Somers class
_at_anchor_in_September_1938.jpg) The USS Somers in September 1938.
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The Somers-class was a class of five destroyers of the United States Navy , which were built in the 1930s and used in World War II .
General
Simultaneously with the construction of a larger number of destroyers of the 1500 ton class, which had been approved between 1934 and 1935, the somewhat larger ships of the Somers class with 1850 tons were started . These so-called Destroyer-Leaders were intended to take on the staff of a Destroyer Flottilla , which is why larger premises were needed. (The light cruisers of the Omaha class actually intended for this purpose were not available in sufficient numbers.)
The Somers class was a further development of the Porter class and the attempt not to repeat the mistakes made in this. It was particularly about the top-heaviness of the ships, which still did not seem to have been completely neutralized, since a ship of this class (USS Warrington) capsized and sank in a hurricane near the Bahamas .
To save weight and also to gain space, the two smoke outlets from the boilers were put together in a chimney. This chimney was so far behind the bridge superstructure that there was still space for a set of four torpedo tubes . Two more quadruple TR-sets were behind the chimney. With twelve torpedo tubes in one broadside , the ship had the most powerful torpedo armament of the US destroyers to date.
The tripod mast behind the bridge superstructure was replaced by a lighter pole mast, and the aft mast was left out entirely. The second FLG (fire control device) MK 35 was also omitted.
The original gun armament consisted of eight sea target guns of 12.7 cm caliber in twin turrets, two 28 mm quadruple anti-aircraft guns and two Browning M2 machine guns .
During the Second World War several modifications were made, one of the four gun turrets and a torpedo tube set were omitted. For this, additional 20 mm and 40 mm anti-aircraft guns came on board. The ships also received positioning and fire control radar. The distance of one turret and the replacement arrangement by the anti-aircraft guns varied from ship to ship, so that they all ultimately had a different appearance. So was z. B. on the "Warrington" the tower "B" removed, but on the "Davis" tower "Y" (the penultimate one).
The drive was improved by installing four newly developed steam boilers with an additional output of 2000 hp compared to the Porter class. The maximum speed was thus 38.5 knots.
It is also worth mentioning that the ships received a reinforcement of the bow around 1944, which should give them the opportunity to ram German submarines if necessary without being too badly damaged themselves.
List of ships
| Surname | shipyard | Keel laying | Launch | Commissioning | Whereabouts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| USS Somers (DD-381) | Federal Sb & Dry Co. , Kerny | June 27, 1935 | March 13, 1937 | June 30, 1938 | decommissioned on October 28, 1945 and sold for demolition in 1947 |
| USS Warrington (DD-383) | Federal Sb & Dry Co., Kerny | October 10, 1935 | May 15, 1937 | August 12, 1938 | on September 13, 1944 during a hurricane north of the Bahamas dropped |
| USS Sampson (DD-394) | Bath Iron Works , Bath | April 8, 1936 | April 16, 1938 | October 3, 1938 | Sold for demolition in 1946 |
| USS Davis (DD-395) | Bath Iron Works, Bath | July 28, 1936 | July 30, 1938 | December 16, 1938 | Sold for demolition in 1947 |
| USS Jouett (DD-396) | Bath Iron Works, Bath | March 26, 1936 | September 24, 1938 | March 7, 1939 | Sold for demolition in 1946 |
literature
- MJ Whitley: Destroyer in World War II . Motorbuch Verlag, Stuttgart 1991, ISBN 3-613-01426-2 .
- Stefan Terzibaschitsch : Destroyer of the US Navy: from the Farragut to the Forrest Sherman class , Bechtermünz Verlag, Augsburg 1997, ISBN 3-86047-587-8
