USSGearing, 1960
Class overview
Name	Gearing class
Builders	Bath Iron Works, ME (30) Consolidated Steel, TX (27) Bethlehem Staten Island, NY (11) Fore River, MA (4) San Pedro, CA (4) San Francisco, CA (3) Federal Shipbuilding, NJ (10) Todd Pacific Seattle, WA (9)
Operators	United States Navy  Republic of China Navy  Hellenic Navy  Republic of Korea Navy  Spanish Navy  Turkish Naval Forces  Pakistan Navy  Argentine Navy  Brazilian Navy  Mexican Navy  Ecuadorian Navy  Islamic Republic of Iran Navy
Preceded by	Allen M. Sumner class
Succeeded by	Norfolk class
Subclasses	Churruca class Chungbuk class Marcílio Dias class
In commission	1945–1983
Planned	152
Completed	98
Cancelled	54
Lost	1
Retired	98
Preserved	5
General characteristics as originally built
Type	Destroyer
Displacement	2,616long tons (2,658 t) standard 3,460 long tons (3,520 t) full load
Length	390.5 ft (119.0 m)
Beam	40.9 ft (12.5 m)
Draft	14.3 ft (4.4 m)
Installed power	4 × boilers 60,000 shp (45,000 kW)
Propulsion	General Electricsteam turbines 2 ×shafts
Speed	36.8 kn (68.2 km/h; 42.3 mph)
Range	4,500 nmi (8,300 km; 5,200 mi) at 20 kn (37 km/h; 23 mph)
Complement	350 as designed
Sensors & processing systems	Mk37 GFCS 1 ×SC radar
Armament	As built: 6 ×5 in (127 mm)/38 cal guns (in 3 × 2 mounts) 12 ×40 mm (1.57 in) BoforsAA guns (2 × 4 & 2 × 2) 11 ×20 mm (0.79 in) Oerlikon cannons 2 ×Depth charge racks 6 ×K-gun depth charge throwers 10 ×21 in (533 mm)torpedo tubes post war configuration: 6 × 5 in/38 cal guns (in 3 × 2 Mk 38DP mounts) 6 ×3 in (76 mm)/50 cal guns (2 × 2, 2 × 1) 2 ×Hedgehog ASW weapons 1 × Depth charge rack 6 × K-gun depth charge throwers Typical afterFRAM I (1960-65): 4 × 5 in/38 cal guns (in 2 × 2 Mk 38 DP mounts) 1 ×ASROC 8-cell launcher 2 × tripleMark 32 torpedo tubes forMark 44 torpedoes 1 ×Drone Anti-Submarine Helicopter (DASH) Variable Depth Sonar (VDS)

TheGearing class was a series of 98destroyers built for theU.S. Navy during and shortly afterWorld War II. TheGearing design was a minor modification of theAllen M. Sumner class, whereby the hull was lengthened by 14 ft (4.3 m) at amidships, which resulted in more fuel storage space and increased the operating range.

The firstGearings were not ready for service until mid-1945 and saw little service in World War II. They continued serving, with a series of upgrades, until the 1970s. At that time many were sold to other nations, where they served many more years.

31 vessels were authorized on 9 July 1942:^{[citation needed]}

• DD-710 to DD-721 awarded to Federal Shipbuilding, Kearny.
• DD-742 to DD-743 awarded to Bath Iron Works, Bath, Maine.
• DD-763 to DD-769 awarded to Bethlehem Steel, San Francisco.
• DD-782 to DD-791 awarded to Todd Pacific Shipyards, Seattle.

4 vessels were authorized on 13 May 1942:^{[citation needed]}

• DD-805 to DD-808 awarded to Bath Iron Works, Bath, Maine.

3 vessels were authorized on 27 March 1943 under theVinson–Trammell Act:^{[citation needed]}

• DD-809 to DD-811 awarded to Bath Iron Works, Bath, Maine. (later cancelled)

114 vessels were authorized on 19 July 1943 under the 70% Expansion Act:^{[citation needed]}

• DD-812 awarded to Bath Iron Works, Bath, Maine. (later cancelled)
• DD-813 to DD-814 awarded to Bethlehem Steel, Staten Island. (later cancelled)
• DD-815 to DD-825 awarded to Consolidated Steel, Orange. (815 and 816 later cancelled)
• DD-826 to DD-849 awarded to Bath Iron Works, Bath, Maine.
• DD-850 to DD-853 awarded to Bethlehem Steel,Fore River Shipyard, Quincy.
• DD-854 to DD-856 awarded to Bethlehem Steel, Staten Island. (later cancelled)
• DD-858 to DD-861 awarded to Bethlehem Steel, San Pedro.
• DD-862 to DD-872 awarded to Bethlehem Steel, Staten Island.
• DD-873 to DD-890 awarded to Consolidated Steel, Orange.
• DD-891 to DD-893 awarded to Federal Shipbuilding, Kearny. (later cancelled)
• DD-894 to DD-895 awarded to Consolidated Steel, Orange. (later cancelled)
• DD-896 to DD-904 awarded to Bath Iron Works, Bath, Maine. (later cancelled)
• DD-905 to DD-908 awarded to Boston Navy Yard. (later cancelled)
• DD-909 to DD-916 awarded to Bethlehem Steel, Staten Island. (later cancelled)
• DD-917 to DD-924 awarded to Consolidated Steel, Orange. (later cancelled)
• DD-925 to DD-926 awarded to Charleston Navy Yard. (later cancelled)

(Of the missing numbers in this sequence - 722 to 741, 744 to 762, 770 to 781, and 857 were allocated to orders forAllen M. Sumner-class destroyers; 792 to 804 were awarded to orders forFletcher-class destroyers.)^{[citation needed]}

In March 1945, the orders for 36 of the above vessels were cancelled, and 11 more orders were cancelled in August 1945. Following the close ofWorld War II, 7 further vessels were cancelled in 1946:^{[citation needed]}

• Castle andWoodrow R. Thompson, the last pair of the twelve vessels launched by Federal Shipbuilding at Kearny, were cancelled on 11 February 1946. They were sold on 29 August 1955, and scrapped.
• Lansdale andSeymour D. Owens, both launched by Bethlehem at San Francisco, were cancelled on 7 January 1946. Their bows were used to repair other destroyers, and their remains were scrapped in 1958–1959.
• Hoel andAbner Read, both building by Bethlehem at San Francisco, were cancelled on 12 September 1946, prior to launch and broken up on the slip.
• Seaman, built by Todd Pacific Shipyards at Seattle; partially completed. Put in reserve on 25 June 1946, sold 12 September 1961, scrapped 22 September 1961.
• Four unnamed vessels (DD-809 to DD-812) awarded to Bath Iron Works, and five others (DD-813, DD-814, and DD-854 to DD-856) awarded to Bethlehem at Staten Island, were cancelled on 12 August 1945.
• Charles H. Roan (DD-815) andTimmerman (DD-816), both awarded to Consolidated Steel Corporation at Orange, were also cancelled on 12 August 1945. Their names were reallocated toCharles H. Roan andTimmerman respectively.
• Three more unnamed vessels (DD-891 to DD-893) awarded to Federal Shipbuilding at Kearney, were cancelled 8 March 1945.
• Ten more unnamed vessels (DD-894, DD-895, and DD-917 to DD-924) awarded to Consolidated Steel Corporation at Orange, and four more (DD-905 to DD-908) awarded to Boston Navy Yard, and another two (DD-925 and DD-926) awarded to Charleston Navy Yard, were all cancelled on 27 March 1945.
• Nine more unnamed vessels (DD-896 to DD-904) awarded to Bath Iron Works, and another eight (DD-909 to DD-916) awarded to Bethlehem at Staten Island, were all cancelled on 28 March 1945.

The first ship was laid down in August 1944, while the last was launched in March 1946. In that time the United States produced 98Gearing-class destroyers. TheGearing class was a seemingly minor improvement of theAllen M. Sumner class, built from 1943 until 1945. The main differences were that theGearings were 14 ft (4.3 m) longer in the midship section, allowing for increased fuel tankage for greater range, an important consideration inPacific War. More importantly in the long run, the increased size of theGearings made them much more suitable for upgrades than theAllen M. Sumners, as seen in the wartimeradar picket subclass, the 1950s radar picket destroyer (DDR) and escort destroyer (DDE) conversions, and theFleet Rehabilitation and Modernization (FRAM) conversions 1960-1965. As designed, theGearing class's armament was identical to that on theAllen M. Sumner class. Three twin5 in (127 mm)/38 caliber Mark 38 dual purpose (DP) mounts constituted the main battery. The 5-inch guns were guided by aMark 37 Gun Fire Control System with a Mark 25fire control radar linked by aMark 1A Fire Control Computer stabilized by a Mark 6 8,500 rpm gyro. Thisfire control system provided effective long-rangeanti-aircraft (AA) or anti-surface fire. Twelve40 mm (1.57 in) Bofors guns in two quad and two twin mounts and 1120 mm (0.79 in) Oerlikon cannons in single mounts were also equipped. The initial design retained theAllen M. Sumner class's heavytorpedo armament of ten 21-inch (530 mm)torpedo tubes in two quintuple mounts, firing theMark 15 torpedo. As the threat fromkamikaze aircraft mounted in 1945, and with few remainingJapanese warships to use torpedoes on, most of the class had the aft quintuple 21-inch tube mounts replaced by an additional 40 mm quadruple mount (prior to completion on later ships) for 16 total 40 mm guns. Twenty-four ships (DD-742, DD743, 805-808, 829, 831-835, and 874-883) were ordered without torpedo tubes to allow for radar picket equipment; these were redesignated as DDRs in 1948.^[1][2][3][4]

Following World War II most of the class had their AA andanti-submarine warfare (ASW) armament upgraded. The 40 mm and 20 mm guns were replaced by two to six3-inch (76 mm)/50 caliber guns in up to two twin and two single mountings. One depth charge rack was removed and twoHedgehog ASW mortar mounts added. The K-guns were retained. Nine additional (for a total of 35) ships were converted to radar picket destroyers (DDR) in the early 1950s; these typically received only one 3-inch twin mount to save weight for radar equipment, as did the wartime radar pickets. Nine ships were converted to escort destroyers (DDE), emphasizing ASW.Carpenter was the most thorough DDE conversion, with 43-inch/70 caliber guns in twin enclosed mounts, twoWeapon Alpha launchers, four new 21-inch torpedo tubes for theMark 37 ASW torpedo, and one depth charge rack.^[5]

In the late 1950s and early 1960s, 79 of theGearing-class destroyers underwent extensive modernization overhauls, known asFRAM I, which were designed under projectSCB 206^[6] to convert them from an anti-aircraft destroyer to an anti-submarine warfare platform. FRAM I removed all of the DDR and DDE equipment, and these ships were redesignated as DDs. FRAM I and FRAM II conversions were completed 1960–1965. Eventually all but threeGearings received FRAM conversions.^[7]

The FRAM I program was an extensive conversion for theGearing-class destroyers. This upgrade included rebuilding the ship's superstructure, electronic systems, radar, sonar, and weapons. The second twin 5-inch gun mount and all previous AA guns and ASW equipment were removed. On several ships the two forward 5-inch mounts remained and the aft 5-inch mount was removed. Upgraded systems includedSQS-23 sonar,SPS-10 surface search radar, two tripleMark 32 torpedo tubes, an 8-cell Anti-Submarine Rocket (ASROC) box launcher, and oneQH-50C DASH ASW drone helicopter, with its own landing pad andhangar. Both the Mk 32 torpedo tubes and ASROC launchedMk. 44 homing ASW torpedoes. ASROC could also launch anuclear depth charge. On 11 May 1962,Agerholm tested a live nuclear ASROC in the "Swordfish" test.^[8][9][10]

In Navy slang, the modified destroyers were called "FRAM cans", "can" being a contraction of "tin can", the slang term for a destroyer or destroyer escort.^{[citation needed]}

TheGyrodyne QH-50C DASH was an unmanned anti-submarine helicopter, controlled remotely from the ship. The drone could carry two Mark 44 homing ASW torpedoes. During this era the ASROC system had an effective range of only 5nautical miles (9.3 km; 5.8 mi), but the DASH drone allowed the ship to deploy ASW attack to sonar contacts as far as 22 nmi (41 km; 25 mi) away.^[11] However, DASH proved unreliable in shipboard service, with over half of the USN's 746 drones lost at sea. This was possibly due to inadequate maintenance support, as other services had few difficulties with DASH. By 1970, DASH had been withdrawn from FRAM I ships, though it was retained into the early 1970s on FRAM II ships, which lacked ASROC. A limitation of drones in ASW was the need to re-acquire the target at ranges beyond the effectiveness of the controlling ship's sonar. This led to shift to theLAMPS program of manned helicopters, which theGearing class were too small to accommodate.^[12]

An upgraded version of DASH, QH-50D, remained in use by theUnited States Army until May 2006.^[13]

FRAM I "A" Ships: (First 8 conversions) Removal of aft twin 5-inch gun mount (Mount 53). Group A ships also received two MK10/11 Hedgehogs fitted on each side of the bridge at the 01 level and had the MK-32 triple torpedo launchers aft of the second stack. FRAM I "B" Ships (remainder of conversions): Kept their forward 5-inch mount (Mount 51), lost the second mount (Mount 52) and kept their aft 5-inch mount (Mount 53). In place of mount 52, a practice 5-inch reloading machine was installed with the MK-32 triple torpedo launchers aft of the loader. Group B ships also received greater ASROC and torpedo storage areas next to the port side of the DASH hangar.^[14][15]

The FRAM II program was designed primarily for theAllen M. Sumner class destroyer, but sixteenGearings were upgraded as well. This upgrade program included life-extension refurbishment, a new radar system, Mark 32 torpedo tubes, DASH ASW drone, andvariable depth sonar (VDS). Importantly, it did not include ASROC. FRAM II ships included six DDRs and six DDEs that retained their specialized equipment (1960–1961), as well as four DDRs that were converted to DDs and were nearly identical to theAllen M. Sumner class FRAM IIs (1962–1963). The FRAM II ships retained all six 5-inch guns, except the DDEs retained four 5-inch guns and a trainable Hedgehog in the No. 2 position. All FRAM IIs retained two Hedgehogs alongside either the No. 2 5-inch mount or the trainable Hedgehog mount. The four DDRs converted to DDs were armed with two new 21-inch torpedo tubes for the Mk. 37 ASW homing torpedo. Photographs of the six retained DDRs show no markings on the DASH landing deck, as well as a much smaller deckhouse than was usually provided for DASH, so they may not have been equipped with DASH.^{[citation needed]}

Many of theGearings provided significantgunfire support in theVietnam War. They also served as escorts forCarrier Battle Groups (carrier strike groups from 2004) andAmphibious Ready Groups (Expeditionary Strike Groups from 2006). DASH was withdrawn from ASW service in 1969, due to poor reliability. Lacking ASROC, the FRAM II ships were disposed of in 1969–1974. With ASROC continuing to provide a standoff ASW capability, theGearing FRAM Is were retained in service for several years, with most being decommissioned and transferred to foreign navies 1973–1980. They were replaced as ASW ships by theSpruance-class destroyers, which were commissioned 1975–1983. These had the same ASW armament as aGearing FRAM destroyer, with the addition of improved sonar and a piloted helicopter, initially theKaman SH-2 Seasprite, and from 1984, the SikorskySH-60 Seahawk. SomeGearings served in theNaval Reserve Force (NRF) from 1973, remaining in commission with a partial active crew to provide training for Naval reservists. The lastGearing-class destroyer in US naval service wasWilliam C. Lawe, a FRAM I, decommissioned and struck 1 October 1983, and expended as a target 14 July 1999.^[16]

After theGearing-class ships were retired from USN service, many were sold abroad, including over a dozen to theRepublic of China Navy (ROCN) inTaiwan. These ships, along withFletcher-class destroyers andAllen M. Sumner-class destroyers also acquired then, were upgraded under the Wu Chin (Chinese:武進) I, II, and III programs and known throughout the ROCN as the Yang-class (Chinese:陽字號) destroyers as they were assigned names that all end with the word "Yang". The last batch of 7 WC-III program vessels, all of themGearing class, were retired in the early 2000s.^[17]

Under the most advanced Wu Chin III upgrade program, all World War II vintage weapons were removed and replaced with fourHsiung Feng II surface-to-surface missiles, tenSM-1 (box launchers), one 8-cell ASROC, one76 mm (3 in) Otobreda gun, two Bofors 40 mm AA, one20 mm Phalanx CIWS and twotriple 12.75 in (324 mm) torpedo tubes. The DASH ASW drones were not acquired, but hangar facilities aboard those ships that had them were later used to accommodate ofMD 500/ASW helicopters.^{[citation needed]}

After the Yang-class destroyers were decommissioned, the SM-1 launch boxes were moved toChi Yang-class frigates to improve their anti-air capability.^{[citation needed]}

FiveGearing-class destroyers are preserved as museum ships: two in the United States, one in South Korea, one in Taiwan, and one in Turkey. The ROKSJeon Buk (DD-916) (formerly theUSS Everett F. Larson) was scrapped in December 2021, leaving five survivors out of the ninety eight ships built.^{[citation needed]}

• USS Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. (DD-850) inFall River,Massachusetts
• USSOrleck (DD-886) inJacksonville,Florida
• ROCSTe Yang (DDG-925) inTainan City,Taiwan
• ROKSJeong Ju (DD-925) inDangjin,South Korea
• TCGGayret (D352) inIzmit,Turkey

• USSHigbee (DD-806), inNaval Station Mayport Dental Clinic,Florida.
• ROCSKai Yang (DDG-924), inAugust 23 Artillery Battle Museum,Taichung,Taiwan.
• ROCSTze Yang (DDG-930), inKaohsiung Harbor,Taiwan.^[19]
• Quetzalcoatl (E-03), inMexican Pacific Fleet headquarters,Mexico.

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• NavSource Destroyer Photo Gallery index page
• Gearing-class destroyers atDestroyer History Foundation
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