Benson- and Gleaves-class destroyer squadrons in World War II

DesRon 12 destroyers commence S-turns in Ironbottom Sound, February 1944.

Before and during World War II, as they commissioned and fleeted in, the ninety-six 1,620- and 1,630-ton destroyers were organized into eleven squadrons, each with two divisions. Each squadron was normally commanded by a captain, who also commanded the lower-numbered division.

Their initial composition was as follows:

DESRON 7

The eight ships authorized in fiscal year 1938 plus Plunkett, authorized in 1939 but, after Gleaves, the second ship of the class commissioned.

DESDIV 13 — 421 Benson, 422 Mayo, 423 Gleaves, 424 Niblack, 431 Plunkett (flag).

DESDIV 14 — 425 Madison (initial flag), 426 Lansdale, 427 Hilary P. Jones, 428 Charles F. Hughes.

DESRON 10

After Bristol, the nine low-numbered repeat 1,630-tonners (Bristol class); the first squadron of F/Y 1941 ships commissioned.

DESDIV 19 — 454 Ellyson (flag), 455 Hambleton, 456 Rodman, 457 Emmons, 458 Macomb.

DESDIV 20 — 461 Forrest (flag), 462 Fitch, 463 Corry, 464 Hobson.

DESRON 11

The remaining F/Y 1939 ships plus Ericsson, initially with Sims-class Roe as flagship. DesDiv 22 was deployed to the Pacific in 1942 where, after two of its four ships were lost, survivors were attached to DesRon 12.

DESDIV 21 — 418 Roe (flag), 429 Livermore, 430 Eberle, 432 Kearny, 440 Ericsson.

DESDIV 22 — 433 Gwin (flag), 434 Meredith, 435 Grayson, 436 Monssen.

DESRON 12

The second squadron of repeat 1,620- and 1,630-tonners commissioned: the three lowest-numbered 1,620-tonners plus six consecutively-numbered 1,630-tonners from Federal.

DESDIV 23 — 459 Laffey, 460 Woodworth, 483 Aaron Ward, 484 Buchanan, 491 Farenholt (flag).

DESDIV 24 — 485 Duncan, 486 Lansdowne (flag), 487 Lardner, 488 McCalla.

DESRON 13

The remaining F/Y 1940 ships plus repeat 1,630-tonner Bristol, initially with Sims-class Buck as flagship.

DESDIV 25 — 420 Buck (flag), 437 Woolsey, 438 Ludlow, 439 Edison, 453 Bristol.

DESDIV 26 — 441 Wilkes (flag), 442 Nicholson, 443 Swanson, 444 Ingraham.

DESRON 14

DESDIV 27 — 602 Meade, 607 Frazier, 608 Gansevoort (squadron flag from June 1943), 619 Edwards.

DESDIV 28 — 492 Bailey (initial squadron flag), 598 Bancroft, 605 Caldwell, 606 Coghlan.

DESRON 15

DESDIV 29 — 489 Mervine (flag), 490 Quick, 618 Davison, 640 Beatty, 641 Tillman.

DESDIV 30 — 632 Cowie (flag), 633 Knight, 634 Doran, 635 Earle.

DESRON 16

DESDIV 31 — 604 Parker (flag), 612 Kendrick, 613 Laub, 614 Mackenzie, 615 McLanahan.

DESDIV 32 — 600 Boyle (flag), 601 Champlin, 616 Nields, 617 Ordronaux.

DESRON 17

DESDIV 33 — 603 Murphy, 620 Glennon, 621 Jeffers, 622 Maddox, 623 Nelson (flag).

DESDIV 34 — 636 Butler (flag), 637 Gherardi, 638 Herndon, 639 Shubrick.

DESRON 18

DESDIV 35 — 493 Carmick, 494 Doyle, 495 Endicott, 496 McCook, 497 Frankford (flag).

DESDIV 36 — 624 Baldwin (flag), 625 Harding, 626 Satterlee, 627 Thompson.

DESRON 19

DESDIV 37 — 645 Stevenson (flag), 646 Stockton, 647 Thorn, 648 Turner.

DESDIV 38 — 609 Gillespie, 610 Hobby (flag), 611 Kalk, 628 Welles.

UNATTACHED
The deck logs of 599 Barton do not indicate that she was ever attached to a squadron though she may have been intended for DesRon 14. After shakedown she went to the Pacific, where she often operated with DesRon 2 and DesRon 12 before her loss in November 1942.

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.

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