In this fourth edition, two of the larger builds of US destroyers are covered; that of the Sumner and Gearing classes. Both of these classes utilized the twin 5 inch multi-purpose gun mounts for their main armament. They were also developed from the Fletcher class so are in some ways, similar. The Sumner class added nearly two feet to the beam of the Fletcher class to accommodate the larger turrets. These ships were first commissioned in late 1943 and built in five different shipyards.

The later Gearing class was simply a Sumner with an additional section added in between the two stacks so that additional fuel could be carried, extending its unrefueled range. Only a handful of Gearing ships were able to see action in WWII, the majority completed post war with the last commissioned in the early 1950s.

Many of the Sumner ships were converted to fast mine sweepers, but with the changing war, none ever laid a single mine! Both classes were converted into other types of ship including radar picket and fleet escorts. Several underwent modification in the late 1950s to carry the QH-50 DASH anti-submarine drone helo. They were also used as the first missile destroyers, carrying Tartar missiles.

As with many US destroyers, after they had served their time in the USN, they were sold off to countries friendly to the US in the early 1970s. Most have since been decommissioned, but a few are still in active service with their respective navies.

Typical of the In Action series, there is a decent historical background, but it is photographs that make up the bulk of the book. The entire first half of the book is on the Sumner class with the second half devoted to the Gearing and the various modifications and conversions made to the ships.

Camouflage is as important to ship builders as it is to aircraft modelers and that is also well documented in this book. Included is an FS 595 equivalency chart to help modelers with the various colors. As usual, there are excellent profiles in the center that give a good representation of these camouflage schemes.

As with the others in the series, it is  a really fascinating book, especially for those of us who are nautically challenged, and an excellent general reference on the types portrayed.

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