Mitscher 1954
Mitscher 1963
Willis A. Lee 1970
Mitscher 1974
| No | Name | Yard No | Builder | Laid down | Launched | Comm | Fate |
| DL2, 6.1968- DDG35 | Mitscher | 313 | Bath Iron Wks | 3.10.1949 | 26.1.1952 | 15.5.1953 | stricken 6.1978 |
| DL3, 9.1969- DDG36 | John S. McCain | 314 | Bath Iron Wks | 24.10.1949 | 12.7.1952 | 12.10.1953 | stricken 4.1978 |
| DL4 | Willis A. Lee | 1620 | Bethlehem, Quincy | 1.11.1949 | 26.1.1952 | 28.9.1954 | stricken 5.1972 |
| DL5 | Wilkinson | 1621 | Bethlehem, Quincy | 1.2.1950 | 23.4.1952 | 29.7.1954 | stricken 5.1974 |
|
Displacement standard, t |
3642 |
|
Displacement full, t |
4855 |
|
Length, m |
145.1 wl 149.4 oa |
|
Breadth, m |
14.5 |
|
Draught, m |
4.50 |
|
No of shafts |
2 |
|
Machinery |
2 sets geared steam turbines, 4 Foster Wheeler boilers |
|
Power, h. p. |
80000 |
|
Max speed, kts |
36.5 |
|
Fuel, t |
oil 740 |
| Endurance, nm(kts) | 4500 (20) |
|
Armament |
2 x 1 - 127/54 Mk 42, 2 x 2 - 76/50 Mk 33, 4 x 2 - 20/70 Mk 24, 4 - 533 TT, 2 x 1 - 324 Mk 108 Weapon Alfa ASWRL, 1 DCR |
|
Electronic equipment |
DL2, 3: SPS-6, SPS-8A, SPS-10, 2x Mk 25, 2x Mk 35 radars, QHB, SQG-1 sonars, WLR-1, WLR-3, ULQ-6 ECM suites DL4, 5: SPS-6, SPS-8A, SPS-4, 2x Mk 25, 2x Mk 35 radars, QHB, SQG-1 sonars, WLR-1, WLR-3, ULQ-6 ECM suites |
|
Complement |
350 |
Project history:
These four ships, laid down as DD927-930,
were originally designated as destroyers, then
frigates, in a new category which persisted until
1975. They owed their large size to the requirement
for high speed, deeply loaded, in a
seaway, and were originally
designed in 1944-46 with conventional destroyer
batteries, the only major innovation being the
127mm/54 guns in a twin
semi-automatic version. However, as the design
developed it became clear that fast carrier escorts
would require maximum anti-aircraft
capability, including not only guns but also
fighter-direction equipment
(symbolized visually by the heavy stabilized
SPS-8 height-finder). For a
time, it appeared that the gun battery would consist entirely
of the new 76mm/70 twin automatic anti-aircraft
guns, which was considered more
effective than the new rapid-fire 127mm/54 (itself
firing faster than the earlier twin type), but the
latter was retained at the
personal insistence of Admiral Nimitz, at least partly
in view of the inability of
the lighter weapon to deal with submarines forced to the surface. In fact the
large CIC and the heavy
radar were even more important; as early as 1945 it
was clear that carrier fighters, controlled
by the carrier and by radar-pickets such as
Mitschers, would be the primary
air defence of the fast
carrier task force. Anti-submarine capability
was secondary, as the high speed of the task force
would in itself guarantee almost complete immunity.
For example, in the design of the propellers and of
the hull itself, high speed (to keep up with the task
force) took priority over silencing. The primary ASW
weapon was to be a guided torpedo, fired from a fixed tubes,
with a pair of rocket launchers (Weapon Alfa) as
back-up.
High speed in a small ship meant a
very compact machinery installation. All four were considered experimental, and
gave considerable trouble in service, so that
Mitscher and John S. McCain
had to be reboilered. Indeed, engine trouble was sometimes given as
the reason for the early retirement of the class. On trials, Mitscher
made 34.84kts on 75,862shp at 4550t.
Modernizations: mid-1950s, all: - QHB, SQG-1 sonars; + SQS-4 sonar
1957, all: - 2 x 2 - 76/50, 1 x 1 - 324 Mk 108 Weapon Alfa ASWRL, 1 DCR; + 2 x 2 - 76/70 Mk 37
1960, Mitscher, John S. McCain: - 1 x 2 - 76/70, SPS-6 radar, SQS-4 sonar; + helicopter deck and hangar, 1 DASH QH-50 helicopter, SPS-29 radar, SQS-23 sonar
1960, Willis A. Lee, Wilkinson: - 1 x 2 - 76/70, SPS-4, SPS-6 radars, SQS-4 sonar; + helicopter deck and hangar, 1 DASH QH-50 helicopter, SPS-10, SPS-29 radars, SQS-26 sonar
early 1960s, Willis A. Lee, Wilkinson: - 1 x 1 - 324 Mk 108 Weapon Alfa ASWRL
early 1960s, Mitscher: - 1 x 2 - 76/70
1968, Mitscher; 1969, John S. McCain: were converted to guided missile destroyers with armament consisted of 1 x 1 Tartar SAM (40 RIM-24), 1 x 8 ASROC ASuR (16 RUR-5), 2 x 1 - 127/54 Mk 42, 2 x 3 - 324 Mk 32 TT, SPS-37, SPS-48, SPS-10, 2x Mk 25, 2x SPG-51 radars, SQS-23 sonar, WLR-1, WLR-3, ULQ-6 ECM suites
Naval service: No significant events.
© Ivan Gogin, 2015