USS The Sullivans (DD-537) was a Fletcher-class destroyer warship of the World War 2 and Cold War periods, seeing combat service in both the Second World War (1939-1945) and the Korean Was (1950-1953) that followed. The ship was named after the five Sullivan brothers who all perished on November 13th, 1942 when their light cruiser, USS Juneau, was struck and sunk by Japanese submarine I-26 during the Battle of Guadalcanal. The quintet went on to be remembered as the "Fighting Sullivan Brothers" and became national heroes during the war effort against the Empire of Japan.
Laid down on October 10th, 1942 by Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation, The Sullivans was launched on April 4th, 1943 and formally commissioned into USN service on September 30th of that year.
Fletcher-class became one of the more critical ship designs of the USN during the war as their hulls eventually encompassed 175 total units constructed by a myriad of shipbuilders from Boston to Seattle. Many of the hulls went on to serve with foreign navies in the post-war period. With thin hulls, the warships were some of the fastest in the water for their size - though at the expense of armor protection.
As completed, The Sullivans had a displacement of 2,080 tons (short) and structural dimensions included a bow-to-stern length of 376.5 feet, a beam of 39.7 feet, and a draught down to 17.8 feet. Internally, the propulsion was provided for by 4 x Babcock & Wilcox oil-fired boiler units feeding 2 x General Electric geared-steam turbines outputting 60,000 horsepower to 2 x Shafts astern. This gave the craft a maximum straightline speed of 35 knots in ideal conditions and she could range out to 6,500 nautical miles (7,500 miles). Aboard was a crew of 336 personnel.
Externally, the ship showcased a pair of turrets in stepped fashion over the forecastle with the bridge superstructure directly aft. A mast was erected behind this structure and the twin, rear-canted smoke funnels followed amidships. The rear of the vessel seated the reaming three primary turrets, giving the warship a full broadside of five turrets equaling ten total guns.
The main guns were 5" (130mm) /39 caliber systems and these were installed in the turrets in twin-gun arrangement. The guns were backed by a line of 10 x 40mm Bofors Anti-Aircraft (AA) automatic cannons arranged in five twin-gunned emplacements. Beyond this were 7 x 20mm Oerlikon AA guns in single-gunned mountings. The warship carried 2 x 5 21" torpedo launchers, 6 x "K-gun" depth charge launchers, and 2 x Depth charge racks for submarine hunting.
The ship entered the war in 1944, taking part in various actions of the Pacific Theater of Operations (PTOs) including operations related to Truk, Saipan, Tinian, Guam, Iwo Jima, and Leyte. She survived the war and returned stateside to California by way of Pearl Harbor, Hawaii to be decommissioned on January 10th, 1946. After this, she was overhauled and assigned to the Pacific Reserve Fleet for the interim until reactivated in May of 1951 service in the Korean War (1950-1953).
Having survived both wars, and operating with distinction, The Sullivans was relegated to training ship until decommissioned for good on January 7th, 1965 (the Australians rebuffed a USN offer for the ship, instead choosing a British design). For her contributions, the warship was awarded eleven total Battle Stars - nine from World War 2 and another two for the Korean War.
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April 2022 - It was reported that The Sullivans museum ship had begun to list and sink after taking on water through her thin, aging hull. Efforts are underway to raise and right the ship.
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United States
(OPERATORS list includes past, present, and future operators when applicable)
✓Offshore Bombardment
Offshore bombardment / attack of surface targets / areas primarily through onboard ballistic weaponry.
✓Land-Attack
Offshore strike of surface targets primarily through onboard missile / rocket weaponry.
✓Maritime Patrol
Active patroling of vital waterways and maritime areas; can also serve as local deterrence against airborne and seaborne threats.
✓Airspace Denial / Deterrence
Neutralization or deterrence of airborne elements through onboard ballistic of missile weaponry.
✓Fleet Support
Serving in support (either firepower or material) of the main surface fleet in Blue Water environments.
Length
376.5 ft 114.76 m
Beam
39.7 ft 12.10 m
Draught
17.8 ft 5.43 m
Displacement
2,080 tons
Installed Power:
4 x Babcock & Wilcox boiler units feeding 2 x General Electric geared-steam turbines generating 60,000 horsepower driving 2 x Shafts astern.
Surface Speed
35.0 kts (40.3 mph)
Range
6,517 nm (7,500 mi | 12,070 km)
kts = knots | mph = miles-per-hour | nm = nautical miles | mi = miles | km = kilometers
1 kts = 1.15 mph | 1 nm = 1.15 mi | 1 nm = 1.85 km
ORIGINAL:
5 x 5" (130mm) /38 caliber main guns in five single-gunned turrets.
10 x 40mm Bofors Anti-Aircraft (AA) automatic cannons in five twin-gunned emplacements.
7 x 20mm Oerlikon AA automatic guns in seven single-gunned emplacements.
10 x 21" (530mm) torpedo tubes in two quintuple launchers.
6 x K-gun depth charge throwers.
2 x Depth charge tracks.
Supported Types
(Not all weapon types may be represented in the showcase above)
None.
Ribbon graphics not necessarily indicative of actual historical campaign ribbons. Ribbons are clickable to their respective naval campaigns / operations / periods.
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United States
