Wickes - class destroyer The " Wickes " - class destroyers ( DD - 75 to DD - 185 ) were a class of 111 destroyer s built by the United States Navy in 1917 - 1919 . Along with the 6 preceding and 156 subsequent s , they formed the " flush - deck " or " four - stack " type . Only a few were completed in time to serve in World War I . While some were scrapped in the 1930s , the rest served through World War II . Most of these were converted to other uses . Some were transferred to the British Royal Navy , and a few of these were later transferred to the Soviet navy . All were scrapped within a few years after World War II . Background . The destroyer type was at this time a relatively new class of fighting ship for the U . S . Navy . The type arose in response to torpedo boats that had been developing from 1865 , especially after the development of the self - propelled Whitehead torpedo . During the Spanish - American War , it was realized that a torpedo boat destroyer was urgently needed to screen the larger warships , so much so that a special war plans board headed by Theodore Roosevelt issued an urgent report pleading for this type of ship . A series of destroyers had been built over the preceding years , designed for high smooth water speed , with indifferent results . The results of these early destroyers was the appreciation of the need for true seakeeping and seagoing abilities . As a result , the size of U . S . destroyer classes increased steadily , starting at 450 tons and rising to over 1 , 000 tons between 1905 and 1916 . The increase in destroyer size has never stopped , with the US Arleigh Burke - class destroyer s now up to 10 , 800 tons full load . The need for hulls large enough for high speed and heavy seas performance saw the inclusion of both oil fuel and reduction geared steam turbines . A further need in the Navy was for scouting . There were few cruiser s in the Navy , which was a fleet of battleship s and destroyers , as no cruisers had been launched since 1908 . A report of October 1915 by Captain Sims noted that the smaller destroyers used fuel far too quickly , and that war games showed the need for fast vessels with a larger radius of action . With World War I then in its second year and tensions between the U . S . and Germany increasing , the U . S . needed to expand its navy . The Naval Appropriation Act of 1916 called for a navy " second to none , " capable of protecting both the Atlantic and Pacific coasts . The Act authorized 10 battleships , 6 s , 10 scout cruisers , and 50 " Wickes " - class destroyers . Design . The requirements of the new design were high speed and mass production . The development of submarine warfare during World War I created a requirement for destroyers in numbers that had not been contemplated before the war . A top speed of was needed for operation with the " Lexington " battlecruisers and " Omaha " cruisers . The final design had a flush deck and four smokestacks . It was a fairly straightforward evolution of the preceding " Caldwell " class . General dissatisfaction with the earlier " 1 , 000 ton " designs ( " Cassin " and " Tucker " classes ) led to the fuller hull form of the " flush deck " type . Greater beam and the flush deck provided greater hull strength . In addition , the " Wickes " class had ( 5 , 000 more horsepower than the " Caldwell " class ) , providing an extra . The extra power required an extra 100 tons of engine and reduction gears . The design included an even keel and near horizontal propeller shafts to minimize weight . As construction was undertaken by ten different builders , there was considerable variation in the types of boilers and turbines installed to meet a guaranteed speed requirement . However , there were in essence two basic designs ; one for the ships built by the Bethlehem Steel yards ( including Union Iron Works ) and another used by the remaining shipyards , which was prepared by Bath Iron Works . The " Wickes " class proved to be short - ranged , and its bridge and gun positions were very wet . The fleet found that the tapered stern , which made for a nice depth charge deployment feature , dug into the water and increased the turning radius . The " Clemson " class added 100 tons of fuel tankage to improve operational range , but the issue of range was solved only with the development of underway replenishment in World War II . Armament . The main armament was the same as the " Caldwell " class : 4 × 4 " / 50 caliber gun s ( 102 mm ) and 12 × 21 " torpedo tubes ( 533 mm ) . While the gun armament was typical for destroyers of this period , the torpedo armament 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 initially equipped , and alternate torpedoes were the subsequent Mark 11 ( 1926 ) , Mark 12 ( 1928 ) , and Mark 15 torpedo es ( 1938 ) . 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 . Production . The United States Congress authorized 50 destroyers in the 1916 Act . However , the realization of the scope of the U - boat campaign resulted in 111 being built . The ships were built at Bath Iron Works , Bethlehem Steel Corporation ' s Fore River Shipbuilding Company , Union Iron Works , Mare Island Navy Yard , Newport News Shipbuilding , New York Shipbuilding , and William Cramp and Sons . 267 " Wickes " and " Clemson " - class destroyers were built . This program was considered a major industrial achievement . Production of these destroyers was considered so important that work on cruisers and battleships was delayed to allowed completion of the program . The first " Wickes " class was launched on 11 November 1917 , with four more by the end of the year . Production peaked in July 1918 , when 17 were launched - 15 of them on 4 July . The program continued after the war ended : 21 of the " Wickes " class ( and all but 9 of the " Clemson " class ) were launched after the armistice on 11 November 1918 . The last of the " Wickes " class was launched on 24 July 1919 . This program left the U . S . Navy with so many destroyers that no new destroyers were built until 1932 . Operations . In U . S . service . A few " Wickes " class were completed in time for service in World War I , some with the battle fleet , some on convoy escort duty ; none were lost . ran aground in 1921 ; sank after a collision in 1922 . Many " Wickes " - class destroyers were converted to other uses , starting as early as 1920 , when 14 were converted to light minelayer s . Six of these were scrapped in 1932 , and replaced by five additional conversions . Another four were converted to auxiliaries or transports at that time . During the 1930s , 23 more were scrapped , sold off , or sunk as targets . This was mostly due to a blanket replacement of 61 Yarrow - boilered destroyers 1930 - 31 , as these boilers wore out quickly in service . Flush - deckers in reserve were commissioned as replacements . Starting in 1940 , many of the remaining ships were also converted . Sixteen were converted to high - speed transport s with the designation APD . Eight were converted to destroyer - minesweepers ( DMS ) . Most ships remaining in service during World War II were rearmed with dual - purpose 3 " / 50 caliber gun s ( 76 mm ) for better anti - aircraft protection . The AVD seaplane tender conversions received 2 guns ; the APD transport , DM minelayer , and DMS minesweeper conversions received 3 guns , and those retaining destroyer classification received 6 . Also , half of the torpedo tubes were removed in those retained as destroyers ; all torpedoes were removed from the others . Nearly all had half the boilers removed , for increased fuel and range or to accommodate troops , reducing their speed to 25 knots ( 46 km / h ) . The low - angle Mark 9 4 " guns removed from these ships were transferred to defensively equipped merchant ships for anti - submarine protection . Thirteen " Wickes " class were lost during World War II in U . S . service . The remainder were scrapped in 1945 to 1947 . In foreign navies . Twenty two " Wickes " - class destroyers were transferred to the Royal Navy , and five to the Royal Canadian Navy , in the Destroyers for Bases Agreement . Most of these ships were refitted much like the U . S . destroyers and used as convoy escorts , but some were used very little and were not considered worth refitting . , renamed , was disguised as a German vessel and expended as a blockship in the St Nazaire Raid . ( The involved in the Japanese surrender formalities was a later ship . ) One further destroyer was sunk ; the remainder were scrapped in 1944 to 1947 . In 1944 seven were transferred by Britain to the Soviet navy , in place of Italian ships claimed by the USSR after Italy ' s surrender . These vessels all survived the war , and were scrapped in 1949 to 1952 . Sub - classes . Some of these ships are also referred to as " Little " class , " Lamberton " class , or " Tattnall " class to signify the yard that built them and to note the slight design differences from the Bath Iron Works ships . Some of these non - Bath Iron Works units were actually commissioned prior to the lead ship , " Wickes " . s keel was laid 15 May 1918 and was launched only 17 days later on 1 June 1918 .