Forrest Sherman class destroyer

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Forrest Sherman class destroyer

Class Overview
Displacement:	2,800 tons standard 4,050 tons full load
Length:	407 feet (124 m) waterline 418 feet (127 m) overall
Beam:	45 feet (13.7 m)
Draft:	22 feet (6.7 m)
Propulsion:	General Electric steam turbines (Westinghouse in DD-931) 4 × 1,200 psi (8.3 MPa) Foster-Wheeler boilers (Babcock and Wilcox in DD-937, DD-943, DD-944, DD-945, DD-946 and DD-948) 70,000 shp (52 MW), 2 × shafts.
Speed:	32.5 knots (60 km/h)
Range:	4,500 nautical miles (8,300 km) at 20 knots (37 km/h)
Complement:	15 officers, 318 enlisted
Armament:	3 × 5 inch (127 mm) 54-calibre Mark 42 single gun mounts 4 × 3 inch (76 mm) 50-calibre Mark 33 guns 2 × Mark 10/11 Hedgehogs 4 × 21 inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes.

The 18 Forrest Sherman-class destroyers were the first US post-war destroyers (DD-927 to DD-930 were completed as frigates) and the first major US combatants with more firepower aft than forward. USS Hull (DD-945) and later ships were equipped with B&W Bailey Meter Company's new automatic boiler combustion control system, and a modified hurricane bow/anchor configuration. These ships are listed as Hull class destroyers in some references.

The hedgehogs and 3 inch guns were removed from all ships during the 1960s and 1970s. In addition the fixed torpedo tubes were replaced by six 12.75 inch (324 mm) Mark 32 torpedo tube mounts.

Eight of the class were modernised to improve their ASW capabilities. These ships were fitted with an eight cell ASROC launcher in place of the No. 2 5 inch (127 mm) gun and a variable depth sonar.

Another four of the ships—John Paul Jones (DD-932), Parsons (DD-949), Decatur (DD-936) and Somers (DD-947)—were converted to guided missile destroyers.

As a test platform the Hull (DD-945) mounted the Navy's prototype 8 inch 55-calibre Mark 71 light-weight gun from 1975-1978 when the program was cancelled, and the 5 inch mount was restored. USS Hull remains the only modern destroyer-type to carry an 8 inch gun.