Recognition Guide Warships of the Second World War
Destroyer DD-627

USS Thompson (DD-627)

Gleaves-class destroyer

USS Thompson (DD-627)
Unknown author — U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command photo 80-G-244205 — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons Plate — DD-627 The U.S. Navy destroyer USS Thompson (DD-627) during preperations for the Normandy landings, circa in late May 1944. Note the seahorse marking on Thompson 's after smokestack. The photo was taken from the battleship USS Arkansas (BB-33).
Gleaves-class destroyer Particulars
Name
USS Thompson
Pennant / hull number
DD-627
Namesake
Robert Means Thompson
Builder
Seattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding Corporation
Laid down
22 September 1941
Launched
15 July 1942
Commissioned
10 July 1943
Decommissioned
18 May 1954
Struck
1 July 1971
Fate
Sold for scrap, 7 August 1972 (1972)
Status
Scrapped

Specifications

Displacement, standard
1,630 long tons (1,656 t)
Length
106.07 m (348 ft)
Beam
10.97 m (36 ft)
Draught
3.35 m (11 ft)
Speed
37.4 knots (69.3 km/h, 43 mph)
Range
6,500 nmi (12,038 km)
Complement
276
Main gun
127 mm (5 in)

USS Thompson was a Gleaves-class destroyer. She carried the pennant number DD-627. She was named for Robert Means Thompson. Seattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding Corporation laid her keel on 22 September 1941. She entered service on 10 July 1943, having been launched on 15 July 1942.

66 ships of the class were built. The class followed the Benson-class destroyer and was succeeded by the Fletcher-class destroyer.

She displaced 1,630 long tons. She measured 106.1 m (348 ft) long with a beam of 11.0 m (36 ft). Her designed speed was 37.4 knots, and she carried a complement of 276.

Her main battery was four 127 mm (5 in) guns.

She was decommissioned on 18 May 1954. She was struck from the register on 1 July 1971.

She was broken up for scrap on 7 August 1972.

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

Armament and machinery

Armament and machinery
Propulsion
  • 50,000 shp (37 MW)
  • 4 boilers
  • 2 propellers
Armament
  • 4 × 5 in (127 mm)/38 caliber DP guns
  • 4 × 40 mm (2×2) and 7 × 20 mm (5×1) AA guns
  • 5× 21 in (53 cm) torpedo tubes (1x5; 5 Mark 15 torpedoes)
  • 6 × depth charge projectors
  • 2 × depth charge tracks

Sister ships

41 more in the class

Sources

  • Facts harvested from USS Thompson (DD-627) on Wikipedia. Figures only — no wording is taken from it.
  • Photograph: Unknown author — U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command photo 80-G-244205 — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons