Recognition Guide Warships of the Second World War
United States Navy — Destroyer DD-637

USS Gherardi

Gleaves-class destroyer

USS Gherardi
Unknown author — Originally from http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/sh-usn/usnsh-g/dd637.htm — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons Plate — DD-637 USS Gherardi (DMS-30) Photographed circa the later 1940s or the early 1950s. Courtesy of Donald M. McPherson, 1974. U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph. Image cropped from http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/images/h81000/h81010.jpg

Service

  1. United States Navy as Gherardi15 September 1942 — 17 December 19551,083 days of the war
Gleaves-class destroyer Particulars
Name
USS Gherardi
Pennant / hull number
DD-637
Namesake
Bancroft Gherardi
Builder
Philadelphia Naval Shipyard
Laid down
16 September 1941
Launched
12 February 1942
Commissioned
15 September 1942
Decommissioned
17 December 1955
Struck
1 June 1971
Fate
Sunk as target off Puerto Rico, 3 June 1973 (1973)
Status
Wreck

Specifications

Displacement, standard
1,630 long tons (1,656 t)
Length
106.07 m (348 ft)
Beam
10.97 m (36 ft)
Draught
3.35 m (11 ft)
Speed
37.4 knots (69.3 km/h, 43 mph)
Range
6,500 nmi (12,038 km)
Complement
276
Main gun
127 mm (5 in)

USS Gherardi was a Gleaves-class destroyer, operated by the United States Navy. She carried the pennant number DD-637. The ship was named after Bancroft Gherardi. Her keel was laid at Philadelphia Naval Shipyard on 16 September 1941. She entered service on 15 September 1942, having been launched on 12 February 1942.

66 ships of the class were built. The class followed the Benson-class destroyer and was succeeded by the Fletcher-class destroyer.

She displaced 1,630 long tons. She measured 106.1 m (348 ft) long with a beam of 11.0 m (36 ft). Her designed speed was 37.4 knots, and she carried a complement of 276.

Her main battery was four 127 mm (5 in) guns.

She was in commission for 1,083 days of the Second World War. She was decommissioned on 17 December 1955. She was struck from the register on 1 June 1971.

She was expended as a target on 3 June 1973. The wreck survives.

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

Armament and machinery

Armament and machinery
Propulsion
  • 50000 shp
  • 4 boilers
  • 2 propellers
Armament
  • 4 × 5 in/38 caliber DP guns
  • 4 × 40 mm guns
  • 4 × 20 mm AA guns
  • 5 × 21 in torpedo tubes (1x5; 5 Mark 15 torpedoes)
  • 6 × depth charge projectors
  • 2 × depth charge tracks

Sister ships

41 more in the class

Sources

  • Facts harvested from USS Gherardi on Wikipedia. Figures only — no wording is taken from it.
  • Photograph: Unknown author — Originally from http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/sh-usn/usnsh-g/dd637.htm — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons