Claud Jones-class destroyer escort

The Claud Jones-class destroyer escorts were four destroyer escorts built for the United States Navy in the late 1950s. These ships were a diesel-powered version of the earlier Dealey class and were designed with the aim of producing a cheaper ship suitable for rapid production in wartime. These ships also had reduced armament and speed compared to their predecessors. They were not seen as effective anti-submarine warfare vessels by the United States Navy and were sold after only 15 years service to the Indonesian Navy.

USS McMorris underway off Oahu on 10 March 1972
Class overview
Builders: Avondale Shipyard
Operators:
Preceded by: Dealey-class destroyer escort
Succeeded by: Bronstein-class frigate
Built: 1956–1959
Completed: 4
General characteristics
Type: Destroyer escort
Displacement:
  • 1,314 long tons (1,335 t) standard
  • 1,970 long tons (2,000 t) full load
Length: 312 ft 0 in (95.1 m) oa
Beam: 38 ft 0 in (11.6 m)
Draft: 12 ft 1 in (3.7 m)
Propulsion:
Speed: 22 knots (41 km/h)
Range: 7,000 nmi (13,000 km) at 12 kn (22 km/h)
Complement: 175
Armament:

Description

The class was designed under project SCB 131 as a cost-effective version of an anti-submarine warfare (ASW) ship that could be built quickly in case of rapid mobilization.[1] The Claud Jones class had a standard displacement of 1,314 long tons (1,335 t) and were 1,916 long tons (1,947 t) at full load. The destroyer escorts were 301 feet 0 inches (91.7 m) long at the waterline and 312 feet 0 inches (95.1 m) overall with a beam of 38 feet 0 inches (11.6 m) and a draft of 12 feet 11 inches (3.9 m).[2] The Claud Jones class had an aluminum superstructure, a tripod mast forward and a pole mast further back amidships, with two stacks.[3][lower-alpha 1]

Following the guidelines given to them, the designers chose a two-shafted diesel-powered ship to maximize cost effectiveness.[2] The Claud Jones class were given four Fairbanks Morse 38ND8 diesel engines rated at 9,200 brake horsepower (6,860 kW).[3] The class had a range of 7,000 nautical miles (12,964 km; 8,055 mi) at 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph) and a maximum speed of 22 knots (41 km/h; 25 mph).[2][3][lower-alpha 2]

The ships were initially armed with two 3-inch (76 mm)/50 caliber guns, one located forward with a closed shield and one located aft with an open shield.[lower-alpha 3] For ASW, the destroyer escorts were equipped with two forward-firing hedgehog anti-submarine mortars, two fixed 12.75-inch (324 mm) torpedo tubes for Mk 32 torpedoes and one depth charge rack placed over the stern. The fixed torpedo tubes were later removed and replaced with two triple tube mounts.[2][3] In 1961, Charles Berry and McMorris received a Norwegian-designed Terne III depth charge system deployed via rockets.[2]

The Claud Jones class was initially equipped with variable depth sonar, SPS-10 and SPS-6 search radars and SQS-29/32 hull-mounted sonar. The variable depth sonar was later removed. The vessels had a ship's company of 175 with 15 officers and 160 enlisted personnel.[3] The class was not well-received and the designers were ordered to come back with another design, leading to the successor Bronstein-class frigates.[2]

Indonesian service

The four vessels of the class were transferred to the Indonesian Navy in 1973–1974. In Indonesian service, Samadikun (ex-John R. Perry) and Martadinata (ex-Charles Berry) had one of the 3-inch guns removed and given Soviet twin-mounted 37 mm (1.46 in) guns and twin-mounted 25 mm (0.98 in) guns. Monginsidi (ex-Claud Jones) and Ngurah Rai (ex-McMorris) kept their two 3-inch mounts and had twin-mounted 25 mm guns added.[4]

Ships in class
Claud Jones class[2][3][4]
US name Hull no. Builder Laid down Launched US service Indonesian name Hull no. Indonesian service
Commissioned Fate Commissioned Status
USS Claud Jones DE-1033 Avondale Shipyard, Louisiana 1 June 1957 27 May 1958 16 November 1958 Sold 16 December 1974 KRI Monginsidi 343 1974 Retired
USS John R. Perry DE-1034 1 October 1957 29 July 1958 12 January 1959 Sold 20 February 1973 KRI Samadikun 341 1973 Retired
USS Charles Berry DE-1035 3 September 1957 17 March 1959 25 November 1960 Sold 31 January 1974 KRI Martadinata 342 1974 Retired
USS McMorris DE-1036 1 October 1957 26 May 1959 4 March 1960 Sold 16 December 1974 KRI Ngurah Rai 344 1974 Retired

Notes
  1. The Claud Jones-ships' displacement is stated by Moore as 1,450 long tons (1,470 t) standard and 1,750 long tons (1,780 t) at full load.
  2. Moore states that the vessels had only one shaft, while Gardiner, Chumbley & Budzbon state the ships' engines were rated at 8,700 brake horsepower (6,500 kW).
  3. The 50 caliber denotes the length of the gun. This means that the length of the gun barrel is 50 times the bore diameter.

Citations
  1. Friedman, Norman (1982). U.S. Destroyers: An Illustrated Design History. Annapolis, Maryland: United States Naval Institute. pp. 275–279. ISBN 0-87021-733-X.
  2. Gardiner, Chumbley & Budzbon 1995, p. 596.
  3. Moore 1974, p. 447.
  4. Moore 1981, p. 233.

References
  • Gardiner, Robert; Chumbley, Stephen & Budzbon, Przemysław, eds. (1995). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1947–1995. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-132-7.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Moore, John, ed. (1974). Jane's Fighting Ships 1974–75. New York: Franklin Watts Incorporated. ISBN 0-531-02743-0.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Moore, John, ed. (1981). Jane's Fighting Ships 1981–82. New York: Jane's Publishing Incorporated. ISBN 0-531-03977-3.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
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