US Navy – Destroyer Leaders (DL, DLG, DLGN) – Smartencyclopedia

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*Destroyer Leader – DL | Guided Missile Destroyer Leader – DLG | Guided Missile Destroyer Leader, nuclear powered – DLGN

Destroyer leader (DL) was the United States Navy designation for large destroyers from 9 February 1951 through the early years of the Cold War. United States ships with hull classification symbol DL were officially frigates from 1 January 1955 until 1975. The smaller destroyer leaders were reclassified as destroyers and the larger as cruisers by the United States Navy 1975 ship reclassification so destroyer escorts could be reclassified as frigates (FF) in conformance with international usage of the term.

Virginia class Guided Missile Destroyer Leader / DLGN

	INFO – Virginia class Guided Missile Destroyer Leader / DLGN
	note: all Virginia class DLGN’s were reclassified to Guided Missile Cruisers (CGN) on June 30, 1975 DLGN 38 USS Virginia (1976) – reclassified to CGN 38 DLGN 39 USS Texas (1977) – reclassified to CGN 39 DLGN 40 USS Mississippi (1978) – reclassified to CGN 40 DLGN 41 USS Arkansas (1980) – reclassified to CGN 41

California class Guided Missile Destroyer Leader / DLGN

	INFO – California class Guided Missile Destroyer Leader / DLGN
	note: all Virginia class DLGN’s were reclassified to Guided Missile Cruisers (CGN) on June 30, 1975 DLGN 36 USS California (1974) – reclassified to CGN 36 DLGN 37 USS South Carolina (1975) – reclassified to CGN 37

Truxtun class Guided Missile Destroyer Leader / DLGN

DLGN 35 USS Truxtun (1967) – reclassified to CGN 35

Bainbridge class Guided Missile Destroyer Leader / DLGN

DLGN 25 USS Bainbridge (1962) – reclassified to CGN 25

Belknap class Guided Missile Destroyer Leader / DLG

INFO – Belknap class Guided Missile Destroyer Leader / DLG

note: all Belknap class DLG’s were reclassified to Guided Missile Cruisers (CG) on June 30, 1975
DLG 26 USS Belknap (1964) – reclassified to CG 26
DLG 27 USS Josephus Daniels (1965) – reclassified to CG 27
DLG 28 USS Wainwright (1966) – reclassified to CG 28
DLG 29 USS Jouett (1966) – reclassified to CG 29
DLG 30 USS Horne (1967) – reclassified to CG 30
DLG 31 USS Sterett (1967) – reclassified to CG 31
DLG 32 USS William H. Standley (1966) – reclassified to CG 32
DLG 33 USS Fox (1966) – reclassified to CG 33
DLG 34 USS Biddle (1967) – reclassified to CG 34

Leahy class Guided Missile Destroyer Leader / DLG

INFO – Leahy class Guided Missile Destroyer Leader / DLG

note: all Leahy class DLG’s were reclassified to Guided Missile Cruisers (CG) on June 30, 1975
DLG 16 USS Leahy (1962) – reclassified to CG 16
DLG 17 USS Harry E. Yarnell (1963) – reclassified to CG 17
DLG 18 USS Worden (1963) – reclassified to CG 18
DLG 19 USS Dale (1963) – reclassified to CG 19
DLG 20 USS Richmond K. Turner (1964) – reclassified to CG 20
DLG 21 USS Gridley (1963) – reclassified to CG 21
DLG 22 USS England (1963) – reclassified to CG 22
DLG 23 USS Halsey (1963) – reclassified to CG 23
DLG 24 USS Reeves (1964) – reclassified to CG 24

Farragut (Coontz) class Guided Missile Destroyer Leader / DLG

INFO – Farragut (Coontz) class Guided Missile Destroyer Leader / DLG

note: all Farragut (Coontz) class DLG’s were reclassified to DDG’s on June 30, 1975
DLG 6 USS Farragut (1960) – reclassified to DDG 37
DLG 7 USS Luce (1961) – reclassified to DDG 38
DLG 8 USS MacDonough (1961) – reclassified to DDG 39
DLG 9 USS Coontz (1960) – reclassified to DDG 40
DLG 10 USS King (1960) – reclassified to DDG 41
DLG 11 USS Mahan (1960) – reclassified to DDG 42
DLG 12 USS Dahlgren (1961) – reclassified to DDG 43
DLG 13 USS William V. Pratt (1961) – reclassified to DDG 44
DLG 14 USS Dewey (1959) – reclassified to DDG 45
DLG 15 USS Preble (1960) – reclassified to DDG 46

Mitscher class Destroyer Leader / DL

	INFO – Mitscher class Destroyer Leader / DL
	DL 2 USS Mitscher (1953) – converted to DDG 35 DL 3 USS John S. McCain (1953) – converted to DDG 36 DL 4 USS Willis A. Lee (1954) DL 5 USS Wilkinson (1954)

Norfolk class Destroyer Leader / DL

DL 1 USS Norfolk (1953)

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