Forrest Sherman-class destroyer

Last updated
USS Barry being moved from GSA pier to Washington Navy Yard pier 2 DN-ST-84-04841.jpg
USS Barry on 16 October 1983
Class overview
NameForrest Sherman class
Builders
OperatorsFlag of the United States.svg  United States Navy
Preceded by Mitscher class
Succeeded by Farragut class
Built1953–1959
In commission1955–1988
Completed18
Retired18
Preserved
General characteristics
Type Destroyer
Displacement
  • 2,800 tons standard
  • 4,050 tons full load
Length
  • 407 ft (124 m) waterline
  • 418 ft (127 m) overall
Beam45 ft (14 m)
Draft22 ft (6.7 m)
Propulsion
  • General Electric steam turbines (Westinghouse in DD-931)
  • 4 × 1,200 psi (8.3 MPa) Foster-Wheeler boilers (Babcock & Wilcox in DD-937, DD-943, DD-944, DD-945, DD-946 and DD-948)
  • 70,000 shp (52 MW), 2 × shafts.
Speed32.5 knots (60.2 km/h; 37.4 mph)
Range4,500 nautical miles (8,300 km) at 20 knots (37 km/h)
Complement15 officers, 318 enlisted
Sensors and
processing systems
Mark 56 fire-control system
Armament

The 18 Forrest Sherman-class destroyers comprised the first post-war class of US destroyers. Commissioned beginning in 1955, these ships served until the late 1980s. Their weaponry underwent considerable modification during their years of service. Four were converted to guided-missile destroyers. This class also served as the basis for the Charles F. Adams-class guided-missile destroyers.

Contents

Two ships of the class became museum ships, nine were sunk in training exercises, and the others were scrapped.

Construction

Nine ships were constructed by Bath Iron Works of Bath, Maine, five were built by Bethlehem Steel at the Fore River Shipyard in Quincy, Massachusetts, two were built by Ingalls Shipbuilding at Pascagoula, Mississippi and two were built by Puget Sound Bridge and Dredging Company in Seattle, Washington. These destroyers were assigned hull numbers 931 to 951, but the series skipped over the numbers used to designate the war prizes DD-934 (the Japanese ex-Hanazuki), DD-935 (the German T35), and DD-939 (the German Z39). DD-927 to DD-930 were completed as destroyer leaders.

Description

At the time they entered service, these ships were the largest US destroyers ever built, 418 feet (127 m) long, with a standard displacement of 2,800 tonnes (2,800 long tons). Originally designed under project SCB 85, they were armed with three 5-inch (127 mm)/54 caliber guns mounted in single turrets (one forward and two aft), 4 3-inch (76 mm)/50 caliber AA guns in twin mounts, as well as hedgehogs and torpedoes for ASW. [1] However, over the years, weaponry was considerably modified. The hedgehogs and 3-inch (76 mm) guns were removed from all ships during the 1960s and 1970s. In addition the fixed torpedo tubes were replaced by two triple 12.75 inches (324 mm) Mark 32 torpedo tube mounts.

Hull and later ships were built under SCB 85A with their fire control directors reversed from the SCB 85 configuration. [2] They were equipped with B&W Bailey Meter Company's new automatic boiler combustion control system, and a modified hurricane bow/anchor configuration. These ships are listed as Hull-class destroyers in some references.

USS Decatur (DDG-31) after conversion to a guided-missile destroyer with one of the aft gun mounts replaced with a Mk 13 missile launcher. USS Decatur (DDG-31);h98177.jpg
USS Decatur (DDG-31) after conversion to a guided-missile destroyer with one of the aft gun mounts replaced with a Mk 13 missile launcher.

DDG conversions

Four of the destroyers—John Paul Jones, Parsons, Decatur, and Somers—were converted to guided-missile destroyers under SCB 240, armed with Tartar missiles. [3]

USS Barry (DD-933) with aft gun mount removed and replaced with an ASROC launcher. USS Barry.jpg
USS Barry (DD-933) with aft gun mount removed and replaced with an ASROC launcher.

ASW Modernization

Eight of the class were modernized to improve their ASW capabilities under SCB 251: Barry, Davis, Jonas Ingram, Manley, Du Pont, Blandy, Hull, and Morton; these ships became known as the Barry sub-class. These ships were fitted with an eight cell ASROC launcher in place of the No. 2 5-inch (127 mm) gun, and with a variable-depth sonar system. Six other ship modernizations were cancelled due to Vietnam War budget constraints. [3]

8"/55 Mark 71 gun test

As a test platform, the Hull carried the Navy's prototype 8"/55 caliber Mark 71 light-weight gun from 1975 to 1978 when the program was canceled, and the 5-inch mount was restored. Hull remains the only modern (post–World War II) destroyer-type ship to have carried an 8-inch (203 mm) gun.

Disposition

Of the 18 completed, nine were disposed of in fleet training exercises, seven were sold by Defense Reutilization and Marketing Service (DRMS) for scrapping, and two became museums.

Ships in class

Ships of the Forrest Sherman destroyer class
NameHull no.BuilderLaid downLaunchedCommissionedDecommissionedFateRef
Forrest Sherman DD-931 Bath Iron Works 27 October 19535 February 19559 November 19555 November 1982Stricken, sold for scrapping 15 December 2014 [4]
John Paul Jones DD-932DDG-3218 January 19547 May 19555 April 195615 December 1982Disposed of in support of Fleet training exercise, 31 January 2001 [5]
Barry DD-93315 March 19541 October 19557 September 19565 November 1982Scrapped 11 February 2022 [6]
Decatur DD-936DDG-31 Bethlehem Steel, Fore River Shipyard 13 September 195415 December 19557 December 195630 June 1983Disposed of in support of Fleet training exercise, 21 July 2004 [7]
Davis DD-9371 February 195528 March 195628 February 195720 December 1982Disposed of, sold by Defense Reutilization and Marketing Service (DRMS) for scrapping, 30 June 1994 [8]
Jonas Ingram DD-93815 June 19557 August 195619 July 19574 March 1983Disposed of in support of Fleet training exercise, 23 July 1988 [9]
Manley DD-940 Bath Iron Works 10 February 195512 April 19561 February 19574 March 1983Disposed of, sold by Defense Reutilization and Marketing Service (DRMS) for scrapping, 30 June 1994 [10]
Du Pont DD-94111 May 19558 September 19561 July 19574 March 1983Disposed of, sold by Defense Reutilization and Marketing Service (DRMS) for scrapping, 11 December 1992 [11]
Bigelow DD-9426 July 19552 February 19578 November 19575 November 1982Disposed of in support of Fleet training exercise, 2 April 2003 [12]
Blandy DD-943 Bethlehem Steel, Fore River Shipyard 29 December 195519 December 195626 November 19575 November 1982Disposed of, sold by Defense Reutilization and Marketing Service (DRMS) for scrapping, 30 June 1994 [13]
Mullinnix DD-9445 April 195618 March 19577 March 195811 August 1983Disposed of in support of Fleet training exercise, 23 August 1992 [14]
Hull DD-945 Bath Iron Works 12 September 195610 August 19573 July 195811 July 1983Disposed of in support of Fleet training exercise, 7 April 1998 [15]
Edson DD-9463 December 19564 January 19587 November 195815 December 1988Preserved, first New York from 1989, returned to navy in 2004, purchased as a museum/memorial. Now moored in Bay City, Michigan. [16]
Somers DD-947DDG-344 March 195730 May 19589 April 195919 November 1982Disposed of in support of Fleet training exercise, 22 July 1998 [17]
Morton DD-948 Ingalls Shipbuilding 4 March 195723 May 195826 May 195922 November 1982Disposed of, sold by Defense Reutilization and Marketing Service (DRMS) for scrapping, 4 March 1992 [18]
Parsons DD-949DDG-3317 June 195717 August 195929 October 195919 November 1982Disposed of in support of Fleet training exercise, 25 April 1989 [19]
Richard S. Edwards DD-950 Puget Sound Bridge and Dredging Company 20 December 195627 September 19575 February 195918 December 1982Disposed of in support of Fleet training exercise, 10 April 1997 [20]
Turner Joy DD-95130 September 19575 May 19583 August 195922 November 1982Donated as a museum/memorial, 10 April 1991; now museum in Bremerton, WA [21]

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References

Notes

  1. Friedman 1982, pp. 246–249.
  2. Friedman 1982, pp. 249.
  3. 1 2 Fahey 1965, p. 13.
  4. "USS Forrest Sherman". Naval Vessel Register. Retrieved 6 May 2019.
  5. "USS John Paul Jones". Naval Vessel Register. Retrieved 6 May 2019.
  6. "USS Barry". Naval Vessel Register. Retrieved 6 May 2019.
  7. "USS Decatur". Naval Vessel Register. Retrieved 6 May 2019.
  8. "USS Davis". Naval Vessel Register. Retrieved 6 May 2019.
  9. "USS Jonas Ingram". Naval Vessel Register. Retrieved 6 May 2019.
  10. "USS Manley". Naval Vessel Register. Retrieved 6 May 2019.
  11. "USS Dupont". Naval Vessel Register. Retrieved 6 May 2019.
  12. "USS Bigelow". Naval Vessel Register. Retrieved 6 May 2019.
  13. "USS Blandy". Naval Vessel Register. Retrieved 6 May 2019.
  14. "USS Mullinnix". Naval Vessel Register. Retrieved 6 May 2019.
  15. "USS Hull". Naval Vessel Register. Retrieved 6 May 2019.
  16. "USS Edson". Naval Vessel Register. Retrieved 6 May 2019.
  17. "USS Somers". Naval Vessel Register. Retrieved 6 May 2019.
  18. "USS Morton". Naval Vessel Register. Retrieved 6 May 2019.
  19. "USS Parsons". Naval Vessel Register. Retrieved 6 May 2019.
  20. "USS Richard S. Edwards". Naval Vessel Register. Retrieved 6 May 2019.
  21. "USS Turner Joy". Naval Vessel Register. Retrieved 6 May 2019.

Sources