The Forrest Sherman class: America's first post-war destroyers redefined naval firepower and design

Cultures · Published 10 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Commissioned in 1955, the eighteen Forrest Sherman-class destroyers were the largest US destroyers of their time. These versatile vessels served until the late 1980s, acting as a crucial bridge between World War II technology and modern guided-missile warfare, while undergoing constant, significant modifications to their weaponry and sonar systems.

The Forrest Sherman class represented a significant evolution in American naval engineering. Designed under project SCB 85, these ships were initially 418 feet long with a standard displacement of 2,800 tonnes. They were the first destroyers built by the United States after World War II, setting a new standard for size and capability. Their construction was distributed across four major shipyards: Bath Iron Works, Bethlehem Steel, Ingalls Shipbuilding, and Puget Sound Bridge and Dredging Company.

The class was defined by its adaptability. While originally armed with 5-inch guns and anti-submarine hedgehogs, the ships saw their configurations shift dramatically over decades. By the 1960s and 1970s, the original 3-inch anti-aircraft guns and hedgehogs were removed. Four ships—John Paul Jones, Parsons, Decatur, and Somers—were converted into guided-missile destroyers carrying Tartar missiles. Others, known as the Barry sub-class, received ASROC launchers and variable-depth sonar to bolster anti-submarine warfare, though budget constraints during the Vietnam War forced the cancellation of six additional planned modernizations.

Beyond standard operations, the class served as a unique experimental platform. The USS Hull notably carried a prototype 8-inch Mark 71 light-weight gun between 1975 and 1978, making it the only post-World War II destroyer-type ship to ever mount such a weapon. Following their long service, the ships met varied ends: two were preserved as museum ships, nine were expended as targets during fleet training exercises, and seven were sold for scrapping. Their legacy persists as the foundational design for the subsequent Charles F. Adams-class guided-missile destroyers.

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