USS Somers (DD-381)
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| Commissioned: | 1 December 1937 |
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The fifth USS Somers (DD-381) was the lead ship of the Somers-class destroyers. She was built at Federal, Kearny and commissioned 1 December 1937. Though active for only eight years she acquired an enviable record. In 1938 she transported a consignment of gold from the Bank of England to New York. On 6 November 1941, she and the cruiser USS Omaha captured the German freighter Odenwald which was carrying 3800 tons of scarce rubber while disguised as the American merchantman Willmoto. Somers also accounted for two other blockade runners, Anneliese Essberger and Westerland.
Somers next participated in the Normandy and Southern France invasions providing naval gunfire support as well as serving in the anti-submarine screen. On 15 August 1944, four hours before H-Hour, D-Day, along the French Riviera, Somers encountered and sank the German corvettes Comascio and Escabort. Following this action, she moved inshore to give gunfire support to the invasion. For two days she bombarded enemy strongpoints off the coast near Toulon with 5 inch (127 mm) shells and then exchanged fire with enemy shore batteries east of Marseilles. Although Somers sustained many hits during this action, she emerged the victor.
General Characteristics
- Displacement: 1850 tons
- Length: 381 ft (116 m)
- Beam: 36.2 ft (11.0 m)
- Draft: 16.5 ft (5.0 m)
- Speed: 35 knots (65 km/h)
- Armament: five 5 in (127 mm) 38 guns, 8x4 21 in (533 mm) torpedo tubes
- Complement: 294
- Propulsion: High-pressure geared turbines with twin screws, 52,000 horsepower (39 MW)
| Somers-class destroyer |
| Somers | Warrington | Sampson | Davis | Jouett |
| List of destroyers of the United States Navy List of destroyer classes of the United States Navy |