Robert H. Smith-class destroyer

The Robert H. Smith class of destroyer minelayers was built by the United States during World War II. The class was named for naval officer Robert H. Smith.

These vessels were all originally laid down as s and converted during construction in 1944. In that time the United States produced twelve Robert H. Smith-class destroyer minelayers. Their original hull numbers were DD-735-40, 749–51, and 771–73.Silverstone, p. 212 None of the Robert H. Smith-class vessels ever laid a mine in wartime, though they were frequently employed in minesweeping. Minelayers did not carry torpedo tubes. Otherwise they were used interchangeably with other destroyer types. As radar pickets at Okinawa, Aaron Ward, Lindsey, and J. William Ditter were damaged by kamikazes, and Shea by a Baka bomb.Silverstone, p. 212 Five of the class served actively in the 1950s, but all survivors were mothballed by the end of the decade and were disposed of in the 1970s. None of this class received FRAM conversions.

Ships in class Ship nameHull no.BuilderLaid downLaunchedCommissionedDecommissionedFateDM-23 (ex-DD-735)Bath Iron Works, Bath, Maine10 January 194425 May 19444 August 194429 January 1947Struck, 26 February 1971DM-24 (ex-DD-736)31 January 194410 June 194422 August 194412 September 1955Sold for scrap, 12 June 1974DM-25 (ex-DD-737)14 February 194424 June 19448 September 194424 October 1955Sold for scrap, May 1973DM-26 (ex-DD-738)6 March 19449 July 194422 September 194412 March 1956Sold for scrap, 1 June 1974DM-27 (ex-DD-739)20 March 194423 July 194410 October 1944December 1946Sold for scrap, 16 December 1971DM-28 (ex-DD-740)10 April 194413 August 194427 October 194429 January 1947Sunk as a target 25 January 1997DM-29 (ex-DD-749)Bethlehem Staten Island, Staten Island, New York28 November 194321 April 194431 August 194429 January 1947Sold for scrap, 30 May 1972DM-30 (ex-DD-750)23 December 194320 May 194430 September 19449 April 1958Sold for scrap, 1 September 1974DM-31 (ex-DD-751)25 January 19444 July 194428 October 194428 September 1945Scrapped, July 1946DM-32 (ex-DD-771)Bethlehem Shipbuilding, San Pedro, California, Terminal Island12 September 19435 March 194420 August 194425 May 1946Sunk as a target 1 May 1972DM-33 (ex-DD-772)31 October 19439 April 194430 September 1944 3 September 1946Transferred to Turkey 15 August 19718 July 19523 April 1958DM-34 (ex-DD-773)12 December 19435 May 194428 October 194428 September 1945Stricken 11 October 1945; sold for scrap 1946

Earlier Destroyer Minelayer (DM) conversions The previous DM-classed vessels were all conversions from earlier flush-deck destroyers of WW1 vintage. Ship nameHull no.Convertedto DMFateDM-1 (ex-DD-96)17 July 1920Stricken 1 December 1936; target 20 July 1937DM-2 (ex-DD-97)17 July 1920Stricken 7 January 1936DM-3 (ex-DD-98)17 July 1920Stricken 25 January 1936DM-4 (ex-DD-99)17 July 1920Stricken 7 January 1936DM-5 (ex-DD-100)17 July 1920Stricken 22 October 1930DM-6 (ex-DD-101)17 July 1920Stricken 25 January 1936DM-7 (ex-DD-102)17 July 1920Stricken 22 October 1930DM-8 (ex-DD-110)17 July 1920Stricken 11 November 1931DM-9 (ex-DD-111)17 July 1920Stricken 1 December 1936; target 23 July 1937DM-10 (ex-DD-112)17 July 1920Stricken 18 November 1930DM-11 (ex-DD-171)March 1921Sold 22 April 1932DM-12 (ex-DD-172)July 1920Stricken 1 December 1936; target 22 July 1937DM-13 (ex-DD-173)July 1920Stricken 1 December 1936; target 20 July 1937DM-14 (ex-DD-174)July 1920Stricken 11 November 1931DM-15 (ex-DD-123)June 1930Scuttled 16 July 1945DM-16 (ex-DD-124)June 1930Stricken 13 November 1945DM-17 (ex-DD-121)January 1931Stricken 28 April 1945DM-18 (ex-DD-122)January 1931Sold 16 May 1946DM-19 (ex-DD-214)January 1937Stricken 7 February 1946DM-20 (ex-DD-345)June 1937Stricken 3 January 1946DM-21 (ex-DD-346)June 1937Stricken 19 December 1945DM-22 (ex-DD-347)une 1937Stricken 5 December 1945

Robert H. Smith-class destroyer

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