The Somers class continued the large destroyer-leader line with eight 5-inch/38 guns in four twin mounts and twelve centerline torpedo tubes. High-pressure boilers, economizers, and double-reduction gearing gave the ships more than 7,000 nautical miles of range and trial speeds above 38 knots. Their early service included Atlantic neutrality patrols. USS Somers and USS Omaha captured the German blockade runner Odenwald in November 1941, leading to the US Navy's final award of prize money in 1947. Members of the boarding party and prize crew received $3,000 each, while the rest of both ships' crews received two months' pay and allowances. USS Warrington, lost in a hurricane north of the Bahamas in September 1944, was the class's only wartime loss. The class later served in the Pacific, supported the Casablanca conference, undertook transatlantic escort work, and took part in the Normandy invasion. The 5-inch/38 guns were dual-purpose weapons, though some original mounts lacked the elevation needed for effective anti-aircraft fire. Wartime refits therefore traded an aft twin mount for added 40 mm weapons as the air threat grew.
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Somers combined leader firepower with long-range flexibility
Five Somers-class leaders improved on Porter with twelve centerline torpedo tubes, efficient high-pressure machinery, long range, and enough adaptability for service from blockade patrols to Normandy.