The Samuel Gompers-class was the first class of destroyer tenders designed by the U.S. Navy, twenty years after the preceding Shenandoah-class. The ships were specifically designed to be able to service ships with nuclear propulsion or with gas turbines. The ships were also able to service the variety of guided missiles coming into service. They also had a helicopter platform aft, although only was later fitted with a hangar, when she served as flagship of the United States Sixth Fleet.[1] Both ships were originally armed with a World War II-vintage 5"/38 caliber gun turret forward. The construction of two additional ships (AD-39, AD-40) was cancelled in 1969 and 1974. [2]
| Ship name | Builder | Laid down | Launched | Commissioned | Decommissioned | Fate | DANFS | NVR Page | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AD-37 | Puget Sound Naval Shipyard | 7 September 1964 | 14 May 1966 | 1 July 1967 | 27 October 1995 | Sunk as target, 22 July 2003 | https://www.history.navy.mil/content/history/nhhc/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/s/samuel-gompers.html | http://www.nvr.navy.mil/SHIPDETAILS/SHIPSDETAIL_AD_37_3.HTML | |
| AD-38 | 15 February 1965 | 16 September 1966 | 27 April 1968 | 27 January 1996 | Sold for scrap, 2008 | https://www.history.navy.mil/content/history/nhhc/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/p/puget-sound-ii.html | http://www.nvr.navy.mil/SHIPDETAILS/SHIPSDETAIL_AD_38_4.HTML |