Sumner-Gearing Classes
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Squadrons
DesRon 60
DesRon 61
DesRon 62
MinRon 3
DesRon 63
DesRon 64
DesRon 66
DesRon 10
Decorations
During World War II, as they commissioned and fleeted in, the 2,200-tonners were organized into squadrons beginning with Squadron 60, each with two divisions. Normally, a squadron was commanded by a captain who also commanded a division—commonly the lower-numbered one. Division composition could change rapidly, however, and divisions did not always operate together.

Initial or intended organization and initial flagships were as follows:


DESRON 60

The first five 2,200-ton Sumners from Bath and the first four from Federal.
DESDIV 119 — 722 Barton (flag), 723 Walke, 724 Laffey, 725 O’Brien, 726 Meredith.
DESDIV 120 — 692 Allen M. Sumner, 693 Moale, 694 Ingraham, 695 Cooper.
770 Lowry was initially assigned to replace Meredith.
781 Robert K. Huntington replaced Cooper in 1945.

DESRON 61

A second group of five Sumners from Bath and the first four from Bethlehem, Staten Island.
DESDIV 121 — 727 De Haven (flag), 728 Mansfield, 729 Lyman K. Swenson, 730 Collett, 731 Maddox.
DESDIV 122 — 744 Blue, 745 Brush, 746 Taussig, 747 Samuel N. Moore.

DESRON 62

Nine more Sumners from Federal.
DESDIV 123 — 696 English (flag), 697 Charles S. Sperry, 698 Ault, 699 Waldron, 700 Haynsworth.
DESDIV 124 — 701 John W. Weeks, 702 Hank, 703 Wallace L. Lind, 704 Borie.

DESRON 63

Five more Sumners from Federal and four more from Bath.
DESDIV 125 — 705 Compton (flag), 706 Gainard, 707 Soley, 708 Harlan R. Dickson, 709 Hugh Purvis.
DESDIV 126 — 732 Hyman (flag), 733 Mannert L. Abele, 734 Purdy, 741 Drexler.

DESRON 64

Five Sumners from Bethlehem Staten Island and four from Bethlehem San Francisco, only one of which operated in World War II.
DESDIV 127 — 748 Harry E. Hubbard, 752 Alfred A. Cunningham (flag), 753 John R. Pierce, 754 Frank E. Evans, 755 John A. Bole.
DESDIV 128 — 759 Lofberg, 760 John W. Thomason, 761 Buck, 762 Henley.

DESRON 65

Five Gearings from Seattle-Tacoma plus three from Bethlehem San Francisco that did not reach the war zone and one that was not completed.
DESDIV 129 — 782 Rowan (flag), 783 Gurke, 784 McKean, 785 Henderson, 786 Richard B. Anderson.
DESDIV 130 — 763 William C. Lawe (flag), 764 Lloyd Thomas, 765 Keppler, 766 Lansdale.

DESRON 66

Two Sumners from Bethlehem San Francisco, three from Bethlehem San Pedro and four from Seattle Tacoma.
DESDIV 131 — 757 Putnam (flag), 758 Strong, 774 Hugh W. Hadley, 775 Willard Keith, 776 James C. Owens.
DESDIV 132 — 777 Zellars, 778 Massey (flag), 779 Douglas H. Fox, 780 Stormes.

DESRON 67

Five Gearings from Consolidated, Orange plus four from Bethlehem San Pedro, none of which operated in World War II.
DESDIV 133 — 884 Floyd B. Parks (flag), 885 John R. Craig, 886 Orleck, [887 Brinkley Bass, 888 Stickell].
DESDIV 134 — [858 Fred T. Berry,] 859 Norris, 860 McCaffery, [861 Harwood].

DESRON 68

Six Gearings from Federal plus three from Bethlehem Staten Island, none of which operated in World War II.
DESDIV 135 — 710 Gearing, 711 Eugene A. Greene, 712 Gyatt, 713 Kenneth D. Bailey, 863 Steinaker (flag).
DESDIV 136 — 714 William R. Rush, 862 Vogelgesang (flag), 864 Harold J. Ellison, 865 Charles R. Ware.

DESRON 69

Five Gearings from Bath plus two from Bethlehem Staten Island and two from Consolidated, Orange, none of which operated in World War II.
DESDIV 137 — 836 George K. MacKenzie (flag), 837 Sarsfield, 838 Ernest G. Small, 839 Power, 840 Glennon.
DESDIV 138 — 866 Cone (flag), 867 Stribling, 889 O’Hare, 890 Meredith.

756 Beatty and 857 Bristol were not assigned to a squadron.

MINRON 3

The twelve 2,200-tonners converted during construction as light minelayers.
MINDIV 7 — DM 23 Robert H. Smith, DM 24 Thomas E. Fraser, DM 25 Shannon, DM 26 Harry F. Bauer.
MINDIV 8 — DM 27 Adams, DM 28 Tolman, DM 29 Henry A. Wiley, DM 30 Shea.
MINDIV 9 — DM 31 J. William Ditter, DM 32 Lindsey, DM 33 Gwin, DM 34 Aaron Ward.

DESRON 10

In April 1945, the first Gearing-class destroyers available for deployment in the Pacific were organized as follows:
DESDIV 19 — 742 Frank Knox (flag), 743 Southerland, 805 Chevalier, 806 Higbee.
DESDIV 20 — 807 Benner (flag), 808 Dennis J. Buckley, 829 Myles C. Fox, 873 Hawkins.
DESDIV 21 — 874 Duncan (flag), 875 Henry W. Tucker, 876 Rogers, 877 Perkins.

Note: Division listings show ships in hull-number order. Division listings in other sources sometimes use different orders, e.g., reflecting the seniority of their commanding officers at a specific time.

Sources: War Diaries for individual squadrons and divisions (NARA); Hyperwar.