Click On Image For Full Size Image	Size	Image Description		Contributed By And/Or Copyright
070901	8k	Alexander Scammel Wadsworth was born in 1790 at Portland ME. He was appointed a midshipman on 2 April 1804 and promoted to lieutenant on 21 April 1810. Lt. Wadsworth was the first lieutenant on board the USS Constitution, commanded by Captain Isaac Hull. It was during an engagement with the British Frigate Guerriere off the coast of Nova Scotia during the War of 1812 that Constitution achieved its greatest victory. During a 20 minute battle, shots fired at Constitution seemed to bounce off the ship’s hull, giving her the name "Old Ironsides". Meanwhile, Guerriere was reduced to a floating pile of rubble. For his action in the battle, Wadsworth received a silver medal. Wadsworth later served as first lieutenant of the corvette Adams during that ship's cruise in 1814 when she captured 10 prizes. Promoted to Master Commandant on 27 April 1816 for his services during the war, Wadsworth commanded the brig Prometheus in the Mediterranean Squadron after the Algerian War in 1816 and 1817 and later commanded the sloop John Adams. Under Wadsworth, John Adams conducted cruises in the West Indies in 1818-1819, and 1821-1822 for the suppression of piracy. Promoted to captain on 3 March 1825, he commanded frigate Constellation in the Mediterranean Squadron from 1829 to 1832. Wadsworth was Commodore commanding the Pacific Squadron from 1834 to 1836, a member of the Board of Navy Commissioners from 1837 to 1840, and Inspector of Ordnance from 1841 to 1850. Commodore Wadsworth died at Washington DC, on 5 April 1851. USS Wadsworth (FFG 9) (1980-2002) was the third ship named in his honor, succeeding DD 60 (1915-1922) and DD 516 (1943-1946). (Photo from the Wadsworth Family in America website)		Mike Smolinski Clifton, N.J. Navsource DE/FF/LCS Archive Manager
070902	94k	February 1979: San Pedro, Cal. - at Todd-Pacific Shipyard, 70% complete		John C. Ruff Captain, USN (ret.) 1st Commanding Officer
070903	76k	29 July 1979: San Pedro, Cal. - at Todd-Pacific Shipyard, Launching
070904	64k	26 January 1980: at sea - on sea trials
070905	97k	26 January 1980: at sea - on sea trials
070906	26k	02 April 1980: Commissioning Day
070935	188k	May 1980: San Francisco, Cal. - USS Wadsworth (FFG 9) moored in San Francisco Bay. (Heilenday photo #1 00105A from the Heilenday Collection)		Mark Heilenday Virginia Beach, Va. Captain, USN (ret.) June 1974 - July 2004
070932	266k	undated: San Diego Harbor		Tommy Trampp
070933	398k	undated: At Sea - location unknown		Craig Nelson Plankowner Former Operation Specialist
070926	110k	Summer 1980: San Diego, Cal. - USS Wadsworth at anchor in San Diego Bay.		Richard Stiles
070920	47k	1980: Long Beach, Cal. - The business end of the 76MM, taken while in port at Long Beach.		Craig Nelson Plankowner Former Operation Specialist
070921	70k	1980: These two photos are of the very first helo landing onboard Wadsworth.
070922	48k
070907	171k	10 January 1981: at sea - Aerial port view of the guided missile frigate USS Wadsworth (FFG 9) underway. (U.S. Navy photo DVID #DN-SC-83-11901 by Don S. Montgomery, USN [ret.], from the Defense Visual Information Center)		Mike Smolinski Clifton, N.J. Navsource DE/FF/LCS Archive Manager
070923	57k	1981: This photo was taken while on a visit to San Francisco. Here you can see the Command Master Chief (BMCM Meyer) departing the ship.		Craig Nelson Plankowner Former Operation Specialist
070924	74k	1981: This photo was taken in 1981 while on a visit to Seattle and the Puget Sound area, the ship was anchored at the end of the Hood Canal.
070936	439k	September 1981: the Pacific Ocean - USS Wadsworth (FFG 9) underway off Long Beach. (Heilenday photo #1 00102A from the Heilenday Collection)		Mark Heilenday Virginia Beach, Va. Captain, USN (ret.) June 1974 - July 2004
070901	67k	03 February 1982: Subic Bay, P.I. - Assistant Secretary of the Navy John S. Herrington (right) talks to Cdr John R. Ruff, commanding officer, during a tour of the guided missile frigate USS Wadsworth (FFG 9). (U.S. Navy photo DVID #DN-ST-86-01406 by PH1 David C. MacLean from the DVIC)		Mike Smolinski Clifton, N.J. Navsource DE/FF/LCS Archive Manager
070909	247k	29 April 1983: at sea - An overhead view of the Wadsworth underway. (U.S. Navy photo DVID #DN-SC-85-00082 by PH2 D. Smith from the DVIC)
070910	141k	29 April 1983: at sea - An aerial port bow view of the Wadsworth underway. (U.S. Navy photo DVID #DN-SC-85-00564 by PH2 D. Smith from the DVIC)
070911	211k	29 April 1983: at sea - An aerial starboard bow view of the Wadsworth underway. (U.S. Navy photo DVID #DN-SC-85-00563 by PH2 D. Smith from the DVIC)
070912	180k	29 April 1983: at sea - An port quarter view of the Wadsworth underway. (U.S. Navy photo DVID #DN-SC-85-00079 by PH2 D. Smith from the DVIC)
070913	228k	29 April 1983: at sea - An port beam view of the Wadsworth underway. (U.S. Navy photo DVID #DN-SC-85-00078 by PH2 D. Smith from the DVIC)
070927	296k	04 June 1984: Auckland, N.Z. - Wadsworth underway slowly heading into Auckland.		Chris Howell Southland Ship Stores Ltd Port of Bluff, New Zealand
070914	265k	01 January 1987: at sea - An port beam view of the Wadsworth underway. (U.S. Navy photo DVID #DN-SC-05-06679 from the DVIC)		Mike Smolinski Clifton, N.J. Navsource DE/FF/LCS Archive Manager
070915	553k	01 July 1988: Naval Station Pearl Harbor, Hi. - Four U.S. Navy guided missile frigates are moored side by side in the harbor during Exercise RimPac '88. They include, from left: the guided missile frigates USS Duncan (FFG 10), the USS Mahlon S. Tisdale (FFG 27), the USS Lewis B. Puller (FFG 23) and Wadsworth. (U.S. Navy photo DVID #DN-ST-91-12038 by PH1 Terry Cosgrove, from the DVIC)
070916	174k	01 June 1991: off the coast of Hawaii - A starboard bow view of the Wadsworth underway. (U.S. Navy photo DVID #DN-SC-92-03681 by OS2 John Bouvia from the DVIC)
070917	229k	01 June 1991: Pearl Harbor, Hi. - The frigate USS Robert E. Peary (FF 1073), right, and the guided missile frigate Wadsworth pass one another at the entrance to the channel as the Wadsworth arrives for a visit to Naval Station, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. (U.S. Navy photo DVID #DN-SC-92-02726 by OS2 John Bouvia from the DVIC)
070928	296k	07 June 1991: Pearl Harbor, Hi. - Wadsworth suffers a near collision when USS Leftwich (DD 984) broke her port shaft clutch and went into an uncommanded forward movement while docking ahead of us. We had arrived after transit from San Diego in the company of USS Gridley (CG 21) and USS Cowpens (CG 63).		Nathan Stewart
070929	330k
070930	294k
070918	1046k	23 January 1994: at sea - Destroyer Squadron One (DesRonOne) steaming in formation off the coast of San Clemente Island. The formation consists of seven FFG class ships of the Naval Reserve Force. From left to right, rear to front; left row (rear) USS Sides (FFG 14), (front) USS Mahlon S. Tisdale (FFG 27), middle row (rear) USS Duncan (FFG 10) (center) USS Copeland (FFG 25) (lead ship) USS Lewis B. Puller (FFG 23), right row (rear) USS George Philip (FFG 12) and (front) USS Wadsworth (FFG 9). (U.S. Navy photo DVID #DN-ST-95-01112 by PH2 J.P. Guzman from the DVIC)		Bob Hurst Worksop, Nottinghamshire, England, United Kingdom
070919	96k	24 October 1997: San Diego, Cal.: Wadsworth (FFG 9) and USS McClusky (FFG 41) side by side in a floating dry dock facility at National Steel and Shipbuilding Company (NASSCO), San Diego, Ca. NASSCO placed two ships simultaneously in the same dry dock for the first time, the double docking was part of a $4.7 million scheduled maintenance contract. (U.S. Navy photo #971024-N-1746P-003 by PH2 Jeff Portish from Navy Newstand)		Bill Gonyo Downey, Cal. Assoc. Researcher Navsource
070925	109k	date / location unknown: General Thadeuz Kosciusko (273) (ex-USS Wadsworth FFG 9) underway.		Bob Hurst Worksop, Nottinghamshire, England, United Kingdom
070931	128k	17 February 2012: At Sea - The Polish guided missile frigate ORP General Thadeuz Kosciusko (F-273) underway. (Photo taken by Łukasz Golowanow from KONFLIKTY.PL)
070934	338k	April 2019: At Sea - ORP General Thadeuz Kosciusko (F-273) underway.		Craig Nelson Plankowner Former Operation Specialist

Wadsworth Memorabilia
Welcome Aboard Pamphlet (Circa 1985) Courtesy of Robert M. Cieri	Ship's Plaque Courtesy of Mike Smolinski

Contact information is compiled from various sources over a period of time and may, or may not, be correct. Every effort has been
made to list the newest contact. However, our entry is only as good as the latest information that's been sent to us. We list only
a contact for the ship if one has been sent to us. We do NOT have crew lists, rosters, or deck logs available. Please see the
Frequently Asked Questions section on NavSource's Main Page for that information.

Additional Resources

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Tin Can Sailors
The U.S. Navy Memorial
The Destroyer Escort Historical Museum
The Destroyer History Foundation

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This page created by Daniel N. Dunham, expanded and maintained by Mike Smolinski by Paul R. Yarnall, All Rights Reserved. Page Last Updated: 05 December 2024