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fighting ships of the world

UNITED STATES NAVY (UNITED STATES OF AMERICA)

TORPEDO SHIPS

GRIDLEY destroyers (1937-1938)

Maury 1940

Craven 1942

Craven 1945

No Name Yard No Builder Laid down Launched Comm Fate
DD380 Gridley 1458 Bethlehem, Quincy 6/1935 1.12.1936 6/1937 stricken 2.1947
DD382 Craven 1459 Bethlehem, Quincy 6/1935 25.2.1937 9/1937 stricken 2.1947
DD400 McCall 5358 Bethlehem, San Francisco 3/1936 20.11.1937 6/1938 stricken 1.1947
DD401 Maury 5359 Bethlehem, San Francisco 3/1936 14.2.1938 8/1938 stricken 11.1945
  

Displacement standard, t

1590

Displacement full, t

2219

Length, m

101.8 wl 103.9 oa

Breadth, m

10.7

Draught, m

3.89 full load

No of shafts

2

Machinery

2 sets Bethlehem geared steam turbines, 4 Yarrow boilers

Power, h. p.

50000

Max speed, kts

38.5

Fuel, t

oil 194 - 525

Endurance, nm(kts) 6500 (12)

Armament

4 x 1 - 127/38 Mk 12, 4 x 1 - 12.7/90, 4 x 4 - 533 TT, 2 DCR (14)

Electronic equipment

QCA sonar

Complement 158

   

Project history: The FY1934 program planned a building of two leaders and 12 destroyers. Latter were originally supposed to built under Dunlap project (improved Mahan with part of guns in enclosed mounts), however from a number of experts arrived sentences to refuse from centreline TT bank with threats, that at shooting from it on small relative bearings the torpedo can hit an upper deck by the tail. The criticism has been considered, and the General board decided to build two destroyers, ordered to Bethlehem, under its design on the basis of Mahan class taking into account wishes of supporters of torpedo armament strengthening, with four TTs, placed aside. The number of guns was shrunk from five to four.

The huge funnel conducting smoke from all four boilers became prominent feature of Gridley class destroyers. The boilers produced a steam with higher parameters, in comparison with boilers of Mahan class. Usage of more compact machinery has allowed to raise its power without a jumboizing, therefore destroyers of this class have appeared the fast destroyers in the US Navy: DD380 on trials at 1774t displacement reached 38.99kts speed.

Under the FY1934 programme two destroyers were built (DD380 and 382), two more (DD400 and 401) were built under the FY1935 programme.

Strength of hulls of this class has appeared insufficient, as well as stability, not allowed to conduct serious armament modernization.

Modernizations: early 1942, all: - 4 x 1 - 12.7/90; + 6 x 1 - 20/70 Mk 4

1942, all: + 4 DCT (44 DC at all)

1942 - 1944, almost all: + SC, SG, Mk 12.22 radars

mid-1943, all: + 1 x 1 - 20/70 Mk 4

late 1943, Gridley, Craven, McCall: + 1 x 1 - 20/70 Mk 4

spring 1945, all: - 2 x 4 - 533 TT, full displacement was 2400 t

 

1.1946, DD380, 382, 400: 2 x 1 - 127/38 Mk 25, 2 x 1 - 127/38 Mk 21, 8 x 1 - 20/70 Mk 10, 2 x 4 - 533 TT, 4 DCT, 2 DCR (44), SC, SG, Mk 12.22 radars, QCA sonar

 

Naval service: Gridley 22.1.1942 was damaged in collision with destroyer Fanning.

Gridley 1937

© Ivan Gogin, 2014-15