Sumner-Gearing Classes
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DesRon 60
MinRon 3
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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 (e.g., where World War II ended before a squadron was formed) organization and initial flagships were as follows:


DESRON 60

The first five 2,200-tonners 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.

DESRON 61

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

DESRON 62

Nine more ships 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 ships 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

DESDIV 127 — 748 Harry E. Hubbard, 752 Alfred E. 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

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

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

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

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

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.

In April 1945, the first Gearing-class destroyers available for deployment in the Pacific were organized as follows:

DESRON 10

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.

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.

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