| When they commissioned, the first eight 1500-tonners (the Farragut class) were assigned as Destroyer Squadron 20 in the squadron numbering system of the time.
Before World War II, however, they and the other 1500-tonners and 1850-ton leaders were reorganized into seven squadrons, each with a flagship and two four-ship divisions. Likewise, the nine low-numbered Sims-class destroyers were organized as DesRon 2 while the other three Sims were initially assigned as flagships for Squadrons 8, 11 and 13.
Each squadron was commanded by a captain. Later, as with the Fletchers, the squadron flagship was normally assigned to the low-numbered division, which the squadron commander commanded, eliminating the need for a division commander..
The initial composition of these eight squadrons was as follows: DESRON 1
The eight Farragut-class ships plus 1850-tonner Phelps. FLAGSHIP — 360 Phelps. | DESDIV 1 — 349 Dewey (flag), 350 Hull, 351 Macdonough, 352 Worden. | DESDIV 2 — 348 Farragut (flag), 353 Dale, 354 Monaghan, 355 Aylwin. |
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DESRON 2
The nine low-numbered Sims-class ships. FLAGSHIP — 417 Morris. | DESDIV 3 — 409 Sims, 410 Hughes, 411 Anderson (flag), 412 Hammann. | DESDIV 4 — 413 Mustin (flag), 414 O’Brien, 415 Russell, 416 Walke. |
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DESRON 3
Eight Mahan-class ships plus 1850-tonner Clark. FLAGSHIP — 361 Clark. | DESDIV 5 — 369 Reid, 371 Conyngham, 372 Cassin (flag), 375 Downes. | DESDIV 6 — 365 Cummings, 370 Case (flag), 373 Shaw, 374 Tucker. |
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DESRON 4
The eight Bagley-class ships plus 1850-tonner Selfridge. FLAGSHIP — 357 Selfridge. | DESDIV 7 — 386 Bagley, 387 Blue (flag), 388 Helm, 391 Henley. | DESDIV 8 — 389 Mugford (flag), 390 Ralph Talbot, 392 Patterson, 393 Jarvis. |
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DESRON 5
Eight Mahan-class ships plus 1850-tonner Porter. FLAGSHIP — 356 Porter. | DESDIV 9 — 364 Mahan, 366 Drayton, 367 Lamson, 368 Flusser. | DESDIV 10 — 376 Cushing, 377 Perkins, 378 Smith, 379 Preston. |
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DESRON 6
The four Gridley-class ships, the two Dunlap- (last two Mahan)-class ships and the two low-numbered Benham-class ships plus 1850-tonner Balch. FLAGSHIP — 431 Balch. | DESDIV 11 — 380 Gridley, 382 Craven, 400 McCall, 401 Maury (flag). | DESDIV 12 — 384 Dunlap (flag), 385 Fanning, 397 Benham, 398 Ellet. |
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DESRON 8
The eight high-numbered Benham-class ships plus Sims-class Wainwright. FLAGSHIP — 419 Wainwright. | DESDIV 15 — 399 Lang (flag), 406 Stack, 407 Sterett, 408 Wilson. | DESDIV 16 — 402 Mayrant (flag), 403 Trippe, 404 Rhind, 405 Rowan. |
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DESRON 9
The eight otherwise-unassigned 1850-tonners. DESDIV 17 — 358 McDougal (flag), 359 Winslow, 362 Moffett, 394 Sampson. | DESDIV 18 — 381 Somers, 383 Warrington, 395 Davis (squadron flag), 396 Jouett. |
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Note: Division listings show ships in hull-number order. Division listings in other sources sometimes use different orders, e.g., reflecting the seniority of their commanding officers at a specific time.Amendments and corrections are always welcome. | |
