Mahan class
| Mahan class | |
|---|---|
 USS Mahan (DD-364) |
|
| Overview | |
| Type | destroyer |
| units | 16 built, 0 in service |
| Namesake | Alfred Thayer Mahan |
| 1. Period of service |
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|
| period of service |
US Navy: 1935-1947 |
| Technical specifications | |
| Information applies to the type ship, later construction lots showed deviations | |
| displacement |
1500 ts |
| length |
341 '4 "ft (104.04 m) |
| width |
34 '8 "ft (10.57 m) |
| Draft |
17 ft (5.18 m) |
| crew |
8 officers, 150 men |
| drive |
4 boilers, 2 steam turbines , 2 shafts , 48,000 hp |
| speed |
35 kn (65 km / h) |
| Range |
6940 nautical miles at 12 knots |
| Armament |
1940
|
The Mahan-class was a United States Navy class of ships and was used as part of the US Navy's destroyer forces before and during World War II .
description
A total of 18 ships were built, of which the last two ( USS Dunlap DD-384 and USS Fanning DD-385) were no longer counted in the Mahan class because of the all-too serious changes, but in their own, the Dunlap class .
The Mahan class was the successor to the Porter class and the predecessor of the Gridley class or Dunlap class. In 1933, in addition to the budget for the eight units of the 1,850-ton Porter class, the construction of 16 further, smaller destroyers was approved. These already received the high-pressure superheated steam turbines newly developed by General Electric with a higher speed than the Parsons turbines previously used .
The guns were based on the Farragut class , the two in front in turrets open to the rear, the other three in open mountings. This made it necessary to use a deflector plate to protect the lower guns against the muzzle pressure of the guns above. Initially, only a set of four torpedo tubes was planned to be installed on the roof of the boiler house between the chimneys, but then the number of torpedo tubes was increased to 3 × 4, which meant that the two additional tube sets would be placed on the deck behind the aft chimney had to. In this position, however, they were very close to the surface of the water, which made their use considerably more difficult in heavy seas.
In the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor , the units USS Cassin and USS Downes were so badly damaged that they would normally have been considered a total loss. However, driven by the need to upgrade as quickly as possible, the two destroyers were repaired and they were already equipped with some innovations (radar, omission of the fifth gun, etc.).
Arming before modernization
- 5 × 5 "L / 38 (127 mm) gun M12 in five M21 mounts. Carriage No. 51 and No. 52 on the forecastle, a gun on the deckhouse behind the funnel (No. 53 - this one could not be used in the longitudinal direction), as well as the two rear guns No. 54 and 55
- 12 × M15 torpedo tube 21 inch (4 × 3).
- 4 × 12.7 mm Browning M2 machine gun. Two on a platform in front of and below the bridge and two on the deckhouse in front of Gun No. 54
- 2 × water bombs -Abrollgestell at the stern.
modernization
In 1944, the remaining ships were modernized as the second batch of the 1,500-ton prewar destroyers.
- For this purpose, the tripod mast was exchanged for a pole mast,
- the chimney mast has been removed
- Equipment with location and fire control radar "Mk33 Gun Fire Control System"
- Removal of the medium gun and upgrading with 20 mm Oerlikon anti-aircraft automatic cannons
- additional installation of 40 mm Bofors anti-aircraft guns
Armament after modernization
- 4 × 5 "L / 38 (127 mm) M12 contactor in four M21 mounts.
- 4 × (2 × 2) 40mm Bofors anti-aircraft gun
- 6 to 8 × 20 mm Oerlikon automatic cannon . Four replaced the previous heavy machine guns in their positions, and two more were installed on the starboard deck and port in front of the superstructures. On some ships, two more 20mm cannons were placed on the quarterdeck.
- 8 × M15 torpedo tube 21 inch (533 mm)
- 2 × depth charges at the stern
- 4 × K-gun depth charge launchers on port and starboard at gun number 53 level
Ship list
| Surname | Identifier | Shipyard | Whereabouts |
|---|---|---|---|
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|
|
literature
Stefan Terzibaschitsch : Destroyer of the US Navy. ISBN 3-86047-587-8 .
Web links
Remarks
- ↑ One of the common names for the gun arrangement - next to ABXYZ
- ↑ The upgrade program was not the same for all ships and varied slightly.
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