The construction of new battleships and aircraft carriers capable of speeds over 30 knots also required modern new destroyers capable of up to 38 knots. Consequently in January 1940 the General Ship Board responsible for these plans decided that a new destroyer should be designed with a 127 mm main armament in five gun turrets and 10 torpedo tubes. By the end of 1940 orders for 100 ships of the future Fletcher Class were placed with 11 different shipyards. When the USA came into the war in December 1941, the navy placed a further 75 orders. The DD-445 USS Fletcher type called after Admiral Frank F. Fletcher was launched on 3rd May 1942 from Federal Shipbuilding in Kearny, New Jersey. Unlike previous US destroyers the hull of the ship was able to withstand much heavier loads, so that the destroyer driven by two high-pressure steam turbines with a capacity of 60,000 shp reached a top speed of 37 knots. The maximum cruising speed under operational conditions was 32 to 33 knots. Modern radar equipment ensured that she was also fully operational by night and in poor visibility. Some parts of the superstructure were clad in 12 mm hardened steel armour increased to as much as 19 mm armour plating in vital areas of the hull. Thanks to a very conservative construction, a powerful power plant and extensive modern radar and sensor systems, the ships of the Fletcher Class proved to be the most successful US Navy destroyers in the 2nd World War.
Click to enlarge image