NAVYPEDIA

Photo

  Livermore 1944

Ships

No	Name	Yard No	Builder	Laid down	Launched	Comm	Fate	Modification
DD421	Benson	1470	Bethlehem, Quincy	5/1938	15.11.1939	7/1940	to Taiwan 2.1954 (洛陽 [Lo Yang])	Benson
DD422	Mayo	1471	Bethlehem, Quincy	5/1938	26.3.1940	9/1940	stricken 12.1970	Benson
DD425	Madison		Boston N Yd, Charlestown	9/1938	20.10.1939	8/1940	stricken 6.1968	Benson
DD426	Lansdale		Boston N Yd, Charlestown	12/1938	20.10.1939	9/1940	sunk 20.4.1944	Benson
DD427	Hilary P. Jones		Charleston N Yd	11/1938	14.12.1939	9/1940	to Taiwan 2.1954 (漢陽 [Han Yang])	Benson
DD428	Charles F. Hughes		Puget Sound N Yd, Bremerton	1/1939	16.5.1940	10/1940	stricken 6.1968	Benson
DD423	Gleaves	177	Bath Iron Wks	5/1938	9.12.1939	6/1940	stricken 11.1969, preserved	Gleaves
DD424	Niblack	178	Bath Iron Wks	8/1938	18.5.1940	8/1940	stricken 7.1968	Gleaves
DD429	Livermore (ex-Grayson)	180	Bath Iron Wks	3/1939	3.8.1940	10/1940	stricken 7.1956	Gleaves
DD430	Eberle	181	Bath Iron Wks	4/1939	14.9.1940	12/1940	to Greece 1.1951 (Νίκη [Niki])	Gleaves
DD431	Plunkett	160	Federal, Kearny	3/1939	9.3.1940	7/1940	to Taiwan 2.1959 (南陽 [Nan Yang])	Gleaves
DD432	Kearny	161	Federal, Kearny	3/1939	9.3.1940	9/1940	stricken 6.1971	Gleaves
DD433	Gwin		Boston N Yd, Charlestown	6/1939	25.5.1940	1/1941	sunk 13.7.1943	Gleaves
DD434	Meredith		Boston N Yd, Charlestown	6/1939	24.4.1940	3/1941	sunk 15.10.1942	Gleaves
DD435	Grayson (ex-Livermore)		Charleston N Yd	7/1939	7.8.1940	4/1941	stricken 6.1971	Gleaves
DD436	Monssen		Puget Sound N Yd, Bremerton	7/1939	16.5.1940	3/1941	sunk 13.11.1942	Gleaves
DD437	Woolsey	182	Bath Iron Wks	10/1939	12.2.1941	5/1941	stricken 7.1971	Gleaves
DD438	Ludlow	183	Bath Iron Wks	12/1939	11.11.1940	3/1941	to Greece 1.1951 (Δόξα [Doxa])	Gleaves
DD439	Edison	170	Federal, Kearny	3/1940	23.11.1940	1/1941	stricken 4.1966	Gleaves
DD440	Ericsson	171	Federal, Kearny	3/1940	23.11.1940	3/1941	stricken 6.1970	Gleaves
DD441	Wilkes		Boston N Yd, Charlestown	11/1939	31.5.1940	6/1941	stricken 3.1971	Gleaves
DD442	Nicholson		Boston N Yd, Charlestown	11/1939	31.5.1940	6/1941	to Italy 1.1951 (Aviere)	Gleaves
DD443	Swanson		Charleston N Yd	11/1939	2.11.1940	5/1941	stricken 3.1971	Gleaves
DD444	Ingraham		Charleston N Yd	11/1939	15.2.1941	7/1941	collision 22.8.1942	Gleaves

Technical data

Displacement standard, t	DD421, 422, 425 - 428: 1911 DD423, 424, 429 - 444: 1838
Displacement full, t	DD421, 422, 425 - 428: 2591 DD423, 424, 429 - 444: 2572
Length, m	103.9 wl 106.2 oa
Breadth, m	11.0
Draught, m	4.01 full load
No of shafts	2
Machinery	2 sets Westinghouse geared steam turbines, 4 Babcock & Wilcox boilers
Power, h. p.	50000
Max speed, kts	35
Fuel, t	oil 302 - 453
Endurance, nm(kts)	3630(20) - 3880(20)
Armament	5 x 1 - 127/38 Mk 12, 6 x 1 - 12.7/90, 2 x 5 - 533 TT (14), 2 DCR (10)
Electronic equipment	DD421-434: QCE sonar DD435-444: presumably SC, Mk 4 radars, QCE sonar
Complement	208

Standard scale images

Graphics

Project history

The FY1938 program provided building of eight destroyers (DD421-428). Their design was developed on the basis of Sims class with linear machinery arrangement replaced by en echelon. Thus the boilers number increased from three to four and there were two funnels. Re-planning of machinery conducted to standard displacement growth on 50t (to 1620t). The armament structure originally accepted the same as on Sims class: 5 127/38mm guns, 4 12.7mm MGs and 3 quadruple 533mm TTs, 2 of which would be installed aside on an upper deck. Detailed study of the design was conducted by two builders, Bethlehem (DD421, 422 and 425-428) and Gibbs & Cox (DD423 and 424), therefore the ships differed among themselves, basically it concerned machinery structure. Funnels form became unique appreciable external difference of Bethlehem and Gibbs & Сох designs. Former had funnels with flat sides, latter circular. Besides, the latter officially were heavier on 10t.

While there were design works, negative responses about aside arrangement of TTs begun to be received from operational ships: they are subject to influence of waves that conducted to breakages and heavy corrosions. In this connection it has been solved, since the ships of the FY1939 program (which should be built by FY1938 design), to rearrange all TTs to centreline, having shrunk their number to two, having provided thus a place for spare torpedoes. By this moment new quintuple TTs have already appeared, that has allowed even to increase a side torpedo salvo (curiously, that because of bureaucratic delays the number of spare torpedoes under the specification was limited to four). Machinery with the raised steam parameters became other important introduced innovation. The number of 127mm MGs has increased to six.

Almost all changes in the design managed to be introduced and on the first 8 ships, thanks to a revision of the FY1938 program. They were commissioned with ten TTs and six MGs, and DD423 and 424 received also new machinery. 8 ships of Benson class were built by FY1940 program under Gibbs & Cox design. For a moment of commission all destroyers of Benson class have appeared are strongly overloaded: standard 1620t displacement have been exceeded on 250-300t.

Modernizations

1941, all: + 1 DCT ("Y"-gun) (22 DC in total)

early 1942, all: - 6 x 1 - 12.7/90, 1 x 5 - 533 TT, 1 DCT ("Y"-gun); + 6 x 1 - 20/70 Mk 4, (4 - 6) DCT (44 - 50 DC at all)

1942, some survived: - 1 x 1 - 127/38; + 1 x 4 - 28/75 Mk 1, 1 x 1 - 20/70 Mk 4

1942 - 1944, almost all survived DD421-434: + SC, SG, Mk 4 or Mk 12.22 radar

1942-1944, almost all survived DD435-444: + SG radar

1943, some survived: -1 x 4 - 28/75 Mk 1, 1 x 1 - 20/70 Mk 4; + 1 x 1 - 127/38

early 1944, all survived: were armed by 4 x 1 - 127/38 Mk 12, 2 x 2 - 40/56 Mk 1.2, 4 x 1 - 20/70 Mk 4, 2 x 5 - 533 TT, (4 - 6) DCT, 2 DCR (44 - 50)

3.1944, Benson, Mayo, Gleaves, Niblack, Madison, Lansdale, Hilary P. Jones, Charles F. Hughes, Livermore, Eberle, Plunkett, Kearny, Woolsey, Ludlow, Edison, Ericsson: - 1 x 5 - 533 TT; + 2 x 1 - 40/56 Mk 1.2, 4 x 1 - 20/70 Mk 4

11.1944, Benson, Mayo, Gleaves, Niblack, Madison, Hilary P. Jones, Charles F. Hughes, Livermore, Eberle, Plunkett, Kearny, Woolsey, Ludlow, Edison, Ericsson: - 2 x 1 - 40/56, 4 x 1 - 20/70; + 1 x 5 - 533 TT

summer 1945, Gleaves, Niblack, Livermore, Eberle, Plunkett, Kearny, Grayson, Woolsey, Ludlow, Edison, Ericsson, Swanson: - 4 x 1 - 20/70, 2 x 5 - 533 TT; + 2 x 4 - 40/56 Mk 1.2, 2 x 2 - 20/70 Mk 4

1.1946, DD421, 422, 425, 427, 428, 441, 442: 4 x 1 - 127/38 Mk 30, 2 x 2 - 40/60 Mk 1, 4 x 1 - 20/70 Mk 10, 2 x 5 - 533 TT, 6 DCT, 2 DCR (50), SC, SG, Mk 4 or Mk 12.22 radars, QCE sonar

1.1946, DD423, 424, 429-432, 435, 437-440, 443: 4 x 1 - 127/38 Mk 30, 2 x 4 - 40/60 Mk 2, 2 x 2 - 40/60 Mk 1, 2 x 2 - 20/70 Mk 24, 6 DCT, 2 DCR (50), SC, SG, Mk 4 or Mk 12.22 radars, QCE sonar