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World War II Wiki
World War II Wiki

The Gleaves-class of destroyers were 66 destroyers produced for the United States Navy shortly before and during World War II.

Design[]

This class was designed as an improved version of the Sims-class that included two stacks and alternating boiler and engine rooms, which gave this class a better chance at surviving torpedo damage. For propulsion, the Gleaves class was built with 600 psi steam turbines superheated to 850 degrees Fahrenheit.

This class was completed with four or five 5-inch DP (dual purpose) guns that were controlled by a Mark 37 Gun Fire Control System. A significant improvement in this class was the introduction of two quintuple torpedo tube mounts, allowing a broadside of ten tubes with savings in space.

24 Gleaves class vessels were converted to destroyer minesweepers in 1944-45. With this upgrade, minesweeping gear was added, with a slight reduction in overall armament.

Service History[]

21 of the 66 vessels were in service during the attack on Pearl Harbor in late 1941, and 11 were lost during the course of the war, where six were in the Pacific, two off Normandy, and three in the Mediterranean. Two destroyers were also lost during the war due to accidents (Turner due to internal explosion, and Ingraham colliding with an oiler).

After the war, most were decommissioned and placed in the Reserve Fleet. Eleven vessels were transferred to foreign navies (two to Greece, four to Turkey, one to Italy, two to China, and two to Japan).

Ships in class[]

  • USS Gleaves (DD-423)
  • USS Niblack (DD-424)
  • USS Livermore (DD-429)
  • USS Eberle (DD-430)
  • USS Plunkett (DD-431)
  • USS Kearny (DD-432)
  • USS Gwin (DD-433)*
  • USS Meredith (DD-434)*
  • USS Grayson (DD-435)
  • USS Monssen (DD-436)*
  • USS Woolsey (DD-437)
  • USS Ludlow (DD-438)
  • USS Edison (DD-439)
  • USS Ericsson (DD-440)
  • USS Wilkes (DD-441)
  • USS Nicholson (DD-442)
  • USS Swanson (DD-443)
  • USS Ingraham (DD-444)*
  • USS Bristol (DD-453)*
  • USS Ellyson (DD-454)
  • USS Hambleton (DD-455)
  • USS Rodman (DD-456)
  • USS Emmons (DD-457)*
  • USS Macomb (DD-458)
  • USS Forrest (DD-461)
  • USS Fitch (DD-462)
  • USS Corry (DD-463)*
  • USS Hobson (DD-464)*
  • USS Aaron Ward (DD-483)*
  • USS Buchanan (DD-484)
  • USS Duncan (DD-485)*
  • USS Lansdowne (DD-486)
  • USS Lardner (DD-487)
  • USS McCalla (DD-488)
  • USS Mervine (DD-489)
  • USS Quick (DD-490)
  • USS Carmick (DD-493)
  • USS Doyle (DD-494)
  • USS Endicott (DD-495)
  • USS McCook (DD-496)
  • USS Frankford (DD-497)
  • USS Davison (DD-618)
  • USS Edwards (DD-619)
  • USS Glennon (DD-620)*
  • USS Jeffers (DD-621)
  • USS Maddox (DD-622)*
  • USS Nelson (DD-623)
  • USS Baldwin (DD-624)
  • USS Harding (DD-625)
  • USS Satterlee (DD-626)
  • USS Thompson (DD-627)
  • USS Welles (DD-628)
  • USS Cowie (DD-632)
  • USS Knight (DD-633)
  • USS Doran (DD-634)
  • USS Earle (DD-635)
  • USS Butler (DD-636)
  • USS Gherardi (DD-637)
  • USS Herndon (DD-638)
  • USS Shubrick (DD-639)
  • USS Beatty (DD-640)*
  • USS Tillman (DD-641)
  • USS Stevenson (DD-645)
  • USS Stockton (DD-646)
  • USS Thorn (DD-647)
  • USS Turner (DD-648)*

(*) Lost during the course of the war.