Difference between revisions of "USS Somers"

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{{Specs-Card|code=us_destroyer_somers}}
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{{Specs-Card
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|code=us_destroyer_somers
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|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
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}}
  
 
== Description ==
 
== Description ==
''In the first part of the description, cover the history of the ship’s creation and military application. In the second part, tell the reader about using this ship in the game. Add a screenshot. If a beginner player has a hard time remembering vehicles by name, a picture will help them identify the ship in question.''
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<!-- ''In the first part of the description, cover the history of the ship's creation and military application. In the second part, tell the reader about using this ship in the game. Add a screenshot: if a beginner player has a hard time remembering vehicles by name, a picture will help them identify the ship in question.'' -->
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The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} American destroyer {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.87 "Locked On"]].
  
 
== General info ==
 
== General info ==
 
=== Survivability and armour ===
 
=== Survivability and armour ===
''Talk about the vehicle's armour. Note the most well-defended and most vulnerable zones, e.g. the ammo magazine. Evaluate the composition of components and assemblies responsible for movement and manoeuvrability. Evaluate the survivability of the primary and secondary armament separately. Don't forget to mention the size of the crew, which plays an important role in fleet mechanics. Save tips for preserving survivability in the "Use in battle" section.''
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{{Specs-Fleet-Armour}}
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<!-- ''Talk about the vehicle's armour. Note the most well-defended and most vulnerable zones, e.g. the ammo magazine. Evaluate the composition of components and assemblies responsible for movement and manoeuvrability. Evaluate the survivability of the primary and secondary armaments separately. Don't forget to mention the size of the crew, which plays an important role in fleet mechanics. Save tips on preserving survivability for the "Usage in battles" section. If necessary, use a graphical template to show the most well-protected or most vulnerable points in the armour.'' -->
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With well over 10 mm of anti-fragmentation armour, the Somers won't stop incoming shells, but can greatly reduce HE damage. Aside from that, the lack of armour on turrets makes the vessel very easy to disable with rapid-firing weapons at close range, and of course the massive row of torpedoes often serves as a ammo-rack, and so not taking torpedoes is a rather prudent idea.
  
''If necessary, use a graphics template to show the most well-protected or most vulnerable points in the armour.''
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=== Mobility ===
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{{Specs-Fleet-Mobility}}
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<!-- ''Write about the ship's mobility. Evaluate its power and manoeuvrability, rudder rerouting speed, stopping speed at full tilt, with its maximum forward and reverse speed.'' -->
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Nearly 70 km/h forward when spaded makes the Somers a very fast ship for its BR, though it does not have the best turning circle.
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{{NavalMobility}}
  
=== Mobility ===
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=== Modifications and economy ===
''Write about the ship’s mobility. Evaluate its power and manoeuvrability, rudder rerouting speed, stopping speed at full tilt, with its maximum forward speed and reverse speed.''
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{{Specs-Economy}}
  
 
== Armament ==
 
== Armament ==
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{{Specs-Fleet-Armaments}}
 
=== Primary armament ===
 
=== Primary armament ===
''Provide information about the characteristics of the primary armament. Evaluate their efficacy in battle based on their reload speed, ballistics and the capacity of their shells. Add a link to the main article about the weapon: <code><nowiki>{{main|Weapon name (calibre)}}</nowiki></code>.''
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{{Specs-Fleet-Primary}}
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<!-- ''Provide information about the characteristics of the primary armament. Evaluate their efficacy in battle based on their reload speed, ballistics and the capacity of their shells. Add a link to the main article about the weapon: <code><nowiki>{{main|Weapon name (calibre)}}</nowiki></code>. Broadly describe the ammunition available for the primary armament, and provide recommendations on how to use it and which ammunition to choose.'' -->
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{{main|5 inch/38 Mk.12 (127 mm)}}
  
''Broadly describe the ammunition available for the primary armament, and provide recommendations on how to use it and which ammunition to choose.''
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The Somers is equipped with 4 x twin 5"/38 (12.7 cm) Mark 12 guns, mounted in Mark 22 turrets. This gives Somers incredible anti-surface firepower, as these guns have 22 rounds/minute rate of fire with 40 rounds of ready-rack ammunition and 15 rounds/minute after that.
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Like the other American 5"/38 guns, Somers comes with the AAC Mark 34 HE shell as stock and can upgrade to the Common Mark 32 SAP shell. Somers does also have the AAVT Mark 31 HE-VT shell, but this is somewhat hampered due to the limited elevation of the guns (at a maximum of +35 degrees), which limits it to aircraft at long ranges (or low altitudes).
  
 
=== Secondary armament ===
 
=== Secondary armament ===
''Some ships are fitted with weapons of various calibres. The definition of secondary armament is the weapon chosen with the control <code>Select secondary weapon</code>. Evaluate the secondary armament and advise about how to use them. Describe the ammunition available for the secondary armament. Provide recommendations on how to use them and which ammunition to choose. Remember that anti-air armament, even heavy calibre weapons, belong in the next section.''
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{{Specs-Fleet-Secondary}}
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<!-- ''Some ships are fitted with weapons of various calibres. Secondary armaments are defined as weapons chosen with the control <code>Select secondary weapon</code>. Evaluate the secondary armaments and give advice on how to use them. Describe the ammunition available for the secondary armament. Provide recommendations on how to use them and which ammunition to choose. Remember that any anti-air armament, even heavy calibre weapons, belong in the next section. If there is no secondary armament, remove this section.'' -->
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{{main|1.1 inch/75 Mk.1 (28 mm)|AN-M2 (12.7 mm)}}
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For auxiliary armaments, Somers has a pair of quadruple 1.1"/75 (28 mm) Mark 1 Automatic guns as well as two .50" (12.7 mm) AN-M2 machine guns. One of the 1.1" mounts is placed on an elevated position between the front primary turrets and the bridge while the other is placed just before the after primary turrets. The two machine guns are on the fore end of the ship next to the front primary turrets.
  
''If there is no secondary armament, remove this section.''
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These guns will find good use as anti-torpedo boat guns, as the quadruple 1.1" automatics fire purely HE-T shells giving them a nasty bite against thinly armoured vehicles. If they manage to hit aircraft, you can be assured that it will not be unscathed.
  
=== Anti-aircraft armament ===
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=== Additional armament ===
''An important part of the ship’s armament responsible for air raid defence. Anti-aircraft armament is defined by the weapon chosen with the control <code>Select anti-aircraft weapons</code>. Talk about the ship’s anti-air cannons and machine guns, the number of guns and their positions, their effective range, and about their overall effectiveness – including against surface targets.''
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{{Specs-Fleet-Additional}}
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<!-- ''Describe the available additional armaments of the ship: depth charges, mines, torpedoes. Talk about their positions, available ammunition and launch features such as dead zones of torpedoes. If there is no additional armament, remove this section.'' -->
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{{main|Mk.15 (533 mm)}}
  
''If there is no anti-aircraft artillery, remove this section.''
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The Somers has an impressive battery of 3 x quadruple 21" (533 mm) torpedo tubes, using the Mark 15 torpedo. All of the launchers are on the ship's centreline so a total broadside of 12 torpedoes can be launched. No other destroyer has such a large volley, but they also do not have the same reload capacity as the Japanese destroyers.
  
=== Torpedo armament ===
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The default torpedo setting is a range of 5,500 meters at a speed of 45 knots. This can be modified to a range of 9,150 meters at a reduced speed of 33.5 knots. Each torpedo has a warhead of 224 kg TNT.
''Torpedoes launchers are standard equipment on many ships and boats. Torpedoes are a significant means of defeating an opponent. Evaluate the position of the torpedo launchers, discuss the ammunition available, firing specifics such as dead zones, features of the torpedoes themselves, etc.''
 
  
''If there is no torpedo armament, remove this section.''
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== Usage in battles ==
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<!-- ''Describe the technique of using this ship, the characteristics of her use in a team and tips on strategy. Abstain from writing an entire guide – don't try to provide a single point of view, but give the reader food for thought. Talk about the most dangerous opponents for this vehicle and provide recommendations on fighting them. If necessary, note the specifics of playing with this vehicle in various modes (AB, RB, SB).'' -->
  
=== Special armament ===
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The U.S.S. Somers is a powerful ship. This is because of the ship's main armament, which consists of eight 127 mm cannons mounted in four dual turrets, gaining an extra turret compared to the Sumner. This gives it the most broadside potential of any destroyer in the game. These guns also fire ridiculously fast at a whopping 2.8 seconds aced. This allows the Somers to have unmatched firepower potential for a destroyer, with its main rival being the [[Type 1936A (Mob)]] with its slower firing but larger calibre guns. As such, you should use this ship mainly to combat enemy destroyers. With good aim and luck, you should be able to take on any destroyer in the game in a straight-up 1 vs 1 fight. The ship is also equipped with 12 torpedoes, mounted in three quadruple launchers. While these torpedoes lack the reload ability of Japanese destroyers, you are able to fire more torpedoes in a single volley. These launchers are also equipped centreline meaning you can fire them off in any direction. The Somers is capable of dealing significant damage to even cruisers, but you should not fight a cruiser one-on-one as they will still have better firepower and more durability. However, the Somers makes a great support ship to attack a cruiser if it's already engaging a friendly ship.
''Depth charges, mines, rocket launchers and missiles are also effective in skilled hands and can take an off-guard opponent by surprise. Evaluate the ammunition of this type of armament and rate its performance in combat.''
 
  
== Usage in battles ==
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Unlike a majority of the late-war USN destroyers, the Somers does not have an adequate anti-air suite. The main power of your anti-air will be your main battery which is capable of firing Radio-Fuse shells. These will prove to be very useful to deal with enemy aircraft at long range, but you will struggle to deal with enemies that breach your defences. The ship is also equipped with two 1,1 inch/75 Mk.1 (28 mm) anti-air guns, and two AN-M2 Browning machine guns. However, you lack the stronger and more modern Oerlikon 20 mm and Bofors 40 mm cannons that your fellow USN destroyers are equipped with. This means that you have a significant disadvantage when it comes to anti-air protection and as such, you cannot use the Somers as an anti-air ship to the same extent of a [[Sumner (DD-692)]] or [[Cowell (DD-547)]].
''Describe the technique of using this ship, the characteristics of her use in a team and tips on strategy. Abstain from writing an entire guide – don’t try to provide a single point of view, but give the reader food for thought. Talk about the most dangerous opponents for this vehicle and provide recommendations on fighting them. If necessary, note the specifics of playing with this vehicle in various modes (AB, RB, SB).''
 
  
 
=== Pros and cons ===
 
=== Pros and cons ===
''Summarize and briefly evaluate the vehicle in terms of its characteristics and combat effectiveness. Mark its pros and cons in the bulleted list. Try not to use more than 6 points for each of the characteristics. Avoid using certain definitions such as "bad", "good" and the like - they have a substitution in the form of softer "inadequate", "effective".''
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<!-- ''Summarise and briefly evaluate the vehicle in terms of its characteristics and combat effectiveness. Mark its pros and cons in the bulleted list. Try not to use more than 6 points for each of the characteristics. Avoid using categorical definitions such as "bad", "good" and the like - use substitutions with softer forms such as "inadequate" and "effective".'' -->
  
 
'''Pros:'''
 
'''Pros:'''
*
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* Eight 127 mm guns, the highest amount of main guns of a destroyer, tied with IJN Akizuki
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* Twelve torpedoes, giving it the largest torpedo volley potential of any destroyer
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* Fast firing rate with main guns
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* Equipped with Radio Fuse shells to combat aircraft
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* Is devastating in a down-tier
  
 
'''Cons:'''
 
'''Cons:'''
*
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* Weak anti-air armament, only equipped with 28 mm autocannons and 12.7 mm Browning machine guns
 +
* Up-tiered to face heavy cruisers and pocket battleships
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* Not as well armoured as other USN DDs
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* Turrets easy to destroy
  
 
== History ==
 
== History ==
''Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the ship in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too big, take it to a separate article, taking a link to an article about the vehicle and adding a block "/ History" (example: <nowiki>https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Vehicle-name)/History</nowiki>) and add a link to it here using the <code>main</code> template. Be sure to reference text and sources by using <code><nowiki><ref></nowiki></code>, as well as adding them at the end of the article.''
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<!-- ''Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the ship in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too long, take it to a separate article, taking a link to the article about the ship and adding a block "/History" (example: <nowiki>https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Ship-name)/History</nowiki>) and add a link to it here using the <code>main</code> template. Be sure to reference text and sources by using <code><nowiki><ref></ref></nowiki></code>, as well as adding them at the end of the article with <code><nowiki><references /></nowiki></code>. This section may also include the ship's dev blog entry (if applicable) and the in-game encyclopedia description (under <code><nowiki>=== In-game description ===</nowiki></code>, also if applicable).'' -->[[File:USS Somers (DD-381) underway c1944.jpg|thumb|USS Somers underway in 1944. Note that her #3 turret has been removed to make way for Bofors guns.]]
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USS Somers (DD-381) was the lead ship of the Somers class of large destroyers built for the United States during the interwar period. Designed as destroyer leaders, the ships were large and featured an extremely heavy main armament for their size. Somers herself was laid down in 1935 and launched in 1937; she went on to see some service in the Atlantic ocean as a convoy escort ship. Given her obsolete nature, Somers didn’t participate in many conflicts, and was eventually scrapped in 1947; she received two battle stars for her service during the Second World War.
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=== Design and development ===
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During the interwar period, the United States Navy built a number of large destroyers, or destroyer leaders, designed to lead destroyer flotillas in future conflicts. The first of these classes, the [[Porter (DD-356)|Porter]] class, was designed and built in the late 1920s to early 1930s. The Somers class was designed in the early 1930s, and was designed to supplement the Porter class in combat. Somers herself was laid down in June of 1935, and commissioned by December 1st 1937.
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Somers carried a main armament of eight 5-inch (127 mm) guns in four dual mounts - this was an exceptionally-heavy armament for a destroyer, matched only by her predecessor, the Porter. Her anti-aircraft armament was extremely weak, with just two quadruple 28 mm (1.1 inch) Chicago Piano anti-aircraft mounts and two 12.7 mm (0.5 inch) AN/M2 machine guns. Somers had a massive engine block delivering 52 000 shaft horsepower, allowing her to reach a maximum speed of 36 knots. As well, this new engine block allowed weight savings, which allowed her to carry an extra set of torpedo tubes - this meant that she had the heaviest torpedo broadside of any American ship ever built, with 12 torpedoes in a salvo. She had a crew of 278 men and 16 officers.
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=== Operational history ===
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After her commissioning, Somers joined the Atlantic fleet, and voyaged on a long shakedown cruise which took her to the Caribbean and to South America. Upon the outbreak of war in the European theatre, Somers participated in two years of neutrality patrols in the western Atlantic. On the morning of November 6th 1941, Somers and the cruiser Omaha encountered a merchantman under American flag, but upon approaching the ship, found that she was actually the German blockade runner Odenwald. Despite efforts by the Odenwald’s crew to scuttle her, the pair of ships were able to salvage the blockade runner and bring her back to port for disposition. For this action, the sailors of the Somers were awarded a sizable sum of prize money, the last instance of prize money being given out in the navy.
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Somers later encountered a second disguised German blockade runner, but that time, the blockade runner’s crew succeeded in scuttling the ship. In January of 1943, Somers escorted the cruiser Memphis, with president Franklin D. Roosevelt onboard, to his summit with British Prime Minister Winston Churchill in Casablanca. Later, she escorted the French warships Richelieu and Montcalm to the United States. Throughout the rest of 1943, Somers served as a patrol ship in the southern Atlantic, searching for German blockade runners and guarding from German submarines.
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In 1944, Somers was sent to the European theatre to serve in the Normandy invasion. Her sailors had hoped to be in an active role, but instead, the Somers was assigned to escort convoys across the English channel. She made this run numerous times, braving attacks from enemy aircraft. After Normandy, Somers was sent to the Mediterranean, where she remained for the rest of the war, visiting ports and seeing little action. Following the cessation of hostilities, Somers was decommissioned and eventually scrapped in 1947. She earned two battle stars for her service during the Second World War.
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=== [[wt:en/news/6042-development-uss-somers-dd-381-strength-in-numbers-en|Devblog]] ===
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In the mid-1930s, the U.S. Navy ordered the construction of the Somers-class destroyers. Although initially intended to only be repeats of the preceding Porter-class, the availability of a more economical power plant, developed for the Mahan-class, resulted in the Somers design being modified to facilitate this new power plant and being made into a new class entirely.
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As a result of using the new power plant, great savings in weight and space were made, allowing for the use of just a single funnel, which made it possible to install a third torpedo launcher on the ship's aft. Despite these changes however, the design remained overweight and top heavy. Nevertheless, construction commenced, with the lead ship of the class, USS Somers (DD-381) being laid down in June 1935 and commissioned into service in December 1937.
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USS Somers (DD-381) spent most of her early service period assigned to various missions in the Atlantic. On one instance, the ship was tasked with transporting a consignment of gold from London to New York in 1938.
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During WW2, USS Somers continued operating in the Atlantic, occasionally intercepting German blockade runners and briefly operating off the coast of West Africa in early 1943. In 1944, USS Somers took part in the invasion of Normandy as well as the allied landings in Southern France in the Mediterranean theater.
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USS Somers' final missions are marked with convoy escort duties as part of several transatlantic voyages. In May 1945, USS Somers returned to U.S. waters and underwent overhauls in August, before being decommissioned from active service in October. In May 1947, USS Somers was taken apart for scraps, marking the end of her service life of almost 10 years.
  
 
== Media ==
 
== Media ==
''An excellent addition to the article will be video guides, as well as screenshots from the game and photos.''
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''Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.''
  
 
== See also ==
 
== See also ==
''Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:''
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''Links to articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:''
 +
 
 
* ''reference to the series of the ship;''
 
* ''reference to the series of the ship;''
 
* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.''
 
* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.''
  
 
== External links ==
 
== External links ==
''Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:''
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<!-- ''Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:''
 
* ''topic on the official game forum;''
 
* ''topic on the official game forum;''
* ''encyclopedia page on ship;''
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* ''encyclopedia page on the ship;''
* ''other literature.''
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* ''other literature.'' -->
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* [[wt:en/news/6042-development-uss-somers-dd-381-strength-in-numbers-en|[Devblog] USS Somers (DD-381): Strength in Numbers]]
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 +
=== References ===
  
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* Navy History and Heritage Command. (2015, September 10). Somers V (DD-381). Retrieved January 19, 2021, from <nowiki>https://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/s/somers-v.html</nowiki>
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{{ShipManufacturer Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Co.}}
 
{{USA destroyers}}
 
{{USA destroyers}}

Revision as of 23:29, 2 June 2021

Rank VI USA | Premium | Golden Eagles
A-10A Thunderbolt (Early)
us_destroyer_somers.png
GarageImage USS Somers.jpg
USS Somers
AB RB SB
5.0 5.0 5.0
Class:
Research:36 000 Specs-Card-Exp.png
Purchase:115 000 Specs-Card-Lion.png
Show in game

Description

The Somers-class, USS Somers (DD-381), 1938 is a rank III American destroyer with a battle rating of 5.0 (AB/RB/SB). It was introduced in Update 1.87 "Locked On".

General info

Survivability and armour

Armourfront / side / back
Main fire tower3 / 3 / 3 mm
Hull16 mm (steel)
Superstructure4 mm (steel)
Number of section7
Displacement2 767 t
Crew235 people

With well over 10 mm of anti-fragmentation armour, the Somers won't stop incoming shells, but can greatly reduce HE damage. Aside from that, the lack of armour on turrets makes the vessel very easy to disable with rapid-firing weapons at close range, and of course the massive row of torpedoes often serves as a ammo-rack, and so not taking torpedoes is a rather prudent idea.

Mobility

Speedforward / back
AB85 / 31 km/h
RB69 / 25 km/h

Nearly 70 km/h forward when spaded makes the Somers a very fast ship for its BR, though it does not have the best turning circle.

Mobility Characteristics
Game Mode Upgrade Status Maximum Speed (km/h) Turn Time (s) Turn Radius (m)
Forward Reverse
AB Stock ___ ___
Upgraded 85 31
RB/SB Stock ___ ___
Upgraded 69 25

Modifications and economy

Repair costBasic → Reference
AB2 853 → 3 646 Sl icon.png
RB4 379 → 5 596 Sl icon.png
Total cost of modifications35 800 Rp icon.png
78 100 Sl icon.png
Talisman cost1 200 Ge icon.png
Crew training33 000 Sl icon.png
Experts115 000 Sl icon.png
Aces590 Ge icon.png
Research Aces360 000 Rp icon.png
Reward for battleAB / RB / SB
240 / 600 / 100 % Sl icon.png
148 / 148 / 148 % Rp icon.png
Modifications
Seakeeping Unsinkability Firepower
Mods new ship hull.png
Dry-Docking
Research:
2 400 Rp icon.png
Cost:
5 200 Sl icon.png
220 Ge icon.png
Mods new ship rudder.png
Rudder Replacement
Research:
1 600 Rp icon.png
Cost:
3 500 Sl icon.png
150 Ge icon.png
Mods new ship screw.png
Propeller Replacement
Research:
1 500 Rp icon.png
Cost:
3 300 Sl icon.png
140 Ge icon.png
Mods new ship engine.png
Engine Maintenance
Research:
2 900 Rp icon.png
Cost:
6 300 Sl icon.png
270 Ge icon.png
Mods ship damage control crew.png
Damage Control Division
Research:
2 400 Rp icon.png
Cost:
5 200 Sl icon.png
220 Ge icon.png
Mods ship fire control crew.png
Fire Division
Research:
1 600 Rp icon.png
Cost:
3 500 Sl icon.png
150 Ge icon.png
Mods engine smoke screen system.png
Smokescreen
Research:
1 600 Rp icon.png
Cost:
3 500 Sl icon.png
150 Ge icon.png
Mods ship anti fragmentation protection.png
Shrapnel Protection
Research:
1 500 Rp icon.png
Cost:
3 300 Sl icon.png
140 Ge icon.png
Mods ship venting.png
Ventilation
Research:
1 500 Rp icon.png
Cost:
3 300 Sl icon.png
140 Ge icon.png
Mods new ship pumps.png
New Pumps
Research:
2 900 Rp icon.png
Cost:
6 300 Sl icon.png
270 Ge icon.png
Mods ship ammo wetting.png
Ammo Wetting
Research:
2 900 Rp icon.png
Cost:
6 300 Sl icon.png
270 Ge icon.png
Mods tank ammo.png
127mm_usa_mk32_common_sap_ammo_pack
Research:
2 400 Rp icon.png
Cost:
5 200 Sl icon.png
220 Ge icon.png
Mods tank ammo.png
127mm_usa_mk46_special_common_sap_ammo_pack
Research:
1 600 Rp icon.png
Cost:
3 500 Sl icon.png
150 Ge icon.png
Mods new aux caliber turrets.png
Auxiliary Armament Targeting
Research:
1 600 Rp icon.png
Cost:
3 500 Sl icon.png
150 Ge icon.png
Mods he frag proxi fuze ship.png
127mm_usa_mk31_aavt_radio_fuse_ammo_pack
Research:
1 500 Rp icon.png
Cost:
3 300 Sl icon.png
140 Ge icon.png
Mods new main caliber turrets.png
Primary Armament Targeting
Research:
1 500 Rp icon.png
Cost:
3 300 Sl icon.png
140 Ge icon.png
Mods ship rangefinder.png
Improved Rangefinder
Research:
1 500 Rp icon.png
Cost:
3 300 Sl icon.png
140 Ge icon.png
Mods torpedo.png
Torpedo Mode
Research:
2 900 Rp icon.png
Cost:
6 300 Sl icon.png
270 Ge icon.png

Armament

Primary armament

4 х Turret2 x 5 inch/38 Mk.12 cannon, mount Mk.22
Ammunition720 rounds
Vertical guidance-10° / 35°

The Somers is equipped with 4 x twin 5"/38 (12.7 cm) Mark 12 guns, mounted in Mark 22 turrets. This gives Somers incredible anti-surface firepower, as these guns have 22 rounds/minute rate of fire with 40 rounds of ready-rack ammunition and 15 rounds/minute after that.

Like the other American 5"/38 guns, Somers comes with the AAC Mark 34 HE shell as stock and can upgrade to the Common Mark 32 SAP shell. Somers does also have the AAVT Mark 31 HE-VT shell, but this is somewhat hampered due to the limited elevation of the guns (at a maximum of +35 degrees), which limits it to aircraft at long ranges (or low altitudes).

Secondary armament

2 х Turret4 x 1.1 inch/75 Mk.1 automatic gun
Ammunition7800 rounds
Belt capacity65 rounds
Fire rate150 shots/min
2 х Turret12.7 mm Browning AN-M2 machine gun
Ammunition2000 rounds
Belt capacity200 rounds
Fire rate577 shots/min

For auxiliary armaments, Somers has a pair of quadruple 1.1"/75 (28 mm) Mark 1 Automatic guns as well as two .50" (12.7 mm) AN-M2 machine guns. One of the 1.1" mounts is placed on an elevated position between the front primary turrets and the bridge while the other is placed just before the after primary turrets. The two machine guns are on the fore end of the ship next to the front primary turrets.

These guns will find good use as anti-torpedo boat guns, as the quadruple 1.1" automatics fire purely HE-T shells giving them a nasty bite against thinly armoured vehicles. If they manage to hit aircraft, you can be assured that it will not be unscathed.

Additional armament

Setup 112 x 533 mm steam turbined Mk.15 torpedo
Main article: Mk.15 (533 mm)

The Somers has an impressive battery of 3 x quadruple 21" (533 mm) torpedo tubes, using the Mark 15 torpedo. All of the launchers are on the ship's centreline so a total broadside of 12 torpedoes can be launched. No other destroyer has such a large volley, but they also do not have the same reload capacity as the Japanese destroyers.

The default torpedo setting is a range of 5,500 meters at a speed of 45 knots. This can be modified to a range of 9,150 meters at a reduced speed of 33.5 knots. Each torpedo has a warhead of 224 kg TNT.

Usage in battles

The U.S.S. Somers is a powerful ship. This is because of the ship's main armament, which consists of eight 127 mm cannons mounted in four dual turrets, gaining an extra turret compared to the Sumner. This gives it the most broadside potential of any destroyer in the game. These guns also fire ridiculously fast at a whopping 2.8 seconds aced. This allows the Somers to have unmatched firepower potential for a destroyer, with its main rival being the Type 1936A (Mob) with its slower firing but larger calibre guns. As such, you should use this ship mainly to combat enemy destroyers. With good aim and luck, you should be able to take on any destroyer in the game in a straight-up 1 vs 1 fight. The ship is also equipped with 12 torpedoes, mounted in three quadruple launchers. While these torpedoes lack the reload ability of Japanese destroyers, you are able to fire more torpedoes in a single volley. These launchers are also equipped centreline meaning you can fire them off in any direction. The Somers is capable of dealing significant damage to even cruisers, but you should not fight a cruiser one-on-one as they will still have better firepower and more durability. However, the Somers makes a great support ship to attack a cruiser if it's already engaging a friendly ship.

Unlike a majority of the late-war USN destroyers, the Somers does not have an adequate anti-air suite. The main power of your anti-air will be your main battery which is capable of firing Radio-Fuse shells. These will prove to be very useful to deal with enemy aircraft at long range, but you will struggle to deal with enemies that breach your defences. The ship is also equipped with two 1,1 inch/75 Mk.1 (28 mm) anti-air guns, and two AN-M2 Browning machine guns. However, you lack the stronger and more modern Oerlikon 20 mm and Bofors 40 mm cannons that your fellow USN destroyers are equipped with. This means that you have a significant disadvantage when it comes to anti-air protection and as such, you cannot use the Somers as an anti-air ship to the same extent of a Sumner (DD-692) or Cowell (DD-547).

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Eight 127 mm guns, the highest amount of main guns of a destroyer, tied with IJN Akizuki
  • Twelve torpedoes, giving it the largest torpedo volley potential of any destroyer
  • Fast firing rate with main guns
  • Equipped with Radio Fuse shells to combat aircraft
  • Is devastating in a down-tier

Cons:

  • Weak anti-air armament, only equipped with 28 mm autocannons and 12.7 mm Browning machine guns
  • Up-tiered to face heavy cruisers and pocket battleships
  • Not as well armoured as other USN DDs
  • Turrets easy to destroy

History

USS Somers underway in 1944. Note that her #3 turret has been removed to make way for Bofors guns.

USS Somers (DD-381) was the lead ship of the Somers class of large destroyers built for the United States during the interwar period. Designed as destroyer leaders, the ships were large and featured an extremely heavy main armament for their size. Somers herself was laid down in 1935 and launched in 1937; she went on to see some service in the Atlantic ocean as a convoy escort ship. Given her obsolete nature, Somers didn’t participate in many conflicts, and was eventually scrapped in 1947; she received two battle stars for her service during the Second World War.

Design and development

During the interwar period, the United States Navy built a number of large destroyers, or destroyer leaders, designed to lead destroyer flotillas in future conflicts. The first of these classes, the Porter class, was designed and built in the late 1920s to early 1930s. The Somers class was designed in the early 1930s, and was designed to supplement the Porter class in combat. Somers herself was laid down in June of 1935, and commissioned by December 1st 1937.

Somers carried a main armament of eight 5-inch (127 mm) guns in four dual mounts - this was an exceptionally-heavy armament for a destroyer, matched only by her predecessor, the Porter. Her anti-aircraft armament was extremely weak, with just two quadruple 28 mm (1.1 inch) Chicago Piano anti-aircraft mounts and two 12.7 mm (0.5 inch) AN/M2 machine guns. Somers had a massive engine block delivering 52 000 shaft horsepower, allowing her to reach a maximum speed of 36 knots. As well, this new engine block allowed weight savings, which allowed her to carry an extra set of torpedo tubes - this meant that she had the heaviest torpedo broadside of any American ship ever built, with 12 torpedoes in a salvo. She had a crew of 278 men and 16 officers.

Operational history

After her commissioning, Somers joined the Atlantic fleet, and voyaged on a long shakedown cruise which took her to the Caribbean and to South America. Upon the outbreak of war in the European theatre, Somers participated in two years of neutrality patrols in the western Atlantic. On the morning of November 6th 1941, Somers and the cruiser Omaha encountered a merchantman under American flag, but upon approaching the ship, found that she was actually the German blockade runner Odenwald. Despite efforts by the Odenwald’s crew to scuttle her, the pair of ships were able to salvage the blockade runner and bring her back to port for disposition. For this action, the sailors of the Somers were awarded a sizable sum of prize money, the last instance of prize money being given out in the navy.

Somers later encountered a second disguised German blockade runner, but that time, the blockade runner’s crew succeeded in scuttling the ship. In January of 1943, Somers escorted the cruiser Memphis, with president Franklin D. Roosevelt onboard, to his summit with British Prime Minister Winston Churchill in Casablanca. Later, she escorted the French warships Richelieu and Montcalm to the United States. Throughout the rest of 1943, Somers served as a patrol ship in the southern Atlantic, searching for German blockade runners and guarding from German submarines.

In 1944, Somers was sent to the European theatre to serve in the Normandy invasion. Her sailors had hoped to be in an active role, but instead, the Somers was assigned to escort convoys across the English channel. She made this run numerous times, braving attacks from enemy aircraft. After Normandy, Somers was sent to the Mediterranean, where she remained for the rest of the war, visiting ports and seeing little action. Following the cessation of hostilities, Somers was decommissioned and eventually scrapped in 1947. She earned two battle stars for her service during the Second World War.

Devblog

In the mid-1930s, the U.S. Navy ordered the construction of the Somers-class destroyers. Although initially intended to only be repeats of the preceding Porter-class, the availability of a more economical power plant, developed for the Mahan-class, resulted in the Somers design being modified to facilitate this new power plant and being made into a new class entirely.

As a result of using the new power plant, great savings in weight and space were made, allowing for the use of just a single funnel, which made it possible to install a third torpedo launcher on the ship's aft. Despite these changes however, the design remained overweight and top heavy. Nevertheless, construction commenced, with the lead ship of the class, USS Somers (DD-381) being laid down in June 1935 and commissioned into service in December 1937.

USS Somers (DD-381) spent most of her early service period assigned to various missions in the Atlantic. On one instance, the ship was tasked with transporting a consignment of gold from London to New York in 1938.

During WW2, USS Somers continued operating in the Atlantic, occasionally intercepting German blockade runners and briefly operating off the coast of West Africa in early 1943. In 1944, USS Somers took part in the invasion of Normandy as well as the allied landings in Southern France in the Mediterranean theater.

USS Somers' final missions are marked with convoy escort duties as part of several transatlantic voyages. In May 1945, USS Somers returned to U.S. waters and underwent overhauls in August, before being decommissioned from active service in October. In May 1947, USS Somers was taken apart for scraps, marking the end of her service life of almost 10 years.

Media

Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.

See also

Links to articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:

  • reference to the series of the ship;
  • links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.

External links

References

  • Navy History and Heritage Command. (2015, September 10). Somers V (DD-381). Retrieved January 19, 2021, from https://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/s/somers-v.html
Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company
Gun Destroyers (DD) 
Somers-class  USS Somers
Fletcher-class  USS Fletcher
Allen M. Sumner-class  USS Sumner
Gearing-class  USS Gearing
Cruiser, Light (CL) 
Atlanta-class  USS Atlanta

USA destroyers
Clemson-class  USS Welborn C. Wood · USS Barker · USS Litchfield
Farragut-class  USS Aylwin
Porter-class  USS Porter · USS Phelps · USS Moffett
Somers-class  USS Somers · USS Davis
Fletcher-class  USS Fletcher · USS Bennion · USS Cowell
Allen M. Sumner-class  USS Sumner
Gearing-class  USS Gearing · USS Frank Knox
Mitscher-class  USS Mitscher · USS Wilkinson