built 1939–1943. The first ship of the class was the . The U.S. Navy customarily names a class of ships after the first ship of the class; hence the Benson class.
It was named after William Shepherd Benson, a graduate of the Naval Academy in 1877. He commanded the , , , and the Philadelphia Navy Yard. Benson was appointed first
in 1915 and then served as CNO until he retired 25 September 1919. He died in
with two stacks and a new machinery arrangement that featured alternating boiler and engine rooms designed to give the ships a better chance at surviving torpedo damage. Their scantlings, or framing dimensions, were increased to carry the weight of the new machinery. This increased the ship's displacement by about sixty tons. The Benson-class destroyer was the backbone of the pre-war
s and brought the action to the enemy by participating in every major campaign of the war.
destroyers were built to nearly the same design and were virtually identical to the Benson-class. The only visible difference between Benson and Gleaves was the shape of the stacks (the Bensons were flat-sided).
USS Laffey and USS Barton were lost at the Battle of Guadalcanal on 13 November 1942.; the USS Lansdale was lost in a battle in the
on 20 April 1944 and the bow section of USS Murphy was cut off in a collision with SS Bulkoil 75 miles (121 km) outside of New York, 21 October 1943 and sank. The rest of the Ship was saved and was rebuilt and returned to service .
USS Laffey received a Presidential Unit Citation for her role in the Battle of Guadalcanal. USS Bailey received a
, 26 March 1943. Also, the USS Hilary P. Jones received a Navy Unit Commendation for her actions in the final operations in the Mediterranean Sea in September 1944.
| Name | | Commissioned | | Decommissioned |
USS Benson (DD-421)USS Benson was the lead ship of her class of destroyers in the United States Navy during World War II. She was named for Admiral William S. Benson ....
|
25 July 1940 |
18 March 1946 |
USS Mayo (DD-422)USS Mayo was a Benson-class destroyer in the United States Navy during World War II. She was named for Admiral Henry Thomas Mayo....
|
18 September 1940 |
18 March 1946 |
USS Madison (DD-425)USS Madison was a Benson-class destroyer in the United States Navy during World War II. She the third Navy ship of that name, and the first named for Commander James J. Madison , who was awarded the Medal of Honor during World War I.Madison was laid down on 19 September 1938 by the Boston Navy...
|
6 August 1940 |
13 March 1946 (sunk as target 14 October 1969) |
USS Lansdale (DD-426)The second USS Lansdale was a in the United States Navy during World War II. She was named for Philip Lansdale.Lansdale was laid down on 19 December 1938 by Boston Navy Yard; launched on 30 October 1939; sponsored by Mrs. Ethel S. Lansdale, widow of the ships namesake; and commissioned on 17...
|
17 September 1940 |
20 April 1944 (sunk by the Luftwaffe Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
) |
USS Hilary P. Jones (DD-427)USS Hilary P. Jones was a Benson-class destroyer in the United States Navy during World War II. She was named for Admiral Hilary P. Jones....
|
6 September 1940 |
6 February 1947 |
USS Charles F. Hughes (DD-428)USS Charles F. Hughes was a Benson-class destroyer in the United States Navy during World War II. She was named for Charles Frederick Hughes....
|
6 September 1940 |
18 March 1946 (sunk as target 26 March 1969) |
USS Laffey (DD-459)
|
31 March 1942 |
13 November 1942 (sunk by Japanese battleship) |
| USS Woodworth (DD-460) USS Woodworth was a Benson-class destroyer in the United States Navy during World War II. She was named for Commander Selim E. Woodworth....
|
30 April 1942 |
11 April 1946 |
| USS Woodworth (DD-460) |
21 November 1950 |
14 January 1951 |
USS Farenholt (DD-491)USS Farenholt was a Benson-class destroyer in the United States Navy during World War II. She was the second ship named for Admiral Oscar Farenholt....
|
2 April 1942 |
26 April 1946 |
USS Bailey (DD-492)USS Bailey was a Benson-class destroyer in the United States Navy during World War II. She was the third ship named for Admiral Theodorus Bailey....
|
11 May 1942 |
2 May 1948 (sunk as target 4 November 1969) |
USS Bancroft (DD-598)USS Bancroft was a in the United States Navy during World War II. She was the third ship named for George Bancroft.Bancroft was launched 31 December 1941 by Bethlehem Steel Company, Quincy, Massachusetts; sponsored by Mrs. Hester Bancroft Berry, great-granddaughter of George Bancroft;...
|
30 April 1942 |
1 February 1946 |
USS Barton (DD-599)USS Barton was a Benson-class destroyer in the United States Navy during World War II. She was the first ship named for Admiral John Kennedy Barton....
|
29 May 1942 |
13 November 1942 (sunk by Japanese torpedoes at GuadalcanalGuadalcanal is a tropical island in the South-Western Pacific. The largest island in the Solomons, it was discovered by the Spanish expedition of Alvaro de Mendaña in 1568...
) |
USS Boyle (DD-600)USS Boyle was a Benson-class destroyer in the United States Navy during World War II. She was the first ship named after Thomas Boyle, a privateer and naval officer during the War of 1812....
|
15 August 1942 |
29 March 1946 (sunk as target 3 May 1973) |
USS Champlin (DD-601)USS Champlin was a Benson-class destroyer in the United States Navy during World War II. She was the second ship named for Stephen Champlin....
|
12 September 1942 |
31 January 1947 |
USS Meade (DD-602)USS Meade was a in the United States Navy during World War II. She was the second ship named for Richard Worsam Meade and Robert Leamy Meade....
|
22 June 1942 |
17 June 1946 (sunk as target February 1973) |
USS Murphy (DD-603)USS Murphy was a Benson-class destroyer in the United States Navy during World War II. She was named for Lieutenant John McLeod Murphy....
|
23 July 1942 |
Bow section sunk in collision with SS Bulkoil 75 miles (120.7 km) outside of New York, 21 October 1943. Ship rebuilt and returned to service.
9 March 1946 |
USS Parker (DD-604)USS Parker was a in the United States Navy during World War II. She was the second ship named for Foxhall A. Parker, Jr..Parker was laid down 9 June 1941 by the Bethlehem Steel Corporation, Staten Island, New York; launched 12 May 1942; sponsored by Mrs. Edward Lloyd Winder; and commissioned 31...
|
31 August 1942 |
31 January 1947 |
| USS Caldwell (DD-605) USS Caldwell was a in the United States Navy during World War II. She was named for James R. Caldwell.Caldwell was launched 15 January 1942 by Bethlehem Steel Corporation, San Francisco, California; sponsored by Miss A. Caldwell; and commissioned 10 June 1942, Lieutenant Commander J. F...
|
10 June 1942 |
24 April 1946 |
| USS Coghlan (DD-606) USS Coghlan was a Benson-class destroyer in the United States Navy during World War II. She was the second ship named for Joseph Bulloch Coghlan....
|
10 July 1942 |
31 March 1947 |
USS Frazier (DD-607)USS Frazier was a Benson-class destroyer in the United States Navy during World War II. She was named for Daniel Frazier.Frazier was launched 17 March 1942 by Bethlehem Steel Corporation, San Francisco, California; sponsored by Mrs...
|
30 July 1942 |
15 April 1946 |
USS Gansevoort (DD-608)USS Gansevoort was a Benson-class destroyer in the United States Navy during World War II. She was named for Commodore Guert Gansevoort....
|
25 August 1942 |
1 February 1946 (sunk as target 23 March 1972) |
USS Gillespie (DD-609)USS Gillespie was a Benson-class destroyer in the United States Navy during World War II. She was named for Major Archibald H. Gillespie....
|
18 September 1942 |
17 April 1946 (sunk as target 1973) |
USS Hobby (DD-610)USS Hobby was a Benson-class destroyer in the United States Navy during World War II. She was named for James H. Hobby.Hobby was launched 4 June 1942 by the Bethlehem Steel Corporation, San Francisco, California; sponsored by Mrs...
|
18 November 1942 |
1 February 1946 (sunk as target 1 June 1972) |
USS Kalk (DD-611)USS Kalk was a Benson-class destroyer in the United States Navy during World War II. She was the second ship named for Lieutenant Stanton Frederick Kalk....
|
17 October 1942 |
3 May 1946 (sunk as target March 1969) |
USS Kendrick (DD-612)USS Kendrick was a in the United States Navy during World War II. She was named for Charles S. Kendrick.Kendrick was launched 2 April 1942 by Bethlehem Steel Corporation, San Pedro, California; sponsored by Mrs. J. Hanson Delvac, a great-granddaughter of Acting Master Charles S. Kendrick; and...
|
12 September 1942 |
31 March 1947 |
USS Laub (DD-613)USS Laub was a in the United States Navy during World War II. She was the second ship named for Henry Laub, who was killed during the Battle of Lake Erie in 1813....
|
24 October 1942 |
2 February 1946 |
USS MacKenzie (DD-614)USS MacKenzie was a in the United States Navy during World War II. She was the third ship named for Lieutenant Commander Alexander Slidell MacKenzie....
|
21 November 1942 |
4 February 1946 (sunk as target 1 June 1974) |
USS McLanahan (DD-615)USS McLanahan was a Benson-class destroyer in the United States Navy during World War II. She was the second Navy ship named for Tenant McLanahan....
|
19 December 1942 |
2 February 1946 |
| USS Nields (DD-616) USS Nields was a Benson-class destroyer in the United States Navy during World War II. She was named for Lieutenant Commander Henry C. Nields....
|
15 January 1943 |
25 March 1946 |
USS Ordronaux (DD-617)USS Ordronaux was a Benson-class destroyer in the United States Navy during World War II. She was named for John Ordronaux, the nineteenth-century privateersman....
|
13 February 1943 |
January 1947 |