The *ultimate* BENSON/GLEAVES class U.S. destroyer??

January 2nd, 2009

From Mon Dec 29 17:10:58 1997
>X-Authentication-Warning: ecom1.ecnet.net: mslrc owned process doing -bs
>Date: Mon, 29 Dec 1997 18:07:24 -0600 (CST)
>From: “Louis R. Coatney”
>X-Sender: mslrc@ecom1
>To: Consim-L@net.uni-c.dk, Mahan@microwrks.com, MarHst-L@qucdn.queensu.ca,
> MilHst-L@ukanvm.cc.ukans.edu
>Subject: The *ultimate* BENSON/GLEAVES class U.S. destroyer??
>Precendence: bulk
>Sender: mahan-owner@microworks.net
>Reply-To: mahan@microworks.net
>
>One of the photos in John C. Reilly’s book about American destroyers
> shows Guadalcanal veteran GWIN sporting four 5″ guns, *ten* torpedo
> tubes, AND 40mm AA guns! However, No. 3 gun mount is entirely open,
> in apparent weight compensation.
>
>After Santa Cruz, the 40mm gun’s reputation was established, and I
> wonder if that led USN commanders to assume so-equipped ships could
> defend themselves self-sufficiently.
>
>GWIN was sunk by Long Lance torpedo in the Battle of Kolombangara
> (night of 12/13Jul43), wherein HMNZS LEANDER and both HONOLULU and
> ST. LOUIS were torpedoed as well … albeit without the fatal
> results suffered by HELENA at Kula Gulf exactly 1 week previously.
>
>Interestingly, LEANDER was captained by S.W. Roskill, a prominent
> name in naval history. Hmm … I also see a Lt. Cdr. Rayner listed
> as captain of the corvette PETUNIA in a big/disastrous N. Atlantic
> convoy battle. I wonder if this is the ENEMY BELOW Rayner. ??
>
>Anyway … back to GWIN … I *assume* the 40mms were added after Nov42,
> when GWIN was in the 2nd Battle of Guadalcanal with WASHINGTON and
> SOUTH DAKOTA. I’ll use the 4-gun/5-tube BENSON/GLEAVES variant model
> and stick the second quintuple tube mount abaft the second stack …
> but *where* did the searchlight go, then? ??
>
>The New Georgia had interesting support: SARATOGA and VICTORIOUS,
> as well as MASSACHUSETTS, INDIANA, and NORTH CAROLINA. Japanese
> airpower was pretty well exhausted, though, of course … and Adm.
> Yamamoto had been gunned down in April, further paralyzing the IJN.
>
>Lou
> Coatney, mslrc@uxa.ecn.bgu.edu, ElCoat@Hotmail.com
> www.wiu.edu/users/mslrc/ (for your free 1ST ALAMEIN lunch-hour
> boardgame and USS MONITOR and U.S. destroyer escort cardstock
> model ship plans … to print off and assemble (and play))

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