USS Lang (DD-399)

USS Lang (DD-399)

USS Lang (DD-399) was a Benham-class destroyer of the United States Navy. The Benham class shared the same hull and torpedo-heavy design philosophy as the Bagley class, carrying sixteen 21-inch torpedo tubes. Ten ships were built between 1938 and 1940. They served in both the Atlantic and Pacific theaters during World War II.

Named for Second Lieutenant Frank Lang, USMC, who was killed in action during the Battle of Peking in the Boxer Rebellion in 1900 while leading his platoon in the assault on the Tartar Wall, USS Lang was built by Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company, Kearny, New Jersey and commissioned in March 1939. Unusual among her class for serving in both theaters. Lang initially operated in the Atlantic, supporting Operation Torch in North Africa and the invasions of Sicily and Salerno in the Mediterranean. She was then transferred to the Pacific, where she fought in the Solomon Islands campaign, including the battles of Vella Lavella and Bougainville.

USS Lang earned 5 battle stars for service in: Atlantic convoy escort, Operation Torch, Sicily, Salerno, New Georgia, Vella Lavella, Bougainville. Decommissioned October 1945. Sold for scrap May 1947.

This collection features apparel and merchandise honoring USS Lang (DD-399) and the men who served aboard her. 1,657 tons standard displacement. 341 feet in length. Four 5"/38 caliber dual-purpose guns. Sixteen 21-inch torpedo tubes in four quadruple mounts. Top speed 38.5 knots. Crew of 184.