[Eric in the Ozarks]

I noticed the number “62” on the damaged Navy ship.
When did the Navy start reusing numbers ?

“62” was the BB New Jersey’s I think...

[exit82]

BB-62 was the New Jersey’s number, but in the battleship class, which no longer exists.

For the Fitzgerald’s class of ship, the Fitzgerald’s number of 62 is unique to her.

[Travis McGee]

I dunno, but I think destroyers can only have a 2-digit number, so there are only so many.

[Yo-Yo]

It is DDG-62.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_current_ships_of_the_United_States_Navy

[Lou L]

When did the Navy start reusing numbers ?

The USS Fitzgerald is a different class of ship, a guided-missile destroyer, DDG-62. The USS New Jersey was a battleship, BB-62.

There are only so many numbers available, without getting too much into 4 and 5-digit ones. Re-using more "famous" numbers isn't overly common, but it happens.

[Oztrich Boy]

It's a different series. The Guided MIssile (ie Anti-air) Destroyers.

DDG-1 was an experimental converted Gearing.
DDG2-24 were the Charles F Adams class.
DDG25-30 didn't actually exist as USN ships, they were notational numbers for Adams DDGs in the Australian, German navies.
DDG31-46 were converted/renumbered Forrest Sherman/Mitscher/Farragut ships
DDG47- was supposed to be the Ticnderogas, but they got upgraded to Cruisers
DDG51- are the Burkes