USS Gwin (DD-71) at high speed circa 1920
History
United States
Name	USS Gwin
Namesake	William Gwin (1832–1863)
Builder	Seattle Construction and Drydock Company
Laid down	21 June 1917
Launched	25 December 1917
Commissioned	18 March 1920
Decommissioned	28 June 1922
Stricken	25 January 1936
Identification	DD-71
Fate	Sold for scrapping 16 March 1939
General characteristics
Class and type	Caldwell-class destroyer
Displacement	1,262 long tons (1,282 t) (standard) 1,379 long tons (1,401 t) (deep load)
Length	315 ft 6 in (96.2 m)
Beam	30 ft 7 in (9.32 m)
Draught	8 ft 10 in (2.7 m)
Installed power	18,500 shp (13,800 kW) 4 Thornycroft boilers
Propulsion	2 shafts, 2 steam turbines
Speed	30 knots (56 km/h; 35 mph)
Range	2,500 nautical miles (4,600 km; 2,900 mi) at 20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph)
Complement	5 officers, 95 enlisted men
Armament	4 × single 4-inch (102 mm) guns 2 × single 1-pounder AA guns 4 × triple 21 inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes

USS Gwin (DD-71) was one of six Caldwell-class destroyers built for the United States Navy. She was in commission from 1920 to 1922.

Description

The Caldwells were a transitional design between the "thousand-tonners" of the Sampson-class and the mass-produced destroyers built during World War I. They introduced the flush deck and were known as the first of the "flush-deckers" that were so wet in heavy weather. The ship displaced 1,262 long tons (1,282 t) at standard load and 1,379 long tons (1,401 t) at deep load. They had an overall length of 315 feet 6 inches (96.2 m), a beam of 30 feet 7 inches (9.3 m) and a draft of 8 feet 10 inches (2.7 m). They had a crew of five officers and 95 enlisted men.^[1]

The propulsion arrangements differed between the ships of the class. Gwin was powered by two Parsons steam turbines, each driving one propeller shaft, using steam provided by four Thornycroft boilers. The turbines developed a total of 18,500 shaft horsepower (13,800 kW) and were designed to reach a speed of 30 knots (56 km/h; 35 mph).^[2] The ships carried a maximum of 205 long tons (208 t) of fuel oil that gave them a range of 2,500 nautical miles (4,600 km; 2,900 mi) at 20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph).^[3]

The ships were armed with four 4-inch (102 mm) guns in single mounts and were fitted with two 1-pounder guns for anti-aircraft defense. Their primary weapon, though, was their torpedo battery of a dozen 21 inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes in four triple mounts.^[2] During World War I, the 1-pounders were replaced by 3-inch (76 mm) anti-aircraft (AA) guns and a "Y-gun" depth charge thrower replaced the aft AA gun and the searchlight.^[4]

Construction and commissioning

Gwin, the second Navy ship named for Lieutenant Commander William Gwin, was launched on 22 December 1917 by the Seattle Construction & Drydock Company, Seattle, Washington, sponsored by Mrs. James S. Woods. She was commissioned at the Puget Sound Navy Yard in Bremerton, Washington, on 18 March 1920.

Service history

Gwin departed Puget Sound on 26 April 1920 for calls at California ports, then transited the Panama Canal bound for Newport, Rhode Island, where she arrived on 2 June 1920. She subsequently participated in operations along the United States East Coast as far south as Charleston, South Carolina.

Decommissioning and disposal

Gwin was decommissioned at the Philadelphia Navy Yard in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on 28 June 1922. She remained inactive there until her name was struck from the Navy List on 25 January 1937. Her hulk was sold for scrapping to the Union Shipbuilding Company of Baltimore, Maryland, on 16 March 1939.

Notes

References

• Friedman, Norman (1982). U.S. Destroyers: An Illustrated Design History. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-87021-733-X.
• Gardiner, Robert & Gray, Randal, eds. (1985). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1906–1921. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-85177-245-5.
• This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.