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fighting ships of the world

UNITED STATES NAVY (UNITED STATES OF AMERICA)

TORPEDO SHIPS

BENSON and GLEAVES destroyers (1940-1941)

Hilary P. Jones 1942

Project history: The FY1938 program provided building of eight destroyers (DD421-428). Their design was developed on the basis of Sims class with linear machinery arrangement replaced by en echelon. Thus the boilers number increased from three to four and there were two funnels. Re-planning of machinery conducted to standard displacement growth on 50t (to 1620t). The armament structure originally accepted the same as on Sims class: 5 127/38mm guns, 4 12.7mm MGs and 3 quadruple 533mm TTs, 2 of which would be installed aside on an upper deck. Detailed study of the design was conducted by two builders, Bethlehem (DD421, 422 and 425-428) and Gibbs & Cox (DD423 and 424), therefore the ships differed among themselves, basically it concerned machinery structure. Funnels form became unique appreciable external difference of Bethlehem and Gibbs & Сох designs. Former had funnels with flat sides, latter circular. Besides, the latter officially were heavier on 10t.

While there were design works, negative responses about aside arrangement of TTs begun to be received from operational ships: they are subject to influence of waves that conducted to breakages and heavy corrosions. In this connection it has been solved, since the ships of the FY1939 program (which should be built by FY1938 design), to rearrange all TTs to centreline, having shrunk their number to two, having provided thus a place for spare torpedoes. By this moment new quintuple TTs have already appeared, that has allowed even to increase a side torpedo salvo (curiously, that because of bureaucratic delays the number of spare torpedoes under the specification was limited to four). Machinery with the raised steam parameters became other important introduced innovation. The number of 127mm MGs has increased to six.

Almost all changes in the design managed to be introduced and on the first 8 ships, thanks to a revision of the FY1938 program. They were commissioned with ten TTs and six MGs, and DD423 and 424 received also new machinery. 8 ships of Benson class were built by FY1940 program under Gibbs & Cox design. For a moment of commission all destroyers of Benson class have appeared are strongly overloaded: standard 1620t displacement have been exceeded on 250-300t.

Modernizations: 1941, all: + 1 DCT ("Y"-gun) (22 DC in total)

early 1942, all: - 6 x 1 - 12.7/90, 1 x 5 - 533 TT, 1 DCT ("Y"-gun); + 6 x 1 - 20/70 Mk 4, (4 - 6) DCT (44 - 50 DC at all)

1942, some survived: - 1 x 1 - 127/38; + 1 x 4 - 28/75 Mk 1, 1 x 1 - 20/70 Mk 4

1942 - 1944, almost all survived DD421-434: + SC, SG, Mk 4 or Mk 12.22 radar

1942-1944, almost all survived DD435-444: + SG radar

1943, some survived: -1 x 4 - 28/75 Mk 1, 1 x 1 - 20/70 Mk 4; + 1 x 1 - 127/38

early 1944, all survived: were armed by 4 x 1 - 127/38 Mk 12, 2 x 2 - 40/56 Mk 1.2, 4 x 1 - 20/70 Mk 4, 2 x 5 - 533 TT, (4 - 6) DCT, 2 DCR (44 - 50)

3.1944, Benson, Mayo, Gleaves, Niblack, Madison, Lansdale, Hilary P. Jones, Charles F. Hughes, Livermore, Eberle, Plunkett, Kearny, Woolsey, Ludlow, Edison, Ericsson: - 1 x 5 - 533 TT; + 2 x 1 - 40/56 Mk 1.2, 4 x 1 - 20/70 Mk 4

11.1944, Benson, Mayo, Gleaves, Niblack, Madison, Hilary P. Jones, Charles F. Hughes, Livermore, Eberle, Plunkett, Kearny, Woolsey, Ludlow, Edison, Ericsson: - 2 x 1 - 40/56, 4 x 1 - 20/70; + 1 x 5 - 533 TT

summer 1945, Gleaves, Niblack, Livermore, Eberle, Plunkett, Kearny, Grayson, Woolsey, Ludlow, Edison, Ericsson, Swanson: - 4 x 1 - 20/70, 2 x 5 - 533 TT; + 2 x 4 - 40/56 Mk 1.2, 2 x 2 - 20/70 Mk 4

1.1946, DD421, 422, 425, 427, 428, 441, 442: 4 x 1 - 127/38 Mk 30, 2 x 2 - 40/60 Mk 1, 4 x 1 - 20/70 Mk 10, 2 x 5 - 533 TT, 6 DCT, 2 DCR (50), SC, SG, Mk 4 or Mk 12.22 radars, QCE sonar

1.1946, DD423, 424, 429-432, 435, 437-440, 443: 4 x 1 - 127/38 Mk 30, 2 x 4 - 40/60 Mk 2, 2 x 2 - 40/60 Mk 1, 2 x 2 - 20/70 Mk 24, 6 DCT, 2 DCR (50), SC, SG, Mk 4 or Mk 12.22 radars, QCE sonar

Naval service: Before the joining of the USA into the Second World War, 17.10.1941 Kearny was torpedoed by German submarine U568 and was under repair till early 1942.

Ingraham 22.8.1942 escorting АТ20 convoy was lost off Halifax as result of collision with tanker Chemung and explosion of own DCs. Meredith 15.10.1942 was sunk by Japanese B5N bombers from air group of Zuikaku aircraft carrier near San Christobal Island, when she escorted convoy to Guadalcanal. Monssen 12.11.1942 was sunk between Sawo and Guadalcanal by gunfire of Japanese battleships and destroyers Asagumo, Murasame and Samidare. Gwin at night 14-15.11.1942 was damaged by gunfire of Japanese ships and was under repair till the spring 1943, 13.7.1943 in battle at Kolombangara Island she was sunk by torpedo from Japanese destroyers Mikazuki and Yukikaze. Lansdale 20.4.1944 was sunk by German air torpedo from Ju 88 bomber off coast of Algeria.

Livermore 1944

© Ivan Gogin, 2014-15