Recognition Guide Warships of the Second World War
United States Navy — Destroyer

USS Franks

Fletcher-class destroyer

USS Franks
USN — Official U.S. Navy Bureau of Ships photo 19-N-50563 available at Destroyerhistory.org — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons Plate The U.S. Navy destroyer USS Franks (DD-554) underway in Smith Cove, Washington (USA), on 24 August 1943, speed 4 knots.

Service

  1. United States Navy as Franks30 July 1943 — 31 May 1946767 days of the war
Fletcher-class destroyer Particulars
Name
USS Franks
Namesake
William Joseph Franks
Builder
Seattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding Corporation
Laid down
8 March 1942
Launched
7 December 1942
Commissioned
30 July 1943
Decommissioned
31 May 1946
Struck
1 December 1972
Fate
Sold for scrapping, 1 August 1973 (1973)
Status
Scrapped

Specifications

Displacement, standard
2,050 long tons (2,083 t)
Length
114.6 m (376 ft)
Beam
11.89 m (39 ft)
Draught
5.18 m (17 ft)
Speed
35 knots (64.8 km/h, 40.3 mph)
Range
6,500 nmi (12,038 km)
Complement
336
Main gun
127 mm (5 in)

USS Franks was a Fletcher-class destroyer built for the United States Navy. The ship was named after William Joseph Franks. Her keel was laid at Seattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding Corporation on 8 March 1942. Launched on 7 December 1942, she entered service on 30 July 1943.

Her class ran to 173 ships. The class followed the Gleaves-class destroyer and was succeeded by the Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer.

She displaced 2,050 long tons. She measured 114.6 m (376 ft) long with a beam of 11.9 m (39 ft). Her designed speed was 35 knots, and she carried a complement of 336. Her main battery was of 127 mm (5 in) calibre.

She was in commission for 767 days of the Second World War. She was decommissioned on 31 May 1946. She was struck from the register on 1 December 1972.

She was broken up for scrap on 1 August 1973.

Written from the harvested record. Every figure above is sourced; the wording is this site's own.

Armament and machinery

Armament and machinery
Propulsion
  • 60000 shp; 2 propellers
Armament
  • 5 × single Mk 12 5 in (127 mm)/38 guns
  • 5 × twin 40 mm (1.6 in) Bofors AA guns
  • 7 × single 20 mm (0.8 in) Oerlikon AA guns
  • 2 × quintuple 21 in (533 mm) torpedo tubes
  • 6 × single depth charge throwers
  • 2 × depth charge racks

Sister ships

148 more in the class

Sources

  • Facts harvested from USS Franks on Wikipedia. Figures only — no wording is taken from it.
  • Photograph: USN — Official U.S. Navy Bureau of Ships photo 19-N-50563 available at Destroyerhistory.org — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons