Wickes-class destroyer

USS Crowninshield
Class overview
NameWickes class
BuildersVarious
Operators
Preceded byCaldwell class
Succeeded byClemson class
Subclasses
  • Little (52 ships)
  • Lamberton (11 ships)
  • Tattnall (10 ships)
Built1917–21
In commission1918–46 (USN)
Completed111
Lost
  • 9 sunk in battle
  • 5 sunk as targets
  • 7 others sunk or destroyed in other ways
Retired90 scrapped
General characteristics
TypeDestroyer
Displacement
  • 1,154 tons (normal)
  • 1,247 tons (full load)
Length314 ft 4.5 in (95.82 m)
Beam30 ft 11.25 in (9.43 m)
Draft9 ft (2.74 m)
Propulsion
Speed35.3 kn (65.4 km/h; 40.6 mph)
Complement100 officers and enlisted
Sensors and
processing systems		1 × SC radar
Armament
Notespopularly known as Flush Deckers, Four Pipers, Four-stackers, 1200-ton type

The Wickes-class destroyers were a class of 111 destroyers built by the United States Navy in 1917–19. Together with the six preceding Caldwell-class and following 156 subsequent Clemson-class destroyers, they were grouped as the "flush-deck" or "four-stack" type. Only a few were completed in time to serve in World War I, including USS Wickes, the lead ship of the class.

While some were scrapped in the 1930s, the rest served throughout World War II. Most of these were converted to other uses; nearly all in U.S. service had half their boilers and one or more stacks removed to increase fuel and range or accommodate troops.[2] Others were transferred to the British Royal Navy and the Royal Canadian Navy, some of which were later transferred to the Soviet Navy. All were scrapped within a few years after World War II.

  1. ^ a b c d e Thomas, Donald I., CAPT USN "Recommissioning Destroyers, 1939 Style" United States Naval Institute Proceedings September 1979 p.71
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference SilverstoneII was invoked but never defined (see the help page).