Gridley class destroyer
Encyclopedia
The Gridley-class destroyer
s were a class of four 1500-ton destroyers in the United States Navy
.
The initial two ships were laid down on June 3, 1935 and commissioned in 1937. The second two were laid down in March of 1936 and commissioned in 1938.
Based on the Mahan-class
destroyer, they had the same hull but had only a single stack and mounted sixteen torpedo
tubes. Their powerplants were also a significant upgrade from the Mahan class and made the highest speed ever recorded for a USN destroyer.
Destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...
s were a class of four 1500-ton destroyers in the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
.
The initial two ships were laid down on June 3, 1935 and commissioned in 1937. The second two were laid down in March of 1936 and commissioned in 1938.
Based on the Mahan-class
Mahan class destroyer
The Mahan-class destroyers served in the United States Navy before and during World War II. The lead ship of the class was named for Alfred T. Mahan, a US Naval officer and influential theorist on sea power....
destroyer, they had the same hull but had only a single stack and mounted sixteen torpedo
Torpedo
The modern torpedo is a self-propelled missile weapon with an explosive warhead, launched above or below the water surface, propelled underwater towards a target, and designed to detonate either on contact with it or in proximity to it.The term torpedo was originally employed for...
tubes. Their powerplants were also a significant upgrade from the Mahan class and made the highest speed ever recorded for a USN destroyer.