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

USS Bennion

Fletcher-class destroyer

USS Bennion
U.S. Navy — Official U.S. Navy photo NH 107197 from the U.S. Navy Naval History and Heritage Command — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons Plate The U.S. Navy destroyer USS Bennion (DD-662) underway on 13 January 1945. The ship is painted in Camouflage Measure 32, Design 13D.

Service

  1. United States Navy14 December 1943 — 20 June 1946628 days of the war
Fletcher-class destroyer Particulars
Name
USS Bennion
Namesake
Mervyn S. Bennion
Builder
Boston Navy Yard
Laid down
19 March 1943
Launched
4 July 1943
Commissioned
14 December 1943
Decommissioned
20 June 1946
Struck
15 April 1971
Fate
Sold for scrap, 30 May 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
6,479 nmi (11,999 km)
Complement
329
Main gun
40 mm (1.6 in)

USS Bennion was a Fletcher-class destroyer, operated by the United States Navy. She was named for Mervyn S. Bennion. Her keel was laid at Boston Navy Yard on 19 March 1943. Launched on 4 July 1943, she entered service on 14 December 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.

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 329.

Her main battery was four 40 mm (1.6 in) guns.

She was in commission for 628 days of the Second World War. She was decommissioned on 20 June 1946. She was struck from the register on 15 April 1971.

She was broken up for scrap on 30 May 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 × 5-inch 38 caliber guns
  • 4 × 40 mm AA guns
  • 4 × 20 mm AA guns
  • 10 × 21 inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes
  • 6 × depth charge projectors
  • 2 × depth charge tracks

Sister ships

148 more in the class

Sources

  • Facts harvested from USS Bennion on Wikipedia. Figures only — no wording is taken from it.
  • Photograph: U.S. Navy — Official U.S. Navy photo NH 107197 from the U.S. Navy Naval History and Heritage Command — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons