Recognition Guide Warships of the Second World War
United States Navy — Destroyer DD-516

USS Wadsworth (DD-516)

Fletcher-class destroyer

USS Wadsworth (DD-516)
U.S. Navy — U.S. Navy Mare Island Naval Shipyard photo 7452-44 from Navsource.org — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons Plate — DD-516 The U.S. Navy destroyer USS Wadsworth (DD-516) off the Mare Island Naval Shipyard, California (USA), on 5 December 1944. She was in overhaul at Mare Island from 25 October until 12 December 1944.

Service

  1. United States Navy as USS Wadsworth16 March 1943 — 18 April 1946901 days of the war
  2. Kriegsmarine as Zerstörer 36 October 1959 — 1980
  3. Hellenic Navy as Nearchos15 October 1980 — 1991
Full service history About 3,766 words
Fletcher-class destroyer Particulars
Name
USS Wadsworth
Pennant / hull number
DD-516
Namesake
Alexander S. Wadsworth
Builder
Bath Iron Works
Laid down
18 August 1942
Launched
10 January 1943
Commissioned
16 March 1943
Decommissioned
18 April 1946
Struck
1 October 1974
Fate
Scrapped, 1991 (1991)
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
6,500 nmi (12,038 km)
Complement
329
Main gun
127 mm (5 in)

The second U.S. Navy ship named to honor Commodore Alexander Scamel Wadsworth (1790-1851) and to perpetuate the name of the previous destroyer that carried the name. See Wadsworth I (Destroyer No. 60) for complete biography.

The second Wadsworth (DD-516) was laid down on 18 August 1942 at Bath, Maine, by the Bath Iron Works; launched on 10 January 1943; sponsored by Mrs. Rebecca Wadsworth Peacher, the great-great-granddaughter of Commodore Alexander S. Wadsworth; and commissioned at the Boston (Mass.) Navy Yard, on 16 March 1943, Cmdr. John F. Walker in command.

Wadsworth departed Boston on 5 April 1943 and conducted exercises in Casco Bay, Maine, until the 15th, when she sailed for Cuban waters. After shakedown training out of Guantanamo Bay, the new destroyer steamed north for post-shakedown availability and voyage repairs in the Boston Navy Yard.

Continue to the full service history About 3,766 words

From the Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, compiled by the Naval History and Heritage Command (Wadsworth II (DD-516)). A work of the United States Government, in the public domain.

Armament and machinery

Armament and machinery
Propulsion
  • 60000 shp ; 2 propellers
Armament
  • 5 × single Mk 12 5 in (127 mm)/38 guns
  • 5 × twin 40 mm (1.6 in) Bofors AA guns
  • 7 × single 20 mm (0.8 in) Oerlikon AA guns
  • 2 × quintuple 21 in (533 mm) torpedo tubes
  • 6 × single depth charge throwers
  • 2 × depth charge racks

Sister ships

148 more in the class

Sources

  • Facts harvested from USS Wadsworth (DD-516) on Wikipedia. Figures only — no wording is taken from it.
  • Service history reproduced verbatim from Wadsworth II (DD-516) , Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships — public domain, a work of the United States Government.
  • Photograph: U.S. Navy — U.S. Navy Mare Island Naval Shipyard photo 7452-44 from Navsource.org — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons