Recognition Guide Warships of the Second World War
Destroyer DD-537

USS The Sullivans (DD-537)

Fletcher-class destroyer

USS The Sullivans (DD-537)
Unknown author — U.S. Navy photo USN 1063617 — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons Plate — DD-537 The U.S. Navy destroyer USS The Sullivans (DD-537) passing astern of the destroyer tender USS Grand Canyon (AD-28) off Newport, Rhode Island (USA), on 29 October 1962. The Sullivans was assigned to the blockading forces during the Cuban Missile Crisis.
Fletcher-class destroyer Particulars
Name
USS The Sullivans
Pennant / hull number
DD-537
Namesake
The Sullivan brothers
Builder
Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation
Laid down
10 October 1942
Launched
4 April 1943
Commissioned
30 September 1943
Decommissioned
7 January 1965
Struck
1 December 1974
Fate
Museum ship at Buffalo Naval & Military Park
Status
Preserved

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
336
Main gun
127 mm (5 in)

USS The Sullivans was a Fletcher-class destroyer. She carried the pennant number DD-537. The ship was named after The Sullivan brothers. Her keel was laid at Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation on 10 October 1942. She entered service on 30 September 1943, having been launched on 4 April 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 336.

Her main battery was five 127 mm (5 in) guns. Her machinery developed 60,000 shp.

She was decommissioned on 7 January 1965. She was struck from the register on 1 December 1974.

She has been preserved.

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

Armament and machinery

Armament and machinery
Propulsion
  • 2 × General Electric-geared steam turbines
  • 2 × shafts
Power
  • 4 × oil-fired Babcock & Wilcox boilers
  • 60000 shp
Armament
  • (as built)
  • 5 × 5 in/38-caliber guns
  • 10 × 40 mm Bofors AA guns (5 × 2)
  • 7 × 20 mm Oerlikon AA cannons (7 × 1)
  • 10 × 21 in torpedo tubes (2 × 5)
  • 6 × K-gun depth charge throwers
  • 2 × depth charge tracks
  • (as preserved)
  • 4 × 5 in/38 caliber guns
  • 2 × 3 in/50-caliber guns (1 × 2)
  • 4 × 40 mm Bofors AA guns (2 × 2)
  • 4 × 20 mm Oerlikon AA cannons (2 × 2)
  • 2 × Mark 32 triple torpedo tubes
  • 2 × Hedgehog
  • 1 × depth charge track

Sister ships

148 more in the class

Sources