Wikipedia

Benham-class destroyer

TheBenhamclassof tendestroyerswas built for theUnited States Navy(USN). They were part of a series of USN destroyers limited to 1,500 tonsstandard displacementby theLondon Naval Treatyand built in the 1930s.[2]The class was laid down in 1936–1937 and all were commissioned in 1939. Much of their design was based on the immediately precedingGridleyandBagley-class destroyers.Like these classes, theBenhams were notable for including sixteen 21-inch (533 mm)torpedo tubes,the heaviest torpedo armament ever on US destroyers. They introduced a new high-pressure boiler that saved space and weight, as only three of the new boilers were required compared to four of the older designs.[3]

USSElletin February 1939
Class overview
NameBenhamclass
Builders
OperatorsUnited States Navy
Preceded bySomersclass
Succeeded bySimsclass
Built1936–1939
In commission1939–1946
Completed10
Lost2
Retired8
General characteristics
TypeDestroyer
Displacement
  • 1,656 tons (standard)
  • 1,888 tons (normal)
  • 2,250 tons (full load)
Length340 ft 9 in (103.86 m)
Beam35 ft 6 in (10.82 m)
Draught13 ft 3 in (4.04 m)
Installed power
Propulsion2 shafts
Speed37.9knots(70.2 km/h; 43.6 mph) on trials
Range5,390nmi(9,980 km; 6,200 mi) at 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph)
Complement
  • 9 officers, 175 enlisted (peacetime)
  • 16 officers, 235 enlisted (wartime)
Sensors and
processing systems
Armament

The class served extensively inWorld War IIin theAtlantic,Mediterranean,andPacifictheaters, includingNeutrality Patrolsin the Atlantic 1940–1941.Sterettreceived the United StatesPresidential Unit Citationfor theBattle of Guadalcanaland theBattle of Vella Gulf,[4]and thePhilippine Republic Presidential Unit Citationfor her World War II service. Two of the class were lost during World War II, three were scrapped in 1947, while the remaining five ships werescuttledafter being contaminated from theOperation Crossroadsatomic bomb testsatBikini Atollin the Pacific.[5]

Design

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The tenBenhams were part of a series of three classes with similar characteristics laid down 1935-1937. The other two were theGridleyclass (4 ships) and theBagleyclass (8 ships). All three featured four 5-inch (127 mm) dual purpose guns (anti-surface and anti-aircraft) and sixteen 21-inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes in four quadruple mounts as built, the largest number of torpedo tubes on any US destroyers.[3]Although all had only one stack, they differed primarily in their machinery. TheBenhams were aGibbs & Coxdesign with a new high-pressure boiler design that allowed a reduction from four boilers to three, with an efficient turbine arrangement resembling theMahans'. TheBagleys were a Navy design that duplicated the machinery of the preceding long-rangeMahanclass; this led to their prominent boiler uptakes around the single stack that were their main recognition feature. TheGridleys were designed byBethlehem Shipbuilding Companywith advanced high-pressure boilers (also built by Bethlehem) but turbines generally similar to the earlierFarragutclass,which limited their range.[2][3][6]

Engineering

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Except for the 1850-tonSomersclass,theBenhams' propulsion plant was the most advanced yet installed in US destroyers. A newBabcock & Wilcox boilerdesign was used that allowed a reduction from four boilers to three, saving considerable space and weight. Steam pressure was increased from 400 psi (2,800 kPa) to 600 psi (4,100 kPa) (one reference says 565 psi),superheatedto 700 °F (371 °C) as in theGridleys.[2][7][8]Features that improved fuel economy included boilereconomizers,double reductiongearing,and cruising turbines. Range was somewhat less than in theBagleys at 5,390nmi(9,980 km; 6,200 mi) versus 6,940 nmi (12,850 km; 7,990 mi), possibly due to a smaller fuel capacity of 484 tons versus 504 tons. The main turbines developed 49,250shp(36,730 kW) onBenham's trials and were manufactured byWestinghouse.[9]

Armament

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TheBenhams had the same armament as theGridleys andBagleys: four5-inch/38 caliber dual purpose guns(anti-surface andanti-aircraft(AA)) in single mounts and sixteen21-inch (533 mm)torpedo tubes in quadruple mounts.[3]TheMark 15 torpedowas equipped.[10]This was the heaviest armament intorpedoesever on US destroyers. Compared with theMahans, they sacrificed one gun for four additional torpedo tubes. It was suggested that these ships could use "curved ahead fire", using the adjustable post-launch gyro angle of their torpedoes to launch a sixteen-torpedo spread ahead of the ship.[3]One reason for the heavy destroyer torpedo armament was that, alone among the major navies, the last nine of the seventeen USTreaty cruisersbuilt in the 1920s and 1930s lacked torpedoes; eventually all of the US Treaty cruisers' torpedoes were removed in 1941 in favor of additional heavy AA guns.[11]

As with most other US destroyers of this period, the 5-inch guns featured all-angle power loading and weredirector controlled,making them as effective as the technology allowed against aircraft. By late 1942, radioproximity fuses(VT fuses) made them much more effective. As in the last twoMaurys, the two forward 5-inch guns were inenclosed mounts,while the after guns were open. However, in theBenhams, the after two mounts were a Mark 30 Mod 1 base-ring type with an integral ammunition hoist fed from a handling room below each gun, as in an enclosed mount.[3][6][12]This allowed some of the class to be fitted with an enclosure for No. 4 gun and an open-top shield for No. 3 gun while onNeutrality Patrolin the Atlantic in 1941; but the shields were removed later to save weight for light anti-aircraft armament.[5][13]In common with all US surface combatants in the 1930s, the as-built light AA armament was weak; only four.50 caliber machine guns(12.7 mm) were equipped. It was apparently felt that the heavy AA armament would shoot down most incoming aircraft in all situations, but theattack on Pearl Harborshowed that this was not true.[14]

While on Neutrality Patrol, some of the class landed their after torpedo tube mounts and.50-caliber machine guns so that theirDepth chargeand light AA batteries could be increased; photographs show sixOerlikon 20 mm cannonwere added along with fourK-gundepth charge throwers and, reportedly, aY-gunon some ships.[15][16]These ships later received two twin40 mm Boforsmounts on their after deckhouses before being transferred to the Pacific. In 1945,Lang,Sterett,andWilsonalso landed their remaining torpedo tubes and after 5-inch gun shields in favor of a total of four 40 mm twin mounts and four 20 mm twin mounts.[5][17]

Service

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This class, exceptBenhamandEllet,served on Neutrality Patrols in the Atlantic and escort duty in the Atlantic and Mediterranean as Destroyer Squadron 8 (withWainwrightasflagship) from April 1940 to December 1941.BenhamandElletwere at sea in thePacificon7 December 1941withDunlapandFanningof theMahanclass as Destroyer Division (DesDiv) 12 (part of Destroyer Squadron (DesRon) 6, withBalchas flagship). Later, this four-ship division escorted theaircraft carrierEnterpriseduring theDoolittle RaidonJapan.[5]

In June 1942, while DesDiv 15 (Lang,Stack,SterettandWilson) escorted the aircraft carrierWaspto the Pacific, DesDiv 16 (Mayrant,Trippe,Rhind,andRowan) remained in the Atlantic, supporting theOperation Torchlandings in North Africa in December 1942. In 1943 they served offItaly,whereMayrantwas badly damaged by aGermanair attack offPalermoandRowansunk by anE-boat(torpedo boat) attack offSalerno.[5]

Meanwhile, the six Pacific destroyers operated in theSolomon Islands(whereElletwas ordered to sink theAustralianheavy cruiserCanberraafter theBattle of Savo Island), and were on hand for theNaval Battle of Guadalcanal,13–15 November 1942, in whichSterettwas badly damaged andBenhamsunk.Lang,Sterett,andStackformed division "A-2" at theBattle of Vella Gulfin 1943 and, thereafter, all five remaining ships accompanied the advance through theMarshallsandMarianas.Reassigned as DesDiv 4 of DesRon 2, the former DesDiv 15 ships were atLeyteand laterOkinawa;Elletwas atIwo Jima.In April 1945,SterettandWilsonwere both damaged inkamikazeattacks while onradar picketduty;Wilsonremained in service whileSterettreturned to service as the war ended.Sterett,Ellet,andLangwere scrapped in 1947. The others, contaminated as targets in theOperation Crossroadsatomic bomb tests,were decommissioned and scuttled in deep water offKwajaleinin 1948.[5]

Sterettearned 12battle stars,the United StatesPresidential Unit Citationfor theBattle of Guadalcanaland theBattle of Vella Gulf,[4]and thePhilippine Republic Presidential Unit Citationfor her World War II service.

Ships in class

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Ships of theBenhamdestroyer class[6]
Name Hull no. Builder Laid down Launched Commissioned Decommissioned Fate
Benham DD-397 Federal Shipbuilding 1 September 1936 16 April 1938 2 February 1939 — Torpedoed by Japanese atNaval Battle of Guadalcanal15 November 1942, scuttled byGwin[18]
Ellet DD-398 3 December 1936 11 June 1938 17 February 1939 29 October 1945 Sold for scrap 1 August 1947
Lang DD-399 5 April 1937 28 August 1938 30 March 1939 16 October 1945 Sold for scrap 31 October 1947
Mayrant DD-402 Boston Navy Yard 15 April 1937 14 May 1938 13 September 1939 28 August 1946 Damaged duringOperation Crossroadsatomic tests atBikini Atoll,July 1946. Scuttled offKwajalein,4 April 1948
Trippe DD-403 1 November 1939 28 August 1946 Damaged duringOperation Crossroadsatomic tests atBikini Atoll,July 1946. Scuttled offKwajalein,3 February 1948
Rhind DD-404 Philadelphia Naval Shipyard 22 September 1937 28 July 1938 10 November 1939 26 August 1946 Damaged duringOperation Crossroadsatomic tests atBikini Atoll,July 1946. Scuttled offKwajalein,22 March 1948
Rowan DD-405 Norfolk Navy Yard 25 June 1937 5 May 1938 23 September 1939 — Torpedoed byGermanE-boatswhile on convoy duty betweenSalernoandOran11 September 1943
Stack DD-406 20 November 1939 29 August 1946 Damaged duringOperation Crossroadsatomic tests atBikini Atoll,July 1946. Sunk as target offKwajalein,24 April 1948
Sterett DD-407 Charleston Navy Yard 2 December 1936 27 October 1938 15 August 1939 2 November 1945 Sold for scrap 10 August 1947
Wilson DD-408 Puget Sound Navy Yard 22 March 1937 12 April 1939 5 July 1939 29 August 1946 Damaged duringOperation Crossroadsatomic tests atBikini Atoll,July 1946. Scuttled offKwajalein,8 March 1948

See also

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Wikimedia Commons has media related toBenham class destroyers.

References

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Citations

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  1. ^Friedman p. 409
  2. ^abcComparison of 1500-ton classesArchived26 June 2015 at theWayback MachineatDestroyer History FoundationArchived19 February 2009 at theWayback Machine
  3. ^abcdefFriedman, pp. 90-91
  4. ^abUSSSterettPresidential Unit CitationatDestroyer History FoundationArchived19 February 2009 at theWayback Machine
  5. ^abcdefBehham-class destroyersArchived7 July 2011 at theWayback MachineatDestroyer History FoundationArchived19 February 2009 at theWayback Machine
  6. ^abcBauer and Roberts, p. 187
  7. ^USSBenham,USSEllet,and USSLangGeneral Information Book with as-built dataatDestroyer History FoundationArchived19 February 2009 at theWayback Machine
  8. ^Friedman, p. 469
  9. ^Friedman, pp. 465-469
  10. ^"Torpedo History: Torpedo Mk 15".Retrieved7 July2015.
  11. ^Gardiner and Chesneau, pp. 112-116
  12. ^DiGiulian, Tony, 5 "/38 Mark 12 gun at NavWeaps.comArchived5 September 2008 at theWayback Machine
  13. ^Photo gallery of USSSterett(DD-407) at NavSource.org
  14. ^Friedman, pp. 203-204
  15. ^Friedman, p. 194
  16. ^USSMayrant(DD-402) photo gallery at NavSource.org
  17. ^Friedman, pp. 218-219
  18. ^Lenton, H. T.American Fleet and Escort Destroyers(New York: Doubleday, 1973), Volume 1, p.62.

Sources

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