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DD-838 "USS Ernest Small" is an example of a custom model circa Korean War before the FRAM program. The replication has many changes from the ship's original 1945 state, including main fire control director on bridge and number 838 on a turret.

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DD-763 "USS William Lawe" is an example of a custom model replicated to circa 1977 after the ship got a FRAM-1B modernization. Note removal of the #2 gun mount (replaced by triple torpedo tubes), sonar added underneath, ASROC added between the funnels and addition of a hanger and helo-pad aft.
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Custom model shows close up of the 8-tube ASROC launcher.

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Custom model FRAM 1B replication shows hanger and torpedo laden drone helicopter.   However, as re-fit work varied greatly from ship to ship, ALL WOOD WINGS researches extensively and works closely with the client to ensure accurate replication.

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Above non-custom model: Depth charges and AA guns crowd
the aft deck of a circa 1945 destroyer. 600lb depth charges in cans rolled off the stern while K-guns along the railings fired
300lb charges over the sides to make for a wider killing zone.
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Photography by Action Asia Photo
© 2002-8 Action Asia Photo - All Rights Reserved
www.actionasiaphoto.com
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The Gearing Class was basically a stretched version of the Allen M. Sumner Class. In an attempt to increase the speed and the range of the Sumners, a 14 foot section was added amidships to increase fuel capacity. It also made for a more favorable length-to-beam ratio. The class was followed by the Forrest Sherman Class.

DD-710 USS Gearing - lead destroyer of its class - was launched February 18th, 1945 at Kearny, NY.  The destroyer was named for three generations of naval men - Henry Chalfant Gearing, Henry Chalfant Gearing, Jr. and Henry Chalfant Gearing III - the latter being lost with his ship when it was torpedoed and sunk in the Solomons in 1942. USS Gearing - sponsored by Mrs. Thomas M. Foley (daughter of Commander Gearing) - was commissioned May 3rd, 1945 and stricken July 2nd, 1973.

Fleet Rehabilitation and Modernization (FRAM)

Fleet Rehabilitation and Modernization - or FRAM - was a program to extend the useful lives of WWII era US Navy ships - specifically destroyers - during the time of the Eisenhower Administration who was seeking major cuts in US defense spending at the same time that the Navy faced a growing strategic threat from the Russian submarine force. With the Soviets having over 300 fast-attack submarines in service by 1957 and forecasted to pose an ominous threat with long range torpedoes by the 1960s, the US Navy - at the helm of Admiral Burke - found a solution to the problem in a combination of two "stand-off" weapon systems called ASROC and DASH.

ASROC  was an ASW (anti-submarine warfare) system for a 1-5 mile range that launched a solid-fuel rocket which carried a torpedo or depth-bomb payload. DASH  was a 900 lb coaxial drone helicopter with an ASW range of 22 miles. While both ASROC and DASH delivered the same weapon (MK-44 Torpedo) DASH was special in that it could be re-called if the target turned out to be friendly.

FRAM was not a simple process as it involved reconstruction of three different classes of destroyers, three different classes of Destroyer Escorts, and the Destroyer Tenders that would keep those destroyers and destroyer escorts armed and supplied. Occurring in the late-1950s to mid-1960s, the rebuilding of the ships was not only different per class of ships, but the installation (known as FRAM 1) or just a modernization of the ship (known as FRAM 2) could be different within a specific class as well. Furthermore, while many ships received FRAM, not all received DASH while others received DASH and ASROC. Finally there were some further differences from ship to ship.

The three main destroyer types that received FRAM reconstruction were the Fletcher, Sumner and Gearing classes. By 1965, 168 destroyers of all types had received FRAM reconstruction or modernization.

Gearing Destroyers and FRAM

Many Gearing destroyers had been earlier modified for specific missions (i.e. Radar Picket, Hunter-Killer destroyers and Anti-Submarine Warfare). FRAM was different for all versions. Eventually all but 3 of the 98 Gearings that were commissioned got FRAM rehabilitation or modernization.

FRAM 1: Developed primarily for the Gearing class, it was a complete reconstruction of the ship that extended the life of a destroyer by 8 years and was much more than FRAM 2. FRAM 1 included the rebuilding of the superstructure, rehabilitated the engines and electronics and installed ASROC, DASH, SQS-23 Sonar, new radars for air search, surface search and height-finding, and 2 triple Mk-32 torpedo launchers. FRAM 1 required the destroyer to lose one of its twin 5" caliber gun mounts. The FRAM 1 reconstruction was somewhat different for the top deck arrangement of the Gearings resulting in two distinct variants.

FRAM 1 "A": Removal of aft twin 5" caliber gun mount (Mount 53). Group A ships also received two Hedgehogs fitted on each side of the bridge at the O-1 level and had the Mk-32 triple torpedo launchers aft of the second stack.

FRAM 1 "B": Removal of the second twin 5" caliber gun mount (Mount 52, just in front of the bridge). In place of mount 52, a practice 5-inch reloading machine was installed and the Mk-32 triple torpedo launchers were placed aft of the loader. Group B ships also had more ASROC + torpedo storage area next to the port side of the DASH hangar. There are distinct differences in this group of ships with some having taller masts than others.

FRAM 2: Developed primarily for the Sumner Class, it did include most versions of Gearing destroyers and was mostly a modernization program. FRAM 2 extended the life of a destroyer by about 5 years, installed DASH, Mk-32 torpedo launchers, new air search, surface search and height-finding radars and variable depth sonar (VDS). There are distinct differences in this group of ships as regards the new 3" gun mounts being placed either "inline" or "offset".