The Gearing class was a series of 98 destroyers built for the U.S. Navy during and shortly after World War II. The Gearing design was a minor modification of the , whereby the hull was lengthened by amidships, which resulted in more fuel storage space and increased the operating range.

The first Gearing ships were not ready for service until mid-1945 and saw little service in World War II. They continued serving, with a series of upgrades, until the 1970s. At that time, many were sold to other nations, where they served many more years.

Procurement and construction Thirty-one vessels were authorized on 9 July 1942: DD-710 to DD-721 were awarded to Federal Shipbuilding, Kearny. DD-742 to DD-743 were awarded to Bath Iron Works, Bath, Maine. DD-763 to DD-769 were awarded to Bethlehem Steel, San Francisco. DD-782 to DD-791 were awarded to Todd Pacific Shipyards, Seattle.

Four vessels were authorized on 13 May 1943: DD-805 to DD-808 were awarded to Bath Iron Works, Bath, Maine.

Three vessels were authorized on 27 March 1943 under the Vinson–Trammell Act: DD-809 to DD-811 were awarded to Bath Iron Works, Bath, Maine. (later cancelled)

The remaining 114 vessels were authorized on 19 July 1943 under the 70% Expansion Act: DD-812 awarded to Bath Iron Works, Bath, Maine. (later cancelled) DD-813 to DD-814 were awarded to Bethlehem Steel, Staten Island. (later cancelled) DD-815 to DD-825 were awarded to Consolidated Steel, Orange. (815 and 816 later cancelled) DD-826 to DD-849 were awarded to Bath Iron Works, Bath, Maine. DD-850 to DD-853 were awarded to Bethlehem Steel, Fore River Shipyard, Quincy. DD-854 to DD-856 were awarded to Bethlehem Steel, Staten Island. (later cancelled) DD-858 to DD-861 were awarded to Bethlehem Steel, San Pedro. DD-862 to DD-872 were awarded to Bethlehem Steel, Staten Island. DD-873 to DD-890 were awarded to Consolidated Steel, Orange. DD-891 to DD-893 were awarded to Federal Shipbuilding, Kearny. (later cancelled) DD-894 to DD-895 were awarded to Consolidated Steel, Orange. (later cancelled) DD-896 to DD-904 were awarded to Bath Iron Works, Bath, Maine. (later cancelled) DD-905 to DD-908 were awarded to Boston Navy Yard. (later cancelled) DD-909 to DD-916 were awarded to Bethlehem Steel, Staten Island. (later cancelled) DD-917 to DD-924 were awarded to Consolidated Steel, Orange. (later cancelled) DD-925 to DD-926 were awarded to Charleston Navy Yard. (later cancelled)

(Of the missing numbers in this sequence, 722 to 741, 744 to 762, 770 to 781, and 857, all were allocated to orders for s; 792 to 804 were awarded to orders for s.)

Cancelled vessels In March 1945, the orders for 36 of the above vessels were cancelled, and 11 more orders were cancelled in August 1945. Following the close of World War II, seven further vessels were cancelled in 1946: and Woodrow R. Thompson (DD-721), the last pair of the 12 vessels launched by Federal Shipbuilding at Kearny, were cancelled on 11 February 1946. They were sold on 29 August 1955 and scrapped. and , both launched by Bethlehem at San Francisco, were cancelled on 7 January 1946. Their bows were used to repair other destroyers, and their remains were scrapped in 1958–1959. and , both being building by Bethlehem at San Francisco, were cancelled on 12 September 1946, prior to launch, and broken up on the slip. was built by Todd Pacific Shipyards at Seattle; partially completed, she was put in reserve on 25 June 1946, sold on 12 September 1961, and scrapped on 22 September 1961. Four unnamed vessels (DD-809 to DD-812) were awarded to Bath Iron Works, and five others (DD-813, DD-814, and DD-854 to DD-856) were awarded to Bethlehem at Staten Island; they were cancelled on 12 August 1945. Charles H. Roan (DD-815) and Timmerman (DD-816), both awarded to Consolidated Steel Corporation at Orange, were also cancelled on 12 August 1945. Their names were reallocated to and , respectively. Three more unnamed vessels (DD-891 to DD-893) were awarded to Federal Shipbuilding at Kearney and were cancelled on 8 March 1945. Ten more unnamed vessels (DD-894, DD-895, and DD-917 to DD-924) were awarded to Consolidated Steel Corporation at Orange, and four more (DD-905 to DD-908) were awarded to Boston Navy Yard, and another two (DD-925 and DD-926) were awarded to Charleston Navy Yard; all were all cancelled on 27 March 1945. Nine more unnamed vessels (DD-896 to DD-904) awarded to Bath Iron Works, and another eight (DD-909 to DD-916) awarded to Bethlehem at Staten Island, were all cancelled on 28 March 1945.

Design The first ship was laid down in August 1944, while the last was launched in March 1946. In that time, the United States produced 98 Gearing-class destroyers. The Gearing class was a seemingly minor improvement of the Allen M. Sumner class, built from 1943 until 1945. The main differences were that the Gearing ships were longer in the midship section, allowing for increased fuel storage for greater range, an important consideration in the Pacific War. More importantly in the long run, their increased size made them much more suitable for upgrades than the Allen M. Sumner class, as seen in the wartime radar picket subclass, the 1950s radar picket destroyer (DDR) and escort destroyer (DDE) conversions, and the fleet rehabilitation and modernization (FRAM) conversions 1960-1965. As designed, the Gearing class's armament was identical to that on the Allen M. Sumner class. Three twin /38 caliber Mark 38 dual purpose (DP) mounts constituted the main battery. The 5-inch guns were guided by a Mark 37 Gun fire-control system with a Mark 25 fire-control radar linked by a Mark 1A fire control computer stabilized by a Mark 6 8,500 rpm gyroscope. This fire-control system provided effective long-range antiaircraft (AA) or antisurface fire. Twelve Bofors guns in two quadruple and two twin mounts and 11 Oerlikon cannons in single mounts were also equipped. The initial design retained the Allen M. Sumner class's heavy torpedo armament of 10 torpedo tubes in two quintuple mounts, firing the Mark 15 torpedo. As the threat from kamikaze aircraft mounted in 1945, and with few remaining Japanese warships on which to use torpedoes, most of the class had the aft quintuple 21-inch tube mounts replaced by an additional 40 mm quadruple mount (prior to completion on later ships) for 16 total 40 mm guns. Twenty-four ships (DD-742, DD743, 805-808, 829, 831-835, and 874-883) were ordered without torpedo tubes to allow for radar picket equipment; these were redesignated as DDRs in 1948.."The Sumner Class As Built Retrieved 25 August 2009."

1946–1959 upgrades

Following World War II, most of the class had their AA and antisubmarine warfare (ASW) armament upgraded. The 40 mm and 20 mm guns were replaced by two to six /50 caliber guns in up to two twin and two single mountings. One depth-charge rack was removed and two Hedgehog ASW mortar mounts were added. The K-guns were retained. Nine additional (for a total of 35) ships were converted to radar picket destroyers (DDR) in the early 1950s; these typically received only one 3-inch twin mount to save weight for radar equipment, as did the wartime radar pickets. Nine ships were converted to escort destroyers (DDE), emphasizing ASW. was the most thorough DDE conversion, with four 3-inch/70 caliber guns in twin enclosed mounts, two Weapon Alpha launchers, four new 21-inch torpedo tubes for the Mark 37 ASW torpedo, and one depth-charge rack.

FRAM I upgrade

In the late 1950s and early 1960s, 79 of the Gearing-class destroyers underwent extensive modernization overhauls, known as FRAM I, which were designed under project SCB 206 to convert them from an AA destroyer to an ASW platform. FRAM I removed all of the DDR and DDE equipment, and these ships were redesignated as DDs. FRAM I and FRAM II conversions were completed 1960–1965. Eventually, all but three Gearing ships received FRAM conversions.Gardiner and Chumbley, pp. 562-563

The FRAM I program was an extensive conversion for the Gearing-class destroyers. This upgrade included rebuilding the ship's superstructure, electronic systems, radar, sonar, and weapons. The second twin 5-inch gun mount and all previous AA guns and ASW equipment were removed. On several ships, the two forward 5-inch mounts remained and the aft 5-inch mount was removed. Upgraded systems included SQS-23 sonar, SPS-10 surface search radar, two triple Mark 32 torpedo tubes, an eight-cell antisubmarine rocket (ASROC) box launcher, and one QH-50C DASH ASW drone helicopter, with its own landing pad and hangar. Both the Mk 32 torpedo tubes and ASROC launched Mk. 44 homing ASW torpedoes. ASROC could also launch a nuclear depth charge. On 11 May 1962, tested a live nuclear ASROC in the Swordfish test.

In Navy slang, the modified destroyers were called "FRAM cans", "can" being a contraction of "tin can", the slang term for a destroyer or destroyer escort.

The Gyrodyne QH-50C DASH was an unmanned antisubmarine helicopter, controlled remotely from the ship. The drone could carry two Mark 44 homing ASW torpedoes. During this era, the ASROC system had an effective range of only , but the DASH drone allowed the ship to deploy ASW attack to sonar contacts as far as away. However, DASH proved unreliable in shipboard service, with over half of the Navy's 746 drones lost at sea. This was possibly due to inadequate maintenance support, as other services had few difficulties with DASH. By 1970, DASH had been withdrawn from FRAM I ships, though it was retained into the early 1970s on FRAM II ships, which lacked ASROC. A limitation of drones in ASW was the need to reacquire the target at ranges beyond the effectiveness of the controlling ship's sonar. This led to shift to the LAMPS program of manned helicopters, which the Gearing class were too small to accommodate.

An upgraded version of DASH, QH-50D, remained in use by the United States Army until May 2006.

FRAM I "A" ships (first eight conversions) had the removal of their aft twin 5-inch gun mounts (Mount 53). Group A ships also received two MK10/11 Hedgehogs fitted on each side of the bridge at the 01 level and had the MK-32 triple torpedo launchers aft of the second stack. FRAM I "B" ships (remainder of conversions) kept their forward 5-inch mount (Mount 51), lost the second mount (Mount 52), and kept their aft 5-inch mount (Mount 53). In place of mount 52, a practice 5-inch reloading machine was installed with the MK-32 triple torpedo launchers aft of the loader. Group B ships also received greater ASROC and torpedo storage areas next to the port side of the DASH hangar.

FRAM II upgrade

The FRAM II program was designed primarily for the Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer, but 16 Gearing ships were upgraded, as well. This upgrade program included life-extension refurbishment, a new radar system, Mark 32 torpedo tubes, DASH ASW drone, and variable depth sonar. Importantly, it did not include ASROC. FRAM II ships included six DDRs and six DDEs that retained their specialized equipment (1960–1961), as well as four DDRs that were converted to DDs and were nearly identical to the Allen M. Sumner-class FRAM IIs (1962–1963). The FRAM II ships retained all six 5-inch guns, except the DDEs retained four 5-inch guns and a trainable Hedgehog in the No. 2 position. All FRAM IIs retained two Hedgehogs alongside either the No. 2 5-inch mount or the trainable Hedgehog mount. The four DDRs converted to DDs were armed with two new 21-inch torpedo tubes for the Mk. 37 ASW homing torpedo. Photographs of the six retained DDRs show no markings on the DASH landing deck, as well as a much smaller deckhouse than was usually provided for DASH, so they may not have been equipped with DASH.

Service and disposition