Caldwell - class destroyer The " Caldwell " Class of destroyer s served in the United States Navy near the end of World War I . Two were deleted during the 1930s , but four survived to serve throughout World War II , three of these in service with the Royal Navy under the Lend - Lease Agreement . Design and Construction . The six " Caldwell " Class torpedo - boat destroyers were authorised by Congress under the Act of 3 March 1915 , " to have a speed of not less than thirty knots per hour [ sic ] and to cost , exclusive or armor and armament , not to exceed $ 925 , 000 . 00 each . . . " Provided " , that three of said torpedo - boats herein authorised shall be built on the Pacific Coast . " Built from 1916 to 1918 , the six ships of the " Caldwell " class were the first of 279 ordered ( 6 of which were cancelled ) to a flush - decked design to remove the forecastle break weakness of the preceding " Tucker " class . The forward sheer of the " Caldwell " class was improved to keep " A " mount from being constantly washed out . The class had beam torpedo tubes and wing mounts , both flaws in design also found in the numerous " Wickes " - class and " Clemson " - class vessels which followed them . There were differences in appearance ; " Caldwell " , " Craven " and " Manley " were built with four " stacks " ( funnels ) , while " Gwin " , " Conner " and " Stockton " had only three . Once the mass - production destroyers made the design prevalent , the " Caldwell " s became known as " flush - deck " or " four - stack " destroyers . World War I anti - submarine ( ASW ) modifications included a depth charge track and possibly a Y - gun depth charge thrower . " Manley " ' s high - speed destroyer transport ( APD ) conversion , removing her forward stacks and boilers , gave her the capacity to lift 200 Marines and four Higgins assault boats ( LCP ( L ) , LCP ( R ) , or LCVP ) . She saw action at Guadalcanal and Kwajalein . Three entered Royal Navy service in 1940 under the Destroyers for Bases Agreement as part of the Town class . USS Conner ( DD - 72 ) serving as HMS " Leeds " provided cover at Gold Beach on 6 June 1944 ; her sisters served as convoy escorts . All three survived the war , two being sunk as targets and one scrapped , postwar . Armament . While the gun armament was typical for destroyers of this period , the torpedo armament of 12 x 21 " torpedo tubes was larger than usual , in accordance with American practice at the time . A factor in the size of the torpedo armament was the General Board ' s decision to use broadside rather than centerline torpedo tubes . This was due to the desire to have some torpedoes remaining after firing a broadside , and problems experienced with centerline mounts on previous classes with torpedoes striking the gunwale s of the firing ship . The Mark 8 torpedo was equipped . Most ships carried a 3 inch 23 caliber ( 76 mm ) anti - aircraft ( AA ) gun , typically just aft of the bow 4 inch gun . The original design called for two 1 pounder AA guns , but these were in short supply and the 3 inch gun was more effective . Anti - submarine ( ASW ) armament was added during World War I . Typically , a single depth charge track was provided aft , along with a Y - gun depth charge projector forward of the aft deckhouse . Ships in class . The 6 ships of the " Caldwell " class were :