Launched: 1939 Displacement: 1839 tons 2395 tons full load
Length: 348ft. Beam: 36ft. Speed: 35kts. Draft: 13ft. Endurance: 6,500 nm (12 kt)
Armament: Guns: 4x5in/38 dual-purpose AA: 2x40mm twin Bofors, 7x20mm Oerlikons
Torpedo Tubes: 1x5 21in
The Benson/Gleaves class (the two were almost indistinguishable) was the last of the pre-war U.S. destroyer types and
were kept in production mainly as a stop-gap until the production of Fletcher-class destroyers came up to speed. Originally armed with 5 5-inch guns and 2 5-torpedo mounts, the armament was reconfigured early in production to accommodate additional AA guns. Most Benson/Gleaves-class destroyers were stationed in the Atlantic where their forecastle design had the advantage in sea- keeping over the Fletchers.
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