Recognition Guide Warships of the Second World War
United States Navy — Destroyer DD-615

USS McLanahan (DD-615)

Benson-class destroyer

USS McLanahan (DD-615)
U.S. Navy — Official U.S. Navy Mare Island Naval Shipyard photo 1008-43 available at Navsource.org — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons Plate — DD-615 Broadside view of USS McLanahan (DD-615) off the Mare Island Naval Shipyard, California (USA), on 5 February 1943. She was under repair at the yard from 25 January to 5 February 1943.

Service

  1. United States Navy as USS McLanahan (DD-615)19 December 1942 — 2 February 1946988 days of the war
Full service history About 660 words
Benson-class destroyer Particulars
Name
USS McLanahan
Pennant / hull number
DD-615
Namesake
Tenant McLanahan
Builder
Bethlehem Shipbuilding, San Pedro, California
Laid down
29 May 1941
Launched
2 September 1942
Commissioned
19 December 1942
Decommissioned
2 February 1946
Struck
1 July 1971
Fate
Scrapped in 1974 (1974)
Status
Scrapped

Specifications

Displacement, standard
1,620 long tons (1,646 t)
Length
106.07 m (348 ft)
Beam
10.97 m (36 ft)
Draught
5.18 m (17 ft)
Speed
37.5 knots (69.5 km/h, 43.2 mph)
Complement
259
Main gun
127 mm (5 in)

(DD‑615: dp. 1,620; l. 348'4"; b. 36'1"; dr. 17'4"; s. 37.5 k.; cpl. 259; a. 4 5", 4 20mm., 5 21" tt., 6 dcp.; cl. Benson )

Tenant McLanahan, born in Louisiana, was appointed midshipman 12 December 1839 and passed midshipman 2 July 1845. He served in Preble in the Mediterranean Squadron; in Delaware, Brandywine, and Macedonia in the Brazil, African, and East Indian Squadrons, 1840‑45; and in Shark, Portsmouth and Cyane in the Pacific Squadron, 1846‑48. While attached to the latter he was one of Lieutenant Heywood-s party beseiged by Mexican irregulars at San Jose, Baja California, 24 January to 14 February 1848. He conducted himself in a gallant, unflinching, and devoted manner, until he was killed by a rifleshot in the neck 11 February 1848.

The second McLanahan (DD‑615) was laid down 29 May 1941 by the Bethlehem Steel Co., Shipbuilding Division, San Pedro, Calif.; launched 2 September 1942; sponsored by Mrs. Dorothy W. Howard; and commissioned 19 December 1942, Lt. Comdr. H. R. Hummer, in command.

Continue to the full service history About 660 words

From the Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, compiled by the Naval History and Heritage Command (McLanahan II (DD-615)). A work of the United States Government, in the public domain.

Armament and machinery

Armament and machinery
Armament
  • 4 x5 in/38 guns, 4 x 20 mm., 5 x 21 inch (533 mm) tt., 6 dcp.

Sister ships

5 more in the class

Sources

  • Facts harvested from USS McLanahan (DD-615) on Wikipedia. Figures only — no wording is taken from it.
  • Service history reproduced verbatim from McLanahan II (DD-615) , Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships — public domain, a work of the United States Government.
  • Photograph: U.S. Navy — Official U.S. Navy Mare Island Naval Shipyard photo 1008-43 available at Navsource.org — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons