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Light Minelayer (DM)
Fast Minelayer (MMD)
Index

Designed as fast offensive minelayers, 34 were converted from fleet destroyers. The first 22 were converted from flush deck destroyers, after they had commissioned. The Stribling class DMs were converted from Wickes class fleet destroyers after commissioning and the Tracy class DMs were converted from Clemson class fleet destroyers after commissioning. The torpedo tubes and most all anti-submarine warfare equipment, was removed and mine launch rails were added. The remainder were converted from Allen M. Sumner class destroyers during construction. Originally, they were intended to be used to lay mines in enemy areas, usually at night, or to lay mines in enemy shipping lanes; some of those pressed into service as pickets at Okinawa suffered severe damage from the "Divine Wind." After the war, After the war, only the Allen M. Sumner class conversions were retained. Redesignated Destroyer Minelayers (DM) on 7 February 1955, the surviving DMs were redesignated as Fast Minelayers (MMD) on 1 January 1969.
Click on ship name to view image(s) and DANFS history.
Light Minelayers (DM) & Fast Minelayers (MMD)
Stribling Class
(DM-1 to DM-18)
Length Overall: 314' 5"
Extreme Beam: 31' 9" (DM-1 to DM-10) - 31' 8" (DM-11 to DM-18)
Displacement: 1,060 tons (DM-1 to DM-14) - 1,090 tons (DM-15 to DM-18)
Max. Draft: 8' 6" (DM-1 to DM-14) - 8' 8" (DM-15 to DM-18)
Complement: 113 (DM-1 to DM-10 & DM-15 to DM-18) - 101 (DM-11 to DM-14)
Armament: Four 4"/50 cal., 80 mines, two 1-pounders (DM-1 to DM-7) - Two 3"/50 cal. (DM-8 to DM-18)
Designed Speed: 35 knots
Engines: Bethlehem geared turbines (DM-1 to DM-14) - Newport News geared turbines (DM-15 to DM-18), two shafts
Designed Shaft Horsepower: 27,000 (DM-1 to DM-14) - 25,000 (DM-15 to DM-18)
DM-1 Stribling ex-DD-96
DM-2 Murray ex DD-97
DM-3 Israel ex DD-98
DM-4 Luce ex DD-99
DM-5 Maury ex DD-100
DM-6 Lansdale ex DD-101
DM-7 Mahan ex DD-102
DM-8 Hart ex DD-110
DM-9 Ingraham ex DD-111
DM-10 Ludlow ex DD-112
DM-11 Burns ex DD-171
DM-12 Anthony ex DD-172
DM-13 Sproston ex DD-173
DM-14 Rizal ex DD-174
DM-15 Gamble ex DD-123
DM-16 Ramsay ex DD-124, Reclassified AG-98
DM-17 Montgomery ex DD-121
DM-18 Breese ex-DD-122
Tracy Class
(DM-19 to DM-22)
Length Overall: 314' 5"
Extreme Beam: 31' 9" (DM-19) - 31' 8" (DM-20 to DM-22)
Displacement: 1,190 tons
Max. Draft: 9' 3"
Complement: 101 (DM-19) - 89 (DM-20 to DM-22)
Armament: Four 4"/50 cal., 70 mines, one 3"/23 cal., 70 mines and two .30 cal. machine guns (DM-19) - Four 4"/50 cal., 70 mines (DM-20 to DM-22)
Designed Speed: 35 knots
Engines: Four White-Forster boilers, two Parsons geared turbines (DM-19) - Four Normand boilers, two Parsons geared turbines (DM-20 to DM-22), two shafts
Designed Shaft Horsepower: 26,000 (DM-19) - 25,000 (DM-20 to DM-22)
DM-19 Tracy ex-DD-214
DM-20 Preble ex DD-345, Reclassified AG-99
DM-21 Sicard ex DD-346, Reclassified AG-100
DM-22 Pruitt ex-DD-347, Reclassified AG-101
Robert H. Smith Class
(DM-23 to DM-34)
Length Overall: 376' 6"
Extreme Beam: 40' 10"
Displacement: 2,200 tons
Max. Draft: 18' 10" (DM-23 to DM-28 & DM-32 to DM-34) - 18' 8" (DM-29 to DM-31)
Complement: 363
Armament: Six 5"/38 cal., 80 mines, two quad 40mm and two twin 40mm
Designed Speed: 34.2 knots
Engines: Four Babcock & Wilcox boilers, two General Electric geared turbines (DM-23 to DM-31) - Four Babcock & Wilcox boilers, two Westinghouse geared turbines (DM-32 to DM-34), two shafts
Designed Shaft Horsepower: 60,000
DM-23 Robert H. Smith ex-DD-735 Reclassified MMD-23
DM-24 Thomas E. Fraser ex-DD-736 Reclassified MMD-24
DM-25 Shannon ex-DD-737 Reclassified MMD-25
DM-26 Harry F. Bauer ex-DD-738 Reclassified MMD-26
DM-27 Adams ex-DD-739 Reclassified MMD-27
DM-28 Tolman ex-DD-740 Reclassified MMD-28
DM-29 Henry A. Wiley ex-DD-749 Reclassified MMD-29
DM-30 Shea ex-DD-750 Reclassified MMD-30
DM-31 J. William Ditter ex-William Ditter (DD-751)
DM-32 Lindsey ex-DD-771 Reclassified MMD-32
DM-33 Gwin ex-DD-772 Reclassified MMD-33
DM-34 Aaron Ward ex-DD-773
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