Benson class destroyer
Encyclopedia
The Benson class was a class of 30 destroyer
s of the U.S. Navy
built 1939–1943. The first ship of the class was the . The U.S. Navy customarily names a class of ships after the first ship of the class; hence the Benson class.
It was named after William Shepherd Benson, a graduate of the Naval Academy in 1877. He commanded the , , , and the Philadelphia Navy Yard. Benson was appointed first Chief of Naval Operations
in 1915 and then served as CNO until he retired 25 September 1919. He died in Washington, D.C.
, 20 May 1932.
The Benson class was designed as an improved version of the Sims class
with two stacks and a new machinery arrangement that featured alternating boiler and engine rooms designed to give the ships a better chance at surviving torpedo damage. Their scantlings, or framing dimensions, were increased to carry the weight of the new machinery. This increased the ship's displacement by about sixty tons. The Benson-class destroyer was the backbone of the pre-war Neutrality Patrol
s and brought the action to the enemy by participating in every major campaign of the war.
destroyers were built to nearly the same design and were virtually identical to the Benson-class. The only visible difference between Benson and Gleaves was the shape of the stacks (the Bensons were flat-sided).
on 20 April 1944 and the bow section of USS Murphy was cut off in a collision with SS Bulkoil 75 miles (121 km) outside of New York, 21 October 1943 and sank. The rest of the Ship was saved and was rebuilt and returned to service .
for her service in the Battle of the Komandorski Islands
, 26 March 1943. Also, the USS Hilary P. Jones received a Navy Unit Commendation for her actions in the final operations in the Mediterranean Sea in September 1944.
Destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...
s of the U.S. Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
built 1939–1943. The first ship of the class was the . The U.S. Navy customarily names a class of ships after the first ship of the class; hence the Benson class.
It was named after William Shepherd Benson, a graduate of the Naval Academy in 1877. He commanded the , , , and the Philadelphia Navy Yard. Benson was appointed first Chief of Naval Operations
Chief of Naval Operations
The Chief of Naval Operations is a statutory office held by a four-star admiral in the United States Navy, and is the most senior uniformed officer assigned to serve in the Department of the Navy. The office is a military adviser and deputy to the Secretary of the Navy...
in 1915 and then served as CNO until he retired 25 September 1919. He died in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, 20 May 1932.
The Benson class was designed as an improved version of the Sims class
Sims class destroyer
The Sims-class consisted of 12 destroyers in the United States Navy, built in seven various shipyards, and commissioned in 1939 and 1940. It was the last United States destroyer class completed prior to World War II. All Sims-class ships saw action in World War II, and seven survived the war...
with two stacks and a new machinery arrangement that featured alternating boiler and engine rooms designed to give the ships a better chance at surviving torpedo damage. Their scantlings, or framing dimensions, were increased to carry the weight of the new machinery. This increased the ship's displacement by about sixty tons. The Benson-class destroyer was the backbone of the pre-war Neutrality Patrol
Neutrality Patrol
At the beginning of World War II, when Nazi Germany's invasion of Poland on 1 September 1939 started the hostilities in Europe, President Franklin D...
s and brought the action to the enemy by participating in every major campaign of the war.
Following class
The Gleaves-classGleaves class destroyer
The Gleaves-class destroyers were a class of 66 destroyers of the United States Navy built 1938–1942, and designed by Gibbs & Cox. The first ship of the class was the USS Gleaves . The U.S. Navy customarily names a class of ships after the first ship of the class; hence the Gleaves class...
destroyers were built to nearly the same design and were virtually identical to the Benson-class. The only visible difference between Benson and Gleaves was the shape of the stacks (the Bensons were flat-sided).
Losses
USS Laffey and USS Barton were lost at the Battle of Guadalcanal on 13 November 1942.; the USS Lansdale was lost in a battle in the Mediterranean SeaMediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...
on 20 April 1944 and the bow section of USS Murphy was cut off in a collision with SS Bulkoil 75 miles (121 km) outside of New York, 21 October 1943 and sank. The rest of the Ship was saved and was rebuilt and returned to service .
Decorations
USS Laffey received a Presidential Unit Citation for her role in the Battle of Guadalcanal. USS Bailey received a Navy Unit CommendationNavy Unit Commendation
The Navy Unit Commendation of the United States Navy is an award that was established by order of the Secretary of the Navy James Forrestal on 18 December 1944...
for her service in the Battle of the Komandorski Islands
Battle of the Komandorski Islands
The Battle of the Komandorski Islands was one of the most unusual engagements of World War II. It was a naval battle which took place on 27 March 1943 in the North Pacific area of the Pacific Ocean, near the Soviet Komandorski Islands.-Background:...
, 26 March 1943. Also, the USS Hilary P. Jones received a Navy Unit Commendation for her actions in the final operations in the Mediterranean Sea in September 1944.
Ships in class
| Name | | Commissioned | | Decommissioned |
|---|---|---|
| USS Benson (DD-421) USS Benson (DD-421) USS Benson was the lead ship of her class of destroyers in the United States Navy during World War II. She was named for Admiral William S. Benson .... |
25 July 1940 | 18 March 1946 |
| USS Mayo (DD-422) USS Mayo (DD-422) USS Mayo was a Benson-class destroyer in the United States Navy during World War II. She was named for Admiral Henry Thomas Mayo.... |
18 September 1940 | 18 March 1946 |
| USS Madison (DD-425) USS Madison (DD-425) USS Madison was a Benson-class destroyer in the United States Navy during World War II. She the third Navy ship of that name, and the first named for Commander James J. Madison , who was awarded the Medal of Honor during World War I.Madison was laid down on 19 September 1938 by the Boston Navy... |
6 August 1940 | 13 March 1946 (sunk as target 14 October 1969) |
| USS Lansdale (DD-426) USS Lansdale (DD-426) The second USS Lansdale was a in the United States Navy during World War II. She was named for Philip Lansdale.Lansdale was laid down on 19 December 1938 by Boston Navy Yard; launched on 30 October 1939; sponsored by Mrs. Ethel S. Lansdale, widow of the ships namesake; and commissioned on 17... |
17 September 1940 | 20 April 1944 (sunk by the Luftwaffe Luftwaffe Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956.... ) |
| USS Hilary P. Jones (DD-427) USS Hilary P. Jones (DD-427) USS Hilary P. Jones was a Benson-class destroyer in the United States Navy during World War II. She was named for Admiral Hilary P. Jones.... |
6 September 1940 | 6 February 1947 |
| USS Charles F. Hughes (DD-428) USS Charles F. Hughes (DD-428) USS Charles F. Hughes was a Benson-class destroyer in the United States Navy during World War II. She was named for Charles Frederick Hughes.... |
6 September 1940 | 18 March 1946 (sunk as target 26 March 1969) |
| USS Laffey (DD-459) USS Laffey (DD-459) |... |
31 March 1942 | 13 November 1942 (sunk by Japanese battleship) |
| USS Woodworth (DD-460) USS Woodworth (DD-460) USS Woodworth was a Benson-class destroyer in the United States Navy during World War II. She was named for Commander Selim E. Woodworth.... |
30 April 1942 | 11 April 1946 |
| USS Woodworth (DD-460) | 21 November 1950 | 14 January 1951 |
| USS Farenholt (DD-491) USS Farenholt (DD-491) USS Farenholt was a Benson-class destroyer in the United States Navy during World War II. She was the second ship named for Admiral Oscar Farenholt.... |
2 April 1942 | 26 April 1946 |
| USS Bailey (DD-492) USS Bailey (DD-492) USS Bailey was a Benson-class destroyer in the United States Navy during World War II. She was the third ship named for Admiral Theodorus Bailey.... |
11 May 1942 | 2 May 1948 (sunk as target 4 November 1969) |
| USS Bancroft (DD-598) USS Bancroft (DD-598) USS Bancroft was a in the United States Navy during World War II. She was the third ship named for George Bancroft.Bancroft was launched 31 December 1941 by Bethlehem Steel Company, Quincy, Massachusetts; sponsored by Mrs. Hester Bancroft Berry, great-granddaughter of George Bancroft;... |
30 April 1942 | 1 February 1946 |
| USS Barton (DD-599) USS Barton (DD-599) USS Barton was a Benson-class destroyer in the United States Navy during World War II. She was the first ship named for Admiral John Kennedy Barton.... |
29 May 1942 | 13 November 1942 (sunk by Japanese torpedoes at Guadalcanal Guadalcanal Guadalcanal is a tropical island in the South-Western Pacific. The largest island in the Solomons, it was discovered by the Spanish expedition of Alvaro de Mendaña in 1568... ) |
| USS Boyle (DD-600) USS Boyle (DD-600) USS Boyle was a Benson-class destroyer in the United States Navy during World War II. She was the first ship named after Thomas Boyle, a privateer and naval officer during the War of 1812.... |
15 August 1942 | 29 March 1946 (sunk as target 3 May 1973) |
| USS Champlin (DD-601) USS Champlin (DD-601) USS Champlin was a Benson-class destroyer in the United States Navy during World War II. She was the second ship named for Stephen Champlin.... |
12 September 1942 | 31 January 1947 |
| USS Meade (DD-602) USS Meade (DD-602) USS Meade was a in the United States Navy during World War II. She was the second ship named for Richard Worsam Meade and Robert Leamy Meade.... |
22 June 1942 | 17 June 1946 (sunk as target February 1973) |
| USS Murphy (DD-603) USS Murphy (DD-603) USS Murphy was a Benson-class destroyer in the United States Navy during World War II. She was named for Lieutenant John McLeod Murphy.... |
23 July 1942 | Bow section sunk in collision with SS Bulkoil 75 miles (120.7 km) outside of New York, 21 October 1943. Ship rebuilt and returned to service. 9 March 1946 |
| USS Parker (DD-604) USS Parker (DD-604) USS Parker was a in the United States Navy during World War II. She was the second ship named for Foxhall A. Parker, Jr..Parker was laid down 9 June 1941 by the Bethlehem Steel Corporation, Staten Island, New York; launched 12 May 1942; sponsored by Mrs. Edward Lloyd Winder; and commissioned 31... |
31 August 1942 | 31 January 1947 |
| USS Caldwell (DD-605) USS Caldwell (DD-605) USS Caldwell was a in the United States Navy during World War II. She was named for James R. Caldwell.Caldwell was launched 15 January 1942 by Bethlehem Steel Corporation, San Francisco, California; sponsored by Miss A. Caldwell; and commissioned 10 June 1942, Lieutenant Commander J. F... |
10 June 1942 | 24 April 1946 |
| USS Coghlan (DD-606) USS Coghlan (DD-606) USS Coghlan was a Benson-class destroyer in the United States Navy during World War II. She was the second ship named for Joseph Bulloch Coghlan.... |
10 July 1942 | 31 March 1947 |
| USS Frazier (DD-607) USS Frazier (DD-607) USS Frazier was a Benson-class destroyer in the United States Navy during World War II. She was named for Daniel Frazier.Frazier was launched 17 March 1942 by Bethlehem Steel Corporation, San Francisco, California; sponsored by Mrs... |
30 July 1942 | 15 April 1946 |
| USS Gansevoort (DD-608) USS Gansevoort (DD-608) USS Gansevoort was a Benson-class destroyer in the United States Navy during World War II. She was named for Commodore Guert Gansevoort.... |
25 August 1942 | 1 February 1946 (sunk as target 23 March 1972) |
| USS Gillespie (DD-609) USS Gillespie (DD-609) USS Gillespie was a Benson-class destroyer in the United States Navy during World War II. She was named for Major Archibald H. Gillespie.... |
18 September 1942 | 17 April 1946 (sunk as target 1973) |
| USS Hobby (DD-610) USS Hobby (DD-610) USS Hobby was a Benson-class destroyer in the United States Navy during World War II. She was named for James H. Hobby.Hobby was launched 4 June 1942 by the Bethlehem Steel Corporation, San Francisco, California; sponsored by Mrs... |
18 November 1942 | 1 February 1946 (sunk as target 1 June 1972) |
| USS Kalk (DD-611) USS Kalk (DD-611) USS Kalk was a Benson-class destroyer in the United States Navy during World War II. She was the second ship named for Lieutenant Stanton Frederick Kalk.... |
17 October 1942 | 3 May 1946 (sunk as target March 1969) |
| USS Kendrick (DD-612) USS Kendrick (DD-612) USS Kendrick was a in the United States Navy during World War II. She was named for Charles S. Kendrick.Kendrick was launched 2 April 1942 by Bethlehem Steel Corporation, San Pedro, California; sponsored by Mrs. J. Hanson Delvac, a great-granddaughter of Acting Master Charles S. Kendrick; and... |
12 September 1942 | 31 March 1947 |
| USS Laub (DD-613) USS Laub (DD-613) USS Laub was a in the United States Navy during World War II. She was the second ship named for Henry Laub, who was killed during the Battle of Lake Erie in 1813.... |
24 October 1942 | 2 February 1946 |
| USS MacKenzie (DD-614) USS MacKenzie (DD-614) USS MacKenzie was a in the United States Navy during World War II. She was the third ship named for Lieutenant Commander Alexander Slidell MacKenzie.... |
21 November 1942 | 4 February 1946 (sunk as target 1 June 1974) |
| USS McLanahan (DD-615) USS McLanahan (DD-615) USS McLanahan was a Benson-class destroyer in the United States Navy during World War II. She was the second Navy ship named for Tenant McLanahan.... |
19 December 1942 | 2 February 1946 |
| USS Nields (DD-616) USS Nields (DD-616) USS Nields was a Benson-class destroyer in the United States Navy during World War II. She was named for Lieutenant Commander Henry C. Nields.... |
15 January 1943 | 25 March 1946 |
| USS Ordronaux (DD-617) USS Ordronaux (DD-617) USS Ordronaux was a Benson-class destroyer in the United States Navy during World War II. She was named for John Ordronaux, the nineteenth-century privateersman.... |
13 February 1943 | January 1947 |
External links
- Benson-class destroyers at Destroyer History Foundation
- Tin Can Sailors @ Destroyers.org - Benson class destroyer
See also
- Livermore class destroyer
- List of destroyers of the United States Navy
- List of destroyer classes of the United States Navy