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fighting ships of the world

UNITED STATES NAVY (UNITED STATES OF AMERICA)

TORPEDO SHIPS

CLEMSON destroyers (1918-1922)

Clemson 1919

Williamson 1941

Truxtun 1941

Decatur 1942

Lawrence 1942

John D. Ford 1942

Borie 1943

Paul Jones 1943

Childs 1944

nearly sister-ship  McKean 1942

Project history: In an attempt to solve the endurance problem, these ships were provided with about 35% more fuel endurance than the Wickes class, so that even the worst of them would equal the best of the earlier ships. Another modification was that the second 76mm/23 was moved from a position between the funnels to the after deckhouse. Later this gun was moved to the quarterdeck, the after 102mm being moved up, and in many cases it was dispensed with. A similar modification was approved for the Wickes class in 1919.

    While these ships were being designed, the Germans were reportedly mounting 150mm guns on their large submarines; the new destroyers were given gun foundations strong enough to take 127mm/51 guns, as a counter. Only 5 ships were so fitted (DD 231-235). In addition, DD 208 and 209 had 8 102mm/50 in four twin. Yarrow boilers installed on many Clemson class ships, were too unsuccessful.

1937, Tracy, Preble, Sicard, Pruitt: - 4 x 3 - 533 TT, 1 DCT; + 80 mines

1938, Childs, Williamson; 1939, Clemson, Goldsborough, George E. Badger, Hulbert, William B. Preston; 1940, McFarland, Belknap, Osmond Ingram, Gillis, Greene, Ballard, Thornton: were converted to seaplane tenders: 2 boilers and their funnels were removed (with following data: 1202/1699t, 12500-13500hp, 25kt, 429t oil, 101 pers., 2 x 1 - 102/50 Mk 9, 4 x 1 - 12.7/90, equipment for support an air squadron (12 patrol bombers such as PBY), 113 550 l of aviation petrol)

1940-1942, almost all survived: + QCJ or QCL sonar

1940, Noa: - 2 x 3 - 533 TT; + 1 seaplane

1940, Chandler, Southard, Hovey, Long, Hopkins, Zane, Wasmuth, Trever, Perry: - 4 x 1 - 102/50, 1 x 1 - 76/23, 4 x 3 - 533 TT, 1 DCT (Y-gun); + 4 x 1 - 76/50 Mk 20, 2 x 1 - 12.7/90, (2 - 4) DCT, minesweeping gear, one boiler was removed (25kt max)

1941 - 1942, Dallas, Broome, McLeish, Simpson, McCormick, Truxtun, Overton, Sturtevant, Reuben James, Bainbridge, Decatur: - 4 x 1 - 102/50, 1 x 1 - 76/23, 2 x 3 - 533 TT; + 6 x 1 - 76/50 Mk 20, 2 x 1 - 12.7/90

1942, Brooks, Gilmer, Humphreys, Sands; 1943, Kane, Overton, Noa; 1944, Clemson, Goldsborough, George E. Badger, Barry, Belknap, Osmond Ingram, Greene were converted to fast attack transports with data as given in the table

1942 - 1943, Clemson, Goldsborough, George E. Badger, McFarland, Childs, Williamson, Belknap, Osmond Ingram, Gillis, Greene, Ballard, Thornton, Hulbert, William B. Preston: - 2 x 1 - 102/50, 4 x 1 - 12.7/90; + 2 x 1 - 76/50 Mk 20, (4 - 6) x 1 - 20/70 Mk 4, (2 - 4) DCT, 2 DCR

1942, Dallas, Broome, McLeish, Simpson, McCormick, Overton, Bainbridge, Decatur: - 4 x 1 - 12.7/90, 1 DCT (Y-gun); + 5 x 1 - 20/70 Mk 4, 6 DCT

1942-1943, almost all survived: + SA, SE radars

1942 - 1943, Tracy, Preble, Sicard, Pruitt: - 4 x 1 - 102/50, 1 x 1 - 76/23, 2 x 1 - 12.7/90; + 4 x 1 - 76/50 Mk 20, 4 x 1 - 20/70 Mk 4

1942 - 1944, Chandler, Southard, Hovey, Long, Hopkins, Zane, Wasmuth, Trever, Perry: - (1 - 2) x 1 - 76/50, 2 x 1 - 12.7/90; + 1 x 2 - 40/56 Mk 1.2 (on ships with 2 76mm guns), (3 - 5) x 1 - 20/70 Mk 4

1942 - 1943, Dahlgren, Alden, Barker, Borie, John D. Edwards, Whipple, Parrott, Bulmer, John D. Ford, Paul Jones, Hatfield, Brooks, Gilmer, Fox, Kane, Humphreys, King, Sands, Goff, Barry, Lawrence: - 4 x 1 - 12.7/90, 2 x 3 - 533 TT, 1 DCT ("Y"-gun); + 6 x 1 - 20/70 Mk 4, 6 DCT

1943, Brooks, Gilmer, Humphreys, Sands: - 1 x 1 - 20/70; + 1 x 2 - 40/56 Mk 1.2

1943, almost all survived: no more than 3 boilers (25kts max), fuel stowage was increased

1943, McLeish, McCormick, Bainbridge, Decatur: - (1 - 2) x 1 - 20/70 (4 x 1 - 20/70 Mk 4 on board), 2 DCT; + 1 x 24 - 178 Hedgehog Mk 10 ASWRL

1944, McLeish, McCormick: - 2 x 3 - 533 TT; + 1 x 1 - 40/56 Mk 1.2

1943, Clemson, Goldsborough, George E. Badger, McFarland, Williamson, Belknap, Osmond Ingram, Greene, Hulbert: - 2 x 1 - 102/50, 4 x 1 - 12.7/90, equipment for seaplanes; + 2 x 1 - 76/50 Mk 20, (4 - 6) x 1 - 20/70 Mk 4, (2 - 4) DCT, (1 - 2) DCR

1945, Clemson, Goldsborough, George E. Badger, Humphreys: - landing craft and landing capacity

1/1946, APD11, 18, 35: 3 x 1 - 76/50 Mk 22, 1 x 2 - 40/60 Mk 1, 5 x 1 - 20/70 Mk 10, 4 DCT, 2 DCR, 4 LCP(L) or LCP(R), 144 troops, SA, SE radars, QCJ or QCL sonar

1/1946, DMS13: 2 x 1 - 76/50 Mk 22, 1 x 2 - 40/60 Mk 1, 5 x 1 - 20/70 Mk 10, 4 DCT, 2 DCR, sweeps, SA, SE radars, QCJ or QCL sonar

1/1946, DM19: 4 x 1 - 76/50 Mk 22, 4 x 1 - 20/70 Mk 10, 2 DCR, 80 mines, SA, SE radars, QCJ or QCL sonar

1/1946, DD224: 2 x 1 - 76/40 11-shiki, 2 x 1 - 13.2/76, SA, SE radars

1/1946, AVD1, 7, 10: 2 x 1 - 76/50 Mk 22, 6 x 1 - 20/70 Mk 10, 4 DCT, 2 DCR, equipment for seaplanes support, SA, SE radars, QCJ or QCL sonar

  Naval service: Graham collided 16.12.1921 with s/s Panama off New Jersey coast, never repaired and sold for scrap next year. Smith Thompson collided with destroyer Whipple 14.4.1936 and scuttled in July. Parrott collided 2.5.1944 with s/s John Morton, never repaired and stricken in July. Delphy, Chauncey, Fuller, Woodbury, S. P. Lee, Nicholas and Young wrecked off Honda Point (California) 8.9.1923.

Reuben James 31.10.1941 was sunk in Northern Atlantic by German submarine U552 one month prior to the official entry of the USA into the Second World War. Truxtun 18.2.1942 was wrecked during a storm off Newfoundland coast. Peary 19.2.1942 was sunk at Darwin (Australia) by Japanese D3A bombers from aircraft carriers Akagi, Kaga, Soryu and Hiryu. Pillsbury 1.3.1942 was sunk S off Java by Japanese cruisers Atago and Maya and destroyers. Edsall 1.3.1942 was sunk S off Java by Japanese battlecruisers Hiei and Kirishima. Pope 1.3.1942 was sunk in Java Sea by Japanese cruisers Myoko and Ashigara. Stewart 20.2.1942 was damaged in Badoeng Strait by Japanese ships and gone to dock in Surabaya for repair where 20.2.1942 she capsized and received next damages 1.3.1942 at raid of Japanese aircraft. 2.3.1942, at surrender of Surabaya, she was scuttled. In February, 1943 she was salvaged by Japanese, repaired and under number 102 (patrol No102, P102) in September, 1943 was commissioned by IJN. After capitulation of Japan she was returned to the USA and 29.10.1945 formally commissioned under a former index DD224. She was stricken 17.4.1946 and sunk as target 24.5.1946. Sturtevant 26.4.1942 was lost off coast of Florida being stricken by US mine. Wasmuth 29.12.1942 off Aleutian Islands was sunk after an explosion of own DCs during a storm. Borie 2.11.1943 was lost N off Azores after ramming by German submarine U405. Noa 12.9.1944 was lost at Palau as a result of collision with destroyer Fullman. Perry was lost 13.9.1944 on mines near to Palau. Hovey and Long were sunk by Japanese aircraft 6.1.1945 off Leyte.

McFarland 16.10.1942 was damaged off Guadalcanal by Japanese aircraft. Parrott 2.5.1944 was badly damaged near to Norfolk at collision with a merchant vessel, never repaired and laid up in June, 1944. Brooks 6.1.1945 was damaged by kamikaze off Luzon. Clemson 10.1.1945 was damaged in collision with battleship Pennsylvania. Belknap was damaged by kamikaze at coast of Philippines 11.1.1945 and never repaired. Thornton 5.4.1945 was badly damaged in collision with tankers Ashtabula and Escalante, run ashore and was never repaired.

As a result of attacks of Japanese aircraft and kamikazes off Okinawa following ships received damages of various severity level: Gilmer (25.3.1945), Southard (27.3.1945 and 27.5.1945), Hopkins (4.5.1945), Barry (25.5.1945, heavy). It has been decided not to repair latter ship, and use her as decoy for Japanese aircraft, she was sunk in this role 21.6.1945.

Southard 9.10.1945 during a typhoon was wrecked off coast of Okinawa and finally destroyed 14.11.1946.

AG24 Semmes used as escort during the war and was armed by 1 x 1 - 76/50 Mk 10.19/21, 4 DCT, 2 DCR

Dahlgren

AVD Williamson

DMS Zane

DM Preble

Thanks for Dale Long for correction of information on this page.

© Ivan Gogin, 2014-16