Moses Dallas classThese vessels were extremely controversial at the outset of their careers... but not for their designs, which were conservative and well-planned. They were considered controversial because the entire class of vessel was named for colored sailors during the failed bid for independence in the 1860s. Though their heroism was no less than that of their white counterparts- and indeed, was often greater- the climate in many parts of Dixie meant that naming any naval vessel (even one so inconsequential as an escort vessel) after a Negro was unthinkable. Since then, several more ships- including the new destroyer
David White- have been so named, but in '31 this was a very risque move on the part of the Navy Department. It payed off though, as the number of colored recruits for the Navy nearly tripled in the first three years; they now make up 38% of the active-duty Navy and between 12% and 40% of the Naval Militias of each State. Of the 12 vessels in the
Moses Dallas class, 7have all Negro crews; the remaining ships have a mixed crew with white officers.
The
Charles Cleaper,
James Hicks and
Joe Johnson- having all Negro crews- distinguished themselves in action against pirates off the coast of Puerto Rico while conducting patrols in the Caribbean in 1935. The three ship downed no less than 4 aircraft between them, and fought off multiple attacks from small surface vessels. During one engagement on this patrol, Able Seaman Rodger Turner became the first Negro to receive the Southern Cross (Valor). A pirate boarding party managed to make it aboard the
Hicks just forward of the 5" gun. To put the weapon out of commission, one of the pirates lobbed a grenade atop the platform. Upon seeing the grenade, Able Seaman Turner- with no regard to his own safety- picked up the grenade and jumped over the edge of the platform atop the pirates. Though he was killed by the explosion, he killed or injured several of the pirates, and caused their remaining comrades to retreat back to their motor boat. The crew of the
Hicks then destroyed the speedboat- no survivors were found.

Moses Dallas, Confederate States of America Escort laid down 1931
Displacement:
570 t light; 600 t standard; 700 t normal; 780 t full load
Dimensions: Length (overall / waterline) x beam x draught (normal/deep)
(250.00 ft / 245.00 ft) x 25.00 ft x (10.00 / 10.74 ft)
(76.20 m / 74.68 m) x 7.62 m x (3.05 / 3.27 m)
Armament:
1 - 5.00" / 127 mm 25.0 cal gun - 55.01lbs / 24.95kg shells, 250 per gun
Quick firing gun in deck and hoist mount, 1926 Model
1 x Single mount on centreline, aft deck aft
1 raised mount aft
2 - 3.00" / 76.2 mm 23.0 cal guns - 13.01lbs / 5.90kg shells, 400 per gun
Quick firing guns in deck mounts, 1913 Model
2 x Single mounts on sides, forward deck forward
12 - 0.50" / 12.7 mm 90.0 cal guns - 0.09lbs / 0.04kg shells, 5,000 per gun
Machine guns in deck mounts, 1919 Model
2 x Twin mounts on sides, forward deck aft
2 raised mounts
4 x Twin mounts on sides, aft evenly spread
4 raised mounts
Weight of broadside 82 lbs / 37 kg
Main DC/AS Mortars
2 - 420.00 lbs / 190.51 kg Depth Charges + 20 reloads - 4.125 t total
in Stern depth charge racks
Machinery:
Diesel Internal combustion motors,
Geared drive, 2 shafts, 3,400 shp / 2,537 Kw = 20.01 kts
Range 4,400nm at 14.00 kts
Bunker at max displacement = 180 tons
Complement:
67 - 88
Cost:
£0.167 million / $0.668 million
Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
Armament: 17 tons, 2.4 %
- Guns: 12 tons, 1.7 %
- Weapons: 5 tons, 0.7 %
Machinery: 102 tons, 14.5 %
Hull, fittings & equipment: 339 tons, 48.4 %
Fuel, ammunition & stores: 130 tons, 18.6 %
Miscellaneous weights: 112 tons, 16.0 %
- Hull below water: 50 tons
- Hull above water: 50 tons
- On freeboard deck: 10 tons
- Above deck: 2 tons
Overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship):
1,414 lbs / 641 Kg = 22.6 x 5.0 " / 127 mm shells or 0.8 torpedoes
Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 1.11
Metacentric height 0.8 ft / 0.2 m
Roll period: 12.0 seconds
Steadiness - As gun platform (Average = 50 %): 70 %
- Recoil effect (Restricted arc if above 1.00): 0.68
Seaboat quality (Average = 1.00): 2.00
Hull form characteristics:
Hull has rise forward of midbreak,
a normal bow and a cruiser stern
Block coefficient (normal/deep): 0.400 / 0.415
Length to Beam Ratio: 9.80 : 1
'Natural speed' for length: 15.65 kts
Power going to wave formation at top speed: 49 %
Trim (Max stability = 0, Max steadiness = 100): 35
Bow angle (Positive = bow angles forward): 15.53 degrees
Stern overhang: 0.00 ft / 0.00 m
Freeboard (% = length of deck as a percentage of waterline length):
Fore end, Aft end
- Forecastle: 20.00 %, 18.00 ft / 5.49 m, 17.00 ft / 5.18 m
- Forward deck: 25.00 %, 17.00 ft / 5.18 m, 16.00 ft / 4.88 m
- Aft deck: 40.00 %, 8.00 ft / 2.44 m, 8.00 ft / 2.44 m
- Quarter deck: 15.00 %, 8.00 ft / 2.44 m, 8.00 ft / 2.44 m
- Average freeboard: 12.01 ft / 3.66 m
Ship space, strength and comments:
Space - Hull below water (magazines/engines, low = better): 70.9 %
- Above water (accommodation/working, high = better): 120.8 %
Waterplane Area: 3,770 Square feet or 350 Square metres
Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 197 %
Structure weight / hull surface area: 41 lbs/sq ft or 201 Kg/sq metre
Hull strength (Relative):
- Cross-sectional: 0.83
- Longitudinal: 5.15
- Overall: 1.00
Excellent machinery, storage, compartmentation space
Excellent accommodation and workspace room
Ship has slow, easy roll, a good, steady gun platform
Excellent seaboat, comfortable, can fire her guns in the heaviest weather
Moses Dallas Ben NewellWilliam BuggJames MooreEdward WeeksBenjamen GrayDavid GreenHenry LeonardJames PriceCharles CleaperJames HicksJoe Johnson