USS Adams ( DM - 27 ) USS " Adams " ( DM - 27 ) was a destroyer minelayer in the United States Navy . She was named for Lieutenant , junior grade Samuel Adams . The other two USS Adams that have existed were named after the second president . " Adams " was laid down as DD - 739 , an " Allen M . Sumner " - class destroyer , on 20 March 1944 at the Bath Iron Works in Bath , Maine . She was redesignated a " Robert H . Smith " - class destroyer minelayer DM - 27 , on 20 July 1944 ; launched on 23 July 1944 , sponsored by Mrs . Maude Ryan Adams , the widow of Lieutenant Adams . " Adams " was commissioned at Boston , Massachusetts , on 10 October 1944 , with Commander Henry J . Armstrong in command . Service history . World War II . After fitting out there , she embarked upon her shakedown cruise on 1 November . That cruise , which took her to Bermuda waters , lasted for the entire month . On 29 November , she headed back toward the United States and arrived at Norfolk , Virginia , on 3 December . Following post - shakedown availability in the navy yard there , she put to sea on 11 December with , bound for New York City and a rendezvous with . The two destroyer minelayers departed New York with the aircraft carrier on 15 December and set a course for the Panama Canal . The three warships transited the canal on 20 December and , on 22 December , headed for the California coast . They arrived at San Diego on 29 December and remained there two days undergoing repairs . On New Year ' s Day 1945 , they got underway again , headed for Oahu , and they arrived in Pearl Harbor six days later . For almost two months , " Adams " remained in the Hawaiian operating area . During that time , she acted as plane guard for while the carrier conducted carrier landing qualifications for naval aviators . She also carried out gunnery exercises and shore bombardment practice . The warship spent two periods in the Pearl Harbor Navy Yard — once for the installation of VF radar equipment and again to have her main deck plating strengthened . Early in February , she laid mines and tested mine detection equipment on them . Later , the warship conducted mine laying exercises . She finished out her tour of duty in the Hawaii area late in February with another plane guard mission with " Bataan " . The destroyer minelayer stood out of Pearl Harbor on 2 March , bound for the western Pacific . She arrived in Ulithi Atoll on 14 March and remained until 19 March , when she put to sea with a task group of the Okinawa invasion force . The warship saw her first combat on 23 March , the day before she arrived off Okinawa . That evening , enemy aircraft attacked her task group . " Adams " sustained her first casualties when a projectile fired from the after five - inch mount exploded prematurely killing two sailors and injuring another 13 . At dawn the following day , she began minesweeping operations off Okinawa . The destroyer minelayer provided gunfire support and mine destruction services to the wooden - hulled minesweepers doing the actual sweeping . Those operations continued over the next few days in spite of Japanese air resistance . During that time , she was attacked by at least twelve different planes . She confirmed six kills and claimed probable kills of two others . On the 28th , one of those attackers splashed about from her port bow showering her with debris and gasoline . She sustained damage in a collision with a salvage vessel that forced her into the anchorage at Kerama Retto for emergency repairs . On 1 April , while she was operating to the southeast of Kerama Retto , a badly damaged Japanese plane splashed close aboard her stern ; and what must have been two bombs exploded under her fantail causing severe damage and jamming her rudders at hard right . While she steamed in righthand circles , two more " kamikaze " planes swooped in at her . " Adams " destroyed one while the other succumbed to the antiaircraft battery on , the ship dispatched to assist " Adams " . Later , " Adams " was towed into Kerama Retto to begin temporary repairs alongside . " Adams " departed Kerama Retto on 7 April , bound ultimately for the United States and permanent repairs . She made stops at Guam and at Pearl Harbor before arriving at the Mare Island Navy Yard on 7 May . She completed repairs and post - repair trials and calibrations during the first week in July . On 6 July , she put to sea for exercises off Santa Catalina , CA and entered port at San Diego on 10 July . After brief post - repair shakedown training and inspections , the destroyer minelayer stood out of San Diego on 17 July on her way back to Hawaii . She arrived at Oahu on 23 July and spent the next 11 days in gunnery exercises — both antiaircraft and shore bombardment — in the Hawaiian operating area . On 4 August , she and departed Pearl Harbor , bound for the western Pacific . The two warships stopped overnight on 11 / 12 August at Eniwetok Atoll where they picked up . They escorted the attack transport to the Marianas and arrived at Guam on 15 August , the day hostilities ceased . Post war . The following day , she got underway for Okinawa , arrived in Buckner Bay on 18 August , and remained there through 31 August . On 1 September , she stood out of Buckner Bay on her way to Japan . She arrived off Kagoshima , Kyūshū , on 3 September and began sweeping a channel into the port . That operation continued until 9 September at which time she headed back toward Okinawa . She reached Buckner Bay on 11 September and re mained at anchor until 16 September . On that day , she put to sea to evade a typhoon but returned to port on 18 September . She departed Okinawa again on 24 September , headed for Japan , and arrived in Ise Wan , Honshū , on 26 September , and began minesweeping operations in preparation for the landing of Army troops at Nagoya . She anchored in Ise Wan on 28 September and remained there while her commanding officer , serving as task group commander , directed the minesweeping mission . She remained at Ise Wan through the end of October . On 1 November , the destroyer minelayer laid a course for Sasebo where she arrived two days later . She stayed there through most of November provisioning units preparing to return home . On 25 November , " Adams " left Sasebo to voyage to Kiirun , Taiwan , where she arrived on 28 November and reported for duty with Task Group ( TG ) 70 . 5 . She returned to sea with TG 70 . 5 on 4 December for a 10 - day minesweeping assignment in Taiwan Strait . At the conclusion of that mission , she returned to Kiirun on 15 December . Four days later , she put to sea with a convoy bound for Shanghai , China , and entered the Yangtze River on 21 December . " Adams " remained at Shanghai until 3 January 1946 . Between 3 and 6 January , the warship voyaged back , to Sasebo where she rejoined the 5th Fleet . " Adams " continued similar duty in Far Eastern waters until early April when she headed back to the United States . Upon her arrival home , she was assigned to the 1st Fleet and served in it until decommissioned in December . The destroyer minelayer was berthed with the San Diego Group , Pacific Reserve Fleet . She remained in reserve for almost 23 years . On 7 February 1955 , while still in reserve , she was redesignated a fast minelayer MMD - 27 . Her name was finally struck from the Navy List on 1 December 1970 , and she was sold to Chow ' s Iron & Steel Company , of Taiwan , on 16 December 1971 . Awards . " Adams " earned one battle star for World War II service .