List of destroyer classes of the United States Navy
Encyclopedia
The first automotive torpedo
was developed in 1866, and the torpedo boat
was developed soon after. In 1898, while the Spanish–American War was being fought in the Caribbean
and the Pacific
, Assistant Secretary of the Navy
Theodore Roosevelt
wrote that torpedo boats were the only threat to the American navy, and pushed for the acquisition of torpedo boat destroyers. On 4 May 1898, the US Congress authorized the first sixteen torpedo boat destroyers and twelve seagoing torpedo boats for the United States Navy
.
In World War I
, the U.S. Navy began mass-producing destroyers, laying 273 keels of the Clemson & Wickes
class destroyers. The peace time years between 1919—1941, resulted in many of these flush deck destroyers being laid up. Additionally, treaties regulated destroyer construction. During World War II
, the United States began building destroyers with five-gun main batteries, but without stability problems.
The first major warship produced by the U.S. Navy after World War II
(and in the Cold War
) were "frigate
s"—the ships were actually designated destroyer leaders but later reclassified as guided missile destroyer
s. Other classes were produced, including the last all-gun destroyers. A special class was produced for the Shah of Iran
, but due to the Iranian Revolution
these ships could not be delivered and were added to the U.S. Navy.
The Arleigh Burke class
, introduced in 1991, has been the U.S. Navy's only destroyer class in commission since 2005; construction is expected to continue through at least 2012. A future class, Zumwalt
, is also planned. The Zumwalt class is expected to number three ships.
In 1864, US Navy Lt.
William B. Cushing
sank the ironclad using a "spar torpedo
"—an explosive device mounted on a long pole and detonated underwater. Two years later in Austria
, the British engineer Robert Whitehead
developed a compressed air "automotive" torpedo
; capable of 6–8 kn (3.3–4.4 m/s) over a distance of 200–400 yd (182.9–365.8 m). The threat a small, fast, torpedo–delivering ship could pose to the battle line became clear to navies around the world; giving birth to the torpedo boat
, including the of the United States Navy.
During the Spanish–American War, Assistant Secretary of the Navy
Theodore Roosevelt
wrote torpedo boats were "the only real menace" to the fleet blockading Santiago
; and pushed for the acquisition of torpedo boats and torpedo boat destroyers. As President
, Theodore Roosevelt continued to pay close attention to naval affairs, including the expansion of the Navy's fleet of destroyers.
In 1898 Congress authorized 16 torpedo boat destroyers, which would join the fleet by 1903. The first torpedo boat destroyers, the Bainbridge class
, featured two torpedo tube
s and two 3 inch guns, displacing 400 short tons (362.9 t). The Smith
and Paulding
classes displaced 740 short tons (671.3 t), the reason these classes were nicknamed "flivvers" (lightweights). By the time the United States entered World War I
, destroyer
s displaced 1000 short tons (907.2 t) and burned oil instead of coal. These "1000 tonners" were armed with eight torpedo tubes, four 4 inch/50 caliber guns; and had a complement of approximately 100 officers and men. The 1000 tonners were classes Cassin
through Sampson
, and were also called "broken deckers", due to the high forecastle
s.
Prior to entering World War I
in 1917, the United States began producing destroyers to a new design with a continuous sheer strake, collectively referred to as "flush deck
ers." Six prototypes of the Caldwell
class were dissimilar: three had three stacks; two of these also had three screws. The others of this and the 267 ships of the mass-production Wickes
and Clemson
classes that followed all had two screws. As built, they also had four stacks, which gave rise to the nicknames "four stackers" or "four pipers".
Eleven shipyards participated in their construction, which peaked in 1917 and 1918. By the time of the armistice, November 11, 1918, keels for 177 ships had been laid and 41 had joined the fleet. Though the remaining ships were not needed in peacetime, the building program continued and by the end of May 1921, all but four of the 273 flush-deckers had been placed in commission. The final two did not follow until August 1922.
While the flush-deckers' freeboard fore and aft were designed to match preceding classes, the new ships differed in other respects. The waist guns were moved to a platform amidships, the galley beneath them; and a bulwark
between the galley and the bridge
.
The standard displacement
of the flush deck destroyers was 1200 +/- 90 LT (1,219.3 +/- 91.4 t), the length approximately 314 feet (95.7 m), the beam measured approximately 31 feet (9.4 m), and the draft approximately 116 inches (2.9 m). A typical flush deck destroyer had a normal crew of 105 officers and men, and was armed with four 4-inch deck guns, one 3-inch anti-aircraft gun
, 12 21-inch torpedo tube
s, two stern-mounted depth charge
racks, along with 50 caliber machine guns and small arms. The mass-produced classes also had four boiler
s providing steam to a pair of turbines, each of which drove a 9 feet (2.7 m) screw
at a combined 27000 shp for a top speed of about 33 knots (18 m/s).
After the end
of World War I
, there was little need for the destroyer
s built, so many were laid up, and fourteen had their torpedo tube
s removed and were converted to minesweepers
. On September 8, 1923, seven of the ships ran aground off the coast of California
—the U.S. Navy's worst ever peacetime disaster
.
In 1922, the Washington Naval Treaty
, was signed by the United States
, the British Empire
, the Empire of Japan
, France
, and Italy. The treaty called for a freeze in size and composition of the world's major navies
, including the U.S. Navy, which ceased production of large capital ship
s. The London Naval Treaty
, a 1930 agreement between the same parties, established total destroyer tonnage limits for the navies. The treaty also defined two categories: destroyer and destroyer leader; along with the maximum tonnage of each category, and the allowable ratio of one category to another.
In the London Naval Treaty, destroyers were established as "surface vessels of war the Standard Displacement
(S.D.) of which does not exceed 1,850 tons and with a gun not above 5.1 inch caliber
.", as published in Ship’s Data for U.S. Naval Vessels. The “total completed tonnage not to be exceeded on December 31, 1936” was 150,000 S.D., but “not more than 16% of the allowed tonnage... shall be employed in vessels over 1,500 tons S.D.”. The new, higher limits rendered the existing flush-deckers obsolete, and the General Board
soon moved to replace them. Since Japan was considered a probable adversary, the General Board replaced the four stackers with ships that could carry large quantities of fuel
, ammunition
, and supplies as needed to conduct operations across the vast Pacific Ocean.
The U.S. Navy resumed destroyer construction in 1932 with the Farragut class
. For the next seven years, the United States Navy constructed "1500 tonners", or "goldplaters". The goldplaters earned this name because of the "over–lavish facilities", which drew comment from seasoned destroyermen. The armament of the Farragut and Mahan class destroyers initially included five 5 inch guns, a number later reduced to four due to stability problems. The 1500 ton Mahan
, Dunlap, Gridley
, Bagley
, and Benham
classes, the 1570 ton Sims
class, and the Porter
and Somers
class destroyer leaders were all laid down in quick succession following the original goldplaters.
The Gleaves
and Benson
classes were similar in design to the Sims class, but had two stacks and a "split" powerplant
for extra endurance against torpedo attacks.
On December 7, 1941, the day the United States entered World War II, the United States Navy had 100 destroyers seven years old or newer. This number included 27 Benson
and Gleaves
class destroyers. However, none were equipped with torpedoes comparable to the (then unknown) Type 93 torpedo
s (Long Lance torpedo) of the Imperial Japanese Navy
, and only destroyer leaders had more than four main guns—inferior to the five- to eight-guns on a Japanese Fubuki class
destroyer (the first 24 ships of the Benson/Gleaves class were built with five guns, but excessive topweight led to one being removed).
After World War II
broke out across Europe in 1939, the United States Navy
began sketches for a five-gun ship— on an enlarged hull. Introduced in 1942, the 175 Fletcher class
"2100 tonners". became the U.S. Navy's signature destroyer in the Pacific War
. By the end of World War II, the U.S. Navy had also commissioned 112 six-gun destroyers derived from the Fletcher design; 67 Allen M. Sumner class
2200 tonners and 45 Gearing class
2250 tonners. The Allen M. Sumner class' hull was slightly wider than the Fletcher class' while the Gearing class design was a lengthened version of the Sumners. Collectively, these destroyer designs are sometimes regarded as the most successful of World War II.
was an all-weather, anti-submarine hunter-killer, designated "destroyer leader" (DL), but referred to as a "frigate". In 1975, the twelve remaining Mitscher-
and Farragut-
classes were reclassified as guided missile destroyer
s (DDGs 35-46).
Derived from the Fletcher concept, the all-gun Forrest Sherman class
destroyer was the successor to the Fletcher
, the Allen M. Sumner
, and the Gearing
classes. The following Charles F. Adams
classes added a guided missile launcher on an enlarged hull.
The Spruance class
was designed to serve as all-weather anti-submarine
defense for aircraft carrier
task force
s. The Spruance class destroyers were the first ships in the United States Navy powered with gas turbine
s—four marine jet engine
s driving two shafts with reversible-pitch propeller
s. The Kidd
class were four enlarged Spruance class destroyers, intended for the Iranian Navy. In 1979, a revolution took place in Iran
, the Shah
was dethroned but instead of cancelling the four ships, they were taken into the U.S. Navy, where they were nicknamed the "Ayatollah" class.
The , the lead ship of the Arleigh Burke class
, was the first destroyer named after a living person—World War II Admiral
Arleigh Burke
. At her commissioning, the USS Arleigh Burke was extolled as the most powerful surface warship ever built. The USS Arleigh Burke is one-third longer and correspondingly heavier than the Fletcher class destroyers of the squadron Burke commanded in World War II; but about the same complement. The Arleigh Burke class destroyers were based around the Aegis Combat System
, like the larger Ticonderoga class cruisers
. The Arleigh Burke class was introduced in four "flights": Flight I, consisting of Arleigh Burke; Flight IA composed of 20 ships; Flight II, composed of 7 ships; and Flight IIA, composed of 34 ships. The Arleigh Burke class became the U.S. Navy's only active destroyer class when the last member of the Spruance class was decommissioned in 2005.
The Zumwalt class
destroyer, a future class, is planned to cost US$
3.3 billion for the first unit; subsequent units will cost an estimated US$2.5 billion; however, the average cost could rise to US$5 billion or more.
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...
was developed in 1866, and the torpedo boat
Torpedo boat
A torpedo boat is a relatively small and fast naval vessel designed to carry torpedoes into battle. The first designs rammed enemy ships with explosive spar torpedoes, and later designs launched self-propelled Whitehead torpedoes. They were created to counter battleships and other large, slow and...
was developed soon after. In 1898, while the Spanish–American War was being fought in the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
and the Pacific
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
, Assistant Secretary of the Navy
Assistant Secretary of the Navy
Assistant Secretary of the Navy is the title given to certain civilian senior officials in the United States Department of the Navy....
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt was the 26th President of the United States . He is noted for his exuberant personality, range of interests and achievements, and his leadership of the Progressive Movement, as well as his "cowboy" persona and robust masculinity...
wrote that torpedo boats were the only threat to the American navy, and pushed for the acquisition of torpedo boat destroyers. On 4 May 1898, the US Congress authorized the first sixteen torpedo boat destroyers and twelve seagoing torpedo boats for 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...
.
In World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, the U.S. Navy began mass-producing destroyers, laying 273 keels of the Clemson & Wickes
Wickes
Wickes is a do-it-yourself retailer based in the United Kingdom and owned by Travis Perkins, with more than 190 stores throughout the country. It focuses on supplies and materials for homeowners and the building trade...
class destroyers. The peace time years between 1919—1941, resulted in many of these flush deck destroyers being laid up. Additionally, treaties regulated destroyer construction. During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the United States began building destroyers with five-gun main batteries, but without stability problems.
The first major warship produced by the U.S. Navy after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
(and in the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
) were "frigate
Frigate
A frigate is any of several types of warship, the term having been used for ships of various sizes and roles over the last few centuries.In the 17th century, the term was used for any warship built for speed and maneuverability, the description often used being "frigate-built"...
s"—the ships were actually designated destroyer leaders but later reclassified as guided missile destroyer
Guided missile destroyer
A guided missile destroyer is a destroyer designed to launch guided missiles. Many are also equipped to carry out anti-submarine, anti-air, and anti-surface operations. In the U.S...
s. Other classes were produced, including the last all-gun destroyers. A special class was produced for the Shah of Iran
Pahlavi dynasty
The Pahlavi dynasty consisted of two Iranian/Persian monarchs, father and son Reza Shah Pahlavi and Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi The Pahlavi dynasty consisted of two Iranian/Persian monarchs, father and son Reza Shah Pahlavi (reg. 1925–1941) and Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi The Pahlavi dynasty ...
, but due to the Iranian Revolution
Iranian Revolution
The Iranian Revolution refers to events involving the overthrow of Iran's monarchy under Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and its replacement with an Islamic republic under Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the leader of the...
these ships could not be delivered and were added to the U.S. Navy.
The Arleigh Burke class
Arleigh Burke class destroyer
The Arleigh Burke class of guided missile destroyers is the United States Navy's first class of destroyer built around the Aegis combat system and the SPY-1D multi-function phased array radar. The class is named for Admiral Arleigh "31-Knot" Burke, the most famous American destroyer officer of...
, introduced in 1991, has been the U.S. Navy's only destroyer class in commission since 2005; construction is expected to continue through at least 2012. A future class, Zumwalt
Zumwalt class destroyer
The Zumwalt class destroyer is a planned class of United States Navy destroyers, designed as multi-mission ships with a focus on land attack. The class is a scaled-back project that emerged after funding cuts to the larger DD-21 vessel program. The program was previously known as the "DD"...
, is also planned. The Zumwalt class is expected to number three ships.
Pre–World War I
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
William B. Cushing
William B. Cushing
William Barker Cushing was an officer in the United States Navy, best known for sinking the Confederate ironclad CSS Albemarle during a daring nighttime raid on October 27, 1864, a feat for which he received the Thanks of Congress.-Early life and career:Cushing was born in Delafield, Wisconsin,...
sank the ironclad using a "spar torpedo
Spar torpedo
A spar torpedo is a weapon consisting of a bomb placed at the end of a long pole, or spar, and attached to a boat. The weapon is used by running the end of the spar into the enemy ship. Spar torpedoes were often equipped with a barbed spear at the end, so it would stick to wooden hulls...
"—an explosive device mounted on a long pole and detonated underwater. Two years later in Austria
Austrian Empire
The Austrian Empire was a modern era successor empire, which was centered on what is today's Austria and which officially lasted from 1804 to 1867. It was followed by the Empire of Austria-Hungary, whose proclamation was a diplomatic move that elevated Hungary's status within the Austrian Empire...
, the British engineer Robert Whitehead
Robert Whitehead
Robert Whitehead was an English engineer. He developed the first effective self-propelled naval torpedo. His company, located in the Austrian naval centre in Fiume, was the world leader in torpedo development and production up to the First World War.- Early life:He was born the son of a...
developed a compressed air "automotive" 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...
; capable of 6–8 kn (3.3–4.4 m/s) over a distance of 200–400 yd (182.9–365.8 m). The threat a small, fast, torpedo–delivering ship could pose to the battle line became clear to navies around the world; giving birth to the torpedo boat
Torpedo boat
A torpedo boat is a relatively small and fast naval vessel designed to carry torpedoes into battle. The first designs rammed enemy ships with explosive spar torpedoes, and later designs launched self-propelled Whitehead torpedoes. They were created to counter battleships and other large, slow and...
, including the of the United States Navy.
During the Spanish–American War, Assistant Secretary of the Navy
Assistant Secretary of the Navy
Assistant Secretary of the Navy is the title given to certain civilian senior officials in the United States Department of the Navy....
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt was the 26th President of the United States . He is noted for his exuberant personality, range of interests and achievements, and his leadership of the Progressive Movement, as well as his "cowboy" persona and robust masculinity...
wrote torpedo boats were "the only real menace" to the fleet blockading Santiago
Santiago de Cuba
Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city of Cuba and capital city of Santiago de Cuba Province in the south-eastern area of the island, some south-east of the Cuban capital of Havana....
; and pushed for the acquisition of torpedo boats and torpedo boat destroyers. As President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
, Theodore Roosevelt continued to pay close attention to naval affairs, including the expansion of the Navy's fleet of destroyers.
In 1898 Congress authorized 16 torpedo boat destroyers, which would join the fleet by 1903. The first torpedo boat destroyers, the Bainbridge class
Bainbridge class destroyer
Officially designated as Torpedo Boat Destroyers when authorized by Congress in 1898, the Bainbridge-class destroyers were the first destroyers of the United States Navy, built from 1899 through 1903....
, featured two torpedo tube
Torpedo tube
A torpedo tube is a device for launching torpedoes. There are two main types of torpedo tube: underwater tubes fitted to submarines and some surface ships, and deck-mounted units installed aboard surface vessels...
s and two 3 inch guns, displacing 400 short tons (362.9 t). The Smith
Smith class destroyer
The Smith-class destroyers were among the first destroyers in the United States Navy.Five ships were built using the basic Smith design. However, Flusser and Reid are sometimes considered to be Flusser-class ships.-Ships in class:...
and Paulding
Paulding class destroyer
The Paulding-class destroyers were a modification of the Smith-class. The newer class burned oil rather than coal, lightening the ships and making them faster....
classes displaced 740 short tons (671.3 t), the reason these classes were nicknamed "flivvers" (lightweights). By the time the United States entered World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, 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 displaced 1000 short tons (907.2 t) and burned oil instead of coal. These "1000 tonners" were armed with eight torpedo tubes, four 4 inch/50 caliber guns; and had a complement of approximately 100 officers and men. The 1000 tonners were classes Cassin
Cassin class destroyer
Four destroyers in the United States Navy formed the Cassin-class. All served as convoy escorts during World War I. The Cassins were the first of six "second-generation" 1000-ton four-stack destroyer classes that were front-line ships of the Navy until the 1930s.They were the first to carry the new...
through Sampson
Sampson class destroyer
The Sampson-class destroyers served in the United States Navy during World War I.Commissioned in 1916 and 1917, the class was a slight modification of the O'Brien-class and Tucker-class...
, and were also called "broken deckers", due to the high forecastle
Forecastle
Forecastle refers to the upper deck of a sailing ship forward of the foremast, or the forward part of a ship with the sailors' living quarters...
s.
| Class name | |Number of ships | |First ship laid down | |Last ship commissioned | References | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bainbridge Bainbridge class destroyer Officially designated as Torpedo Boat Destroyers when authorized by Congress in 1898, the Bainbridge-class destroyers were the first destroyers of the United States Navy, built from 1899 through 1903.... |
13 | 1899 | 1902 | Part of the original 16 "torpedo boat destroyers" authorized by Congress. | |
| Truxtun Truxtun class destroyer Three Truxtun-class destroyers served in the United States Navy., and were all built by Maryland Steel Company and commissioned in 1902. After service during World War I, all were sold in 1920 and converted to merchant vessels.... |
3 | 1899 | 1903 | Part of the original 16 "torpedo boat destroyers" authorized by Congress. | |
| Smith Smith class destroyer The Smith-class destroyers were among the first destroyers in the United States Navy.Five ships were built using the basic Smith design. However, Flusser and Reid are sometimes considered to be Flusser-class ships.-Ships in class:... |
5 | 1908 | 1909 | Known as "flivvers" for their lightweight of 740 tons. | |
| Paulding Paulding class destroyer The Paulding-class destroyers were a modification of the Smith-class. The newer class burned oil rather than coal, lightening the ships and making them faster.... |
21 | 1909 | 1912 | Known as "flivvers" for their lightweight of 740 tons. | |
| Cassin Cassin class destroyer Four destroyers in the United States Navy formed the Cassin-class. All served as convoy escorts during World War I. The Cassins were the first of six "second-generation" 1000-ton four-stack destroyer classes that were front-line ships of the Navy until the 1930s.They were the first to carry the new... |
4 | 1912 | 1913 | Known as "broken deckers" for their high forecastles, or "1000 tonners" because of their weight. | |
| Aylwin Aylwin class destroyer The Aylwin class was a class of four destroyers in the United States Navy; all served during World War I and were scrapped in 1935.All four ships were built by William Cramp and Sons in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.... |
4 | 1912 | 1914 | Known as "broken deckers" for their high forecastles, or "1000 tonners" because of their weight. | |
| O'Brien O'Brien class destroyer The O'Brien class of destroyers was a class of six ships designed by and built for the United States Navy shortly before the United States entered World War I. The O'Brien class was the third of five classes of destroyers that were known as the "thousand tonners", because they were the first U.S... |
6 | 1913 | 1915 | Known as "broken deckers" for their high forecastles, or "1000 tonners" because of their weight. | |
| Tucker Tucker class destroyer The Tucker class of destroyers was a ship class of six ships designed by and built for the United States Navy shortly before the United States entered World War I. The Tucker class was the fourth of five classes of destroyers that were known as the "thousand tonners", because they were the first U.S... |
6 | 1914 | 1916 | Known as "broken deckers" for their high forecastles, or "1000 tonners" because of their weight. | |
| Sampson Sampson class destroyer The Sampson-class destroyers served in the United States Navy during World War I.Commissioned in 1916 and 1917, the class was a slight modification of the O'Brien-class and Tucker-class... |
6 | 1915 | 1917 | Known as "broken deckers" for their high forecastles, or "1000 tonners" because of their weight. |
World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
in 1917, the United States began producing destroyers to a new design with a continuous sheer strake, collectively referred to as "flush deck
Flush deck
In naval architecture, a flush deck refers to when the upper deck of a vessel extends unbroken from stem to stern. There is no raised forecastle or lowered quarterdeck. Ships of this type may be referred to as "flush deckers", although this is often taken as referring to a series of United States...
ers." Six prototypes of the Caldwell
Caldwell class destroyer
The Caldwell class of destroyers served in the United States Navy near the end of World War I.Built in 1917 and 1918, the 6 ships of the Caldwell class were flush-decked to remove the fo'c'sle break weakness of the preceding Tucker class. The forward sheer of the Caldwell class was improved to...
class were dissimilar: three had three stacks; two of these also had three screws. The others of this and the 267 ships of the mass-production Wickes
Wickes class destroyer
The Wickes-class destroyers were a group of 111 destroyers built by the United States Navy in 1917-1919. Along with the 6 preceding Caldwell class and 155 subsequent Clemson-class destroyers, they formed the "flush-deck" or "four-stack" class. Only a few were completed in time to serve in World...
and Clemson
Clemson class destroyer
The Clemson class was a series of 156 destroyers which served with the United States Navy from after World War I through World War II.The Clemson-class ships were commissioned by the United States Navy from 1919 to 1922, built by Newport News Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Company, New York Shipbuilding...
classes that followed all had two screws. As built, they also had four stacks, which gave rise to the nicknames "four stackers" or "four pipers".
Eleven shipyards participated in their construction, which peaked in 1917 and 1918. By the time of the armistice, November 11, 1918, keels for 177 ships had been laid and 41 had joined the fleet. Though the remaining ships were not needed in peacetime, the building program continued and by the end of May 1921, all but four of the 273 flush-deckers had been placed in commission. The final two did not follow until August 1922.
While the flush-deckers' freeboard fore and aft were designed to match preceding classes, the new ships differed in other respects. The waist guns were moved to a platform amidships, the galley beneath them; and a bulwark
Bulwark
Bulwark may refer to:*A bastion or fortifications in general*In naval terminology, an extension of a ship's sides above deck level*HMS Bulwark, any of several Royal Navy ships*USS Bulwark, any of several US Navy ships...
between the galley and the bridge
Bridge (ship)
The bridge of a ship is the room or platform from which the ship can be commanded. When a ship is underway the bridge is manned by an OOW aided usually by an AB acting as lookout...
.
The standard displacement
Displacement (ship)
A ship's displacement is its weight at any given time, generally expressed in metric tons or long tons. The term is often used to mean the ship's weight when it is loaded to its maximum capacity. A number of synonymous terms exist for this maximum weight, such as loaded displacement, full load...
of the flush deck destroyers was 1200 +/- 90 LT (1,219.3 +/- 91.4 t), the length approximately 314 feet (95.7 m), the beam measured approximately 31 feet (9.4 m), and the draft approximately 116 inches (2.9 m). A typical flush deck destroyer had a normal crew of 105 officers and men, and was armed with four 4-inch deck guns, one 3-inch anti-aircraft gun
Anti-aircraft warfare
NATO defines air defence as "all measures designed to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of hostile air action." They include ground and air based weapon systems, associated sensor systems, command and control arrangements and passive measures. It may be to protect naval, ground and air forces...
, 12 21-inch torpedo tube
Torpedo tube
A torpedo tube is a device for launching torpedoes. There are two main types of torpedo tube: underwater tubes fitted to submarines and some surface ships, and deck-mounted units installed aboard surface vessels...
s, two stern-mounted depth charge
Depth charge
A depth charge is an anti-submarine warfare weapon intended to destroy or cripple a target submarine by the shock of exploding near it. Most use explosives and a fuze set to go off at a preselected depth in the ocean. Depth charges can be dropped by either surface ships, patrol aircraft, or from...
racks, along with 50 caliber machine guns and small arms. The mass-produced classes also had four boiler
Boiler
A boiler is a closed vessel in which water or other fluid is heated. The heated or vaporized fluid exits the boiler for use in various processes or heating applications.-Materials:...
s providing steam to a pair of turbines, each of which drove a 9 feet (2.7 m) screw
Propeller
A propeller is a type of fan that transmits power by converting rotational motion into thrust. A pressure difference is produced between the forward and rear surfaces of the airfoil-shaped blade, and a fluid is accelerated behind the blade. Propeller dynamics can be modeled by both Bernoulli's...
at a combined 27000 shp for a top speed of about 33 knots (18 m/s).
| Class name | |Number of ships | |First ship laid down | |Last ship commissioned | References | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Caldwell Caldwell class destroyer The Caldwell class of destroyers served in the United States Navy near the end of World War I.Built in 1917 and 1918, the 6 ships of the Caldwell class were flush-decked to remove the fo'c'sle break weakness of the preceding Tucker class. The forward sheer of the Caldwell class was improved to... |
6 | 1916 | 1920 | Called flush deckers due to lack of raised forecastle. | |
| Wickes Wickes class destroyer The Wickes-class destroyers were a group of 111 destroyers built by the United States Navy in 1917-1919. Along with the 6 preceding Caldwell class and 155 subsequent Clemson-class destroyers, they formed the "flush-deck" or "four-stack" class. Only a few were completed in time to serve in World... |
111 | 1917 | 1921 | Called flush deckers due to lack of raised forecastle. Sometimes, Wickes class destroyers are split into four categories: Wickes class, 38 ships; Little class, 52 ships; Lamberton class, 11 ships; and Tattnall class, 10 ships. | |
| Clemson Clemson class destroyer The Clemson class was a series of 156 destroyers which served with the United States Navy from after World War I through World War II.The Clemson-class ships were commissioned by the United States Navy from 1919 to 1922, built by Newport News Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Company, New York Shipbuilding... |
156 | 1918 | 1922 | Called flush deckers due to lack of raised forecastle. |
Between the world wars
Armistice with Germany (Compiègne)
The armistice between the Allies and Germany was an agreement that ended the fighting in the First World War. It was signed in a railway carriage in Compiègne Forest on 11 November 1918 and marked a victory for the Allies and a complete defeat for Germany, although not technically a surrender...
of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, there was little need for the 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 built, so many were laid up, and fourteen had their torpedo tube
Torpedo tube
A torpedo tube is a device for launching torpedoes. There are two main types of torpedo tube: underwater tubes fitted to submarines and some surface ships, and deck-mounted units installed aboard surface vessels...
s removed and were converted to minesweepers
Minesweeper (ship)
A minesweeper is a small naval warship designed to counter the threat posed by naval mines. Minesweepers generally detect then neutralize mines in advance of other naval operations.-History:...
. On September 8, 1923, seven of the ships ran aground off the coast of California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
—the U.S. Navy's worst ever peacetime disaster
Honda Point Disaster
The Honda Point Disaster was the largest peacetime loss of U.S. Navy ships. On the evening of September 8, 1923, seven destroyers, while traveling at 20 knots , ran aground at Honda Point, a few miles from the northern side of the Santa Barbara Channel off Point Arguello on the coast in Santa...
.
In 1922, the Washington Naval Treaty
Washington Naval Treaty
The Washington Naval Treaty, also known as the Five-Power Treaty, was an attempt to cap and limit, and "prevent 'further' costly escalation" of the naval arms race that had begun after World War I between various International powers, each of which had significant naval fleets. The treaty was...
, was signed by the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, the British Empire
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
, the Empire of Japan
Empire of Japan
The Empire of Japan is the name of the state of Japan that existed from the Meiji Restoration on 3 January 1868 to the enactment of the post-World War II Constitution of...
, France
French Third Republic
The French Third Republic was the republican government of France from 1870, when the Second French Empire collapsed due to the French defeat in the Franco-Prussian War, to 1940, when France was overrun by Nazi Germany during World War II, resulting in the German and Italian occupations of France...
, and Italy. The treaty called for a freeze in size and composition of the world's major navies
Navy
A navy is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake- or ocean-borne combat operations and related functions...
, including the U.S. Navy, which ceased production of large capital ship
Capital ship
The capital ships of a navy are its most important warships; they generally possess the heaviest firepower and armor and are traditionally much larger than other naval vessels...
s. The London Naval Treaty
London Naval Treaty
The London Naval Treaty was an agreement between the United Kingdom, the Empire of Japan, France, Italy and the United States, signed on April 22, 1930, which regulated submarine warfare and limited naval shipbuilding. Ratifications were exchanged in London on October 27, 1930, and the treaty went...
, a 1930 agreement between the same parties, established total destroyer tonnage limits for the navies. The treaty also defined two categories: destroyer and destroyer leader; along with the maximum tonnage of each category, and the allowable ratio of one category to another.
In the London Naval Treaty, destroyers were established as "surface vessels of war the Standard Displacement
Displacement (fluid)
In fluid mechanics, displacement occurs when an object is immersed in a fluid, pushing it out of the way and taking its place. The volume of the fluid displaced can then be measured, as in the illustration, and from this the volume of the immersed object can be deduced .An object that sinks...
(S.D.) of which does not exceed 1,850 tons and with a gun not above 5.1 inch caliber
Caliber
In guns including firearms, caliber or calibre is the approximate internal diameter of the barrel in relation to the diameter of the projectile used in it....
.", as published in Ship’s Data for U.S. Naval Vessels. The “total completed tonnage not to be exceeded on December 31, 1936” was 150,000 S.D., but “not more than 16% of the allowed tonnage... shall be employed in vessels over 1,500 tons S.D.”. The new, higher limits rendered the existing flush-deckers obsolete, and the General Board
General Board of the United States Navy
The General Board of the United States Navy was an advisory body of the United States Navy, effectively a naval general staff. The General Board was established by general order 544, issued on March 13, 1900 by John Davis Long. The order was officially recognized by Congress in 1916...
soon moved to replace them. Since Japan was considered a probable adversary, the General Board replaced the four stackers with ships that could carry large quantities of fuel
Fuel
Fuel is any material that stores energy that can later be extracted to perform mechanical work in a controlled manner. Most fuels used by humans undergo combustion, a redox reaction in which a combustible substance releases energy after it ignites and reacts with the oxygen in the air...
, ammunition
Ammunition
Ammunition is a generic term derived from the French language la munition which embraced all material used for war , but which in time came to refer specifically to gunpowder and artillery. The collective term for all types of ammunition is munitions...
, and supplies as needed to conduct operations across the vast Pacific Ocean.
The U.S. Navy resumed destroyer construction in 1932 with the Farragut class
Farragut class destroyer (1934)
The Farragut-class destroyers were a class of eight 1,365-ton destroyers in the United States Navy.Following provisions of the London Naval Treaty of 1930, the ships were laid down between 1932 and completed by 1935...
. For the next seven years, the United States Navy constructed "1500 tonners", or "goldplaters". The goldplaters earned this name because of the "over–lavish facilities", which drew comment from seasoned destroyermen. The armament of the Farragut and Mahan class destroyers initially included five 5 inch guns, a number later reduced to four due to stability problems. The 1500 ton Mahan
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....
, Dunlap, Gridley
Gridley class destroyer
The Gridley-class destroyers 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....
, Bagley
Bagley class destroyer
The Bagley class of destroyers was built by the United States. All eight ships were ordered and laid down in 1935 and subsequently completed in 1937. Their layout was based upon the Gridley-class destroyer design, but they retained the power plants of the Mahan-class destroyers, and thus had a...
, and Benham
Benham class destroyer
Ten Benham-class destroyers were commissioned into United States Navy during 1938 and 1939. Much of their design is based upon the previous Gridley- and Bagley-class destroyers...
classes, the 1570 ton Sims
Sims class destroyer
The Sims-class consisted of 12 destroyers in the United States Navy, built in seven various shipyards, and commissioned in 1939 and 1940. It was the last United States destroyer class completed prior to World War II. All Sims-class ships saw action in World War II, and seven survived the war...
class, and the Porter
Porter class destroyer
The Porter-class destroyers were a class of eight 1,850-ton destroyers in the United States Navy.The first four ships were laid down in 1933 by New York Shipbuilding and the next four in 1934 at Bethlehem Steel Corporation in Quincy, Massachusetts...
and Somers
Somers class destroyer
The Somers-class destroyer was a class of 1850-ton United States Navy destroyer based on the Porter-class. They were answers to the large destroyers that the Japanese navy was building at the time, and were initially intended to be leaders for destroyer flotillas...
class destroyer leaders were all laid down in quick succession following the original goldplaters.
The Gleaves
Gleaves class destroyer
The Gleaves-class destroyers were a class of 66 destroyers of the United States Navy built 1938–1942, and designed by Gibbs & Cox. The first ship of the class was the USS Gleaves . The U.S. Navy customarily names a class of ships after the first ship of the class; hence the Gleaves class...
and Benson
Benson class destroyer
The Benson class was a class of 30 destroyers of the U.S. Navy built 1939–1943. The first ship of the class was the . The U.S. Navy customarily names a class of ships after the first ship of the class; hence the Benson class....
classes were similar in design to the Sims class, but had two stacks and a "split" powerplant
Engine
An engine or motor is a machine designed to convert energy into useful mechanical motion. Heat engines, including internal combustion engines and external combustion engines burn a fuel to create heat which is then used to create motion...
for extra endurance against torpedo attacks.
| Class name | |Number of ships | |First ship laid down | |Last ship commissioned | References | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Farragut Farragut class destroyer (1934) The Farragut-class destroyers were a class of eight 1,365-ton destroyers in the United States Navy.Following provisions of the London Naval Treaty of 1930, the ships were laid down between 1932 and completed by 1935... |
8 | 1932 | 1935 | Known as "1500 tonners" due to their weight, or "goldplaters" due to the luxury as compared to previous classes. | |
| Porter Porter class destroyer The Porter-class destroyers were a class of eight 1,850-ton destroyers in the United States Navy.The first four ships were laid down in 1933 by New York Shipbuilding and the next four in 1934 at Bethlehem Steel Corporation in Quincy, Massachusetts... |
8 | 1933 | 1937 | The first of the 1850 ton "leaders." | |
| Mahan 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.... |
18 | 1934 | 1937 | The first 1500 tonners with high-pressure high-temperature propulsion machinery. The last two ships of 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.... are sometimes considered the Dunlap class. |
|
| Gridley Gridley class destroyer The Gridley-class destroyers 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.... |
4 | 1935 | 1938 | Repeat 1500 tonners built by Bethlehem Steel. | |
| Bagley Bagley class destroyer The Bagley class of destroyers was built by the United States. All eight ships were ordered and laid down in 1935 and subsequently completed in 1937. Their layout was based upon the Gridley-class destroyer design, but they retained the power plants of the Mahan-class destroyers, and thus had a... |
8 | 1935 | 1937 | Repeat 1500 tonners similar to the Mahan class. | |
| Somers Somers class destroyer The Somers-class destroyer was a class of 1850-ton United States Navy destroyer based on the Porter-class. They were answers to the large destroyers that the Japanese navy was building at the time, and were initially intended to be leaders for destroyer flotillas... |
5 | 1935 | 1939 | Repeat 1850 ton leaders modified from the Porter class design. | |
| Benham Benham class destroyer Ten Benham-class destroyers were commissioned into United States Navy during 1938 and 1939. Much of their design is based upon the previous Gridley- and Bagley-class destroyers... |
10 | 1936 | 1939 | The last 1500 tonners. | |
| Sims Sims class destroyer The Sims-class consisted of 12 destroyers in the United States Navy, built in seven various shipyards, and commissioned in 1939 and 1940. It was the last United States destroyer class completed prior to World War II. All Sims-class ships saw action in World War II, and seven survived the war... |
12 | 1937 | 1940 | The first U.S. Navy destroyer class unconstrained by treaty limitations. | |
| Gleaves Gleaves class destroyer The Gleaves-class destroyers were a class of 66 destroyers of the United States Navy built 1938–1942, and designed by Gibbs & Cox. The first ship of the class was the USS Gleaves . The U.S. Navy customarily names a class of ships after the first ship of the class; hence the Gleaves class... |
66 | 1938 | 1943 | A "split powerplant" modification of the Sims class. Gleaves class was originally divided into the Livermore (24 ships) and Bristol (42 ships) classes. | |
| Benson Benson class destroyer The Benson class was a class of 30 destroyers of the U.S. Navy built 1939–1943. The first ship of the class was the . The U.S. Navy customarily names a class of ships after the first ship of the class; hence the Benson class.... |
30 | 1938 | 1943 | Bethlehem design similar to and built concurrent with the Gleaves class. |
World War II
Benson class destroyer
The Benson class was a class of 30 destroyers of the U.S. Navy built 1939–1943. The first ship of the class was the . The U.S. Navy customarily names a class of ships after the first ship of the class; hence the Benson class....
and Gleaves
Gleaves class destroyer
The Gleaves-class destroyers were a class of 66 destroyers of the United States Navy built 1938–1942, and designed by Gibbs & Cox. The first ship of the class was the USS Gleaves . The U.S. Navy customarily names a class of ships after the first ship of the class; hence the Gleaves class...
class destroyers. However, none were equipped with torpedoes comparable to the (then unknown) Type 93 torpedo
Type 93 torpedo
The Type 93 was a -diameter torpedo of the Imperial Japanese Navy , launched from surface ships. It is commonly referred to as the Long Lance by most modern English-language naval historians, a nickname given it after the war by Samuel E. Morison, the chief historian of the U.S...
s (Long Lance torpedo) of the Imperial Japanese Navy
Imperial Japanese Navy
The Imperial Japanese Navy was the navy of the Empire of Japan from 1869 until 1947, when it was dissolved following Japan's constitutional renunciation of the use of force as a means of settling international disputes...
, and only destroyer leaders had more than four main guns—inferior to the five- to eight-guns on a Japanese Fubuki class
Fubuki class destroyer
The was a class of twenty four destroyers of the Imperial Japanese Navy. The Fubuki class has been called "the world's first modern destroyer." The Fubuki class not only set a new standard for Japanese vessels, but for destroyers around the world...
destroyer (the first 24 ships of the Benson/Gleaves class were built with five guns, but excessive topweight led to one being removed).
After World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
broke out across Europe in 1939, 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...
began sketches for a five-gun ship— on an enlarged hull. Introduced in 1942, the 175 Fletcher class
Fletcher class destroyer
The Fletcher class were a class of destroyers built by the United States during World War II. The class was designed in 1939 as a result of dissatisfaction with the earlier destroyer leader types...
"2100 tonners". became the U.S. Navy's signature destroyer in the Pacific War
Pacific War
The Pacific War, also sometimes called the Asia-Pacific War refers broadly to the parts of World War II that took place in the Pacific Ocean, its islands, and in East Asia, then called the Far East...
. By the end of World War II, the U.S. Navy had also commissioned 112 six-gun destroyers derived from the Fletcher design; 67 Allen M. Sumner class
Allen M. Sumner class destroyer
The Allen M. Sumner class was a group of 58 destroyers built by the United States during World War II. Another twelve ships were completed as destroyer minelayers...
2200 tonners and 45 Gearing class
Gearing class destroyer
The Gearing class was a group of 98 destroyers built for the US Navy during and shortly after World War II. The Gearing design was a minor modification of the immediately preceding Allen M. Sumner class...
2250 tonners. The Allen M. Sumner class' hull was slightly wider than the Fletcher class' while the Gearing class design was a lengthened version of the Sumners. Collectively, these destroyer designs are sometimes regarded as the most successful of World War II.
| Class name | |Number of ships | |First ship laid down | |Last ship commissioned | References | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fletcher Fletcher class destroyer The Fletcher class were a class of destroyers built by the United States during World War II. The class was designed in 1939 as a result of dissatisfaction with the earlier destroyer leader types... |
175 | 1941 | 1944 | The U.S. Navy's first large destroyers and the most numerous of the wartime classes. | |
| Allen M. Sumner Allen M. Sumner class destroyer The Allen M. Sumner class was a group of 58 destroyers built by the United States during World War II. Another twelve ships were completed as destroyer minelayers... |
58 | 1943 | 1946 | A six-gun derivative of the Fletcher design. 70 ships were originally laid down as Allen M. Sumner class, but 12 were completed as Robert H. Smith class Robert H. Smith class destroyer The Robert H. Smith class of destroyer minelayers was built by the United States during World War II.These vessels were all originally laid down as Allen M. Sumner class destroyers and converted during construction throughout 1944. In that time the United States produced 12 Robert H. Smith class... fast minelayer Minelayer Minelaying is the act of deploying explosive mines. Historically this has been carried out by ships, submarines and aircraft. Additionally, since World War I the term minelayer refers specifically to a naval ship used for deploying naval mines... s. |
|
| Gearing Gearing class destroyer The Gearing class was a group of 98 destroyers built for the US Navy during and shortly after World War II. The Gearing design was a minor modification of the immediately preceding Allen M. Sumner class... |
98 | 1944 | 1952 | "Long hull" versions of the Allen M. Sumner class. |
Cold War and beyond
The first major warship the U.S. Navy constructed after World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
was an all-weather, anti-submarine hunter-killer, designated "destroyer leader" (DL), but referred to as a "frigate". In 1975, the twelve remaining Mitscher-
Mitscher class destroyer
The Mitscher class destroyer was an experimental destroyer class of four ships that were built for the United States Navy shortly after World War II. Considerably larger than all previous destroyers, they would have been the first post-war destroyer class had they not been reclassified during...
and Farragut-
Farragut class destroyer (1958)
The Farragut class was the second destroyer class of the United States Navy to be named for Admiral David Glasgow Farragut. The class is sometimes referred to as the Coontz class, since Coontz was first to be designed and built as a guided missile ship, whereas the previous three ships were...
classes were reclassified as guided missile destroyer
Guided missile destroyer
A guided missile destroyer is a destroyer designed to launch guided missiles. Many are also equipped to carry out anti-submarine, anti-air, and anti-surface operations. In the U.S...
s (DDGs 35-46).
Derived from the Fletcher concept, the all-gun Forrest Sherman class
Forrest Sherman class destroyer
The 18 Forrest Sherman-class destroyers were the first US post-war destroyers . and later ships were equipped with B&W Bailey Meter Company's new automatic boiler combustion control system, and a modified hurricane bow/anchor configuration...
destroyer was the successor to the Fletcher
Fletcher class destroyer
The Fletcher class were a class of destroyers built by the United States during World War II. The class was designed in 1939 as a result of dissatisfaction with the earlier destroyer leader types...
, the Allen M. Sumner
Allen M. Sumner class destroyer
The Allen M. Sumner class was a group of 58 destroyers built by the United States during World War II. Another twelve ships were completed as destroyer minelayers...
, and the Gearing
Gearing class destroyer
The Gearing class was a group of 98 destroyers built for the US Navy during and shortly after World War II. The Gearing design was a minor modification of the immediately preceding Allen M. Sumner class...
classes. The following Charles F. Adams
Charles F. Adams class destroyer
The Charles F. Adams class is a ship class of 29 guided missile destroyers built between 1958 and 1967. Twenty three ships were built for the United States Navy, 3 for the Royal Australian Navy, and 3 for the West German Bundesmarine. The ships were based on the existing Forrest Sherman class, but...
classes added a guided missile launcher on an enlarged hull.
The Spruance class
Spruance class destroyer
The Spruance-class destroyer was developed by the United States to replace a large number of World War II-built Allen M. Sumner- and Gearing-class destroyers, and was the primary destroyer built for the U.S. Navy during the 1970s....
was designed to serve as all-weather anti-submarine
Anti-submarine warfare
Anti-submarine warfare is a branch of naval warfare that uses surface warships, aircraft, or other submarines to find, track and deter, damage or destroy enemy submarines....
defense for aircraft carrier
Aircraft carrier
An aircraft carrier is a warship designed with a primary mission of deploying and recovering aircraft, acting as a seagoing airbase. Aircraft carriers thus allow a naval force to project air power worldwide without having to depend on local bases for staging aircraft operations...
task force
Task force
A task force is a unit or formation established to work on a single defined task or activity. Originally introduced by the United States Navy, the term has now caught on for general usage and is a standard part of NATO terminology...
s. The Spruance class destroyers were the first ships in the United States Navy powered with gas turbine
Turbine
A turbine is a rotary engine that extracts energy from a fluid flow and converts it into useful work.The simplest turbines have one moving part, a rotor assembly, which is a shaft or drum with blades attached. Moving fluid acts on the blades, or the blades react to the flow, so that they move and...
s—four marine jet engine
Jet engine
A jet engine is a reaction engine that discharges a fast moving jet to generate thrust by jet propulsion and in accordance with Newton's laws of motion. This broad definition of jet engines includes turbojets, turbofans, rockets, ramjets, pulse jets...
s driving two shafts with reversible-pitch propeller
Propeller
A propeller is a type of fan that transmits power by converting rotational motion into thrust. A pressure difference is produced between the forward and rear surfaces of the airfoil-shaped blade, and a fluid is accelerated behind the blade. Propeller dynamics can be modeled by both Bernoulli's...
s. The Kidd
Kidd class destroyer
The Kidd class guided missile destroyers were a series of four warships based upon the hull of the Spruance class destroyers. These ships were originally ordered by the Shah of Iran for service in the Persian Gulf in an air defense role...
class were four enlarged Spruance class destroyers, intended for the Iranian Navy. In 1979, a revolution took place in Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
, the Shah
Mohammad Reza Pahlavi
Mohammad Rezā Shāh Pahlavi, Shah of Iran, Shah of Persia , ruled Iran from 16 September 1941 until his overthrow by the Iranian Revolution on 11 February 1979...
was dethroned but instead of cancelling the four ships, they were taken into the U.S. Navy, where they were nicknamed the "Ayatollah" class.
The , the lead ship of the Arleigh Burke class
Arleigh Burke class destroyer
The Arleigh Burke class of guided missile destroyers is the United States Navy's first class of destroyer built around the Aegis combat system and the SPY-1D multi-function phased array radar. The class is named for Admiral Arleigh "31-Knot" Burke, the most famous American destroyer officer of...
, was the first destroyer named after a living person—World War II Admiral
Admiral
Admiral is the rank, or part of the name of the ranks, of the highest naval officers. It is usually considered a full admiral and above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet . It is usually abbreviated to "Adm" or "ADM"...
Arleigh Burke
Arleigh Burke
Admiral Arleigh Albert '31-knot' Burke was an admiral of the United States Navy who distinguished himself during World War II and the Korean War, and who served as Chief of Naval Operations during the Eisenhower and Kennedy administrations.-Early life and naval career:Burke was born in Boulder,...
. At her commissioning, the USS Arleigh Burke was extolled as the most powerful surface warship ever built. The USS Arleigh Burke is one-third longer and correspondingly heavier than the Fletcher class destroyers of the squadron Burke commanded in World War II; but about the same complement. The Arleigh Burke class destroyers were based around the Aegis Combat System
Aegis combat system
The Aegis Combat System is an integrated naval weapons system developed by the Missile and Surface Radar Division of RCA, and now produced by Lockheed Martin...
, like the larger Ticonderoga class cruisers
Ticonderoga class cruiser
The Ticonderoga class of missile cruisers is a class of warships in the United States Navy, first ordered and authorized in FY 1978. The class uses phased-array radar and was originally planned as a class of destroyers...
. The Arleigh Burke class was introduced in four "flights": Flight I, consisting of Arleigh Burke; Flight IA composed of 20 ships; Flight II, composed of 7 ships; and Flight IIA, composed of 34 ships. The Arleigh Burke class became the U.S. Navy's only active destroyer class when the last member of the Spruance class was decommissioned in 2005.
The Zumwalt class
Zumwalt class destroyer
The Zumwalt class destroyer is a planned class of United States Navy destroyers, designed as multi-mission ships with a focus on land attack. The class is a scaled-back project that emerged after funding cuts to the larger DD-21 vessel program. The program was previously known as the "DD"...
destroyer, a future class, is planned to cost US$
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
3.3 billion for the first unit; subsequent units will cost an estimated US$2.5 billion; however, the average cost could rise to US$5 billion or more.
| Class name | |Number of ships | |First ship laid down | |Last ship commissioned | References | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mitscher Mitscher class destroyer The Mitscher class destroyer was an experimental destroyer class of four ships that were built for the United States Navy shortly after World War II. Considerably larger than all previous destroyers, they would have been the first post-war destroyer class had they not been reclassified during... |
4 | 1949 | 1954 | Originally designated "destroyer leader". | |
| Forrest Sherman Forrest Sherman class destroyer The 18 Forrest Sherman-class destroyers were the first US post-war destroyers . and later ships were equipped with B&W Bailey Meter Company's new automatic boiler combustion control system, and a modified hurricane bow/anchor configuration... |
18 | 1953 | 1959 | Derived from the Fletcher concept. | |
| Farragut Farragut class destroyer (1958) The Farragut class was the second destroyer class of the United States Navy to be named for Admiral David Glasgow Farragut. The class is sometimes referred to as the Coontz class, since Coontz was first to be designed and built as a guided missile ship, whereas the previous three ships were... |
10 | 1956 | 1961 | Originally designated "destroyer leader". The Farragut class Farragut class destroyer (1958) The Farragut class was the second destroyer class of the United States Navy to be named for Admiral David Glasgow Farragut. The class is sometimes referred to as the Coontz class, since Coontz was first to be designed and built as a guided missile ship, whereas the previous three ships were... of the Cold War Cold War The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States... was also called the Coontz class. |
|
| Charles F. Adams Charles F. Adams class destroyer The Charles F. Adams class is a ship class of 29 guided missile destroyers built between 1958 and 1967. Twenty three ships were built for the United States Navy, 3 for the Royal Australian Navy, and 3 for the West German Bundesmarine. The ships were based on the existing Forrest Sherman class, but... |
23 | 1957 | 1964 | Guided missile derivative of the Forrest Sherman class. | |
| Spruance Spruance class destroyer The Spruance-class destroyer was developed by the United States to replace a large number of World War II-built Allen M. Sumner- and Gearing-class destroyers, and was the primary destroyer built for the U.S. Navy during the 1970s.... |
31 | 1972 | 1980 | First United States Navy ship to use gas turbines. | |
| Kidd Kidd class destroyer The Kidd class guided missile destroyers were a series of four warships based upon the hull of the Spruance class destroyers. These ships were originally ordered by the Shah of Iran for service in the Persian Gulf in an air defense role... |
4 | 1978 | 1982 | The Kidd class Kidd class destroyer The Kidd class guided missile destroyers were a series of four warships based upon the hull of the Spruance class destroyers. These ships were originally ordered by the Shah of Iran for service in the Persian Gulf in an air defense role... was based upon the Spruance class Spruance class destroyer The Spruance-class destroyer was developed by the United States to replace a large number of World War II-built Allen M. Sumner- and Gearing-class destroyers, and was the primary destroyer built for the U.S. Navy during the 1970s.... , but enlarged for the Iranian Navy. |
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| Arleigh Burke Arleigh Burke class destroyer The Arleigh Burke class of guided missile destroyers is the United States Navy's first class of destroyer built around the Aegis combat system and the SPY-1D multi-function phased array radar. The class is named for Admiral Arleigh "31-Knot" Burke, the most famous American destroyer officer of... |
62 (3+ planned) | 1988 | Ships still being built. Lead ship was first destroyer to be named after living man. | ||
| Zumwalt Zumwalt class destroyer The Zumwalt class destroyer is a planned class of United States Navy destroyers, designed as multi-mission ships with a focus on land attack. The class is a scaled-back project that emerged after funding cuts to the larger DD-21 vessel program. The program was previously known as the "DD"... |
0 (3+ planned) | 2008 | Future class. |