1) was the lead ship of this class, though the first ship to be commissioned in this class was Decatur II (DD 5) in May 1902.

Along came the first version of the 'destroyer.' Bainbridge (Torpedo-boat Destroyer No. So instead, we're going to highlight just a handful of destroyer classes and leave the others up to you, our enthusiastic and knowledgeable followers, to tell us what classes weren't mentioned here and why they, too, are legendary surface warriors!ĭuring the Spanish-American War, it became apparent that a ship was needed to defend against torpedo boats. We know that each class of destroyer is unique in its own right, but to list them all in a single blog post would take so long that a new class would be created by the time we were done. From their original function as torpedo-boat destroyers to the respect they've earned as anti-submarine warfare vessels, modern-day destroyers have evolved into multi-mission surface combatants tailored for land attack and littoral dominance. These warships have similar guided-missile capabilities to cruisers and partake in a wide range of missions, making them a lethal force in our fleet. Navy's destroyers have evolved from small, fast, close-in surface combatants to multi-mission offensive and defensive warships that can operate independently or as part of strike groups. destroyer commissioned in 1902 to the famous ships of World War II to the Arleigh Burke-class, the U.S.

U.s. navy destroyers world war 2