Gleaves class destroyer

The "Gleaves"-class destroyers were a class of 62 destroyers of the United States Navy built 1938–1942, and designed by Gibbs & Cox. [cite web
url= http://www.destroyerhistory.org/benson-gleavesclass/index.html
title= "Benson"- and "Gleaves"-class Destroyers
work= | publisher= Destroyer History Foundation
accessdate= 2008-03-29 ] cite web
url= http://www.destroyers.org/DD-Histories/DD-Classes/Intro-DD423.htm
title= The GLEAVES-Class Destroyers
work= |publisher= The National Association of Destroyer Veterans
accessdate= 2008-03-29 ] The first ship of the class was the USS "Gleaves" (DD-423). The U.S. Navy customarily names a class of ships after the first ship of the class; hence the "Gleaves" class. They were the production destroyer of the US Navy when it entered World War Two.

They were extremely similar to the "Benson"-class destroyers (DD-421), and were often referred to as the BENSON/GLEAVES class, distinguishable only by the shape of their stacks— the "Gleaves" class had round stacks, and the "Benson" class had flat-sided stacks.

Initially they were known as the "Livermore" class destroyers because the design was standardized with USS "Livermore" (DD-429), after a requested design change — increasing temperature from 700 °F to 825 °F for follow-on ships from Gibbs & Cox.cite web
url= http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/ship/dd-423.htm
title= DD-423 Gleaves
date= 27-04-2005 |work= |publisher= GlobalSecurity.org
accessdate= 2008-03-29 ]

"Gleaves emerged as the class leader for all the Gibbs & Cox-designed ships, which also included all sixteen FY 1939 and 1940 ships (DDs 429–444), as Bethlehem’s follow-on bid to build more [Benson class] ships with its own machinery was rejected."

An article at the National Destroyer Veterans Association [http://www.destroyers.org/ site] notes:

"Some references identify the BENSON-GLEAVES class as the BENSON-LIVERMORE class. This was a designation for the FY 38-destroyer procurement coined by popular writers in compiling a number of fleet handbooks, for example James C. Fahey’s The Ships and Aircraft of the U.S. Fleet, volumes 1–4, 1939–45. Some handbooks further split the class, adding the "Bristol" (DD-453) as yet another division. According to tradition, however, a class is identified by the lead ship; hence BENSON-GLEAVES is the proper designation for this group of destroyers."

Twenty one were in commission when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. Eleven were lost to enemy action during World War Two, including "Gwin", "Meredith", "Monssen", "Bristol", "Emmons", "Aaron Ward", "Beatty", "Glennon", "Corry".

Most were decommissioned just following World War Two. Eleven remained in commission into the 1950s, the last withdrawn from service in 1956.

In 1954 "Ellyson" and "Macomb" were transferred to the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force were they served as the JDS "Asakaze" and JDS "Hatakaze" (DD-182).

List of Gleaves class destroyers

*USS|Gleaves|DD-423
*USS|Niblack|DD-424
*USS|Livermore|DD-429
*USS|Eberle|DD-430
*USS|Plunkett|DD-431
*USS|Kearny|DD-432
*USS|Gwin|DD-433
*USS|Meredith|DD-434
*USS|Grayson|DD-435
*USS|Monssen|DD-436
*USS|Woolsey|DD-437
*USS|Ludlow|DD-438
*USS|Edison|DD-439
*USS|Ericsson|DD-440
*USS|Wilkes|DD-441
*USS|Nicholson|DD-442
*USS|Swanson|DD-443
*USS|Ingraham|DD-444
*USS|Bristol|DD-453

Notes

ee also

*List of destroyers of the United States Navy
*List of destroyer classes of the United States Navy

Film appearance

The 1954 movie "The Caine Mutiny" was filmed on the USS "Thompson" (DMS-38). In the 1951 novel, the "Caine" is a "Wickes"-class or "Clemson" class destroyer minesweeper.

External links

* [http://www.destroyerhistory.org/benson-gleavesclass/gleavesclass.html "Gleaves"-class destroyers] at [http://www.destroyerhistory.org/index.html Destroyer History Foundation]
* [http://www.destroyers.org Destroyer Veterans site]
* [http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/ship/dd-423.htm Page at Global Security . Org]
* [http://www.navsource.org/archives/05idx.htm Navsource.org: destroyer index]
* [http://www.destroyers.org/Class/cl-Gleaves.htm Tin Can Sailors @ destroyers.org - Gleaves class destroyer]