USN Fleet Destroyers (1912-1935): USS Sampson, Rowan, Davis, Allen, Wilkes, Shaw (DD-63-68) The Sampson-class destroyers were commissioned in 1916-1917, as the follow-up O’Brien/Tucker classes with 21-inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes, and last of the “1000-tonners”. Their main innovation was the introduction of four triple-mounts torpedo tubes, giving them a world-beating twelve-torpedo broadside, albeit halved due … Read more
USN Fleet Destroyers (1912-1935): USS Tucker, Conyngam, Porter, Wadsworth, Jacob Jones, Wainwright (DD-57-62) The Tucker class were six #USN fleet #destroyers started just as #WWI was about to start. These were also the fourth of the “thousand tonners”, based on their displacement. They were an incremental development of the O’Brien class, with the same 21-inches … Read more
USN Fleet Destroyers (1913-1936): USS O’Brien, Nicholson, Winslow, Mc Dougal, Cushing, Ericsson (DD-51-56) The third “1000 tonners”, heavy on torpedoes The O’Brien class comprised just six ships, third of five classes of “thousand tonners” based on their average 1,016 t displacement. The design was a continuation of previous Cassin/Aylwin, coming from discussions between the General … Read more
USN Fleet Destroyers: Paulding, Drayton, Roe*, Terry, Perkins, Sterett, McCall, Burrows, Warrington, Mayrant (Paulding class, Roe sub-class) Monaghan, Trippe, Walke, Ammen, Patterson, Sons, Fanning, Jarvis, Henley, Beale, Jouett, Jenkins (Monaghan class) The first USN oil-fired Turbines Destroyers The Smith and Paulding were closely similar fleet destroyers sharing similar caracteristics and steam turbines. When the 1000-tonners … Read more
Fleet destroyers (1908-1921): Smith, Lamson, Preston, Flusser, Reid (DD-17 to DD-21) The Turbines Destroyers or “Flivvers” The Smith and Paulding were closely similar fleet destroyers nicknamed “flivvers” restrospectively after the after the small and shaky Model T Ford after the 1000-tonners entered service. But they were a landmark: The first USN steam turbine fleet destroyers. … Read more
USA – (1898-1902): 12 destroyers: USS Bainbridge, Barry, Chauncey, Dale, Decatur, Hopkins, Hull, Lawrence, Macdonough, Paul Jones, Perry, Preble, Stewart The Bainbridge-class destroyers were first designated as Torpedo Boat Destroyers (TBDs), authorized by the Congress in 1898 following the Spanish–American War. Built between 1899 and 1903, they represented 13 of 16 TBDs, but the lead … Read more
USA (1919-23)- USS Colorado, Maryland, West Virginia The Colorado class, formed with the near-sister ships Tennesse what was called the “big five”, the last USN super-dreadnoughts, and last of the “Standards”. To gain time and budget, the Colorado were planned in 1916 as virtual copies of the Tennesse, but with 16-inches guns, first to inaugurate … Read more
USA (1914) USS Nevada, Oklahoma The Nevada class: First “standard battleships” The Nevada and Oklahoma marked a milestone in US Battleship design. Launched just before WW1 broke out, they were the world’s first to adopt the famous “all or nothing” armor scheme, quite a rationalization of armor protection tailored for long-range engagements. Two years later, … Read more
United States Navy – 51 cruisers WW1 USN cruisers POSTER When the USA entered war on April, 6, 1917, the fleet comprised about 40 cruisers, the older ones being relegated as costal gunboats, a part made of obsolete masted cruisers, veterans of 1898, 1900’s armoured and protected cruisers, and the most recent were the Chester … Read more
USA – USS St Louis, Milwaukee, Charleston The American semi-armored cruisers The St. Louis-class cruisers were a bit of exceptions in the USN cruiser lineage. They began as a replacement for the old USS Olympia, but went through several redesigns over time, before development was rushed up as part of the naval buildup touched off … Read more
