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

USS Owen

Fletcher-class destroyer

USS Owen
USN (CRUDESPAC photo released by the 12th Naval District on 4 June 1957.) — U.S. Navy photo [1] from Navsource.org — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons Plate The U.S. Navy destroyer USS Owen (DD-536) underway in 1957.

Service

  1. United States Navy20 September 1943 — 27 May 1958713 days of the war
Fletcher-class destroyer Particulars
Name
USS Owen
Namesake
Elias K. Owen
Builder
Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation, San Francisco, California
Laid down
17 September 1942
Launched
21 March 1943
Commissioned
20 September 1943
Decommissioned
27 May 1958
Struck
15 April 1973
Fate
Sold for scrap, 27 November 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
329
Main gun
127 mm (5 in)

USS Owen was a Fletcher-class destroyer in service with the United States Navy. She was named for Elias K. Owen. Her keel was laid at Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation, San Francisco, California on 17 September 1942. She entered service on 20 September 1943, having been launched on 21 March 1943.

She was one of 173 ships of her class. The class followed the Gleaves-class destroyer and was succeeded by the Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer.

Displacement was 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 329. Her main battery was of 127 mm (5 in) calibre.

She was in commission for 713 days of the Second World War. She was decommissioned on 27 May 1958. She was struck from the register on 15 April 1973.

She was broken up for scrap on 27 November 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
  • 60,000 shp (45 MW); 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 Owen on Wikipedia. Figures only — no wording is taken from it.
  • Photograph: USN (CRUDESPAC photo released by the 12th Naval District on 4 June 1957.) — U.S. Navy photo [1] from Navsource.org — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons