DD-927 / DL-2 Mitscher
Mitscher was laid down as DD-927, 3 October 1949, by the Bath Iron Works, Corp., Bath, Maine; redesignated DL-2, 2 February 1951; launched 26 January 1952; sponsored by Mrs. Marc A. Mitscher, widow of Admiral Mitscher; and commissioned 15 May 1953, Comdr. Terrell H. W. Connor in command.
After initial shakedown exercises off Cuba, Mitscher, a guided missile frigate, returned to Boston for further modification, followed by another shakedown cruise to Guantanamo Bay, ending 31 August 1954. Homeported thereafter at Newport, R.I., she conducted exercises off the east coast until 3 January 1956, when she sailed on a good-will cruise to England, Germany, and France, returning to Rhode Island 10 February. For the next 5 years, she continued her east coast operations, deploying annually either to the northern or eastern Atlantic for NATO exercises.
On 9 February 1961, she departed her new homeport, Charleston, S.C., and steamed to the Mediterranean for her first 6 month tour with the 6th Fleet. Such deployments over the next 4 years involved her in further NATO exercises as well as 6th Fleet exercises. In August 1964, while in the Mediterranean, she stood off Cyprus to aid in the evacuation of American nationals, and then steamed through the Suez Canal to patrol the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf. On 2 March 1966, Mitscher departed Newport for the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard. There, on the 18th she decommissioned for conversion to a guided missile destroyer, DDG-35. Recommissioned 29 June 1968, Mitscher reported the same day to ComCruDesLant for fitting out at Philadelphia, trials and shakedown exercises off the east coast, after which she will report to DesDiv 182 for duty in the Atlantic Fleet.
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