When they commissioned, the first eight 1,500-tonners (the
Farragut class) were assigned as Destroyer Squadron 20 in the squadron numbering system of the time.
Before World War II, however, they and the other 1,500-tonners and 1,850-ton leaders were reorganized into seven squadrons, each with a flagship and two four-ship divisions. Likewise, the nine low-numbered Sims-class destroyers were organized as DesRon 2 while the other three Sims were initially assigned as flagships for Squadrons 8, 11 and 13.
Each squadron was commanded by a captain. Later, as with the Fletchers, the squadron flagship was normally assigned to the low-numbered division, which the squadron commander commanded, eliminating the need for a division commander.
The initial composition of these eight squadrons was as follows:
The eight
Farragut-class 1,500-tonners plus 1,850-tonner
Phelps.
FLAGSHIP — 360 Phelps.
DESDIV 1 — 349 Dewey (flag), 350 Hull, 351 Macdonough, 352 Worden.
DESDIV 2 — 348 Farragut (flag), 353 Dale, 354 Monaghan, 355 Aylwin.
The nine low-numbered
Sims-class 1,570-tonners.
FLAGSHIP — 417 Morris.
DESDIV 3 — 409 Sims, 410 Hughes, 411 Anderson (flag), 412 Hammann.
DESDIV 4 — 413 Mustin (flag), 414 O’Brien, 415 Russell, 416 Walke.
Eight
Mahan-class 1,500-tonners plus 1,850-tonner
Clark.
FLAGSHIP — 361 Clark.
DESDIV 5 — 369 Reid, 371 Conyngham, 372 Cassin (flag), 375 Downes.
DESDIV 6 — 365 Cummings, 370 Case (flag), 373 Shaw, 374 Tucker.
The eight
Bagley-class 1,500-tonners plus 1,850-tonner
Selfridge.
FLAGSHIP — 357 Selfridge.
DESDIV 7 — 386 Bagley, 387 Blue (flag), 388 Helm, 391 Henley.
DESDIV 8 — 389 Mugford (flag), 390 Ralph Talbot, 392 Patterson, 393 Jarvis.
Eight
Mahan-class 1,500-tonners plus 1,850-tonner
Porter.
FLAGSHIP — 356 Porter.
DESDIV 9 — 364 Mahan, 366 Drayton (flag), 367 Lamson, 368 Flusser.
DESDIV 10 — 376 Cushing (flag), 377 Perkins, 378 Smith, 379 Preston.
The four
Gridley-class ships, the two
Dunlap- (last two Mahan)-class ships and the two low-numbered
Benham-class ships plus 1,850-tonner
Balch.
FLAGSHIP — 363 Balch.
DESDIV 11 — 380 Gridley, 382 Craven, 400 McCall, 401 Maury (flag).
DESDIV 12 — 384 Dunlap (flag), 385 Fanning, 397 Benham, 398 Ellet.
The eight high-numbered
Benham-class 1,500-tonners plus
Sims-class
Wainwright.
FLAGSHIP — 419 Wainwright.
DESDIV 15 — 399
Lang (flag), 406
Stack, 407
Sterett, 408
Wilson.
DESDIV 16 — 402 Mayrant (flag), 403 Trippe, 404 Rhind, 405 Rowan.
The eight otherwise-unassigned 1,850-tonners.
DESDIV 17 — 358 McDougal (flag), 359 Winslow, 362 Moffett, 394 Sampson.
DESDIV 18 — 381 Somers, 383 Warrington, 395 Davis (squadron flag), 396 Jouett.
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.
