Allen M. Sumner Class Destroyer
USS Allen M. Sumner (DD-692), the lead ship of her class, seen here in 1970. |
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| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Name: | Allen M. Sumner class destroyer |
| Builders: | Various |
| Operators: | United States Navy Republic of China Navy (Taiwan) Argentine Navy Brazilian Navy Chilean Navy Colombian Navy Hellenic Navy Republic of Korea Navy (South Korea) Turkish Navy Imperial Iranian Navy Venezuelan Navy |
| Preceded by: | Fletcher class destroyer |
| Succeeded by: | Gearing class destroyer |
| Subclasses: | Robert H. Smith destroyer minelayer |
| Cost: | $8 million, excluding armament |
| In commission: | 1943-1975 (USN) |
| Planned: | 70 |
| Completed: | 58 |
| Lost: | 4 sunk in battle |
| Preserved: | 2 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type: | Destroyer |
| Displacement: | 2,200-2,220 tons standard 3,515 tons full load |
| Length: | 369 ft (112.5 m) waterline 376 ft 6 in (114.8 m) overall 376 ft (114.6 m) overall (DD.725-728 & 730-734) |
| Beam: | 41 ft (12.5 m) 40 ft (12.2 m) (DD.692-709) 40 ft 9 in (12.4 m) (DD.744) 41 ft 3 in (12.6 m) (DD.770-776) |
| Draft: | 15 ft 9 in (4.8 m) normal 19 ft (5.8 m) full load 18 ft 9 in (18.4 m) full load (DD.735-40 & 749-751 & 771-773) |
| Propulsion: | 4 Babcock & Wilcox or Foster Wheeler providing 60,000 shp (45 MW) to drive General Electric or Westinghouse geared turbines; two shafts |
| Speed: | 34 knots (63 km/h) |
| Range: | 6,000 nmi at 15 knots (11,100 km @28 km/h) 503 tons oil fuel (except DD.692-709 500 tons, DD.735-740 515 tons) |
| Complement: | 336-363 |
| Armament: |
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The Allen M. Sumner class was a group of 58 destroyers built by the United States during World War II. Another twelve ships were completed as destroyer minelayers. Often referred to as simply the Sumner class, this class was characterized by their twin 5"/38cal-gun mounts, dual rudders, additional anti-aircraft weapons, and many other advancements over the previous Fletcher class. The Sumner design was extended 14 feet (4.3 m) amidships to become the Gearing class, which was produced in larger numbers.
Completed in 1943–45, four were lost in the war and one was damaged so badly it was scrapped, but the surviving ships served in the US Navy into the 1970s. After being retired from the US fleet, 29 of them were sold to other navies, where they served many more years. Two still exist as museum ships, one in South Carolina, and one in Taiwan.
Read more about Allen M. Sumner Class Destroyer: Description, Construction, Service, Disposition, Ships in Class
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