Gleaves class destroyer

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

USS Aaron Ward (DD-483), one of eleven Gleaves-class destroyers lost during World War II.

The Gleaves-class destroyers were a class of 66 destroyers of the United States Navy built 1938–1942, and designed by Gibbs & Cox. [1] [2] The first ship of the class was the USS Gleaves (DD-423). The U.S. Navy customarily names a class of ships after the first ship of the class; hence the Gleaves class. They were the production destroyer of the US Navy when it entered World War Two.

They were extremely similar to the Benson-class destroyers (DD-421), and were often referred to as the BENSON/GLEAVES class, distinguishable only by the shape of their stacks— the Gleaves class had round stacks, and the Benson class had flat-sided stacks.

Initially they were known as the Livermore class destroyers because the design was standardized with USS Livermore (DD-429), after a requested design change - increasing temperature from 700 °F to 825 °F for follow-on ships from Gibbs & Cox.[3]

"Gleaves emerged as the class leader for all the Gibbs & Cox-designed ships, which also included all sixteen FY 1939 and 1940 ships (DDs 429–444), as Bethlehem’s follow-on bid to build more [Benson class] ships with its own machinery was rejected."[4]

An article at the National Destroyer Veterans Association site notes:

"Some references identify the BENSON-GLEAVES class as the BENSON-LIVERMORE class. This was a designation for the FY 38-destroyer procurement coined by popular writers in compiling a number of fleet handbooks, for example James C. Fahey’s The Ships and Aircraft of the U.S. Fleet, volumes 1-4, 1939-45. Some handbooks further split the class, adding the Bristol (DD-453) as yet another division. According to tradition, however, a class is identified by the lead ship; hence BENSON-GLEAVES is the proper designation for this group of destroyers."[5]

Twenty one were in commission when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. Eleven were lost to enemy action during World War Two, including Gwin, Meredith, Monssen, Bristol, Emmons, Aaron Ward, Beatty, Glennon, Corry.

Most were decommissioned just following World War Two. Eleven remained in commission into the 1950s, the last withdrawn from service in 1956.[6]

In 1954 Ellyson and Macomb were transferred to the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force were they served as the JDS Asakaze and JDS Hatakaze (DD-182).

[edit] General characteristics

Measurements
- Length overall: 348 ft 3 in (106 m)
- Extreme beam: 36 ft 1 in (11.0 m)
- Draft: 11 ft 10 in (3.6 m)
- Displacement: 1,630 tons standard

Machinery
- Four boilers
- Two sets geared turbines
- Two shafts/screws
- Shaft power: 50,000 hp (37 MW)
- Speed: 37.4 knots (69 km/h)
- They had a range of 6500 nautical miles at 12 knots (22 km/h).

Armament (as built)
- Five, single 5 in (127 mm)/38 caliber gun mounts
- Two, quintuple 21 in (533 mm) torpedo tubes
- Six, .50 cal. (12.7 mm) machine guns
- Two depth charge release tracks for 600 pound (270 kg) charges