Caldwell class destroyer

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USS Caldwell (DD-69)
Class overview
Name: Caldwell class destroyer
Builders: Mare Island Navy Yard
Norfolk Navy Yard
Seattle Dry Dock Company
William Cramp Ship Building Company
Bath Iron Works
Operators: United States
Royal Navy Ensign Great Britain
Preceded by: Sampson class destroyer
Succeeded by: Wickes class destroyer
Completed: 6
Retired: 6
Preserved: 0
General characteristics
Type: Destroyer
Displacement: 1,020 tons (standard)
1,125 tons (normal)
Length: 308' (93.88m) waterline
315'6" (96.2m) overall
Beam: 31' 3" (9.52m)
Draft: 8' (2.44m)
11' 6" (3.5m) max
Propulsion:
  • (DD 69-71) Thornycroft boilers
    Parsons geared turbines
    two shafts (20,000shp)
  • (DD 72-73) White-Forster boilers
    Parsons turbines
    three shafts (18,500hp)
Speed:
  • (DD 69-71) 35 knots (65 km/h)
  • (DD 72-73) 30 knots (56 km/h)
Complement: 146
Armament: 4 in (102 mm) /50cal (4x1),[1] 1x1pdr, 1.1" (28 mm) AA (1x1); later 3" (76 mm) (1x1), 12 x 21" (533 mm) TT. (2x3 each beam)

The Caldwell class of destroyers served in the United States Navy near the end of World War I.

Built in 1917 and 1918, the 6 ships of the Caldwell class were flush-decked to remove the fo'c'sle break weakness of the preceding Tucker class. The forward sheer of the Caldwell class was improved to keep "A" turret from being constantly washed out. The class had beam torpedo tubes and wing turrets, both flaws in design.

Manley's high-speed destroyer transport (APD) conversion, removing her forward stacks and boilers, gave her the capacity to lift 200 Marines and four 11m (36') Higgins assault boats. She saw action at Guadalcanal and Kwajalein.

Three entered Royal Navy service under the Destroyers for Bases Agreement as the Leeds-class. Leeds provided cover at Gold Beach on 6 June 1944; her sisters served as convoy escorts. All survived the war, two being sunk as targets and one scrapped, postwar.

The 6 ships of the Caldwell class were

[edit] Sources

  • Campbell, John (1985). Naval Weapons of World War Two. Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-87021-459-4. 
  • Fitzsimons, Bernard, General Editor. The Encyclopedia of 20th Century Weapons and Warfare, Volume 5, pp.510-11, "Caldwell", and Volume 16, pp.1717-18, "Leeds". London: Phoebus, 1978.
  • http://www.navsource.org/archives
  1. ^ Campbell 1985 p.143

[edit] External links

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Caldwell-class destroyer
List of destroyers of the United States Navy
List of destroyer classes of the United States Navy
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