USS Hull (DD-945), 1975: big guns and laser guided shells

TomLiu126 · January 28, 2025, 5:02pm

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USS Hull firing her 8-inch gun (source- navsource)

USS Hull (DD-945) was a Forrest Sherman-class destroyer that served in the US Navy from 1958 to 1983. This suggestion is for its 1975 refit, in which she was experimentally fitted with an 8-inch/55-caliber Mark 71 gun from the Major Caliber Lightweight Gun (MCLWG) program. Not only was it one of the largest guns ever mounted on a destroyer, but it was also one of the first naval guns to fire laser-guided projectiles. She also retained her aft 5-inch/54-caliber Mark 42 guns and four 3-inch/50-caliber Mark 34 guns, providing decent overall firepower. The tests were successful, but funding for the MCLWG program was cut in 1978 and USS Hull was restored to her original configuration in 1979. She continued to serve until decommissioned in 1983 and sunk in weapons tests in 1998.

Being an experimental configuration, I believe a regular Forrest Sherman class would be more suited for the tech tree than this. However, an interesting idea is to implement this as a modification for a regular USS Hull. In War Thunder, the 8-inch Mark 71 won’t be as much of an upgrade over the 5-inch Mark 42 as expected. It only had HE shells (near useless against heavily armoured cruisers it may see in uptiers) and had a maximum capacity of 75 rounds. At its maximum fire rate of 12 rounds per minute, that only allows for 6.25 minutes of continuous fire (for comparison, the 5-inch had enough ammo for 8.75 minutes of continuous fire). However, the laser-guided shell may be useful for sinking agile torpedo boats from a distance.

History

USS Hull was the fourth navy ship to be named after the famed Commodore Isaac Hull. She was launched by Bath Iron Works, Bath, Maine on 10 August 1957, sponsored by the wife of Rear Admiral Albert G. Mumma, and commissioned on 3 July 1958 under the command of Commander H. H. Ries.

After shakedown training in New England waters, she traversed the Panama Canal and joined the Seventh Fleet in late 1958. She mostly served in the West Pacific area, apart from a brief stint escorting ships in the Panama Canal Zone during the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis. Starting from 1965, she served six Vietnam War deployments with the Seventh Fleet, often performing plane guard duties in the Gulf of Tonkin.

In her 1974-1975 refit, the forward 5-inch turret was replaced with the 8-inch/55-caliber Mark 71 gun from the Major Caliber Lightweight Gun (MCLWG) program. At the time, the 5-inch/54-caliber Mark 43 gun was effectively the only shore bombardment weapon of the US Navy. It was seen as inadequate, as it was outranged by Soviet shore defences and couldn’t destroy hardened structures. Therefore, the MCLWG program intended to develop a gun that was more powerful than the 5-inch and light enough to be installed on destroyers and cruisers. The Mark 71 was the result of this project. It could fire 8-inch HE projectiles, including a new PAVEWAY or CLGP (Cannon Launched, Guided Projectile) round. It had a maximum fire rate of 12 rounds per minute (the guided round required a double procedure when loading due to its longer length, reducing the fire rate to 6 rounds per minute). The prototype installed in the USS Hull had a ready rack of 75 rounds in a single drum. Due to a lack of space, no extra rounds were carried for the version on USS Hull, although planned installations on the Spruance-class destroyers and nuclear-powered guided missile cruisers allowed for 400 to 500 rounds total.

Despite shore testing showing that the stress produced by firing was within acceptable levels, many were concerned that the Mark 71 would damage the USS Hull. Fortunately, these concerns proved to be false, as the several hundred strain gauges installed in the bow recorded no excessive shock to the ship. Over 1,800 8-inch rounds were fired by the USS Hull. The laser-guided shell was also tested on 29 June 1976 against the Fletcher-class destroyer USS Burns (DD-588). Five Paveway GP shells were fired at USS Burns, all of which hit their mark. Although the intention was not to sink the target, the laser spot on the hull was reflected down onto the water, and one of the rounds hit below the waterline, causing gradual flooding. After the decision was made to destroy the target instead, USS Burns was finally sunk by about 50 5-inch rounds from the Mark 42 guns. Overall testing was declared a success, but funding for the MCLWG was abruptly cut in 1978, and USS Hull was returned to her triple 5-inch configuration in her 1979-1980 overhaul.

From 1981, USS Hull served again in Asian waters and later served as part of the USS Enterprise carrier battle group in the Indian Ocean and Arabian Sea. After returning to the US West Coast in April 1983, she immediately began procedures for deactivation and was decommissioned in July. She was sunk on 7 April 1998 during weapons testing.

Specifications

Length: 127 m
Beam: 14 m
Speed: 32+ knots
Crew: 17 officers, 275 enlisted
Fire control system: Mark 68 gun fire control system, including AN/SPG-53 tracking radar; Mark 155 ballistic computer added to provide 8-inch gun ballistics
Armament:

1x 8-inch/55-caliber Mark 71 gun
- Projectiles: HC Mark 25, PAVEWAY GP (laser-guided round)
- Muzzle velocity: 808 m/s
- Fire rate: 12 rpm (6 rpm for PAVEWAY GP)
- Ready rack: 75 rounds
- Total ammo storage: 75 rounds
- Elevation: -5 / +65 degrees, 20˚/s
- Traverse: +160 / -160 degrees, 30˚/s
2x 5-inch/54-caliber Mark 42 guns
4x 3-inch/50-caliber Mark 34 guns
6x 12.75-inch torpedos in two Mark 32 surface vessel torpedo tubes triple mounts