Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer

Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer

USS Allen M. Sumner, the lead ship of her class, seen here in 1970.
Class overview
Name	Allen M. Sumner class
Builders	Various
Operators	United States Navy Republic of China Navy Argentine Navy Brazilian Navy Chilean Navy Colombian National Navy Hellenic Navy Republic of Korea Navy Turkish Navy Imperial Iranian Navy Bolivarian Navy of Venezuela
Preceded by	Template:Sclass-
Succeeded by	Template:Sclass-
Subclasses	Template:Sclass-
Cost	$8 million, excluding armament
In commission	1943–75 (USN)
Planned	70
Completed	58
Lost	4
Preserved	2
General characteristics
Type	Destroyer
Displacement	2,200-2,220 tons standard 3,515 tons full load
Length	369 ft (112 m) waterline 376 ft 6 in (114.76 m) overall 376 ft (115 m) overall (DD 725-728 & 730-734)
Beam	41 ft (12 m) 40 ft (12 m) (DD 692-709) 40 ft 9 in (12.42 m) (DD 744) 41 ft 3 in (12.57 m) (DD 770-776)
Draft	15 ft 9 in (4.80 m) normal 19 ft (5.8 m) full load 18 ft 9 in (5.72 m) full load (DD 735-40 & 749-751 & 771-773)
Propulsion	4 Babcock & Wilcox or Foster Wheeler boilers; two General Electric or Westinghouse geared steam turbines, 60,000 shp (45 MW) total; two shafts
Speed	34 knots (63 km/h; 39 mph)
Range	6,000 nautical miles (11,000 km; 6,900 mi) at 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph) 503 tons oil fuel (except DD 692-709 500 tons, DD 735-740 515 tons)
Complement	336-363
Armament	As built: 6 × 5 in/38 cal guns (127 mm) (in 3 × 2 Mk 38 DP mounts) 12 × 40 mm Bofors AA guns (2 × 4 & 2 × 2) 11 × 20 mm Oerlikon cannons 2 × depth charge racks 6 × K-gun depth charge throwers 10 × 21 in (533 mm) torpedo tubes Typical by 1950: 6 × 5 in/38 cal guns (127 mm) (in 3 × 2 Mk 38 DP mounts) 6 × 3 in/50 cal guns (76 mm) (2 × 2, 2 × 1) 2 × Hedgehog ASW weapons 1 × depth charge rack 6 × K-gun depth charge throwers Typical after FRAM II: (1960-65) 6 × 5 in/38 cal guns (127 mm) (in 3 × 2 Mk 38 DP mounts) 2 × triple Mark 32 torpedo tubes for Mark 44 torpedoes 2 × single 21 inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes for Mark 37 torpedoes 1 × Drone Anti-Submarine Helicopter (DASH) Variable Depth Sonar (VDS)

The Allen M. Sumner class was a group of 58 destroyers built by the United States during World War II. Another twelve ships were completed as destroyer minelayers. Often referred to as simply the Sumner class, this class was characterized by their twin 5-inch/38 caliber gun mounts, dual rudders, additional anti-aircraft weapons, and many other advancements over the previous Template:Sclass-. The Allen M. Sumner design was extended 14 feet (4.3 m) amidships to become the Template:Sclass-, which was produced in larger numbers.

Completed in 1943–45, four were lost in the war and one was damaged so badly it was scrapped, but the surviving ships served in the US Navy into the 1970s. After being retired from the US fleet, 29 of them were sold to other navies, where they served many more years. Two still exist as museum ships, one in South Carolina, and one in Taiwan.

Description

The first ship was laid down in May 1943, while the last was launched in April 1945. In that time the United States produced 58 Allen M. Sumner-class destroyers. The Allen M. Sumner class was an improvement of the previous Template:Sclass-, which were built from 1941 until 1944. In addition to three twin 5-inch/38 caliber gun mounts replacing the Fletchers' five single mounts, Sumners had twin rudders, giving them better maneuverability for ASW work when compared to Fletchers. The 5-inch guns were guided by a Mark 37 Gun Fire Control System with a Mark 25 fire control radar linked by a Mark 1A Fire Control Computer stabilized by a Mark 6 8,500 rpm gyro. This fire control system provided effective long-range anti-aircraft (AA) or anti-surface fire. The Allen M. Sumners also had much more short-range anti-aircraft armament than the Fletchers, with 12 40 mm guns and 11 20 mm guns compared with 8 40 mm and 7 20 mm for a typical late-war upgraded Fletcher. The initial design retained the Fletchers' heavy torpedo armament of 10 21-inch (533 mm) tubes in two quintuple mounts, firing the Mark 15 torpedo. As the threat from kamikaze aircraft mounted in 1945, and with few remaining Japanese warships to use torpedoes on, most of the class had the aft quintuple 21-inch torpedo tube mount replaced by an additional 40 mm quadruple mount for 16 total 40 mm guns.

The Allen M. Sumners achieved a 20% increase in 5-inch gun armament and almost a 50% increase in light AA armament on a hull the same length as a Fletcher, only 15 inches (38 cm) wider, and about 15 inches (38 cm) deeper in draft. The increase in standard displacement was only 150 tons, about 7.5%. Thus, the Allen M. Sumner class was a significant improvement in combat power at a small increase in cost.

See also Template:Sclass- destroyer minelayer (DM), twelve of which were built on hulls originally intended as Allen M. Sumners. Template:Sclass-s were of the same design, modified with a 14-foot (4.3 m) midship extension to carry more fuel to extend the ships' range.

Construction

Eighteen were built by Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company in Kearny, New Jersey. Fourteen were built by Bath Iron Works in Bath, Maine. Ten were built by Bethlehem Steel's Mariners Harbor shipyard on Staten Island. Six were built by Bethlehem Steel's Union Iron Works in San Francisco, California. Five were built by Bethlehem Steel in San Pedro, California. Five were built by Todd Pacific Shipyards in Seattle, Washington. USS Barton was the first ship of the class to be laid down and the first to be commissioned. USS Henley was the last commissioned.

Service

The Allen M. Sumners served on radar picket stations in the Battle of Okinawa, as well as other duties, and had several losses. Cooper, Meredith, Mannert L. Abele, and Drexler were lost during the war, and Hugh W. Hadley was so badly damaged by a kamikaze attack that she was scrapped soon after the war ended. After the war most of the class (except some of the light minelayers) had their 40 mm and 20 mm guns replaced by up to six 3-inch/50 caliber guns (76 mm), and the pole mast was replaced by a tripod to carry a new, heavier radar. On most ships one depth charge rack was removed and two Hedgehog mounts added. One of the two quintuple 21-inch (533 mm) torpedo tube mountings had already been removed on most to make way for a quadruple 40 mm gun mounting and additional radar for the radar picket mission. 33 ships were converted under the Fleet Rehabilitation and Modernization II (FRAM II) program 1960-65, but not as extensively as the Gearings. Typically, FRAM Allen M. Sumners retained all three 5-inch/38 twin mounts and received the Drone Anti-Submarine Helicopter (DASH), two triple Mark 32 torpedo tubes for the Mark 44 torpedo, and two new single 21-inch torpedo tubes for the Mark 37 torpedo, with all 3-inch and lighter guns, previous ASW armament, and 21-inch torpedo tubes being removed. Variable Depth Sonar (VDS) was also fitted; however, ASROC was not fitted. Ships that did not receive FRAM were typically upgraded with Mk 32 triple torpedo tubes in exchange for the K-guns, but retained Hedgehog and one depth charge rack.

In Navy slang, the modified destroyers were called "FRAM cans", "can" being a contraction of "tin can", the slang term for a destroyer or destroyer escort.

Many Allen M. Sumners provided significant gunfire support in the Vietnam War. They also served as escorts for Carrier Battle Groups (Carrier Strike Groups from 2004) and Amphibious Ready Groups (Expeditionary Strike Groups from 2006). From 1965, some of the class were transferred to the Naval Reserve Force (NRF), with a partial active crew to train Naval reservists.

Disposition

USS De Haven c.1970 fitted with FRAM II modifications.

The ships served in the US Navy into the 1970s. DASH was withdrawn from anti-submarine warfare (ASW) service in 1969 due to poor reliability. Lacking ASROC, the Allen M. Sumners were left without a standoff ASW capability, and were decommissioned 1970-73, with most being transferred to foreign navies. The FRAM Sumners were effectively replaced as ASW ships by the Knox-class frigates (destroyer escorts prior to 1975), which were commissioned 1969-74 and carried a piloted helicopter, typically the Kaman SH-2 Seasprite, and ASROC. After the Allen M. Sumners were retired from the US fleet, seven were sunk by the US in fleet training exercises and 13 were scrapped, while 29 were sold to other navies (two for spare parts), where they served for many more years. 12 were sold to the Republic of China Navy and 2 were sold to the Republic of Korea Navy. 2 were sold to the Shah of Iran and 1 was sold to Turkey. 1 was sold to Greece. 2 were sold to Venezuela, 2 to Colombia, 2 sold to Chile, 5 sold to Brazil and 4 to Argentina.

Currently, only USS Laffey (DD-724) located at Patriot's Point, Charleston, South Carolina remains as a museum ship.

Ships in class

Ship Name	Hull No.	Builder	Laid down	Commission	Decommission	Fate	Reference
Allen M. Sumner	DD-692	Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company	7 July 1943	26 January 1944	15 August 1973	Disposed of, sold by Defense Reutilization and Marketing Service (DRMS) for scrapping externalities	[1] [2]
Moale	DD-693	Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company	5 August 1943	28 February 1944	2 July 1973	Disposed of, sold by Defense Reutilization and Marketing Service (DRMS) for scrapping	[3] [4]
Ingraham	DD-694	Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company	4 August 1943	10 March 1944	15 June 1971	Sold to Greece 16 July 1971 as Miaoulis	[5]
Cooper	DD-695	Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company	30 August 1943	27 March 1944		Torpedoed and sunk by destroyer Take while intercepting a Japanese convoy into Ormoc Bay 3 December 1944	[6]
English	DD-696	Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company	19 October 1943	4 May 1944	15 May 1970	Sold to Republic of China Navy 11 August 1970 as Huei Yang	[7]
Charles S. Sperry	DD-697	Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company	19 October 1943	17 May 1944	15 December 1973	Sold to Chile 8 January 1974 as Ministro Zenteno	[8]
Ault	DD-698	Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company	15 November 1943	31 May 1944	16 July 1973	Disposed of, sold by Defense Reutilization and Marketing Service (DRMS) for scrapping	[9] [10]
Waldron	DD-699	Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company	16 November 1943	7 June 1944	30 October 1973	Sold to Colombia 30 October 1973 as Santander (DD-03)	[11] [12]
Haynsworth	DD-700	Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company	16 December 1943	22 June 1944	30 January 1970	Sold to Republic of China Navy 12 May 1970 as Yuen Yang	[13]
John W. Weeks	DD-701	Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company	17 January 1944	21 July 1944	12 August 1970	Disposed of in support of Fleet training exercise, 11/19/1970	[14] [15]
Hank	DD-702	Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company	17 January 1944	28 August 1944	1 July 1972	Sold to Argentina 1 July 1972 as Segui	[16] [17]
Wallace L. Lind	DD-703	Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company	14 February 1944	8 September 1944	4 December 1973	Sold to Republic of Korea Navy 4 December 1973 as Dae Gu	[18] [19]
Borie	DD-704	Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company	29 February 1944	21 September 1944	1 July 1972	Sold to Argentina 1 July 1972 as Hipólito Bouchard (D-26)	[20]
Compton	DD-705	Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company	28 March 1944	4 November 1944	17 September 1972	Sold to Brazil 27 September 1972 as Mato Grosso	[21]
Gainard	DD-706	Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company	29 March 1944	23 November 1944	26 February 1971	Disposed of, sold by Defense Reutilization and Marketing Service (DRMS) for scrapping	[22]
Soley	DD-707	Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company	18 April 1944	7 December 1944	13 February 1970	Disposed of in support of Fleet training exercise	[23]
Harlan R. Dickson	DD-708	Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company	23 May 1944	17 February 1945	1 July 1972	Disposed of, sold by Defense Reutilization and Marketing Service (DRMS) for scrapping, 4 January 1973	[24] [25]
Hugh Purvis	DD-709	Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company	23 May 1944	1 March 1945	15 June 1972	Sold to Turkey 1 July 1972 as Zafer (F 253)	[26] [27]
Barton	DD-722	Bath Iron Works	24 May 1943	30 December 1943	30 September 1968	Disposed of in support of Fleet training exercise.	[28]
Walke	DD-723	Bath Iron Works	7 June 1943	21 January 1944	30 November 1970	Disposed of, sold by Defense Reutilization and Marketing Service (DRMS) for scrapping, 3 January 1975	[29] [30]
Laffey	DD-724	Bath Iron Works	28 June 1943	8 February 1944 26 January 1951	30 June 1947 9 March 1975	Preserved as memorial and berthed at Patriot's Point, Charleston, South Carolina	[31] [32]
O'Brien	DD-725	Bath Iron Works	12 July 1943	25 February 1944	18 February 1972	Disposed of in support of Fleet training exercise, 12 January 1972	[33] [34]
Meredith	DD-726	Bath Iron Works	26 July 1943	14 March 1944		Sunk 9 June 1944, Wreck sold and scrapped 5 August 1960	[35]
De Haven	DD-727	Bath Iron Works	9 August 1943	31 March 1944	3 December 1973	Sold to Republic of Korea Navy, 5 December 1973 as Incheon	[36] [37]
Mansfield	DD-728	Bath Iron Works	28 August 1943	14 April 1944	4 February 1971	Sold to Argentina 4 June 1974 for spare parts	[38] [39]
Lyman K. Swenson	DD-729	Bath Iron Works	11 September 1943	2 May 1944	12 February 1971	Sold to Republic of China Navy 6 May 1974 for spare parts	[40] [41]
Collett	DD-730	Bath Iron Works	11 October 1943	16 May 1944	18 December 1970	Sold to Argentina in 1974 as Piedra Buena (D-29)	[42] [43]
Maddox	DD-731	Bath Iron Works	28 October 1943	2 June 1944	2 July 1972	Sold to Republic of China Navy as Po Yang	[44] [45]
Hyman	DD-732	Bath Iron Works	22 November 1943	16 June 1944	16 November 1969	Disposed of, sold by Defense Reutilization and Marketing Service (DRMS) for scrapping	[46]
Mannert L. Abele	DD-733	Bath Iron Works	9 December 1943	4 July 1944		Sunk by an Ohka bomb during the battle for Okinawa 12 April 1945	[47]
Purdy	DD-734	Bath Iron Works	22 December 1943	18 July 1944	2 July 1973	Disposed of, sold by Defense Reutilization and Marketing Service (DRMS) for scrapping, 6 January 1974	[48]
Drexler	DD-741	Bath Iron Works	24 April 1944	14 November 1944		Sunk by kamikaze 28 May 1945	[49]
Blue	DD-744	Bethlehem Steel, Staten Island	30 June 1943	20 March 1944	27 January 1971	Disposed of in support of Fleet training exercise, 04/28/1977	[50] [51]
Brush	DD-745	Bethlehem Steel, Staten Island	30 July 1943	17 April 1944	27 October 1969	Sold to Republic of China Navy 9 December 1969 as Hsiang Yang	[52]
Taussig	DD-746	Bethlehem Steel, Staten Island	30 August 1943	20 May 1944	1 December 1970	Sold to Republic of China Navy as second Lo Yang (DDG-914). Sold for scrapping in 2013.	[53] [54]
Samuel N. Moore	DD-747	Bethlehem Steel, Staten Island	30 September 1943	24 June 1944	24 October 1969	Sold to Republic of China Navy 10 December 1969 as Heng Yang (DD-2)	[55]
Harry E. Hubbard	DD-748	Bethlehem Steel, Staten Island	30 October 1943	22 July 1944 14 May 1949 27 October 1950	15 January 1947 12 December 1949 17 October 1969	Disposed of, sold by Defense Reutilization and Marketing Service (DRMS) for scrapping	[56]
Alfred A. Cunningham	DD-752	Bethlehem Steel, Staten Island	23 February 1944	23 November 1944	24 February 1971	Disposed of in support of Fleet training exercise, 10 January 1979	[57] [58]
John R. Pierce	DD-753	Bethlehem Steel, Staten Island	24 March 1944	30 December 1944	2 July 1973	Disposed of, sold by Defense Reutilization and Marketing Service (DRMS) for scrapping, 10 January 1974	[59] [60]
Frank E. Evans	DD-754	Bethlehem Steel, Staten Island	21 April 1944	3 February 1945	1 July 1969	Disposed of in support of Fleet training exercise, 10 October 1969	[61] [62]
John A. Bole	DD-755	Bethlehem Steel, Staten Island	20 May 1944	3 March 1945	6 November 1970	Sold to Republic of China Navy 6 May 1974 for spare parts	[63] [64]
Beatty	DD-756	Bethlehem Steel, Staten Island	4 July 1944	31 March 1945	14 July 1972	Sold to Venezuela 14 July 1972 as Carabobo	[65]
Putnam	DD-757	Bethlehem Steel, San Francisco	11 July 1943	12 October 1944	6 August 1973	Disposed of, sold by Defense Reutilization and Marketing Service (DRMS) for scrapping, 6 January 1974	[66] [67]
Strong	DD-758	Bethlehem Steel, San Francisco	25 July 1943	8 March 1945	31 October 1973	Sold to Brazil, 31 October 1973, as Rio Grande do Norte (D-37)	[68] [69]
Lofberg	DD-759	Bethlehem Steel, San Francisco	4 November 1943	26 April 1945	15 January 1971	Sold to Republic of China Navy 6 May 1974 for spare parts	[70] [71]
John W. Thomason	DD-760	Bethlehem Steel, San Francisco	21 November 1943	11 October 1945	8 December 1970	Sold to Republic of China Navy 6 May 1974 as Nan Yang	[72] [73]
Buck	DD-761	Bethlehem Steel, San Francisco	1 February 1944	28 June 1946	15 July 1973	Sold to Brazil 16 July 1973 as Alagoas	[74] [75]
Henley	DD-762	Bethlehem Steel, San Francisco	8 February 1944	8 October 1946	1 July 1973	Disposed of, sold by Defense Reutilization and Marketing Service (DRMS) for scrapping, 6 January 1974	[76] [77]
Lowry	DD-770	Bethlehem Steel, San Pedro	1 August 1943	23 July 1944	29 October 1973	Sold to Brazil 31 October 1973 as Espirito Santo	[78] [79]
Hugh W. Hadley	DD-774	Bethlehem Steel, San Pedro	6 February 1944	25 November 1944	15 December 1945	Sold 2 September 1947 for scrap	[80]
Willard Keith	DD-775	Bethlehem Steel, San Pedro	5 March 1944	27 December 1944	1 July 1972	Sold to Colombia as Caldas (DD-02)	[81]
James C. Owens	DD-776	Bethlehem Steel, San Pedro	9 April 1944	17 February 1945	15 July 1973	Sold to Brazil 15 July 1973 as Sergipe	[82] [83]
Zellars	DD-777	Todd Pacific Shipyards, Seattle	24 December 1943	25 October 1944	19 March 1971	Sold to Iran 12 October 1973 as Babr	[84]
Massey	DD-778	Todd Pacific Shipyards, Seattle	14 January 1944	24 November 1944	17 September 1973	Disposed of, sold by Defense Reutilization and Marketing Service (DRMS) for scrapping, 10 January 1974	[85] [86]
Douglas H. Fox	DD-779	Todd Pacific Shipyards, Seattle	31 January 1944	26 December 1944	15 December 1973	Sold to Chile 8 January 1974 Ministro Portales (DD-17)	[87] [88]
Stormes	DD-780	Todd Pacific Shipyards, Seattle	15 February 1944	27 January 1945	5 December 1970	Sold to Iran 16 February 1972 Palang (DDG-9)	[89]
Robert K. Huntington	DD-781	Todd Pacific Shipyards, Seattle	29 February 1944	3 March 1945	31 October 1973	Sold to Venezuela as Falcon	[90] [91]
Bristol	DD-857	Bethlehem Steel, San Pedro	5 May 1944	17 March 1945	21 November 1969	Sold to Republic of China Navy 9 December 1969 Hua Yang	[92]

See Also

• List of ships of the Second World War
• List of ship classes of the Second World War

External links

• Allen M. Sumner-class destroyers at Destroyer History Foundation
• GlobalSecurity.org
• http://www.gyrodynehelicopters.com/sumner_class.htm
• "Super Destroyer Packs Punch of Prewar Cruiser." Popular Mechanics, February 1945, p. 32.
• NavSource Destroyer Photo Page
• (Chinese)Old ships to be sold for scrap, including DDG-914, former DD-746 in US