Farragut class DESTROYERS
 
USN Destroyer DD-349 "Dewey"
Displacement: 2,307 t (1,358 t Std)Machinery: 4 boilers, 2 shafts  DP Guns: 4×1×5 in (127 mm)/38
Max Length: 341 ft 3 in 104 mMax Power: 42,800 hp 31 916 kW AA Guns: 8×1×.79 in (20 mm)
Beam: 34 ft 3 in 10.4 mMax Speed: 37 kts 68.5 km/h Torpedo Battery: 2×4×21 in (533 mm)
Draght: 16 ft 6 in 4.7 m Range: 6,500 nm 12 000 km Depth Charges: 2 roller racks, 12 throwers
Complement: 251 officers & enlisted Bunkerage: 600 t fuel oil Sensors: Surface and air radars, sonar   

  * Armament as during the Battle of Midway (June 1942).

After building a great number (273 ships) of Caldwell, Clemson and Wickes classes destroyers between 1917 and 1922 the line of destroyers development in the U.S. Navy has interrupted for more than ten years, thereby to the beginning of 1930s the “flush­deckers”, making a basis of light naval forces, have become outdated. Designed in 1931 Farragut class destroyers were the first class of the new generation of U.S. destroyers, significantly surpassed their predecessors in speed, maneuverability, sea­worthi­ness, range, armament, and habitability.

The Farragut class destroyers were initially armed with eight 21 in (533 mm) torpedo tubes in two quadruple centerline mounts, five 5 in (127 mm) dual-purpose guns (the forward two shielded against the weather, the others open), and four .50 in (12.7 mm) AA machine guns. By the middle of 1935, all eight ships had been refitted with two depth charge roller racks and storage, indicating the necessity of providing the fleet with anti-submarine warfare methods. As wartime necessity indicated that more, and heavier AA was not only desirable but a matter of life-and-death, the no. 3 gun was removed, making available weight and space for the installation of radar systems, two 1.57 in (40 mm) Bofors twin mounts and six .79 in (20 mm) Oerlikon autocannons instead of four .50 in (12.7 mm) machine guns, but for lack of Boforses they were replaced by two more Oerlikons. Anti-submarine armament was also reinforced with K-type depth charge throwers.

Four Farragut class destroyers (DD-349 Dewey, DD-352 Worden, DD-354 Monaghan, DD-355 Aylwin) took part in the Battle of Midway as a Fueling group escort and a part of Task Force 16 Destroyer Screen (Task Group 16.4).

 

Ship Builder Laid Down    Launched    Commisioned    Fate
 DD-348  Farragut Bethlehem Steel Corp. Quincy, MA 20 Sep 1932   15 Mar 1934   18 Jun 1934   Sold for scrap 14 Aug 1947
 DD-349 Dewey Bath Iron Works. Bath, ME 16 Dec 1932   28 Jul 1934     4 Oct 1934   Sold for scrap 20 Dec 1946
 DD-350 Hull U. S. Navy Yard. New York, NY   7 Mar 1933   31 Jan 1934   11 Jan 1935   Sunk in storm 18 Dec 1944
 DD-351 Macdonough  U. S. Navy Yard. Boston, MA 15 May 1933   22 Aug 1934   15 Mar 1935   Sold for scrap 20 Dec 1946
 DD-352 Worden U. S. Navy Yard. Puget Sound, WA 29 Dec 1932   27 Oct 1934   15 Jan 1935   Grounded 12 Dec 1943
 DD-353 Dale U. S. Navy Yard. New York, NY 10 Feb 1934   23 Jan 1935   17 Jun 1935   Sold for scrap 20 Dec 1946
 DD-354 Monaghan U. S. Navy Yard. Boston, MA 21 Nov 1933     9 Jan 1935   19 Apr 1935   Sunk in storm 18 Dec 1944
 DD-355 Aylwn U. S. Navy Yard. Philadelphia, PA 23 Sep 1933   10 Jul 1934     1 Mar 1935   Sold for scrap 20 Dec 1946