View source for USS John King

{{short description|Charles F. Adams-class destroyer}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2022}}
{|{{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image
|Ship image=USS John King (DDG-3) underway in the Atlantic Ocean, in 1983 (6439746).jpg
|Ship caption=USS ''John King'' underway in 1983
}}
{{Infobox ship career
|Hide header=
|Ship country=United States
|Ship flag={{USN flag|1990}}
|Ship name=''John King''
|Ship namesake=[[John King (sailor)|John King]]
|Ship ordered=28 March 1957
|Ship builder=[[Bath Iron Works]]
|Ship laid down=25 August 1958
|Ship launched=30 January 1960
|Ship acquired=27 January 1961
|Ship commissioned=4 February 1961
|Ship decommissioned=30 March 1990
|Ship identification=*[[Maritime call sign|Callsign]]: NDFQ
*{{ICS|November}}{{ICS|Delta}}{{ICS|Foxtrot}}{{ICS|Quebec}}
*[[Hull number]]: DD-953
|Ship reclassified=DDG-3, 23 April 1957
|Ship struck=12 January 1993
|Ship reinstated=
|Ship honours=
|Ship motto=''Power for Peace''
|Ship fate=[[Ship breaking|Scrapped]], 10 February 1999
|Ship notes=
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
|Hide header=
|Header caption=
|Ship class={{sclass|Charles F. Adams|destroyer}}
|Ship displacement=3,277 tons standard, 4,526 full load
|Ship length={{convert|437|ft|m|abbr=on}}
|Ship beam={{convert|47|ft|m|abbr=on}}
|Ship draught=
|Ship draft={{convert|15|ft|m|abbr=on}}
|Ship propulsion=*2 × [[General Electric]] steam turbines providing {{convert|70000|shp|MW|abbr=on}}; 2 shafts
*4 × [[Babcock & Wilcox]] {{convert|1275|psi|abbr=on}} boilers
|Ship speed={{convert|33|kn|lk=in}}
|Ship range={{convert|4500|nmi|km}} at {{convert|20|kn|km/h}}
|Ship complement=354 (24 officers, 330 enlisted)
|Ship sensors=*AN/SPS-39 3D air search radar
*AN/SPS-10 surface search radar
*[[AN/SPG-51]] missile fire control radar
*AN/SPG-53 gunfire control radar
*AN/SQS-23 Sonar and the hull mounted SQQ-23 Pair Sonar for DDG-2 through 19
*AN/SPS-40 Air Search Radar
|Ship EW=
|Ship armament=*1 [[Mk 11 missile launcher]] (DDG2-14) or [[Mk 13 missile launcher|Mk 13 single arm missile launcher]] (DDG-15-24) for [[RIM-24 Tartar]] [[Surface-to-air missile|SAM]] system, or later the [[RIM-66 Standard]] (SM-1) and [[Harpoon (missile)|Harpoon antiship missile]]
*2 × [[5"/54 caliber Mark 42 gun|5"/54 caliber Mark 42 (127&nbsp;mm) gun]]
*1 × [[RUR-5 ASROC]] Launcher
*6 × 12.8 in (324&nbsp;mm) ASW Torpedo Tubes (2 x [[Mark 32 Surface Vessel Torpedo Tubes]])
|Ship armour=
|Ship armor=
|Ship aircraft=None
|Ship notes=
}}
|}

'''USS ''John King'' (DD-953/DDG-3)''' was a [[Charles F. Adams class destroyer|''Charles F. Adams''-class]] guided missile armed [[destroyer]] in the [[United States Navy]] named for [[Medal of Honor]] recipient [[John King (Medal of Honor)|John King]].

''John King'' was laid down by the [[Bath Iron Works]] at [[Bath, Maine|Bath]] in [[Maine]] on 25 August 1958, launched on 30 January 1960 by Mrs. [[Paul J. Kilday]], wife of Representative Kilday of Texas and commissioned on 4 February 1961; Comdr. [[Albert M. Sackett]] in command. ''John King'' was ordered as DD-953, reclassified as DDG-3 on 16 August 1956 and reclassified as DDG-3 on 26 June 1957. ''John King'' participated in blockade duties during the [[Cuban Missile Crisis]] in October 1962.<ref name=DANFS>{{cite DANFS |url= https://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/j/john-king.html |title= USS John King }}</ref>

== Service history ==
[[File:USS John King (DDG-3) underway c1961.jpg|left|thumb|''John King'' underway in 1961]]
Following shakedown training out of [[Guantánamo Bay]], [[Cuba]], ''John King'' carried out weapons tests on the East Coast before arriving Norfolk 7 September 1961 for regular duty. One of a new class of guided missile destroyers, she featured latest hull design with all-aluminum superstructure and mounted the very latest in modern armament and electronic equipment. Departing 27 November 1961, the ship cruised to England and Northern Europe until 1 January 1962, when she sailed from [[Dublin]] for the Mediterranean. There, ''John King'' joined the [[United States Sixth Fleet|6th Fleet]] in its constant role of peacekeeping in this troubled region. After her return to [[Norfolk, Virginia]] in April, the ship conducted missile firing exercises and training in the Caribbean. She arrived Washington 10 July 1962 for a 4-day stay, entertaining a group of Senators and Congressmen as well as [[United States Secretary of the Navy|Secretary of the Navy]] [[Fred Korth]].<ref name=DANFS />

Following additional exercises, ''John King'' entered Norfolk Navy Yard 11 October 1962. Soon afterward, the introduction of offensive missiles into Cuba precipitated a crisis; and, as Navy ships placed a [[quarantine]] around the island, the ship quickly finished her repairs and joined the [[blockade]] 6 November. After the crisis eased, the ship remained in the [[Caribbean]] operating with the Navy's newest and biggest carrier, the nuclear-powered [[USS Enterprise (CVN-65)]]. She returned to Norfolk 8 December 1962.<ref name=DANFS />

''John King'' departed for her second Mediterranean cruise 6 February 1963. After visiting various ports on 6th Fleet maneuvers, she steamed to [[Kiel]], Germany, 23 June 1963, then returned to Norfolk 17 July 1963. The next twelve months were spent on training and readiness exercises off the [[Virginia Capes]] and in the Caribbean, including a week at the [[Anti-submarine warfare|Anti-submarine Warfare]] School, [[Key West]], Florida, in April 1964.<ref name=DANFS />

The destroyer sailed for the [[Mediterranean Sea]] once more 3 August 1964 and joined the 6th Fleet 16 August near the strife-torn island of [[Cyprus]]. She remained in the Mediterranean until the end of 1964.<ref name=DANFS />
{{stack|[[File:Back of ASROC launcher on USS John King (DDG-3) c1985.jpg|thumb|Back of [[RUR-5 ASROC]] on ''John King'' in 1985]]}}
''John King'' returned to Norfolk 29 January and operated along the East Coast until sailing for the "Med" 14 October. Following 4 months of operations with the 6th Fleet, she returned to Norfolk 7 March 1966. In the summer she visited the Mediterranean and recrossed the Atlantic on [[NATO]] Exercise "Straight Laced." Back at homeport in the fall she operated out of Norfolk until sailing for another 6th Fleet deployment 10 January 1967. Her movements were concentrated in the Western Mediterranean until she sailed for home 11 May. Arriving Norfolk on the 19th, ''John King'' entered the [[Norfolk Naval Shipyard]] 27 June 1967 for an overhaul to prepare for future service.<ref name=DANFS />

Throughout the 70's and 80's, ''John King'' participated various NATO exercises and supported Atlantic Fleet operations during the Cold War. In 1982, ''John King'' was off the coast of Beirut, Lebanon, providing gunfire support to the U.S. Marines.

''John King'' was decommissioned on 30 March 1990, was stricken from the [[Naval Vessel Register]] on 12 January 1993 and sold for scrap on 10 February 1999.

== References ==
*{{DANFS|https://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/j/john-king.html}}
*{{Naval Vessel Register|{{Naval Vessel Register URL|id=DDG3}}}}
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
{{Commons category|USS John King (DDG-3) (ship, 1960)}}
*[http://www.maritimequest.com/warship_directory/us_navy_pages/destroyers/pages/uss_john_king_ddg_3_page_1.htm MaritimeQuest USS John King DDG-3 pages]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20070928212404/http://www.ussjohnkingassociation.org/ USS John King DDG-3 Association]
*{{navsource|05/01003|USS John King}}

{{Charles F. Adams class destroyer}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:John King (DDG-3)}}
[[Category:Cold War destroyers of the United States]]
[[Category:1960 ships]]
[[Category:Charles F. Adams-class destroyers]]