistance. She was towed to Charleston for repairs. The ship returned to Mayport on May 8 and spent approximately one month in a tender availability.

W. S. SIMS departed Mayport on June 11, 1975, for Philadelphia Naval Shipyard, where she began a nine-month regular overhaul. She entered dry dock on June 21 and remained there until December 8. As part of the Navy-wide reclassification implemented at the end of June 1975, the ship's designation changed from destroyer escort DE-1059 to frigate FF-1059 effective July 1.

Overhaul work continued into the spring of 1976. The ship's hull, propulsion plant, sonar, weapons, electronics, habitability spaces, and auxiliary systems received inspection, repair, or modification. A new rubber acoustic window was installed on the sonar dome. In March 1976, W. S. SIMS returned to dry dock for installation of a quieter propeller commonly referred to as the silent screw. After completing tests and sea trials in the Virginia Capes operating area, she returned to Mayport on April 14.

W. S. SIMS visited Port Everglades from April 23 through April 27 and then proceeded to the Atlantic Undersea Test and Evaluation Center near Andros Island to evaluate the quieter propeller, the new sonar-dome rubber window, and other newly installed or overhauled antisubmarine equipment. She returned to Mayport on May 3. The ship sailed for Guantanamo Bay on May 23 and spent approximately five weeks completing refresher training. During late June, she underwent an operational readiness evaluation and requalified in naval gunfire support at Vieques. She returned to Mayport on July 2. A tender availability extending through July and into August included additional work on the No. 1B boiler. The ship subsequently passed a Nuclear Weapons Acceptance Inspection and visited Charleston Naval Weapons Station to load material required for her next deployment.

W. S. SIMS departed Mayport on September 2, 1976, for operations in the North Atlantic, Norwegian Sea, and Baltic. En route she took part in Operation Joint Effort. On September 14, she was approximately 700 yards astern of JOHN F. KENNEDY when USS BORDELON (DD 881) collided with the carrier. W. S. SIMS immediately searched the surrounding water for anyone who might have been thrown overboard. No personnel were found missing.

On September 20, the frigate crossed the Arctic Circle at longitude 007°37' east while proceeding toward Tromso, Norway. The crew observed the traditional initiation ceremony for sailors crossing into Arctic waters for the first time. W. S. SIMS then participated in Exercise Teamwork 76, a major allied exercise involving forces from the United States, the United Kingdom, Belgium, Denmark, West Germany, the Netherlands, and Norway. Teamwork 76 tested the ability of allied forces to operate in the Norwegian Sea, defend the maritime approaches to northern Europe, protect reinforcement routes, and demonstrate a naval presence near the North Cape. The exercise occurred in an area of particular importance during the Cold War because Soviet Northern Fleet submarines and surface ships had to pass through the waters between Norway, Iceland, and Greenland when entering the Atlantic.

W. S. SIMS subsequently operated in the Baltic during Baltops and made a three-day visit to Stockholm, Sweden. She then participated in Exercise Bonded Item, which included an amphibious assault in the Jutland region. The ship later spent ten days at Edinburgh, Scotland, while repairs were made to two ship's-service turbo-generators. She departed Edinburgh on October 27. During the return passage, heavy weather again damaged the mast. W. S. SIMS reached Mayport on November 9.

The availability that followed included repair of the storm damage and modifications connected with the Harpoon missile system. Changes were made in the Combat Information Center and to the Mk 16 launcher and its magazine so that the ship could employ Harpoon missiles in addition to antisubmarine rockets. The remainder of 1976 and January 1977 were devoted primarily to these repairs and associated readiness work. During February 1977, W. S. SIMS completed yard work and resumed underway training. She passed a propulsion examination on March 1 and departed Mayport on March 30 for a Mediterranean deployment expected to last approximately six and a half months.

Severe Atlantic weather interrupted the eastbound passage. On April 7, waves estimated at 20 to 30 feet damaged the main mast, which had to be temporarily stabilized with mooring lines. The ship diverted to Rota because the originally planned call at Lisbon could no longer be made safely. After reaching Rota, W. S. SIMS proceeded to a shipyard at Cartagena, Spain, where the damaged mast was repaired between April 12 and May 13. After leaving Cartagena, W. S. SIMS resumed Sixth Fleet operations. Her itinerary included exercises and operations near Crete, mainland Greece, Tunisia, and Sicily. During July, the frigate conducted Sixth Fleet bystander operations that included intelligence collection and surveillance of Soviet naval units. Such assignments required her to remain near designated Soviet ships, record their movements and activities, and pass reports to fleet commanders.

W. S. SIMS arrived at Alexandria, Egypt, on August 8. Official visitors included the United States consul general, the governor of Alexandria, and the commander in chief of the Egyptian Navy. The call took place as the United States was expanding contacts with Egypt following President Anwar Sadat's movement away from exclusive dependence on the Soviet Union.

After leaving Alexandria, W. S. SIMS proceeded to Augusta Bay, Sicily. From August 15 through August 22, she participated in National Week XXIII, a large Sixth Fleet exercise involving both of the fleet's principal task groups, units of the Italian Navy, and United States Air Force aircraft. The exercise included coordinated air, surface, and antisubmarine operations. A post-exercise conference was held at Taranto, Italy.

Late in August, the frigate spent four days at Palma de Mallorca. She later performed another bystander assignment near Gibraltar and underwent a tender availability at Naples. Beginning on September 24, she participated in Exercise Display Determination, an allied exercise intended to demonstrate readiness and test the reinforcement and defense of southern Europe. During the final phase of the deployment, W. S. SIMS served as the sole escort for INDEPENDENCE during passages to Malaga and Rota. The task group departed Rota on October 10, and the frigate reached Mayport on October 21. In November, she underwent a tender availability alongside USS GRAND CANYON (AD 28).

On November 28, 1977, W. S. SIMS began Operation Marcot with Canadian naval forces. On December 3, while operating near Bermuda, a combination of engineering casualties created a serious loss of power. A low-water condition affected the No. 1B boiler, and the emergency diesel generator also failed. The ship lost normal electrical power and was left with only battery-supplied emergency services. Aircraft responding to distress flares located the frigate. USS AINSWORTH (FF 1090) came alongside in seas of approximately six feet to provide assistance. The movement of the ships repeatedly brought their hulls into contact, buckling frames and causing superficial damage along the starboard side of W. S. SIMS. Electrical cables were rigged between the vessels, allowing AINSWORTH to supply power. Pumps were restarted, a boiler was relit, and temporary repairs restored sufficient capability for W. S. SIMS to proceed. She reached Mayport on December 6 and entered a restricted availability for repair of the emergency diesels and the structural damage.

The restricted availability continued into March 1978. W. S. SIMS returned to sea on March 8 for Exercise Safepass 78 in the Caribbean. She then provided post-overhaul services for the submarine USS HAMMERHEAD (SSN 663). The frigate stopped at New London, Connecticut, for fuel and at Newport, Rhode Island, to embark a technical representative before returning to Mayport on March 24. After an upkeep period lasting until April 6, W. S. SIMS underwent an operational propulsion plant examination on April 6 and April 7. She next participated in a Composite Training Unit Exercise in the Caribbean. On April 27, she visited Charleston Naval Station, where ammunition was loaded, and she returned to Mayport on May 5. An availability continued until June 5.

During June, the ship completed tests, inspections, naval gunfire-support work at Bloodsworth Island, and final preparations for deployment. She remained at Mayport from June 13 through June 28 and departed on June 29 for what became her fourth and longest Mediterranean cruise. W. S. SIMS crossed the Atlantic with the task group centered on JOHN F. KENNEDY and arrived at Malaga on July 9, 1978. After a brief call at Naples, the ship embarked Admiral Harold E. Shear, Commander in Chief, Allied Forces Southern Europe. She returned to sea on July 20 and operated in the Augusta Bay and Ionian Sea areas.

From July 23 through August 5, the frigate participated in National Week XXV. The exercise included carrier operations, air defense, antisubmarine warfare, surface tracking, electronic warfare, and the coordination of ships and aircraft throughout the central and eastern Mediterranean. W. S. SIMS subsequently visited Greek ports, participated in an antiaircraft warfare training period, and reached Naples on August 21. Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Thomas B. Hayward visited the ship late in the month.

During September, W. S. SIMS operated as part of Task Group 60.1. She participated in an ocean missile exercise, Exercise Display Determination 78, and six days of antisubmarine warfare training with a Greek destroyer squadron and an opposing Greek submarine. She later visited Villefranche-sur-Mer, France, and La Spezia, Italy. The frigate conducted convergence-zone sonar tests with the French submarine DAPHNE and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization oceanographic research ship MARIA PAOLA GEE. Convergence-zone detection exploited the refraction of sound through deep water to identify submarines at ranges well beyond direct-path sonar contact. W. S. SIMS returned to La Spezia on November 2 and participated in an antisubmarine warfare week from November 7 through November 14.

She then underwent an intermediate maintenance period at the naval shipyard at Cartagena, followed by a visit to Toulon, France, from December 9 through December 19. The frigate reached Alicante, Spain, on December 21 and remained there through January 8, 1979. After leaving Alicante, W. S. SIMS rejoined JOHN F. KENNEDY and Task Group 60.1 for another antisubmarine warfare week. She visited Palma from January 12 through January 24 and spent three days at Malaga conducting turnover activities with her relief. The frigate left Sixth Fleet operational control on January 27 and began the voyage home. As W. S. SIMS approached Mayport on February 8, 1979, a tube ruptured in the No. 1A boiler. The emergency diesel generator was started, and the No. 1B boiler was lit to restore propulsion and shipboard services. She reached port and began a post-deployment standdown.

Early in March, the frigate proceeded to Charleston Naval Weapons Station to offload ammunition. She then spent three days in dry dock at Jacksonville Shipyard for inspection and repair of the sonar dome and underwater hull. W. S. SIMS returned to Mayport on March 12. From March 24 through March 27, the ship operated at the Atlantic Undersea Test and Evaluation Center with an embarked helicopter, returning to Mayport on March 29. On April 30, she departed Florida for Bath Iron Works in Maine, arriving on May 3 to begin a Baseline Overhaul. The overhaul continued through March 1980. Extensive work was carried out on the propulsion plant, hull, sonar, weapons, electrical equipment, electronics, auxiliary systems, and accommodation spaces. Bow bulwarks and spray strakes were installed to improve the ship's seakeeping and reduce the amount of water taken over the forecastle in heavy weather.

W. S. SIMS passed a Light-Off Examination on February 15, 1980, allowing her engineering plant to be operated following the long industrial period. Sea trials were conducted on March 25 and March 26. She departed Bath on March 31 and arrived at Mayport on April 3. The frigate loaded ammunition at Charleston Naval Weapons Station on April 8 and April 9. From April 23 through July 24, she completed an extensive sequence of predeployment workups in the Caribbean. These included systems qualification trials, weapons-system accuracy testing, refresher training at Guantanamo Bay, and a successful operational-readiness battle problem. W. S. SIMS returned to Mayport on July 26. In the middle of August, she underwent an inspection by the Board of Inspection and Survey. She subsequently participated in Composite Training Unit Exercise 5-80, conducted naval gunfire-support qualification, fired a Sea Sparrow missile from the point-defense system, and launched a Mk 46 exercise torpedo.

The frigate returned to Mayport on October 18 and began approximately one month of pre-overseas-movement preparation. A Nuclear Weapons Acceptance Inspection reinspection was conducted on October 27 and October 28. W. S. SIMS loaded weapons at Charleston on November 12 and departed Mayport on November 18 with two other Mayport-based ships for another Mediterranean deployment. The group reached Rota on November 29. W. S. SIMS formally entered Sixth Fleet operational control and remained in port until December 1. From December 1 through December 20, she operated in the western and central Mediterranean with Commander Task Force 60 and the JOHN F. KENNEDY battle group. She visited Toulon from December 11 through December 15.

For the Christmas and New Year period, W. S. SIMS called at Gaeta with USS RICHMOND K. TURNER (CG 20). She underwent maintenance alongside the destroyer tender USS PUGET SOUND (AD 38). Boiler and fire-pump problems delayed her return to sea until January 3, 1981. During the following three weeks, W. S. SIMS operated with JOHN F. KENNEDY and Task Force 60 in the eastern Mediterranean. She then participated in Exercise Burning Wind, which included the assertion of navigational rights and continued American access to international waters and straits.

For approximately three months, the frigate alternated between task-force operations in the eastern and western Mediterranean and visits to Souda Bay, Crete; Alexandria; Toulon; Monaco; Palma; Naples; and Alicante. During a call at Palma extending from the middle of February into early March, she spent two weeks alongside PUGET SOUND while repairs were made to her boilers and economizers. W. S. SIMS visited Casablanca from March 24 through March 27. At Rota, she conducted turnover activities with USS TALBOT (FFG 4) from March 28 through March 30 and then departed Sixth Fleet operational control. She arrived at Mayport on April 9.

Boiler repairs continued after the deployment, and the ship conducted three days of sea trials early in June. She then began a six-week midshipman training cruise with USS KOELSCH (FF 1049). The two ships operated along the East Coast and visited New York City and Newport. W. S. SIMS embarked more than 50 midshipmen, including three women, and provided practical instruction in navigation, engineering, seamanship, weapons, communications, and shipboard organization. During July and the first half of August, W. S. SIMS participated in Exercise Ocean Venture. Boiler casualties caused a minor delay, but the ship completed naval gunfire-support requalification and scored a direct hit on a towed target during an antiaircraft warfare test. She returned to Mayport on August 20 and entered a Selected Restricted Availability that continued through the end of the year. Much of the work addressed continuing engineering deficiencies. The ship also provided training opportunities for Naval Reserve personnel.

The availability was completed at the end of January 1982. During February, W. S. SIMS made three multi-day cruises from Jacksonville with Helicopter Antisubmarine Squadron Light 36 Detachment Four to complete Light Airborne Multi-Purpose System qualifications. She loaded ammunition at Charleston Naval Weapons Station on March 5 and March 6 and returned to Mayport on March 7. From April 8 through April 25, the frigate completed predeployment training in Puerto Rican waters. She visited Roosevelt Roads from April 19 through April 22 and returned to Mayport on April 25 for approximately four weeks of final preparation.

W. S. SIMS departed Mayport on May 21, 1982, for the only deployment of her career assigned to the Middle East Force in the Persian Gulf. She stopped at Bermuda for fuel on May 23 and May 24, reached the Azores on May 29, and visited Brest, France, from June 1 through June 3. From June 3 through June 13, she participated in Exercise Suroit 82 with British, French, Dutch, and Portuguese forces. After refueling at Rota, W. S. SIMS proceeded at high speed across the Mediterranean to Port Said, Egypt. She passed southbound through the Suez Canal on June 18 and made a short fuel stop at Djibouti before continuing into the Arabian Sea and Persian Gulf. The frigate reached Sitra Anchorage, Bahrain, on June 28 and entered the operational control of the Middle East Force. Her deployment occurred during the Iran-Iraq War, which had begun in September 1980. Fighting between the two states, the political consequences of the Iranian Revolution, and the strategic importance of the Strait of Hormuz and Persian Gulf oil routes required a continuing American naval presence.

For approximately three months, W. S. SIMS operated from Bahrain and completed repeated patrols, many lasting about one week. She occupied radar-picket stations in the Persian Gulf between the coast of Saudi Arabia and Iranian waters, maintained surface and air surveillance, exchanged reports with other American units and regional authorities, and demonstrated a continuing United States presence along the major shipping routes. The ship visited Karachi, Pakistan, from September 12 through September 16. She then returned to the Persian Gulf for two final patrols and left Middle East Force operational control on October 5. During the homeward voyage, W. S. SIMS crossed the equator at 11:19 p.m. on October 12 and held the traditional crossing-the-line ceremony.

She visited Mombasa, Kenya, from October 17 through October 22, refueled at Djibouti later on October 22, and passed northbound through the Suez Canal on October 26. After refueling at Augusta Bay on October 28, she spent four days at Palma and stopped at Rota for fuel on November 4 and November 5. The frigate crossed the Atlantic with other United States Navy ships and encountered heavy weather during the passage. She arrived at Mayport on November 16. During the deployment, W. S. SIMS had steamed more than 32,000 nautical miles. She had spent 128 days underway, representing approximately 72 percent of the deployment, as well as 41 days in port and ten days at anchor. Her embarked SH-2F Seasprite from Helicopter Antisubmarine Squadron Light 36 Detachment Four accumulated more than 330 flight hours and completed approximately 275 landings.

W. S. SIMS visited Charleston Naval Weapons Station on December 9 and December 10 to offload ammunition and then entered a post-deployment and holiday standdown. Early in 1983, she began another Selected Restricted Availability at Mayport. The work was officially completed on June 10 after sea trials. During the closing phase of the availability, the ship passed a Defense Nuclear Safety Inspection and Nuclear Technical Proficiency Inspection on June 2. She loaded weapons at Yorktown Naval Weapons Station on June 20 and spent two days at Norfolk before departing on June 22. W. S. SIMS proceeded to Guantanamo Bay for interim refresher training. The program concluded with a battle problem on July 19, and the ship returned to Mayport on July 21. Helicopter Antisubmarine Squadron Light 34 Detachment One embarked early in August.

On August 23 and August 24, W. S. SIMS operated at the Atlantic Undersea Test and Evaluation Center to examine the vibration and cavitation characteristics of a new propeller. She then rendezvoused with the battle groups centered on INDEPENDENCE and JOHN F. KENNEDY for Readiness Exercise 2-83. The frigate conducted naval gunfire-support training at Vieques from September 1 through September 3. She then operated as part of the Orange force opposing the JOHN F. KENNEDY group. W. S. SIMS visited Curacao from September 5 through September 8, continued the exercise through September 13, and returned to Mayport on September 15.

A pre-overseas-movement period continued through the middle of October. The ship conducted a dependents' day cruise on October 13 and departed Mayport on October 20 for the Mediterranean. Three days later, while W. S. SIMS was still crossing the Atlantic, suicide bombers attacked the United States Marine Corps barracks and a French military position in Beirut, Lebanon. The attacks killed 241 American service members and 58 French personnel and sharply increased the danger faced by the multinational force deployed in Lebanon. W. S. SIMS stopped at Rota for fuel on October 30 and October 31 and embarked a Naval Security Group detachment. She reached the eastern Mediterranean and began duties connected with the crisis in Lebanon. From November 6 through December 31, 1983, and into the opening days of 1984, she remained at sea for 78 consecutive days.

Her work included surveillance, communications support, escort duties, readiness to provide naval gunfire, monitoring air and surface activity, and maintaining a presence near the Lebanese coast. The ship operated during a period of repeated artillery exchanges among Lebanese factions, attacks against the multinational force, and increasing pressure for the withdrawal of American and allied troops. W. S. SIMS visited Naples from January 6 through January 13, 1984. Secretary of the Navy John F. Lehman Jr. visited the ship during the port period. From February 3 through February 7, she participated in Exercise Mare Aperto, followed by approximately two weeks of upkeep at Villefranche-sur-Mer.

After returning to waters off Lebanon, W. S. SIMS received a naval gunfire-support mission on February 29. A gun emplacement had been firing on a United States Marine position ashore. The frigate fired 21 rounds from her 5-inch/54-caliber gun, after which fire from the position ceased. W. S. SIMS visited Trieste, Italy, from March 11 through March 15 and was relieved from her Lebanon station on March 29. She then spent approximately two weeks at Gaeta in an intermediate maintenance availability. Vice Admiral Edward H. Martin, Commander of the Sixth Fleet, visited the ship during this period. The frigate departed Gaeta on April 15 and visited Palma from April 17 through April 23. At Malaga on April 24, she conducted turnover activities with USS JULIUS A. FURER (FFG 6). W. S. SIMS returned to Mayport on May 2 and began a month-long post-deployment standdown.

On June 13, 1984, the ship received only two days' notice to prepare for another mission. A detachment from the Fleet Ocean Surveillance Information Center of the Commander in Chief, Atlantic Fleet, embarked, and W. S. SIMS sailed for operations extending into the eastern Pacific. She visited Guantanamo Bay and Puerto Cortes, Honduras, and passed westbound through the Panama Canal on June 25. During the following month, the frigate operated in the eastern Pacific and made periodic calls at Rodman Naval Station in Panama for fuel and logistics support.

W. S. SIMS passed eastbound through the Panama Canal on July 28. A United States Coast Guard Law Enforcement Detachment embarked for the Caribbean phase of the cruise. The ship subsequently visited St. George's, Grenada. From August 4 through August 6, she transported the chairman of Grenada's Advisory Council and his party to Carriacou for a local celebration. The visit took place less than a year after the United States-led intervention in Grenada in October 1983 and during the island's political transition. After calls at Roosevelt Roads on August 7 and August 8, W. S. SIMS returned to Mayport on August 12. She departed again on September 14, loaded ordnance at Naval Weapons Station Earle, New Jersey, on September 16 and September 17, and then proceeded to the former New York Naval Shipyard in Brooklyn.

The frigate entered an approximately eleven-month overhaul at Coastal Drydock and Repair Corporation. Her administrative home port shifted temporarily from Mayport to New York. She entered Dry Dock No. 4 on September 26 and remained on blocks through the end of 1984. W. S. SIMS emerged from dry dock on April 1, 1985. The overhaul continued through most of August. Among the significant changes was removal of the Basic Point Defense Missile System from the fantail and installation of the Phalanx close-in weapon system. The radar-directed rapid-fire gun was intended to provide a final defensive layer against antiship missiles and aircraft.

The ship's home port was formally shifted back to Mayport on June 15, although she remained at the yard. Sea trials were conducted on August 23. W. S. SIMS departed the New York yard on August 26, loaded ammunition at Earle on August 26 and August 27, and arrived at Mayport on August 30. She put to sea again on August 31 to avoid Hurricane Elena and returned on September 2. Early in October, the ship spent five days undergoing engineering work at Jacksonville. She departed on October 7 for dockside trials at Port Everglades and antisubmarine weapons-system accuracy testing at the Atlantic Undersea Test and Evaluation Center. She returned to Mayport on October 15 and completed certification for the Harpoon surface-to-surface missile soon afterward.

W. S. SIMS sailed for Guantanamo Bay on November 11 for refresher training. The program culminated in an operational-readiness battle problem on December 19. She returned to Mayport on December 21. On January 13, 1986, W. S. SIMS began another Caribbean training period. She conducted naval gunfire-support work at Vieques on January 19, completed sonar and fire-control training near St. Croix, and spent two days at the Atlantic Undersea Test and Evaluation Center. During this work she launched exercise torpedoes both over the side and from the antisubmarine rocket system. The frigate stopped at Nassau for fuel on January 27 and departed the following morning. On January 28, the space shuttle Challenger broke apart 73 seconds after launch from Kennedy Space Center, killing all seven crew members. W. S. SIMS was redirected toward the recovery area and arrived at approximately 11:00 p.m.

The ship searched through the night and repositioned farther north the next morning. Her crew recovered more than 2,000 pounds of shuttle debris before she returned to Mayport on January 31. W. S. SIMS later received the Coast Guard Unit Commendation for her participation in the recovery operation.

The frigate provided drone services for Fleet Composite Squadron Six in the Jacksonville operating area and returned to Mayport on February 13 for repairs to a main circulating pump. From February 14 through February 24, she participated in Fleet Exercise 1-86, concentrating primarily on antisubmarine warfare, and returned to Mayport on February 25. On April 18, an intended nuclear-weapons assistance visit was converted into a formal inspection, which the ship completed successfully. Local operations continued during May and June. W. S. SIMS passed an operational propulsion plant examination on June 30 and July 1. A Light Airborne Multi-Purpose System detachment completed workups with the ship in the middle of July, and W. S. SIMS conducted a dependents' cruise on July 16. On August 14, she departed Mayport with Helicopter Antisubmarine Squadron Light 34 Detachment One embarked. She loaded ammunition at Charleston on August 15 and maneuvered to avoid Hurricane Charley while proceeding toward the North Atlantic.

By August 21, W. S. SIMS had joined Exercise Northern Wedding 86. The allied exercise tested the ability of naval forces to reinforce northern Europe, protect transatlantic supply routes, defend sea lines of communication, and operate in the Norwegian Sea during a major conflict. A Soviet Tu-95 Bear-D maritime reconnaissance aircraft overflew the formation on August 24, reflecting the close Soviet monitoring of allied naval exercises. W. S. SIMS crossed the Arctic Circle on August 29 and operated in the Vestfjord, Norwegian Sea, and North Sea areas through the conclusion of Northern Wedding on September 18. She visited Trondheim, Norway, from September 20 through September 27. The frigate then made a seven-hour passage up the Scheldt River and visited Antwerp, Belgium, from September 28 through October 3. She returned to Mayport on October 16. Apart from a short period at sea in December for predeployment trials, gunnery, Phalanx exercises, towed-target work, and antisubmarine rocket firing, she remained at Mayport through the end of the year.

On December 30, 1986, W. S. SIMS departed Mayport with USS CHARLES F. ADAMS (DDG 2) and USS DOYLE (FFG 39). Helicopter Antisubmarine Squadron Light 34 Detachment One was embarked. The ships crossed the Atlantic to join the battle group centered on USS NIMITZ (CVN 68) for a Mediterranean deployment.

W. S. SIMS reached Ibiza, Spain, on January 12, 1987. An intelligence detachment embarked, and the ship returned to sea on January 16. She was assigned to monitor a Soviet task group centered on the aviation cruiser KIEV, which carried pennant number 051. The Soviet formation also included a KRESTA II-class cruiser, two KRIVAK I-class antisubmarine frigates, and a SOVREMENNY-class destroyer. W. S. SIMS maintained surveillance of the Soviet ships through the remainder of January and into early February as they operated through the Mediterranean, including the Gulf of Hammamet and Gulf of Sollum areas. The mission required continuous visual, radar, sonar, and electronic observation while maintaining safe separation and reporting the Soviet formation's composition, movements, and activities.

On February 5, W. S. SIMS was detached to Task Group 60.1 for contingency duties connected with Lebanon. She visited Haifa, Israel, from February 9 through February 24 and underwent an availability alongside PUGET SOUND. After leaving Haifa, the frigate was assigned to monitor a second Soviet group consisting of a SLAVA-class cruiser, a KRESTA II-class cruiser, and a KRIVAK I-class frigate. W. S. SIMS followed the formation from the Aegean Sea through the Sea of Crete and into the central Ionian Sea. She visited Tunis from March 9 through March 12, anchored near Taormina, Sicily, from March 14 through March 22, and called at Cannes, France, from March 25 through April 4. W. S. SIMS subsequently visited Naples from April 10 through May 1.

The frigate reached Gibraltar on May 4 and participated in Exercise Open Gate 87 through May 13. She made a brief stop at Rota on May 6, where her helicopter was offloaded for an engine change. During the exercise, W. S. SIMS served as the Orange force commander and directed French, Spanish, and Portuguese frigates operating against the Blue force. She visited Port Mahon on Menorca from May 15 through May 18 and represented the Sixth Fleet at a memorial ceremony at the American Naval Cemetery. W. S. SIMS then visited Rijeka, Yugoslavia, from May 21 through May 26 and arrived at Haifa on May 30 for a tender availability alongside USS YELLOWSTONE (AD 41). The maintenance period was interrupted on June 4 when W. S. SIMS was ordered to assume another ship's commitment in Exercise Noble Dina 1 with the Israeli Navy. During the exercise, she served as a target for a Mk 37 exercise torpedo fired by an Israeli submarine.

W. S. SIMS departed Haifa on June 12. She rejoined the NIMITZ battle group and left Sixth Fleet operational control on June 20 after turnover with the incoming group centered on USS SARATOGA (CV 60). The frigate returned to Mayport on June 30. After a post-deployment standdown, W. S. SIMS conducted local operations from August 3 through August 5. These included a Tiger Cruise for guests of crew members and service as a target for submarine-launched Mk 48 exercise torpedoes.

The ship proceeded north through the Cape Cod Canal and visited Saco Bay, Maine, from August 15 through August 17. The call was described as the first visit by a United States Navy ship to Saco since the Second World War. W. S. SIMS offloaded ammunition at Yorktown Naval Weapons Station on August 19 and August 20 and returned to Mayport on August 21. A Selected Restricted Availability began on August 29 and continued through November 16. Sea trials were conducted from November 17 through November 20. On December 2, W. S. SIMS departed with an embarked Helicopter Antisubmarine Squadron Light 36 detachment and a Coast Guard Law Enforcement Detachment. She joined USS PETERSON (DD 969) and USS PAUL (FF 1080) for counterdrug operations in the Caribbean.

On December 7, W. S. SIMS intercepted the stateless vessel JURANGO KISS. A boarding resulted in the seizure of 162 bales of marijuana. The frigate continued patrols off Colombia, Venezuela, and the Netherlands Antilles. She stopped at Guantanamo Bay on December 18 for fuel and to disembark the Coast Guard detachment and returned to Mayport on December 21. The ship received the Coast Guard Special Operations Service Ribbon for her participation in the law-enforcement mission.

The opening months of 1988 were dominated by inspections and preparations for future operations. W. S. SIMS underwent the first phase of a combat-systems readiness review and completed a Nuclear Weapons Acceptance Inspection late in January. On January 24, the frigate departed for another Caribbean law-enforcement cruise. She also conducted naval gunfire-support training, completed sonar and fire-control work near St. Croix, and called at Roosevelt Roads to obtain fuel and embark training teams. She returned to Mayport on February 4. The Board of Inspection and Survey examined W. S. SIMS from March 7 through March 11, including an underway material inspection on March 8. During the final two weeks of March, she underwent an intermediate maintenance availability at the Shore Intermediate Maintenance Activity at Mayport. A damaged propeller, which had caused excessive underwater noise, was replaced.

For the first three weeks of April, W. S. SIMS participated in Exercise Ocean Venture 88 in the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico. The exercise included operations with major fleet units, antisubmarine and surface warfare, air defense, logistics training, and amphibious activity. The ship made calls at Key West and Port Everglades and returned to Mayport on April 20. Further Caribbean operations included the second phase of the combat-systems readiness review, training with teams from Guantanamo Bay, operations for prospective commanding officers at the Atlantic Undersea Test and Evaluation Center, and service as an antisubmarine-warfare school ship. W. S. SIMS made a brief call at Nassau and returned to Mayport on May 20.

June and most of July were devoted to preparations for a major South American deployment. The frigate completed final naval gunfire-support qualification, combat-system work, sea trials, and a command inspection. She departed Mayport on July 19, 1988, for Unitas XXIX. The five-month voyage took W. S. SIMS counterclockwise around South America as part of the United States South Atlantic Force. Unitas was an annual series of bilateral and multinational exercises intended to improve cooperation between the United States Navy and Latin American maritime forces. The 1988 deployment included exercises with Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, and Brazil.

The preliminary phase was conducted in Puerto Rican waters from July 27 through July 31 with Brazilian and Venezuelan ships. W. S. SIMS made a brief stop at Roosevelt Roads before beginning Phase One with Venezuela from August 2 through August 5. She visited La Guaira from August 5 through August 8. Phase Two involved the Colombian Navy from August 8 through August 19. W. S. SIMS visited Cartagena from August 12 through August 16. Crew members assisted at a local clinic and delivered toys through Project Handclasp, a Navy program that transported donated humanitarian and educational material to overseas communities.

The frigate passed westbound through the Panama Canal on August 19 and remained at Rodman Naval Station until August 23. She then continued exercises with Colombian units in the eastern Pacific and crossed the equator on August 25 at longitude 080°31.6' west. W. S. SIMS reached Manta, Ecuador, on August 25 and remained until August 29. After exercises with the Ecuadorian Navy, she returned to Manta from September 1 through September 5. The traditional crossing-the-line ceremony was held on September 6 during the passage toward Peru.

The Peruvian phase included a visit to Callao from September 9 through September 13 and a training anchorage near Ilo on September 17 and September 18. The ship then continued south into Chilean waters. W. S. SIMS visited Bahia Inglesa from September 22 through September 24, Puerto Aldea from September 25 through September 27, Valparaiso from September 29 through October 1, and Talcahuano from October 7 through October 12. Operations with the Chilean Navy included tactical maneuvering, communications, antisubmarine warfare, surface exercises, and gunnery.

The frigate entered the Chacao Strait on October 13 and proceeded through the Chilean inland waterways. She encountered stormy Pacific conditions on October 14 and conducted an underway replenishment on October 15. W. S. SIMS then passed through the Strait of Magellan, visited Punta Arenas on October 16, and entered the South Atlantic on October 18. Exercises with the Argentine Navy continued from October 18 through October 24. W. S. SIMS visited Puerto Belgrano from October 22 through October 24. She subsequently operated with Uruguayan and Brazilian forces, visiting Montevideo from October 26 through October 28. After putting to sea on October 28, she anchored approximately 25 miles away on October 30.

The Brazilian phase extended from November 3 through November 26. W. S. SIMS visited Rio de Janeiro from November 5 through November 10. While proceeding toward Salvador, a line-shaft bearing failed on November 16. The engineering casualty required repairs, and the frigate rejoined the force on November 19. Her itinerary included Salvador from November 16 through November 19 and Recife from November 23 through November 26. W. S. SIMS crossed the equator northbound on November 28. From November 30 through December 1, she conducted freedom-of-navigation operations off French Guiana, Suriname, and Guyana. She reached Roosevelt Roads on December 3 and remained until December 5. The commander of Destroyer Squadron 12 and a propulsion examination team embarked on December 5. W. S. SIMS completed her operational propulsion plant examination while leaving Unitas operational control on December 6. She returned to Mayport on December 9.

From January 10 through January 13, 1989, W. S. SIMS visited Charleston Naval Weapons Station to offload and reload ammunition. On February 6, she departed Mayport with an SH-2F Seasprite from Helicopter Antisubmarine Squadron Light 32 Detachment One and a Coast Guard Law Enforcement Detachment embarked. During 14 days of Caribbean law-enforcement operations, the ship conducted 13 boardings. She called twice at Roosevelt Roads for fuel. W. S. SIMS visited Castries, St. Lucia, from February 21 through February 23 while representing the United States at ceremonies marking the island nation's tenth anniversary of independence. The Prince of Wales attended the ceremonies as the representative of the United Kingdom and wore his Royal Navy uniform. After another fuel stop at Roosevelt Roads, W. S. SIMS conducted sonar and fire-control tests near St. Croix and fired exercise torpedoes from both her antisubmarine rocket launcher and Mk 32 torpedo tubes. She visited Willemstad, Curacao, from February 28 through March 4, refueled again at Roosevelt Roads, and returned to Mayport on March 9.

On March 23, W. S. SIMS hosted former crew members and relatives associated with USS SIMS (DE 154, later APD 50). The gathering included two brief underway periods and was described as the first reunion involving that ship's former personnel since her decommissioning in 1946.

W. S. SIMS departed Mayport on April 25 and participated in Fleet Week activities at New York City from April 29 through May 4. She returned to Mayport on May 6. Another deployment with a Coast Guard Law Enforcement Detachment extended from May 12 through June 28. The ship operated in the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico and made several short logistics calls, including visits to Corpus Christi and Ingleside, Texas, for fuel. From July 17 through July 27, W. S. SIMS operated in Puerto Rican waters with the battle group centered on USS FORRESTAL (CV 59). She returned to the Caribbean from August 24 through September 17, conducted naval gunfire-support training at Vieques, and visited Oranjestad, Aruba, and Kralendijk, Bonaire, early in September.

The frigate offloaded ammunition at Yorktown Naval Weapons Station on September 14 and September 15. On September 27, she was towed up the St. Johns River to Atlantic Marine in Jacksonville for a Docking Selected Restricted Availability. W. S. SIMS was placed on Marine Railway No. 246 on October 19 and remained in the yard through the end of 1989. Sea trials following the availability were conducted on January 12, 1990. W. S. SIMS loaded ammunition at Charleston on January 16 and January 17 and returned to Mayport on January 19. From February 26 through March 8, the ship conducted exercises, helicopter deck-landing qualification with Helicopter Antisubmarine Squadron Light 36, and antisubmarine warfare training at the Atlantic Undersea Test and Evaluation Center. She visited Nassau from February 28 through March 3. On March 30, W. S. SIMS departed for Newport, where she served as an engineering school ship for Surface Warfare Officers School students training to qualify as engineering officers of the watch. She returned to Mayport on April 17.

The frigate conducted Caribbean law-enforcement operations with Helicopter Antisubmarine Squadron Light 36 Detachment One and a Coast Guard Law Enforcement Detachment from April 19 through May 14. She passed an operational propulsion plant examination on June 7 and June 8. From June 22 through August 5, W. S. SIMS completed interim refresher training at Guantanamo Bay. She achieved a high score during the operational-readiness battle problem, conducted naval gunfire-support training at Vieques, and visited St. Thomas from July 26 through July 28. The ship visited New Orleans from August 31 through September 4. This occurred while the wider Navy was shifting increasing attention toward the Persian Gulf following Iraq's invasion of Kuwait on August 2 and the beginning of Operation Desert Shield, although W. S. SIMS continued her documented Atlantic Fleet training and reserve-transition schedule.

From September 25 through September 27, W. S. SIMS operated at the Atlantic Undersea Test and Evaluation Center, firing Mk 46 exercise torpedoes from both the antisubmarine rocket launcher and the surface torpedo tubes. She visited Port Everglades from September 30 through October 3 and returned to Mayport on October 4. At the end of September, the ship was assigned administratively to the Naval Reserve Force.

W. S. SIMS departed for Annapolis on October 25 and remained there through October 30 during the United States Naval Academy homecoming. The frigate received visitors and provided midshipmen with access to an operating fleet ship. She returned to Mayport on November 1. The ship visited Miami from November 10 through November 13 for Veterans Day observances. After returning to Mayport on November 14, she completed local training until the middle of December and then entered a holiday upkeep period. W. S. SIMS departed Mayport on January 22, 1991, and visited Tampa Bay from January 25 through January 28 as a Navy representative during events surrounding Super Bowl XXV. She returned to Mayport and prepared for what became her final extended operational cruise.

On February 11, the frigate sailed for Caribbean law-enforcement operations with a Coast Guard Law Enforcement Detachment and Helicopter Antisubmarine Squadron Light 94 Detachment Three embarked. Detachment Five replaced Detachment Three on February 25. The Coast Guard detachment remained aboard until it was disembarked at Roosevelt Roads on March 10. W. S. SIMS visited Barbados from March 12 through March 15. Shortly after departing on March 15, an explosion occurred in a boiler air casing. The casualty caused the loss of propulsion and electrical power. A United States Coast Guard cutter took the disabled frigate in tow on March 16. USS PAPAGO (ATF 160) relieved the cutter on March 17 and continued the tow to Roosevelt Roads, where W. S. SIMS arrived on March 19. Temporary repairs allowed the frigate to depart under her own power on March 21, and she reached Mayport on March 24.

Repairs continued through June 6 while the ship also prepared for an inspection by the Board of Inspection and Survey. W. S. SIMS offloaded ammunition at Charleston on June 11 and June 12. The inspection was conducted from June 17 through June 20 and included an underway material inspection on June 19. From June 20 through September 5, the crew concentrated on lay-up work and preparation for decommissioning. Ammunition, classified material, records, spare parts, stores, and reusable equipment were removed or transferred. Machinery, piping, tanks, electronics, weapons, and internal spaces were placed in the condition required for inactive custody.

USS W. S. SIMS was decommissioned at Mayport on September 6, 1991. She was the first member of the KNOX-class to leave commissioned service. Rear Admiral John Scott Redd spoke during the ceremony. Her active career had lasted 21 years, eight months, and three days. W. S. SIMS remained in government custody after decommissioning and was struck from the Naval Vessel Register on January 11, 1995. She was subsequently transferred to Turkey through the Security Assistance Program for use as a source of spare parts in support of the KNOX-class frigates operated by the Turkish Navy.

back to top

go to the end of the page

USS W. S. SIMS Image Gallery:

back to top

Back to Frigates List.

Back to Ships List.

Back to selection page.

Back to 1^st page.