Somers class destroyer
Encyclopedia
The Somers-class destroyer was a class of 1850-ton United States Navy
destroyer
based on the Porter-class
. They were answers to the large destroyers that the Japan
ese navy was building at the time, and were initially intended to be leaders for destroyer flotillas. This class featured controversial (for the time) high-temperature air-encased boiler
s derived from the ones installed in the modernized New Mexico (BB-40)
. Despite the added weight, it permitted use of only a single smoke stack for the engines, allowing for a third centerline torpedo tube
mount. Even so, they were still over-weight and top heavy.
The first two ships were laid down at Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company
in Kearny, New Jersey
in 1935, the following three in 1936 by Bath Iron Works
Corporation of Bath, Maine
.
The ships were commissioned between 1937 and 1939 and served during World War II
. Warrington foundered in a hurricane in the Caribbean
in 1944. The others survived the war to be scrapped in 1946.
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...
destroyer
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...
based on the Porter-class
Porter class destroyer
The Porter-class destroyers were a class of eight 1,850-ton destroyers in the United States Navy.The first four ships were laid down in 1933 by New York Shipbuilding and the next four in 1934 at Bethlehem Steel Corporation in Quincy, Massachusetts...
. They were answers to the large destroyers that the Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese navy was building at the time, and were initially intended to be leaders for destroyer flotillas. This class featured controversial (for the time) high-temperature air-encased boiler
Boiler
A boiler is a closed vessel in which water or other fluid is heated. The heated or vaporized fluid exits the boiler for use in various processes or heating applications.-Materials:...
s derived from the ones installed in the modernized New Mexico (BB-40)
USS New Mexico (BB-40)
USS New Mexico was a battleship in service with the United States Navy from 1918 to 1946. She was the lead ship of a class of three battleships. New Mexico was extensively modernized between 1931 and 1933 and saw service during World War II both in the Atlantic and Pacific theatres. After her...
. Despite the added weight, it permitted use of only a single smoke stack for the engines, allowing for a third centerline torpedo tube
Torpedo tube
A torpedo tube is a device for launching torpedoes. There are two main types of torpedo tube: underwater tubes fitted to submarines and some surface ships, and deck-mounted units installed aboard surface vessels...
mount. Even so, they were still over-weight and top heavy.
The first two ships were laid down at Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company
Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company
The Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company was a United States shipyard, active from 1917 to 1949. During World War II, it built ships as part of the U.S. Government's Emergency Shipbuilding Program. Operated by a subsidiary of the United States Steel Corporation, the shipyard was located at...
in Kearny, New Jersey
Kearny, New Jersey
Kearny is a town in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. It was named after Civil War general Philip Kearny. As of the United States 2010 Census, the town population was 40,684. The town is a suburb of the nearby city of Newark....
in 1935, the following three in 1936 by Bath Iron Works
Bath Iron Works
Bath Iron Works is a major American shipyard located on the Kennebec River in Bath, Maine, United States. Since its founding in 1884 , BIW has built private, commercial and military vessels, most of which have been ordered by the United States Navy...
Corporation of Bath, Maine
Bath, Maine
Bath is a city in Sagadahoc County, Maine, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 9,266. It is the county seat of Sagadahoc County. Located on the Kennebec River, Bath is a port of entry with a good harbor. The city is popular with tourists, many drawn by its...
.
The ships were commissioned between 1937 and 1939 and served 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...
. Warrington foundered in a hurricane in the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
in 1944. The others survived the war to be scrapped in 1946.