Naval
Historical Center #NH 90936
| Tonnage | 1500 tons standard |
| Dimensions | 341'3" by 34'8" by 17' 104.01m by 10.57m by 5.18m |
| Maximum speed | 36.5 knots |
| Complement | 251 |
| Armament | 4 5"/38
dual-purpose guns 4 0.50 machine guns 4x4 21" torpedo tubes 2 depth charge tracks 4 depth charge throwers |
| Bunkerage | 600 tons fuel oil |
| Range | 9000 nautical miles (17,000 km) at 15 knots |
| Modifications |
1941: All but Benham and Ellet landed 2x4 torpedo
tubes in return for more depth charges and two more machine guns. 1942: Radar added. All but Benham and Ellet replaced machine guns with 6 20mm Oerlikon AA guns. 1943: Received 2x2 40mm Bofors AA guns.
Added SC, SG, and FD radar. 1945: Sterett
and Lang landed all torpedo
tubes and added Kamikaze refit of 4x2 40mm
Bofors and 4x2 20mm Oerlikon. |
The Benhams were completed during 1938-1940, making them among the most modern destroyers with which the U.S. Fleet started the war. Essentially an improved Gridley class, they were heavily armed, had great hull strength, and were extremely fast. They were expensive for destroyers, costing nearly $5 million dollars at the time.
| Benham | Task Force 8 (Enterprise) | Lost 1942-11-15 at Naval Battle of Guadalcanal |
| Ellet | Task Force 8 (Enterprise)
|
|
| Lang | arrived 1942-6 | |
| Wilson | arrived 1942-6-9 | |
| Stack | arrived 1942-6-12 | |
| Sterett | arrived 1942-6-12 | |
| Trippe | arrived 1945-5-1 | |
| Rhind | arrived 1945-5-12 | |
| Mayrant | arrived 1945-5-14 |
References
The Pacific War Online Encyclopedia (c) 2007 by Kent G. Budge. Index
