USS Brownson (DD 868)

- decommissioned -

USS BROWNSON was one of the GEARING - class destroyers and the second ship in the Navy to bear the name. Both decommissioned and stricken from the Navy list on September 30, 1976, the BROWNSON was sold for scrapping on June 10, 1977, to North American Smelting, Bordentown, NJ.

General Characteristics:	Awarded: 1943
	Keel laid: February 13, 1945
	Launched: July 7, 1945
	Commissioned: November 17, 1945
	Decommissioned: September 30, 1976
	Builder: Bethlehem Steel Co., Staten Island, N.Y.
	FRAM I Conversion Shipyard: Boston Naval Shipyard, Boston, Mass.
	FRAM I Conversion Period: 1963 - May 1964
	Propulsion system: four boilers, General Electric geared turbines; 60,000 SHP
	Propellers: two
	Length: 391 feet (119.2 meters)
	Beam: 41 feet (12.5 meters)
	Draft: 18.7 feet (5.7 meters)
	Displacement: approx. 3,400 tons full load
	Speed: 34 knots
	Aircraft after FRAM I: two DASH drones
	Armament after FRAM I: one ASROC missile launcher, two 5-inch/38 caliber twin mounts, Mk-32 ASW torpedo tubes (two triple mounts)
	Crew after FRAM I: 14 officers, 260 enlisted

go to the end of the page

Crew List:

This section contains the names of sailors who served aboard USS BROWNSON. It is no official listing but contains the names of sailors who submitted their information.

Click here to view the list.

go to the end of the page

Click here to see which USS BROWNSON memorabilia are currently for sale on ebay.

go to the end of the page

USS BROWNSON Cruise Books:

Middle East Cruise Book 1975

go to the end of the page

About the Ship's Name:

Born in Lyons, N.Y., 8 July 1845, Willard Herbert Brownson graduated from the Naval Academy in 1865. He commanded the protected cruiser DETROIT at Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, during the revolution of 1893-94 and YANKEE during the Spanish-American War. From 1900 until 1902 he was Superintendent of the Naval Academy. He became Commander-in-Chief of the Asiatic Fleet 15 October 1906. After his retirement in July 1907 he continued on active duty as Chief of the Bureau of Navigation by order of President Theodore Roosevelt. Rear Admiral Brownson died at Washington, D.C., 16 March 1935.

go to the end of the page

Accidents aboard USS BROWNSON:

Date	Where	Events
November 8, 1950	off Bermuda	USS BROWNSON and her sistership USS CHARLES H. ROAN (DD 853) collide during night operations, killing four. BROWNSON receives heavy damage to her bow. She receives a temporary bow at the US Naval Base at Bermuda before heading for the Boston Naval Shipyard for repairs.

Back to Destroyers list.

Back to ships list.

Back to selection page.

Back to 1^st page.