USS Somers (DD-381)
Service
- 1 December 1937 — 28 October 19452,193 days of the war
- Name
- USS Somers
- Pennant / hull number
- DD-381
- Namesake
- Richard Somers
- Builder
- Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company
- Laid down
- 27 June 1935
- Launched
- 13 March 1937
- Commissioned
- 1 December 1937
- Decommissioned
- 28 October 1945
- Struck
- 28 January 1947
- Fate
- Sold to Boston Metals, Baltimore
- Status
- Unknown
Specifications
- Displacement, standard
- 1,850 long tons (1,880 t)
- Length
- 116.13 m (381 ft)
- Beam
- 10.97 m (36 ft)
- Draught
- 4.27 m (14 ft)
- Speed
- 39 knots (72.2 km/h, 44.9 mph)
- Range
- 6,500 nmi (12,038 km)
- Complement
- 294
- Main gun
- 127 mm (5 in)
Richard Somers, born in 1778 or 1779 at Great Egg Harbor, N.J., was appointed midshipman on 25 April 1797 and served in the West Indies during the Quasi War with Prance in frigate United States commanded by Capt. John Barry. Promoted to lieutenant on 21 May 1799, Somers was detached from United States on 13 June 1801 and ordered to Boston on 30 July 1801. He served in the latter frigate in the Mediterranean.
On 5 May 1803, Somers was ordered to Baltimore to man; fit out; and command Nautilus; and, when that schooner was ready for sea, to sail her to the Mediterranean. Nautilus got underway on 30 June; reached Gibraltar on 27 July; and sailed four days later to deliver dispatches to Capt. John Rodgers at Malaga, Spain. He then returned to Gibraltar to meet Commodore Edward Preble, in Constitution, who was bringing a new squadron for action against the Barbary pirates.
Nautilus sailed with Preble on 6 October to Tangier where the display of American naval strength induced the Europeans of Morocco to renew the treaty of 1786. Thereafter, Tripoli became the focus of Preble's attention.
Continue to the full service history About 1,867 words
From the Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, compiled by the Naval History and Heritage Command (Somers V (DD-381)). A work of the United States Government, in the public domain.
Armament and machinery
Armament and machinery
- Propulsion
- 52,000 shp; geared turbines, 2 screws
- Armament
- As Built:
- 8 × 5-inch/38 caliber guns (127 mm) single purpose (4 × 2)
- 8 × 1.1-inch/75 caliber guns (28 mm) (2 × 4)
- 2 × .50 caliber machine guns (12.7 mm)
- 12 × 21 in torpedo tubes (3 × 4), 12 torpedoes
- 2 × depth charge stern racks
- 1944:
- 6 × 5-inch/38 caliber guns (127 mm) single purpose (3 × 2)
- 2 × 40 mm Bofors guns (1 × 2)
- 6 × 20 mm Oerlikon cannons
- 8 × 21 in torpedo tubes (2 × 4), 8 torpedoes
- 2 × depth charge stern racks
Sister ships
Sources
- Facts harvested from USS Somers (DD-381) on Wikipedia. Figures only — no wording is taken from it.
- Service history reproduced verbatim from Somers V (DD-381) , Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships — public domain, a work of the United States Government.
- Photograph: USN — Official U.S. Navy photograph NH 98022 from the U.S. Navy Naval History and Heritage Command — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons