1945 USS HANSON. One of the 97 ships of the Gearing class, constructed in yards all over the USA between 1944 and 1946 and destined to see very long service.
THE GEARING CLASS
The Gearings were the best destroyers the US Navy had during the Second World War, heavily armed with the same weapons suite as the Sumners they succeeded but upon whose performance they improved thanks to their hulls being lengthened slightly to increase fuel capacity. USS Hanson (DD 832) was built, like a good many of her sister-ships, by Bath Iron Works. Launched on 11 March 1945, she was commissioned just before the wars end but did not see service. After having been offered to Spain and turned down, she was transferred to Taiwan in April 1973, where she served for over 20 years more as the Liao Yang.
RADAR PICKETS
In January 1945, 12 ships in the latter stages of completion were earmarked for conversion to AA radar pickets and in May, a further 12, including the Hanson, were selected for the same purpose. The conversion involved deleting the bank of five torpedo tubes located between the funnels and replacing them with a tripod mast. Hanson lost her after TT too, and was completed with 16 40mm guns and air-search radar. Many of the other Gearings all the survivors of which class stayed in service after WWII, some for five decades were converted to specialist ASW ships. All went through the Fleet Rehabilitation and Modernisation programme.
TECHNICAL DATA
Type: Destroyer/radar picket
Machinery: 2-shaft General Electric turbines producing a total of 60,000shp
Dimensions (overall): Length, 119m (390.Sft); beam, 12.45m (40.9ft)
Displacement: 261 5t standard; 3460t deep load
Draught: 4.4m (14.3ft)
Complement: 336
Speed: 36.5 knots (67.5km/h)
