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Robert H. Smith-class destroyer

Class of destroyer minelayers warship

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Robert H. Smith-class destroyer

USS Adams
Class overview
Name	Robert H. Smith class
Builders	Bath Iron Works, ME (6) Bethlehem Staten Island, NY (3) Bethlehem San Pedro, CA (3)
Operators	United States Navy  Turkish Navy
Completed	12
Retired	12
General characteristics
Type	Destroyer minelayer
Displacement	2,200 tons (standard)
Length	376 ft 6 in (114.76 m)
Beam	40 ft 10 in (12.45 m)
Draft	18 ft 10 in (5.74 m)
Propulsion	4Babcock & WilcoxorFoster Wheeler boilers; two General ElectricorWestinghouse geared steam turbines, 60,000 shp (45,000 kW) total; two shafts
Speed	34 kn (63 km/h) max
Range	4,600 nmi (8,500 km) at 15 kn (28 km/h)
Complement	363 standard
Armament	6 × 5 in (127 mm)/38 cal. guns (in 3 twin Mk 38 mounts) 12 × 40 mm Bofors AA guns (2 × 4, 2 × 2)[1] 11 × 20 mm Oerlikon AA guns 2 × Depth charge tracks 4 × K-gun depth charge projectors 80 × mines

The Robert H. Smith classofdestroyer minelayers was built by the United States during World War II. The class was named for naval officer Robert H. Smith.

These vessels were all originally laid down as Allen M. Sumner-class destroyers and converted during construction in 1944. In that time the United States produced twelve Robert H. Smith-class destroyer minelayers. Their original hull numbers were DD-735-40, 749-51, and 771-73.^[2] None of the Robert H. Smith-class vessels ever laid a mine in wartime, though they were frequently employed in minesweeping. Minelayers did not carry torpedo tubes. Otherwise they were used interchangeably with other destroyer types. As radar picketsatOkinawa, Aaron Ward, Lindsey, and J. William Ditter were damaged by kamikazes, and Shea by a Baka bomb.^[3] Five of the class served actively in the 1950s, but all survivors were mothballed by the end of the decade and were disposed of in the 1970s. None of this class received FRAM conversions.

Ships in class[edit]

References[edit]

Sources[edit]

• Friedman, Norman "US Destroyers: An Illustrated Design History (Revised Edition)", Naval Institute Press, Annapolis:2004, ISBN 1-55750-442-3.
• Gardiner, Robert and Chesneau, Roger, Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1922–1946, Conway Maritime Press, 1980. ISBN 0-83170-303-2.
• Silverstone, Paul H., U.S. Warships of World War II (Ian Allan, 1965), ISBN 0-87021-773-9

External links[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Robert H. Smith class destroyers.

• Robert H. Smith-class destroyer minelayers in World War II
• NavSource Destroyer Photo Page
• DiGiulian, Tony Navweaps.com US Navy mines page