Destroyer minesweeper

Destroyer minesweeper was a designation given by the United States Navy to a series of destroyers that were converted into high-speed ocean-going minesweepers for service during World War II. The hull number for such a ship began "DMS". Forty-two ships were so converted, beginning with the USS Dorsey (DD-117), converted to DMS 1 in late 1940, and ending with the USS Earle (DD-635), converted to DMS-42 in mid 1945. The type is now obsolete, its function having been taken over by purpose-built ships, designated as "minesweeper (high-speed)" with hull numbers beginning MMD.

The original ships were obsolete four-stack destroyers built during and after World War I with usable power plants. The number 4 boiler, fourth stack, and torpedo tubes were removed, depth charge racks repositioned forward from the stern and angled outboard, and the stern modified to support sweep gear: davits, winch, paravanes, and kites. Two 60-kilowatt turbo-generators replaced the three original 25-kilowatt generators to improve capability for sweeping magnetic and acoustic mines.

Conversion of the initial seventeen ships was completed in October and November 1940, and included eight Wickes class and nine Clemson-class destroyers. An additional Wickes-class destroyer was converted in 1941. The fictional USS Caine from Herman Wouk's novel The Caine Mutiny was a converted Clemson-class ship. The 24 later ships in the series were Gleaves-class destroyers built during the war.

Sources

Navy Memorial Society website

Modern naval ships and warships

List of naval ship classes in service submarine auxiliary

Aircraft carriers	Aircraft cruiser Amphibious assault ship Anti-submarine warfare carrier Balloon carrier CAM ship Escort carrier Fighter catapult ship Fleet carrier Helicopter carrier Light aircraft carrier Merchant aircraft carrier Seaplane tender Submarine aircraft carrier Supercarrier

Battleships	Coastal defence ship Dreadnought Fast battleship Pre-dreadnought battleship Super-dreadnought (Standard-type battleship) Treaty battleship

Cruisers	Armored cruiser Battlecruiser Flight deck cruiser Heavy cruiser Pocket battleship Light cruiser Merchant raider Protected cruiser Strike cruiser Unprotected cruiser

Escort	Aviso Convoy rescue ship Destroyer Destroyer escort Destroyer leader Frigate Guided missile destroyer Kaibokan Sloop

Transport	Amphibious transport dock Amphibious warfare ship Attack transport Dock landing ship Landing craft Landing craft carrier Landing ship heavy Landing ship, infantry Landing ship medium Landing ship support, large Landing ship, tank Landing ship vehicle Troopship

Patrol craft	Armed boarding steamer Armed yacht Coastal motor boat Corvette Gunboat Harbour defence motor launch Motor launch Naval drifter Naval trawler Ocean boarding vessel Patrol boat Q-ship Steam gun boat Submarine chaser Torpedo boat

Fast attack craft	E-boat MAS MGB Missile boat MTB MTM MTSM PT boat Shinyo

Mine warfare	Danlayer Destroyer minesweeper Mine countermeasures vessel Mine planter Minehunter Minelayer Minesweeper

Command and support	Amenities ship Ammunition ship Auxiliary repair dock Auxiliary ship Collier Combat stores ship Command ship Crane vessel Depot ship Destroyer tender Dispatch boat Fast combat support ship General stores issue ship Hospital ship Net laying ship Repair ship Replenishment oiler Submarine tender

Submarines	Attack submarine Ballistic missile submarine Coastal submarine Cruise missile submarine Cruiser submarine Deep-submergence vehicle DSRV Fleet submarine Midget submarine U-boat

Miscellaneous	Arsenal ship Barracks ship Breastwork monitor Flagship Guard ship Littoral combat ship Monitor River monitor Training ship

Destroyer minesweeper

See also

Sources