Twelve Fletcher-class destroyers were built at Orange, followed by a destroyer escort building program, then twenty-seven Gearing-class destroyers.
The first ships laid down and launched (all in 1942) were DesRon 23’s Aulick, Charles Ausburne, Claxton and Dyson. The yard eventually completed 12 Fletcher-class destroyers, followed by 102 destroyer escorts.
Of the 27 Gearing-class ships, DDs 873–890 were completed before DDs 817–825. Keels for all of these ships were laid and thirteen—Hawkins through John R. Craig—were delivered before the end of World War II. Basilone and Carpenter were not delivered until 1949.
At its peak, the Orange yard employed 20,000 people. After the war, it reverted to fabrication and for many years was a division of U.S. Steel. Today, a division of Signal International, it builds offshore drilling rigs.
On 11 August 2000, Consolidated’s 14th Gearing-class destroyer, Orleck (DD 886), returned under tow from Turkey after having been in commission in the United States and Turkish Navies since 15 September 1945. Orleck is now being restored at Lake Charles, Louisiana.
