The twelve Robert H. Smith-class light minelayers/destroyer-minelayers started construction as Allen M. Sumner-class destroyers (originally DD-735-40, DD-749-51, and DD-771-73). During construction, they were converted to light minelayers, with the new designation DM-23-34. Their intended purpose was to lay mines in enemy areas and shipping lanes. Ironically, no ships of the class were ever used to lay mines during World War II, despite being seen carrying mines in some of their photos during early service. They were assigned to minesweeping operations, and regular destroyer duties, including radar picket service off Okinawa.
Mine launch rails ran along much of the length of the Robert H. Smith-class ships, abreast both sides of the weather deck. Both tracks could carry up to sixty mines, which would (theoretically) be deployed over the stern, in the ship's wake. The torpedo tube mounts carried on the Allen M. Sumner class were omitted on these minelayers; in the place of the aft torpedo mount there were four Mark 6 K-gun depth charge projectors and stowage racks, which had been moved up to the superstructure deck to make space for the mine tracks. In between the funnels, an emergency conning station took the place of the fore torpedo mount. The 20mm Oerlikon AA mounts mounted on the fantails of the Allen M. Sumner class were also removed to accommodate the mine tracks, and the depth charge racks were moved inboard. Each Robert H. Smith-class was built with the later style of open bridge, seen in the Gearing class and later refits of the Allen M. Sumner class.
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![[ img ]](https://i.imgur.com/QFTmgGY.png)
This depicts USS Aaron Ward DM-34 soon after her commissioning (28 October 1944), on her shakedown cruise off California in November 1944.
This MS-32/11A dazzle is not the paint scheme she would carry on the fateful afternoon of 3 May 1945 off Okinawa, where she suffered numerous kamikaze attacks comparable to those upon USS Laffey, and earned the informal title, "The Ship That Can't Be Licked" (FADM Chester Nimitz). Forty-two men were lost in the attacks. Detailed history here.
There exists precisely one (1) photo that I know of depicting Aaron Ward with this configuration, and the other few of the ship are either very low resolution, or show her in a crippled and damaged state. So it was painful interesting to corroborate, and sometimes extrapolate, between photos of the other ships of the class. I am reasonably certain of the accuracy of the many details that I changed from Colo's USS Laffey drawing, which he graciously gave me the Photoshop file for (thanks, Colo).
Thanks everyone on the Discord who helped me make compromises on depictions of details, and those who helped me identify parts. :)
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Sources for this write-up:
https://destroyerhistory.org/sumner-gearingclass/dm/
http://www.navsource.org/archives/11/08idx.htm
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_H. ... _destroyer
https://www.history.navy.mil/research/h ... 4-iii.html