Destroyer minelayer

Allen M. Sumner class destroyer

The Allen M. Sumner class of destroyers was built by the United States during World War II.

Description

The first ship was laid down in May 1943, while the last was launched in April 1945. In that time the United States produced 58 Allen M. Sumner-class destroyers. The Sumner class, as it is sometimes called, was based upon the previous Fletcher class, which were built from 1941 until 1944. In addition to the 3 twin 5"/38cal mounts, Sumners had twin rudders, giving them better maneuverability for ASW work when compared to Fletchers.

See also the Robert H. Smith-class destroyer minelayer (DML), all of which were built on hulls originally intended as Sumners. Gearing class destroyers were of the same design with a extension to carry more fuel to extend the range.

Construction

18 were built by Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company in Kearny, New Jersey. 14 were built by Bath Iron Works in Bath, Maine. 10 were built by Bethlehem Steel's Mariners Harbor shipyard on Staten Island. 6 were built by Bethlehem Steel's Union Iron Works in San Francisco, California. 5 were built by Bethlehem Steel in San Pedro, California. 5 were built by Todd Pacific Shipyards in Seattle, Washington. was the first ship of the class to be laid down and the first to be commissioned. was the last commissioned. 33 ships were converted under the FRAM II program.

Disposition

is preserved as a memorial at Patriot's Point, Charleston, South Carolina and is a museum ship in Taiwan. Four ships were sunk as a result of enemy action in World War II and another was so severely damaged that it was scrapped. Seven were sunk by the US in fleet training exercises. 12 were sold to the Republic of China Navy and 2 were sold to the Republic of Korea Navy. 2 were sold to the Shah of Iran and 1 was sold to Turkey. 2 were sold to Venezuela, 2 to Colombia, 2 sold to Chile, 5 sold to Brazil and 4 to Argentina. 13 were scrapped by the United States.

Units

Ship Name	Hull No.	Builder	Commission– Decommission	Fate
Allen M. Sumner	DD-692	Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company	1944-1973	Disposed of, sold by Defense Reutilization and Marketing Service (DRMS) for scrapping
Moale	DD-693	Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company	1944-1973	Disposed of, sold by Defense Reutilization and Marketing Service (DRMS) for scrapping
Ingraham	DD-694	Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company	1944-1971	Sold to Greece 16 July 1971 as Miaoulis
Cooper	DD-695	Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company	1944	Sunk in battle December 3, 1944
English	DD-696	Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company	1944-1970	Sold to Republic of China Navy August 11, 1970 as Huei Yang
Charles S. Sperry	DD-697	Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company	1944-1973	Sold to Chile January 8, 1974 as Ministro Zenteno
Ault	DD-698	Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company	1944-1970	Sold to Republic of China Navy August 11 1970 as Huei Yang
Waldron	DD-699	Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company	1944-1973	Sold to Colombia 30 October 1973 as Santander (DD-03)
Haynsworth	DD-700	Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company	1944-c.1970	Sold to Republic of China Navy May 12 1970 as Yuen Yang
John W. Weeks	DD-701	Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company	1944-1970	Disposed of in support of Fleet training exercise, 11/19/1970
Hank	DD-702	Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company	1944-1972	Sold to Argentina July 1, 1972 as Segui
Wallace L. Lind	DD-703	Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company	1944-1973	Sold to Republic of Korea Navy December 4, 1973 as Dae Gu
Borie	DD-704	Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company	1944-1972	Sold to Argentina July 1, 1972 as Hipólito Bouchard (D-26)
Compton	DD-705	Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company	1944-1972	Sold to Brazil September 27, 1972 as Mato Grosso
Gainard	DD-706	Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company	1944-1971	Disposed of, sold by Defense Reutilization and Marketing Service (DRMS) for scrapping
Soley	DD-707	Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company	1944-1970	Disposed of in support of Fleet training exercise
Harlan R. Dickson	DD-708	Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company	1944-c.1972	Disposed of, sold by Defense Reutilization and Marketing Service (DRMS) for scrapping, 04/01/1973
Hugh Purvis	DD-709	Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company	1945-1972	Sold to Turkey July 1, 1972 as Zafer (F 253)
Barton	DD-722	Bath Iron Works	1943-1968	Disposed of in support of Fleet training exercise.
Walke	DD-723	Bath Iron Works	1944-1970	Disposed of, sold by Defense Reutilization and Marketing Service (DRMS) for scrapping, 03/01/1975
Laffey	DD-724	Bath Iron Works	1944-1975	Preserved as memorial and berthed at Patriot's Point, Charleston, South Carolina
O'Brien	DD-725	Bath Iron Works	1944-1972	Disposed of in support of Fleet training exercise, 12/01/1972
Meredith	DD-726	Bath Iron Works	1944	Sunk June 9 1944, Wreck sold and scrapped August 5, 1960
De Haven	DD-727	Bath Iron Works	1944-1973	Sold to Republic of Korea Navy, 5 December 1973 as Incheon
Mansfield	DD-728	Bath Iron Works	1944-1973	Sold to Argentina June 4 1974 for spare parts
Lyman K. Swenson	DD-729	Bath Iron Works	1944-1971	Sold to Republic of China Navy May 6 1974 for spare parts
Collett	DD-730	Bath Iron Works	1944-1970	Sold to Argentina in 1974 as Piedra Buena (D-29)
Maddox	DD-731	Bath Iron Works	1944-1969	Sold to Republic of China Navy as Po Yang
Hyman	DD-732	Bath Iron Works	1944-c.1969	Disposed of, sold by Defense Reutilization and Marketing Service (DRMS) for scrapping
Mannert L. Abele	DD-733	Bath Iron Works	1944-1945	Sunk by an Ohka bomb during the battle for Okinawa April 12, 1945
Purdy	DD-734	Bath Iron Works	1944-c.1973	Disposed of, sold by Defense Reutilization and Marketing Service (DRMS) for scrapping, 06/01/1974
Drexler	DD-741	Bath Iron Works	1944-1945	Sunk by kamikaze May 28, 1945
Blue	DD-744	Bethlehem Steel, Staten Island	1944-1971	Disposed of in support of Fleet training exercise, 04/28/1977
Brush	DD-745	Bethlehem Steel, Staten Island	1944-1969	Sold to Republic of China Navy December 9, 1969 as Hsiang Yang
Taussig	DD-746	Bethlehem Steel, Staten Island	1944-1970	Sold to Republic of China Navy as Lo Yang (DD-14). Now a museum in Taiwan.
Samuel N. Moore	DD-747	Bethlehem Steel, Staten Island	1944-1969	Sold to Republic of China Navy December 10 1969 as Heng Yang (DD-2)
Harry E. Hubbard	DD-748	Bethlehem Steel, Staten Island	1944-1969	Disposed of, sold by Defense Reutilization and Marketing Service (DRMS) for scrapping
Alfred A. Cunningham	DD-752	Bethlehem Steel, Staten Island	1944-1971	Disposed of in support of Fleet training exercise, 10/01/1979
John R. Pierce	DD-753	Bethlehem Steel, Staten Island	1944-1971	Disposed of, sold by Defense Reutilization and Marketing Service (DRMS) for scrapping, 10/01/1974
Frank E. Evans	DD-754	Bethlehem Steel, Staten Island	1945-1969	Disposed of in support of Fleet training exercise, 10/10/1969
John A. Bole	DD-755	Bethlehem Steel, Staten Island	1945-1970	Sold to Republic of China Navy May 6, 1974 for spare parts
Beatty	DD-756	Bethlehem Steel, Staten Island	1945-1972	Sold to Venezuela 14 July 1972 as Carabobo
Putnam	DD-757	Bethlehem Steel, San Francisco	1944-1973	Disposed of, sold by Defense Reutilization and Marketing Service (DRMS) for scrapping, 06/01/1974
Strong	DD-758	Bethlehem Steel, San Francisco	1944-1973	Sold to Brazil, October 31, 1973, as Rio Grande De Norte (D-37)
Lofberg	DD-759	Bethlehem Steel, San Francisco	1945-1971	Sold to Republic of China Navy May 6, 1974 for spare parts
John W. Thomason	DD-760	Bethlehem Steel, San Francisco	1945-1970	Sold to Republic of China Navy May 6, 1974 as Nan Yang
Buck	DD-761	Bethlehem Steel, San Francisco	1945-1973	Sold to Brazil July 16 1973 as Alagoas
Henley	DD-762	Bethlehem Steel, San Francisco	1945-c.1973	Disposed of, sold by Defense Reutilization and Marketing Service (DRMS) for scrapping, 06/01/1974
Lowry	DD-770	Bethlehem Steel, San Pedro	1944-c.1973	Sold to Brazil October 31, 1973 as Espirito Santo
Hugh W. Hadley	DD-774	Bethlehem Steel, San Pedro	1944-1945	Sold September 2, 1947 for scrap
Willard Keith	DD-775	Bethlehem Steel, San Pedro	1944-1972	Sold to Colombia as Caldas (DD-02)
James C. Owens	DD-776	Bethlehem Steel, San Pedro	1945-1973	Sold to Brazil July 15, 1973 as Sergipe
Zellars	DD-777	Todd Pacific Shipyards, Seattle	1944-1971	Sold to Iran October 12, 1973 as Babr
Massey	DD-778	Todd Pacific Shipyards, Seattle	1944-c.1969	Disposed of, sold by Defense Reutilization and Marketing Service (DRMS) for scrapping, 10/01/1974
Douglas H. Fox	DD-779	Todd Pacific Shipyards, Seattle	1944-1973	Sold to Chile January 8, 1974 Ministro Portales (DD-17)
Stormes	DD-780	Todd Pacific Shipyards, Seattle	1945-1970	Sold to Iran February 16, 1972 Palang (DDG-9)
Robert K. Huntington	DD-781	Todd Pacific Shipyards, Seattle	1945-1970	Sold to Venezuela as Falcon
Bristol	DD-857	Bethlehem Steel, San Pedro	1945-1969	Sold to Republic of China Navy December 9, 1969 Hua Yang