Definition
USS Gearing (DD‑710) was a United States Navy destroyer and the lead ship of the Gearing‑class. It bore the hull classification symbol DD‑710.
Overview
The vessel was constructed toward the end of World War II and served the U.S. Navy for three decades. After her commissioning in 1945, USS Gearing participated in post‑war occupation duties, Cold‑War fleet operations, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War before being decommissioned in 1975 and subsequently disposed of. As the prototype of her class, she embodied design improvements over earlier Fletcher‑class destroyers, notably increased fuel capacity and extended operational range.
Etymology/Origin
The ship’s name derives from the surname “Gearing,” honoring a United States Navy officer. Precise identification of the individual commemorated by the name is not definitively recorded in widely available naval reference works; thus, the exact origin of the eponym remains uncertain.
Characteristics
- Class & Type: Gearing‑class destroyer (lead ship)
- Displacement: Approximately 2,425 tons (standard), 3,460 tons (full load)
- Dimensions: Length 390 ft 6 in (119 m); beam 41 ft 8 in (12.7 m); draft 14 ft 4 in (4.4 m)
- Propulsion: 2 × General Electric steam turbines, 2 shafts, powered by 4 Babcock & Wilcox boilers, delivering 60,000 shp for a top speed of 35 kn (65 km/h)
- Armament (as built): 6 × 5‑inch (127 mm)/38 caliber guns (three twin mounts), 12 × 40 mm Bofors anti‑aircraft guns, 11 × 20 mm Oerlikon cannons, 10 × 21‑inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes (four triple and two quintuple mounts), and depth‑charge projectors. Later modernizations added ASW (anti‑submarine warfare) rocket launchers and sonar systems.
- Crew Complement: Approximately 336 officers and enlisted personnel.
- Construction: Laid down 8 June 1944 at Bath Iron Works, Bath, Maine; launched 24 February 1945; commissioned 23 April 1945.
Related Topics
- Gearing‑class destroyer: The series of destroyers built from 1945 to 1946, representing the final evolution of U.S. World War II‑era destroyer design.
- Bath Iron Works: The shipyard in Maine that constructed USS Gearing and many other U.S. naval vessels.
- United States Navy destroyer roles: Escort, anti‑aircraft, anti‑submarine, and surface warfare tasks performed by destroyers like USS Gearing during the mid‑20th century.
- Cold War naval operations: The broader strategic context in which USS Gearing operated during the 1950s–1970s, including NATO deployments and crisis response.
All information presented is drawn from established naval records and historical references. Where specific details (e.g., the precise namesake) are not definitively documented, the entry notes the uncertainty.