Mahan class destroyer
Encyclopedia
The Mahan-class destroyers served in the United States Navy
before and during World War II
. The lead ship of the class was named for Alfred T. Mahan
, a US Naval officer and influential theorist on sea power.
The 18 ships were built by various shipyards between 1935 and 1937. The last two ships, USS Dunlap
and USS Fanning
were modified slightly and sometimes referred to as the Dunlap class. The Mahans were the second and most numerous of the six classes of 1500-ton pre-war destroyers that modernized the United States Navy.
Six of the ships were combat losses during World War II
, and two were expended in post-war atomic bomb tests. The remainder were deactivated and scrapped shortly after the end of the war.
The spectacular explosion of the forward magazine of USS Shaw
provided one of the most iconic photographs of the Attack on Pearl Harbor
.
The fictional Mahan-class destroyer USS Keeling is the setting for C.S. Forester's novel The Good Shepherd.
) (sunk 1944) (sunk 1948) (sunk 1942) (sunk 1942) (sunk 1942) (sunk 1942) (referred to in some publications as a Dunlap class destroyer) (referred to in some publications as a Dunlap class destroyer)
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...
before and during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. The lead ship of the class was named for Alfred T. Mahan
Alfred Thayer Mahan
Alfred Thayer Mahan was a United States Navy flag officer, geostrategist, and historian, who has been called "the most important American strategist of the nineteenth century." His concept of "sea power" was based on the idea that countries with greater naval power will have greater worldwide...
, a US Naval officer and influential theorist on sea power.
The 18 ships were built by various shipyards between 1935 and 1937. The last two ships, USS Dunlap
USS Dunlap (DD-384)
USS Dunlap was a Mahan-class destroyer in the United States Navy during World War II. She was named after Brigadier General Robert H. Dunlap, USMC.-History:...
and USS Fanning
USS Fanning (DD-385)
USS Fanning , a Mahan-class destroyer, was the 2nd ship of the United States Navy to be named for Nathaniel Fanning. She first saw action during World War II immediately following the attack on Pearl Harbor. She continued to serve in the Pacific Theatre throughout the war, and was decommissioned...
were modified slightly and sometimes referred to as the Dunlap class. The Mahans were the second and most numerous of the six classes of 1500-ton pre-war destroyers that modernized the United States Navy.
Six of the ships were combat losses during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, and two were expended in post-war atomic bomb tests. The remainder were deactivated and scrapped shortly after the end of the war.
The spectacular explosion of the forward magazine of USS Shaw
USS Shaw (DD-373)
USS Shaw , a Mahan-class destroyer, was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for Captain John Shaw, a Naval officer. Commissioned in 1936, she was plagued by construction deficiencies and was not fully operational until 1938...
provided one of the most iconic photographs of the Attack on Pearl Harbor
Attack on Pearl Harbor
The attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike conducted by the Imperial Japanese Navy against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on the morning of December 7, 1941...
.
The fictional Mahan-class destroyer USS Keeling is the setting for C.S. Forester's novel The Good Shepherd.
Ships in class
(sunk 1944) (sunk 1946, Test AbleOperation Crossroads
Operation Crossroads was a series of nuclear weapon tests conducted by the United States at Bikini Atoll in mid-1946. It was the first test of a nuclear weapon after the Trinity nuclear test in July 1945...
) (sunk 1944) (sunk 1948) (sunk 1942) (sunk 1942) (sunk 1942) (sunk 1942) (referred to in some publications as a Dunlap class destroyer) (referred to in some publications as a Dunlap class destroyer)
See also
- Marcilio Dias class destroyerMarcilio Dias class destroyerThe Marcilio Dias class destroyers were three ships of the Brazilian Navy that served during World War II. They were based on the Mahan class destroyer and were the first sizable ships built in Brazil...
, derived from the Mahan class, built for the Brazilian NavyBrazilian NavyThe Brazilian Navy is a branch of the Brazilian Armed Forces responsible for conducting naval operations. It is the largest navy in Latin America...
.