Бенсон классы: АҚШ Әскери-теңіз күштерінің эсминецтері (1939–1943)

U. S. Navy ship class (built 1939–1943)

The Benson class was a class of destroyers of the U. S. Navy built 1939–1943. The thirty 1,620 ton Benson class destroyers were built in two groups. The first six were authorized in fiscal year 1938 (FY38) and laid down at Bethlehem Steel, Quincy, Massachusetts, and three naval shipyards.

The Bensons were originally envisioned as a single class of 24 ships, the first eight of which were ordered in fiscal year 1938 (FY38). Six of these were designed by Bethlehem Shipbuilding, to be built at Bethlehem's Fore River and at several government yards (as mandated by Congress), and two were designed by Gibbs & Cox, to be built at Bath Iron Works. All were to have steam (references vary) superheated to , with cruising turbines and double reduction gearing to maximize fuel efficiency. So the class was known through World War II as the Benson Livermore class, and this name persisted in many references until at least the 1960s. In the spring of 1938 the Navy's Bureau of Steam Engineering requested that the FY39 and FY40 ships be modified for superheat. The only external difference between the Benson and Gleaves classes was the shape of the stacks; the Bensons' were flat sided and the Gleaveses' were round. After the Fall of France in 1940, and before the outcome of the looming Battle of Britain was certain, a rapid expansion of the Navy was envisioned. As not all facilities were equipped to produce the new s or because of other concerns, an additional 72 "repeat" Benson and Gleaves class ships were ordered in FY41. 24 repeat Bensons were built by several Bethlehem yards, while an additional 48 repeat Gleaveses were built by various other builders. In some references the Benson and Gleaves classes are combined as the Benson class. and they were originally contemplated to be DD 445 DD 452, i. e. Fletchers. In June 1940, 8 Gleaves were ordered instead.

The Benson class was designed as an improved version of the with two stacks and a new "echeloned" machinery arrangement that featured alternating boiler and engine rooms, designed to give the ships a better chance at surviving torpedo damage. Loss of one compartment, or even two adjacent compartments, would no longer disable the entire propulsion system. They also introduced quintuple torpedo tube mounts. Their scantlings, or framing dimensions, were increased to carry the weight of the new machinery. This increased the ships' displacement by about sixty tons, to 1620 tons standard displacement.

The class was completed with four or five dual purpose guns (anti surface and anti aircraft (AA)), controlled by a Mark 37 Gun Fire Control System as in the previous Sims class. The introduction of two centerline quintuple torpedo tube mounts in this class was a significant improvement and was continued in subsequent World War II classes. This allowed a broadside of ten tubes with savings in space and weight compared to previous classes, which had twelve or sixteen tubes and an eight tube broadside. The first six ships landed a torpedo tube mount early in the war while on Atlantic service, but as they were transferred to the Pacific in early 1945 they were re equipped with the torpedoes at the cost of a 5 inch gun.

The first six ships of the class began their careers on Neutrality Patrols, and after the attack on Pearl Harbor and the US entry into World War II continued to serve in the Atlantic and Mediterranean, supporting operations in North Africa, Italy, and southern France until transferred to the Pacific in early 1945. Several of the remaining ships spent the entire war in the Atlantic and Mediterranean. Others served entirely in the Pacific, at first in the Solomon Islands or Aleutians and later in other campaigns. Three were lost in the war; two in the Pacific and one in the Mediterranean. A fourth lost the bow section but was rebuilt and returned to service. After the war the survivors were decommissioned and placed in the Reserve Fleet in 1946–47; one was transferred to Italy and two were transferred to Taiwan in the 1950s. Modernization was considered in the 1950s but not implemented except on the transferred ships. The remainder were scrapped or otherwise disposed of in the late 60s and early 70s.

USS Laffey received a Presidential Unit Citation for her role in the Battle of Guadalcanal. USS Bailey received a Navy Unit Commendation for her service in the Battle of the Komandorski Islands, 26 March 1943. Also, USS Hilary P. Jones received a Navy Unit Commendation for her actions in the final operations in the Mediterranean Sea in September 1944.

+ Ships of the Benson destroyer class Name Hull no. Builder Laid down Launched Commissioned Decommissioned Fate Benson DD 421 Bethlehem Steel Corporation, Fore River Shipyard, Quincy, Massachusetts 16 May 1938 15 November 1939 25 July 1940 18 March 1946 Transferred to Republic of China, 26 February 1954 Mayo DD 422 26 March 1940 18 September 1940 18 March 1946 Sold for scrap, 8 May 1972 Madison DD 425 Boston Navy Yard 19 September 1938 20 October 1939 6 August 1940 13 March 1946 Sunk as target, 14 October 1969 Lansdale DD 426 30 October 1939 17 September 1940 Sunk by the Luftwaffe, 20 April 1944 Hilary P. Jones DD 427 Charleston Navy Yard 16 May 1938 14 December 1939 6 September 1940 6 February 1947 Loaned to Taiwan, 26 February 1954 Charles F. Hughes DD 428 Puget Sound Naval Shipyard 3 January 1939 16 May 1940 6 September 1940 18 March 1946 Sunk as target, 26 March 1969 Laffey DD 459 Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation, San Francisco, California 13 January 1941 30 October 1941 31 March 1942 Sunk in First Naval Battle of Guadalcanal, 13 November 1942 Woodworth DD 460 30 April 1941 29 November 1941 30 April 194221 November 1950 11 April 194614 January 1951 Transferred to Italy, 11 June 1951 Farenholt DD 491 Bethlehem Staten Island, Staten Island, New York 11 December 1940 19 November 1941 2 April 1942 26 April 1946 Sold for scrap, 22 November 1972 Bailey DD 492 29 January 1941 19 December 1941 11 May 1942 2 May 1948 Sunk as target, 4 November 1969 Bancroft DD 598 Bethlehem Steel Corporation, Fore River Shipyard, Quincy, Massachusetts 1 May 1941 31 December 1941 30 April 1942 1 February 1946 Sold for scrap, 16 March 1973 Barton DD 599 20 May 1941 31 January 1942 29 May 1942 Sunk by Japanese destroyer Amatsukaze, First Naval Battle of Guadalcanal, 13 November 1942 Boyle DD 600 31 December 1941 15 June 1942 15 August 1942 29 March 1946 Sunk as target, 3 May 1973 Champlin DD 601 31 January 1942 25 July 1942 12 September 1942 31 January 1947 Sold for scrap, 8 May 1972 Meade DD 602 Bethlehem Staten Island, Staten Island, New York 25 March 1941 15 February 1942 22 June 1942 17 June 1946 Sunk as target, 18 February 1973 Murphy DD 603 19 May 1941 29 April 1942 23 July 1942 9 March 1946 Bow section sunk in collision with SS Bulkoil 75 mile (121 km) outside New York, 21 October 1943. Ship rebuilt and returned to service. Sold for scrap, 6 October 1972 Parker DD 604 9 June 1941 12 May 1942 31 August 1942 31 January 1947 Sold for scrap, 25 May 1973 Caldwell DD 605 Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation, San Francisco, California 24 March 1941 15 January 1942 10 June 1942 24 April 1946 Sold for scrap, 4 November 1966 Coghlan DD 606 28 March 1941 12 February 1942 10 July 1942 31 March 1947 Sold for scrap, 12 June 1974 Frazier DD 607 5 July 1941 17 March 1942 30 July 1942 15 April 1946 Sold for scrap, 6 October 1972 Gansevoort DD 608 16 June 1941 11 April 1942 25 August 1942 1 February 1946 Sunk as target, 23 March 1972 Gillespie DD 609 16 June 1941 8 May 1942 18 September 1942 17 April 1946 Sunk as target, 16 July 1973 Hobby DD 610 30 June 1941 4 June 1942 18 November 1942 1 February 1946 Sunk as target, 1 June 1972 Kalk DD 611 18 July 1942 17 October 1942 3 May 1946 Sunk as target, 20 March 1969 Kendrick DD 612 Bethlehem Shipbuilding, San Pedro, California, Terminal Island 1 May 1941 2 April 1942 12 September 1942 31 March 1947 Sunk as target, 2 March 1968 Laub DD 613 28 April 1942 24 October 1942 2 February 1946 Sold for scrap, 14 January 1975 MacKenzie DD 614 29 May 1941 27 June 1942 21 November 1942 4 February 1946 Sunk as target, 1 June 1974 McLanahan DD 615 2 September 1942 19 December 1942 2 February 1946 Sold for scrap, 1 June 1974 Nields DD 616 Bethlehem Steel Corporation, Fore River Shipyard, Quincy, Massachusetts 15 June 1942 1 October 1942 15 January 1943 25 March 1946 Sold for scrap, 8 May 1972 Ordronaux DD 617 25 July 1942 9 November 1942 13 February 1943 27 March 1946 Sold for scrap, 16 March 1973

Pennant Ship name Former name Acquired Fate DD 14 ROCS Lo Yang USS Benson 26 February 1954 struck in 1975, scrapped DD 15 ROCS Han Yang USS Hilary P. Jones 26 February 1954 struck in 1974, scrapped