Gleaves-class destroyer
USS Gleaves (DD-423) | |
Class overview | |
---|---|
Name: | Gleaves-class destroyer |
Builders: |
Bath Iron Works Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company Boston Navy Yard Charleston Navy Yard Puget Sound Naval Shipyard Seattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding Corporation Philadelphia Naval Shipyard Norfolk Naval Shipyard |
Operators: |
United States Navy Hellenic Navy Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force Marina Militare Republic of China Navy Turkish Navy |
Preceded by: | Benson class |
Succeeded by: | Fletcher class |
Built: | 1938–43 |
In commission: | 1940–56 |
Completed: | 66 |
Lost: | 13 |
General characteristics | |
Class and type: | Destroyer |
Displacement: | 1,630 tons |
Length: | 348 ft 3 in (106.15 m) |
Beam: | 36 ft 1 in (11.00 m) |
Draft: | 13 ft 2 in (4.01 m) |
Propulsion: | 50,000 shp (37,000 kW) (37 MW); 4 boilers; 2 propellers |
Speed: | 37.4 knots (69 km/h) |
Range: | 6,500 nautical miles at 12 kt (12,000 km at 22 km/h) |
Complement: | 16 officers, 260 enlisted |
Armament: | 4 to 5 × 5 in/38 cal guns 10 × 21 in torpedo tubes |
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 II.
Description
Gleaves-class destroyers were virtually identical in appearance to the Benson-class destroyers (DD-421), distinguishable only by the shape of their stacks—the Gleaves class had round stacks, and the Benson class had flat-sided stacks. Thus, the two classes were often collectively referred to as the Benson/Gleaves class.
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."[3]
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."[2]
Twenty one were in commission when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. Eleven were lost to enemy action during World War II, including Gwin, Meredith, Monssen, Ingraham, Bristol, Emmons, Aaron Ward, Beatty, Glennon, Corry, and Maddox.
Most were decommissioned just following World War II. Eleven remained in commission into the 1950s, the last withdrawn from service in 1956.[3] Hobson was sunk in a collision with the aircraft carrier Wasp in 1952.
In 1954 Ellyson and Macomb were transferred to the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force where they served as the JDS Asakaze and JDS Hatakaze (DD-182).
Ships in class
Ship Name | Hull No. | Builder | Laid down | Commission | Decommission | Fate |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Gleaves | DD-423 | Bath Iron Works, Bath, Maine | 16 May 1938 | 14 June 1940 | 8 May 1946 | Sold for scrap, 29 June 1972 |
Niblack | DD-424 | Bath Iron Works, Bath, Maine | 8 August 1938 | 1 August 1940 | June 1946 | Sold for scrap, 16 August 1973 |
Livermore | DD-429 | Bath Iron Works, Bath, Maine | 6 March 1939 | 7 October 1940 | 24 January 1947 | Sold for scrap, 3 March 1961 |
Eberle | DD-430 | Bath Iron Works, Bath, Maine | 12 April 1939 | 4 December 1940 | 3 June 1946 | Transferred to Greece, 22 January 1951 |
Plunkett | DD-431 | Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company, Kearny, New Jersey | 1 March 1939 | 17 July 1940 | 3 May 1946 | Transferred to Taiwan, 16 February 1959 |
Kearny | DD-432 | Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company, Kearny, New Jersey | 1 March 1939 | 13 September 1940 | 7 March 1946 | Sold for scrap, 6 October 1972 |
Gwin | DD-433 | Boston Navy Yard | 1 June 1939 | 15 January 1941 | Sunk, Battle of Kolombangara, 13 July 1943 | |
Meredith | DD-434 | Boston Navy Yard | 1 June 1939 | 1 March 1941 | Sunk by enemy action, 15 October 1942 | |
Grayson | DD-435 | Charleston Navy Yard | 17 July 1939 | 14 February 1941 | 4 February 1947 | Sold for scrap, 12 June 1974 |
Monssen | DD-436 | Puget Sound Navy Yard | 12 July 1939 | 14 March 1941 | Sunk, First Naval Battle of Guadalcanal, 13 November 1942 | |
Woolsey | DD-437 | Bath Iron Works, Bath, Maine | 9 October 1939 | 7 May 1941 | 6 February 1947 | Sold for scrap, 29 May 1974 |
Ludlow | DD-438 | Bath Iron Works, Bath, Maine | 18 December 1939 | 5 March 1941 6 June 1950 |
20 May 1946 22 January 1951 |
Transferred to Greece, 22 January 1951 |
Edison | DD-439 | Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company, Kearny, New Jersey | 18 March 1940 | 31 January 1941 | 18 May 1946 | Sold for scrap, 29 December 1966 |
Ericsson | DD-440 | Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company, Kearny, New Jersey | 18 March 1940 | 13 March 1941 | 15 March 1946 | Sunk as target, 17 November 1970 |
Wilkes | DD-441 | Boston Navy Yard | 1 November 1939 | 22 April 1941 | 4 March 1946 | Sold for scrap, 29 June 1972 |
Nicholson | DD-442 | Boston Navy Yard | 1 November 1939 | 3 June 1941 17 July 1950 |
26 February 1946 15 January 1951 |
Transferred to Italy, 15 January 1951 |
Swanson | DD-443 | Charleston Navy Yard | 15 November 1939 | 29 May 1941 | 10 December 1945 | Sold for scrap, 29 June 1972 |
Ingraham | DD-444 | Charleston Navy Yard | 15 November 1939 | 19 July 1941 | Sunk in accident, 22 August 1942 | |
Bristol | DD-453 | Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company, Kearny, New Jersey | 20 December 1940 | 22 October 1941 | Sunk by U-371, 13 October 1943 | |
Ellyson | DD-454 | Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company, Kearny, New Jersey | 20 December 1940 | 28 November 1941 | 19 October 1954 | Transferred to Japan, 19 October 1954 |
Hambleton | DD-455 | Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company, Kearny, New Jersey | 16 December 1940 | 22 December 1941 | 15 January 1955 | Sold for scrap, 22 November 1972 |
Rodman | DD-456 | Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company, Kearny, New Jersey | 16 December 1940 | 29 April 1942 | 28 July 1955 | Transferred to Taiwan, 28 July 1955 |
Emmons | DD-457 | Bath Iron Works, Bath, Maine | 14 November 1940 | 5 December 1941 | Sunk by Kamikazes, 6 April 1945 | |
Macomb | DD-458 | Bath Iron Works, Bath, Maine | 3 September 1940 | 26 January 1942 | 19 October 1954 | Transferred to Japan, 19 October 1954 |
Forrest | DD-461 | Boston Navy Yard | 6 January 1941 | 13 January 1942 | 30 November 1945 | Sold for scrap, 20 November 1946 |
Fitch | DD-462 | Boston Navy Yard | 6 January 1941 | 3 February 1942 | 24 February 1956 | Sunk as target, 15 November 1973 |
Corry | DD-463 | Charleston Navy Yard | 4 September 1940 | 18 December 1941 | Sunk in action, 6 June 1944 | |
Hobson | DD-464 | Charleston Navy Yard | 14 November 1940 | 22 January 1942 | Sunk in collision with USS Wasp (CV-18), 26 April 1952. | |
Aaron Ward | DD-483 | Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company, Kearny, New Jersey | 11 February 1941 | 4 March 1942 | Sunk in action, 7 April 1943 | |
Buchanan | DD-484 | Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company, Kearny, New Jersey | 11 February 1941 | 21 March 1942 | 21 May 1946 | Transferred to Turkey, 28 April 1949 |
Duncan | DD-485 | Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company, Kearny, New Jersey | 31 July 1941 | 16 April 1942 | Sunk, Battle of Cape Esperance, 12 October 1942 | |
Lansdowne | DD-486 | Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company, Kearny, New Jersey | 31 July 1941 | 29 April 1942 | 2 May 1946 | Transferred to Turkey, 10 June 1949 |
Lardner | DD-487 | Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company, Kearny, New Jersey | 15 September 1941 | 13 May 1942 | 16 May 1946 | Transferred to Turkey 10 June 1949 |
McCalla | DD-488 | Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company, Kearny, New Jersey | 15 September 1941 | 27 May 1942 | 17 May 1946 | Transferred to Turkey 29 April 1949 |
Mervine | DD-489 | Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company, Kearny, New Jersey | 3 November 1941 | 17 June 1942 | 27 May 1949 | Sold for scrap, 27 October 1969 |
Quick | DD-490 | Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company, Kearny, New Jersey | 3 November 1941 | 3 July 1942 | 28 May 1949 | Sold for scrap, 27 August 1973 |
Carmick | DD-493 | Seattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding Corporation | 29 May 1941 | 28 December 1942 | 15 February 1954 | Sold for scrap, 7 August 1972 |
Doyle | DD-494 | Seattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding Corporation | 26 May 1941 | 27 January 1943 | 19 May 1955 | Sold for scrap, 6 October 1972 |
Endicott | DD-495 | Seattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding Corporation | 1 May 1941 | 25 February 1943 | 17 August 1955 | Sold for scrap, 6 October 1970 |
McCook | DD-496 | Seattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding Corporation | 1 May 1941 | 15 March 1943 | 27 May 1949 | Sold for scrap, 27 August 1973 |
Frankford | DD-497 | Seattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding Corporation | 5 June 1941 | 31 March 1943 | 6 March 1946 | Sunk as target, 4 December 1973 |
Davison | DD-618 | Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company, Kearny, New Jersey | 26 February 1942 | 11 September 1942 | 24 June 1949 | Sold for scrap, 27 August 1973 |
Edwards | DD-619 | Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company, Kearny, New Jersey | 26 February 1942 | 18 September 1942 | 11 April 1946 | Sold for scrap, 25 May 1973 |
Glennon | DD-620 | Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company, Kearny, New Jersey | 25 March 1942 | 8 October 1942 | Sunk in action, 10 June 1944 | |
Jeffers | DD-621 | Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company, Kearny, New Jersey | 25 March 1942 | 5 November 1942 | 23 May 1955 | Sold for scrap, 25 May 1973 |
Maddox | DD-622 | Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company, Kearny, New Jersey | 7 May 1942 | 31 October 1942 | Sunk in action, 10 July 1943 | |
Nelson | DD-623 | Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company, Kearny, New Jersey | 7 May 1942 | 26 November 1942 | January 1947 | Sold for scrap, 18 July 1969 |
Baldwin | DD-624 | Seattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding Corporation | 19 July 1941 | 30 April 1943 | 20 June 1946 | Scuttled, 5 June 1961 |
Harding | DD-625 | Seattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding Corporation | 22 July 1941 | 25 May 1943 | 2 November 1945 | Sold for scrap, 16 April 1947 |
Satterlee | DD-626 | Seattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding Corporation | 10 September 1941 | 1 July 1943 | 16 March 1946 | Sold for scrap, 8 May 1972 |
Thompson | DD-627 | Seattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding Corporation | 22 September 1941 | 10 July 1943 | 18 May 1954 | Sold for scrap, 7 August 1972 |
Welles | DD-628 | Seattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding Corporation | 27 September 1941 | 16 August 1943 | 4 February 1946 | Sold for scrap, 18 July 1969 |
Cowie | DD-632 | Boston Navy Yard | 18 March 1941 | 1 June 1942 | 27 April 1947 | Sold for scrap, 22 February 1972 |
Knight | DD-633 | Boston Navy Yard | 18 March 1941 | 23 June 1942 | 19 March 1947 | Sunk as a target, 27 October 1967 |
Doran | DD-634 | Boston Navy Yard | 14 June 1941 | 4 August 1942 | 29 January 1947 | Sold for scrap, 27 August 1973 |
Earle | DD-635 | Boston Navy Yard | 14 June 1941 | 1 September 1942 | 17 May 1947 | Sold for scrap, October 1970 |
Butler | DD-636 | Philadelphia Naval Shipyard | 16 September 1941 | 15 August 1942 | 8 November 1945 | Sold for scrap, 10 January 1948 |
Gherardi | DD-637 | Philadelphia Naval Shipyard | 16 September 1941 | 15 September 1942 | 17 December 1955 | Sunk as target, 3 June 1973 |
Herndon | DD-638 | Norfolk Naval Shipyard | 26 August 1941 | 20 December 1942 | 28 January 1946 | Sunk as target, 24 May 1973 |
Shubrick | DD-639 | Norfolk Naval Shipyard | 17 February 1942 | 7 February 1943 | 16 November 1945 | Sold for scrap, 28 September 1947 |
Beatty | DD-640 | Charleston Navy Yard | 1 May 1941 | 7 May 1942 | Sunk in action, 6 November 1943 | |
Tillman | DD-641 | Charleston Navy Yard | 1 May 1941 | 4 June 1942 | 6 February 1947 | Sold for scrap, 8 May 1972 |
Stevenson | DD-645 | Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company, Kearny, New Jersey | 23 July 1942 | 15 December 1942 | 27 April 1946 | Sold for scrap, 2 June 1970 |
Stockton | DD-646 | Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company, Kearny, New Jersey | 24 July 1942 | 11 January 1943 | 16 May 1946 | Sold for scrap, 25 May 1973 |
Thorn | DD-647 | Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company, Kearny, New Jersey | 15 November 1942 | 1 April 1943 | 6 May 1946 | Sunk as target, 22 August 1974 |
Turner | DD-648 | Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company, Kearny, New Jersey | 16 November 1942 | 15 April 1943 | Sank, 3 January 1944 |
Film appearances
The 1954 movie The Caine Mutiny was filmed on the USS Doyle (DMS-34) and possibly the USS Thompson (DMS-38). In the 1951 novel, the Caine is a Wickes-class or Clemson class destroyer minesweeper.
The destroyer shown in the opening and closing scenes of the movie musical On the Town is the USS Swanson (DD-443).
Notes
- ↑ "Benson- and Gleaves-class Destroyers". Destroyer History Foundation. Retrieved 2008-03-29.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "The GLEAVES-Class Destroyers". The National Association of Destroyer Veterans. Archived from the original on 2008-01-18. Retrieved 2008-03-29.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 "DD-423 Gleaves". GlobalSecurity.org. 2005-04-27. Retrieved 2008-03-29.
See also
Media related to Gleaves class destroyers at Wikimedia Commons
External links
- Gleaves-class destroyers at Destroyer History Foundation
- Destroyer Veterans site
- Page at Global Security . Org
- Navsource.org: destroyer index
- Tin Can Sailors @ destroyers.org - Gleaves class destroyer
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