DD-57 Tucker
For FY14 another design was prepared by September 1912. This new ship would be still more powerful: four 4" guns, four 21" torpedo tubes in twin mounts [six tubes were originally planned]. The nomenclature for this class is a bit confusing, since DD 57 TUCKER received the lowest ship number, while DD 58 CONYNGHAM was said by some sources to be the namesake of the class. Other sources report that USS Conyngham was a Tucker class destroyer.
The plans and specifications for torpedo boat destroyers Nos. 57 to 62, authorized by act of Congress approved March 4, 1913, were completed and circular signed oy the Secretary of Navy May 20, 1913, and issued to bidders upon request thereafter. Bids for the construction of torpedo boat destroyers Nos. 57 to 62 were opened at the department August 4, 1913.
Contract for torpedo-boat destroyer No. 57 was signed with the Fore River Shipbuilding Corporation, Quincy, Mass., on September 22, 1913, at a price of $861,000; to have the bidder's design of Curtis turbine propelling machinery installed, with cruising turbines operating through speed-reduction gearing, and to be completed within 24 months.
Contracts for torpedo-boat destroyers Nos. 58 and 59 were signed with the Wm. Cramp & Sons Ship & Engine Building Co., Philadelphia, Pa., on October 2, 1913, at a price of $881,000 each; to have the bidder's design 01 Parsons reaction turbine propelling machinery installed, and to be completed within 23£ and 24 months, respectively.
Contract for torpedo-boat destroyer No. 60 was signed with the Bath Iron Works (Ltd.), Bath, Me., on October 15, 1913, at a price of $884,000; to have the bidder's design of Parsons all geared turbine propelling machinery installed, and to be completed within 24 months.
Contracts for torpedo-boat destroyers Nos. 61 and 62 were signed with the New York Shipbuilding Co., Camden, N. J., on October 15, 1913, at a price of $825,000 each; to have the bidder's design of Parsons turbine propelling machinery installed, with one geared cruising turbine, and to be completed within 24 months.
The l,000-ton class includes all vessels from the Cassin, No. 43, to and including the Shaw, No. 68. Vessels of this class have a high forecastle extending from the stem to a point just abaft the pilot house, where it breaks off to a low main deck which is extended to the stern. The high forecastle of these vessels plays an important part in their manoeuvring qualities; acting as a permanent jib, which, while helpful under some conditions, is a serious handicap under others. It must always be kept in mind and allowed for, its principal effect being, of course, to make it difficult to bring the vessel up to the wind. Caution must be used when such a vessel is run into a small harbor into which the wind is blowing and where it will be necessary to turn her within the harbor in order to get out. Under such conditions the ship may get beam to wind, and, lacking space to gather headway, refuse to turn into it, and may drift ashore broadside on.
Several narrow escapes are on record resulting from failure to appreciate this feature. In turning with a vessel of this type, it is desirable to turn in such a way as to take advantage of the jib effect instead of having to work against it. The effect of the wind upon the bow is particularly important in going alongside a dock. Destroyers of this class had a large after dead-wood, which resulted in greater steadiness of sea route but produced an excessively large turning circle, the tactical diameter being as great as one thousand yards with rudder angle of twenty degrees.
The Parsons turbine is of the compound reaction type. It consists of a cylindrical casing with numerous rows of inwardly projecting blades. Steam from the boiler is admitted by suitable hand operated valves to the admission or high pressure [H.P.] end of the casing directly to the first row of guide blades fixed to the casing. Steam admission is around the full periphery of the first row of guide blades. After passing through these blades it strikes the first row of rotor blades and changes its direction of flow. It discharges from the first row of rotor blades into the second row of guide blades which reverse the direction of flow. It discharges from the second row of guide blades against the second row of rotor blades and continues through the turbine, until finally it exhausts from the casing at a reduced pressure at the exhaust or low pressure [L.P.] end of the turbine. The propelling machinery consists of Parsons turbines arranged on two shafts. To the starboard shaft is direct connected the L.P. ahead and astern turbine contained in one casing. To the forward end of the starboard propeller shaft, a cruising turbine is connected by means of mechanical reduction gear and a clutch. To the port shaft, the H. P. ahead turbine and the H. P. astern turbine are direct connected. The H. P. astern turbine is aft of the H. P. ahead turbine.
In the case of the turbine, the higher the speed of rotation the greater is the economy of operation. This is coupled with a great reduction in the size and weight of the turbine. On the other hand, with the screw propeller, high speeds not only tend to reduction in propeller efficiency, but very quickly reach a limiting value which cannot be exceeded. With turbine installations for naval ships, it is necessary to obtain as high an efficiency as possible for turbines and propellers combined, at all speeds from low cruising speeds to full speed. This is necessary because it is desired to conserve the fuel supply in order to increase radius of action. High efficiency at low speeds is also necessary because most of the steaming of men-of-war is done at speeds less than full speed.
In order to meet these demands, transmission has been developed that will allow the turbine to have relatively high speeds of rotation. These high turbine speeds are reduced by transmission to speeds that will give high propeller efficiency. With Cruising Turbine Reduction Gear, the main turbines are direct connected to the propeller shafts. On the two-shaft destroyer CONYNGHAM there is one cruising turbine geared to the starboard propeller shaft. The gearing may be disconnected from the propeller shaft by means of a clutch.
For Low Cruising Speeds below 20 knots, the cruising turbine is connected to the starboard propeller shaft by means of the clutch. Steam is admitted to the first stage of the cruising turbine and exhausts from this turbine to the H. P. ahead turbine. Steam exhausts from the H. P. ahead turbine to the L. P. ahead turbine, and finally exhausts from the L. P. ahead turbine to the condenser. For High Cruising Speeds and Full Speed the cruising turbine is disconnected from the starboard propeller shaft when revolutions exceed a speed corresponding to 22 knots. Steam is then admitted to the first stage of the H. P. ahead turbine and exhausts from this turbine to the L. P. ahead turbine. Steam finally exhausts from the L. P. ahead turbine to the condenser.
For backing, steam may be admitted to either astern turbine by independent steam pipes with throttle control. The H. P. astern turbine exhausts to the condenser by an exhaust pipe connected to the main exhaust pipe. The L. P. astern turbine exhausts to the condenser through the main exhaust pipe. For maneuvering, steam is admitted direct to the L. P. ahead or astern turbines, to the H. P. ahead or astern turbines, and exhausts direct from turbine to condenser. Non-return valves are fitted between the cruising turbine and the H. P. ahead turbine and between the H. P. ahead turbine and the L. P. ahead turbine. Between the H. P. ahead turbine and the L. P. ahead turbine, a large valve is fitted in the H. P. ahead turbine exhaust to permit the exhaust from this turbine to be closed to the L. P. ahead turbine and opened to the condenser. The H. P. turbine has a by-pass fitted to carry steam to the second expansion.
The CONYNGHAM'S forced lubrication system is a type installation for destroyers. There is one 500-gallon storage tank, one 50-gallon storage tank, one 200-gallon drain tank, two 200-gallon settling tanks, an oil cooler, and two oil pumps. The circulation of oil for the entire turbine installation is accomplished by the two pumps. The pumps are installed so that both pumps can perform the same functions. Each storage tank has a pipe running to the deck for filling. Oil flows from the large storage tank by gravity to the suction common to both pumps. This method is used to supply additional or new oil to the system at any time.
Both pumps have a common suction from the drain tank, a common discharge to the settling tanks, and a common discharge through the cooler to the bearings and gearing. With one pump in operation, oil is taken by the pump from the drain tank and discharged through the cooler to the bearings and gearing. The oil, after running from the bearings and gearing, drains to the drain chambers beneath them and then through drain pipes to the drain tank.
Whenever the oil becomes thick it may be removed from the system by the second pump and discharged to one of the settling tanks. When not under way, the drain tank may be emptied by either pump and the oil discharged to one of the settling tanks. Great care must be exercised to prevent the drain-tank suction of the pump operating on the bearings from becoming uncovered. When oil is removed from the system to one settling tank, new oil may be supplied from the storage tank, or the oil in the second settling tank may be run by gravity to the drain tank. Or, when under way, oil may be pumped by both pumps from the drain tank, the after pump discharging through the cooler to the bearings and gearing and the forward pump discharging to one of the settling tanks. In this case the bottom drain from the settling tank is closed and the overflow pipe from the settling tank to the drain tank opened. Thick oil will go to the bottom of the settling tank and the thinner oil will flow to the drain tank from the top of the settling tank through the settling tank overflow pipe.
There is a drain from each of the settling tanks and from the drain tank to the bilge for draining off water from these tanks. The height of water is indicated by gage glasses attached to the tanks. A drain leads from the bottom of the 50-gallon storage tank to a drip-pan for supplying oil for oil-cans for hand oiling of such machinery as is not fitted with forced lubrication. The supply pipes to bearings and gearing and the pump suctions are fitted with strainers to prevent any solid matter being carried by the oil to the bearings.
On May 4, 1917 the first U.S. warships reached the European theater at Queenstown, Ireland. Commander Joseph K. Taussig's Destroyer Squadron 8 included USS McDougal (DD 54), USS Conyngham (DD 58), USS Porter (DD 59), USS Wadsworth (DD 60), USS Wainwright (DD 62) and USS Davis (DD 65). Vice Admiral Sir Lewis Bayly, the British commander asked Taussig when his squadron would be ready for service, he replied, "We are ready now, sir."
On 6 December 1917, while en route from Brest, France, to Queenstown, USS Jacob Jones was torpedoed and sunk by the German submarine U-53. Her survivors were rescued by British ships after the German submarine's Commanding Officer, the daring and very successful Hans Rose, reported their location by radio.
Conyngham was decommissioned 23 June 1922. Transferred to the Treasury Department 7 June 1924 for use by the Coast Guard, Conyngham was returned to the Navy 30 June 1933 but remained in noncommissioned status until sold for scrap 22 August 1934 in accordance with the London Treaty. In March 1926 Tucker was placed in service with the U.S. Coast Guard as part of the effort to enforce Prohibition. In addition to cruising along the Atlantic Coast in search of rum runners, in April 1933 she took part in rescue activities after the crash of the airship Akron. Tucker's Coast Guard service ended in June 1933 and she was returned to the Navy and laid up. In November of that year she was renamed DD-57, allowing the name Tucker to be assigned to the new destroyer DD-374. After brief use as a Sea Scout training ship at Sandy Hook, New Jersey, DD-57 was sold for scrapping in December 1936.
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