33 Conversions 1960-63: Allen M. Sumner DD 692, Moale DD 693, Ingraham DD 694, Charles S. Sperry DD 697, Ault DD 698, Waldron DD 699, Wallace L. Lind DD 703, Borie DD 704, Hugh Purvis DD 709, Walke DD 723, Laffey DD 724, O’Brien DD 724, De Haven DD 725, Mansfield DD 727, Lyman K. … Read more
1958-2000s: 95 destroyers converted to FRAM standards. The Gearing class destroyers were converted into the FRAM I and/or FRAM II ASW variants in the cold war, all but three of the 98 commissioned in WW2, unlike the previous Allen M. Sumner, and Fletcher DDE and FRAM I that had a shorter carrer. These conversions proved … Read more
1949-2011 USS Waller DDE-466 underway c1961 (AI colored) After covering all WW1, WW2 and cold war US destroyers up to the Arleigh Burke and Zumwalt what was left for consideration ? The forgotten stopgaps on the 1950s: The Fletcher, Sumner and Gearing conversions, a solution mirroring the GUPPY conversions for submarines. The USN (and the … Read more
