Figure 1.--

Destroyers first appeared in World War I,although precursors date back to the late-19th century. They had light guns, but armed with torpedoes they could destroy much larger ships like cruisers and do great damage to battleships. The United States and Britain built large numbers of destroyers in World War I, in part to deal with the U-Boat threat. The U.S. Navy did little to improve destroyer technology after World War I. The Japanese on the other hand built a substantial fleet of modern destroyers. The German builkt a small, but excellent destroyer force. With the outbreak of World War II, the British suddenly needed destroyers. The British Royal Navy needed destroyers and covettes in large numbers, both for fleet operations and escorts in the Battle of the Atlantic. The United States provided mothballed destroyers in the Destroyers for Bases deal. American destroyers were used for an undeclared war in the North Atlanic before America entered the Wr. The Royal Canadian Navy of mostly destroyers and corvdttes was virtually built from the ground up to escort the Atlantic convoys. The Japanese introduced their 'special type' destroyers more than a decade before the War began. They were thus at ghe time the Pearl Harbor attack oropelled America into the Pacific War, the most modern and largest destroyers in the Pacific and played an important role in early Japanese victories, both in the Dutch East Indies and the Solomons. The Germans had some excellent destroyers, but most were lost in the invasion of Norway which subsequently weakened the Kreigsmarine's ability to support the planned Operation Sea Lion invasion. The American answer was the Fletcher-class destroyer. They began reaching the fleet after Midway (June 1942). It was a large flush-deck 2,100-tonner. It rapidly became the back bone of the American destroyer fleet in both the Pacific and Atlantic. The Fletchers evebn plsyed z key role in the D-Day landings. The most important naval campaign of the War was fought in the North Atlantic against the German U-boats which were defeated by a combined effort of the U.S. Navy , the British Royal Navy, and the Royal Canadian Navy. Destroyer esorts were developed for convoy duty and jeep carriers provuide air cover in the mid-ocean gap. By World War II they were multiple purpose ships doing patrol and escorts duties. All of navies had destroyers. The initinal idea of protecting capital ships and convoys was greatly expanded. The United States in addituin to the Fletchers deployed large numbers of destroyer escorts which played an important role as pickets protecting major fleet operations.

Background

World War I

Destroyers first appeared in World War I,although precursors date back to the late-19th century. They had light guns, but armed with torpedoes they could destroy much larger ships like cruisers and do great damage to battleships. The United States and Britain built large numbers of destroyers in World War I, in part to deal with the U-Boat threat.

Inter-war Era

The U.S. Navy did little to improve destroyer technology after Woirld War I. The Japanese on the other hand built a substantial fleet of modern destroyers. The German built a small, but excellent destroyer force.

Types

Destroyers

Corvettes/Destroyer escorts

Just as Dönitz's main problem was initially the lack of U-boats, Admiral Martin Dunbar-Nasmith, who took over responsibility for the Western Approaches at the start of the War, lacked escort vessels to protect the vital Atlantic convoys. The Royal Navy had been substantially downsized in the inter-War era. And with the fall of France (June 1940), the problem became even more severe. Destroyers were needed to protect ocean going escorts. And even though destroyers were smaller naval ships, construction would take time and Bitish shipyards had many other demands. The only sollution open to the the Royal Navy at the start of the War was the corvette which could be used for both patrol and escort duties. They were much smaller than destroyers and did not need specialized shipyards or experienced ship workers to build. They could be built rapidly and in large numbers. The term corvette was an early naval name. Winston Churchill, then First Lord of the Admiralty (1939-40), threw himself into addressing the escort problem and played a role in designating these new vessels 'corvettes'. The designed was based on a whale catcher. (The fast ships with the harpoons.) William Reed, a British naval designer, concived a small ship based on the single-shaft Smiths Dock Company whale catcher Southern Pride. The ship's basic design and mercantile construction standards were perfect for rapid construction in large numbers. And they could be built in Canada which did not not have many large shipyards. The best known of these small ships was the small Flower class. Royal Navy corvettes were named after flowers. Royal Canadian Navy ships of the same class were named after smaller Canadian cities and towns. The Flower-class corvette were well suited for offshore patrol work, but they were not well suited for highseas patrol. They were too small and were bounced around like a cork in heavy weather. And increadibly they even had an open bridge. The sailors that went to war in these small ships were intrepid young men. But they were all the British/Canadians had in the first years of the War. They were slightly faster than the merchantmen they escorted, but not as fast as the newer German U-boats that appeared after the start of the War. Living conditions on ocean patrols were appalling. They were thus forced into duty to protect the Atlantic convoys and were even used for the Arctic convoys carrying supplies to the enbattled Soviet Union. While the corvettes were primarily built for the rapidly expanding Royal Canadian Navy in the Battle of the Atlantic, they also appeared in the Pacific. The Royal Australian Navy built 60 Bathurst-class corvettes, including 20 for the Royal Navy crewed by Australians as well as 4 for the Indian Navy. These were officially designated mine sweepers in the Royal Australian Navy and minesweeping sloops in the British Royal Navy and named after Australian towns. The Bird-class minesweepers or trawlers were designated corvettes in the Royal New Zealand Navy. The Kiwi and Moa rammed and sank the massive Japanese submarine I-1 during the Solomons campaign (1943). The corvette a stop-gap sollution, but played a major role in the Battle of the Atlantic, helping to make the Royal Canadian Navy one of the largest navies in the world in only a few short years. As the War progressed the British were able to intrioduce more substantial escorts. The most important was the frigate, which was larger, faster, better armed and had two shafts. There were, however, limits on how many could be profuced by the British. The Royal Navy thus introduyced an improved corvette design (the Castle class) in the last year of the War. The UnitedcStates had a much larger indusyrial capacity. It substntially increased destroyer construction and produced the Fletcher-clsss destroyer. bnt as ships in larger numbers were needed, began laubching destroyer escorts. They were comparable to the Royal Navy corvettes, but much alittle larger and better designed. The U.S. Pacific fleet used their destroyer escorys for radar picket duty and theyb were hammared by the Kamikzees in the final year of the War.

Country Trends

Destroyers by World War II were multiple purpose ships doing patrol and escorts duties. All of navies had destroyers. The initial idea of protecting capital ships and convoys was greatly expanded. Destoyers played an important roles throughout the War. It was German destoyer that made the German victory in Norway possible, although many were lost to the Royal Navy. Destroyers and corvettes were vital in the most important naval battle if the War--the Battle of the Atlantic. The British and Canadians until America entered the War had to fight it out with onlunlimited air support. President Roosevelt used Amrican destroyers in the North Atlantic to bait Hitler into declring War. It would be the Japanese woul would bring America into the War, but Hitler's fury at American actions in the North Atlantic was a factor in his declaring war on America a few days ater Pearl Harbor. Destroyers were especially important in the Paific War given the vast distances need to transport men and equipment. Here the Japanese destroyer force provd unequal to the task ass American destroyers decimated the Maru supply fleet. The U.S. Navy destroyers on the other hand played a major role in protecting Ameica's farflung supply lines. American destroyers also proved important in both fleet actions and amphibious landing support. It ws destroyers and destroyer escirts along with jeeo carriers that blocked the most powerful ships in the Imperial Navy from reaching the landing area at Leyte. And ut was merican destroyers that vurtully went on the beach to save the Omaha beached on D-Day.

Britain

The Royal Navy substantially reduced the number of destroyers in the inter-War era. With the outbreal of the War, the British suddenly needed large numbers of destroyers to serve as convoy exorts. An contrary to Admiralty assumtions. ASDIC (SONAR) had not made the U-boats obsolete. The British Royal Navy desperately needed escort vessels and very large numbers of them for both fleet operations and escort duties. There was no way that the British could build large numbers of desroyers or frigates quickly. The limited number of shipyards had many other vessel orders. The answer was the Flower-class corvette. They were suitable for coastal patrols, but hardly for escoring ocean-going convoys. They were. however all that was available in sxubstantial numbers. The United States provided mothballed destroyers in the Destroyers for Bases deal. The Royal Navy ship of choice for taking on the U-boats was the frigate.

Canada

The Royal Canadian Navy was virtually built from the ground up to escort the Atlantic convoys. It primarily consisted of corvettes, small escort vessels that could be built in make-shift shipyards with unskilled labor. And unlike actuall arms and naval ships, the supplies and material could be imported from the United States.

France

Germany

The German Kreigsmarine had a small, but excellent fleet of destroyers. They were used a troop transports in the invasion of Norway and large numbers were sunk (April 1940). This subsequently weakened the Kreigsmarine's ability to support the planned Operation Sea Lion invasion.

Italy

The Italian Navy at the start of World War II included a wide range if vesels catehorized as destoyers (caccia-torpedinieri). They included old World War I designs as well as some of the most modern types in the world. They varied from esentilly large torpedo-boats to modern exploratori (large destroyers nearing the size of a light cruiser size). After Mussolini brought Italy into the War (June 1940), the Italian Navy fought it out with the Royal Navy for control of the Mediterranean. The Italian Navy was a more powerful force, but had many disadvantages, including the lack of air craft carrirs and radar. The loack of radar is one of many examples of the failure of the Axis to share technology. At aime tht the British were turning over their most advanced military technology to America, this was not happening within the Axis. The Germns had advanced radar systms. The Italians, however fought it out with the Royal Navy without radar. Ultra also played an important role. Only after the major battles were fought did Italian ships begin to get radar. It was the Italian destroyers that were given a critical assignment, escoring Axis convoys supplying the Afrika Korps in North Africa. This proved a dangerous task as the larger units of he Italin Nvy were sunk, damaged. it withdran from combat. And the Italian destroyers prived unable to safeguard the convoy. Large numbrs of supply-laden vessels were lost to British sunmarines and air attack. Here again Ultra played a jey role, providing the British details on Italian convoy sailings and location. Military historins are cinvinced that the Britih in the Westen Desert were only able to stop Rommel's Afrika Korps because of his supply problems.

Japan

The Japanese introduced their 'special type' destroyers more than a decade before the War began. It was a well designed fast ship with 5 inch guns. They were thus at the time that the Pearl Harbor attack propelled America into the Pacific War, the most modern and largest destroyers in the Pacific and played an important role in early Japanese naval victories, both in the Dutch East Indies and the Solomons. Not only were the Japanese destroyers excellent ships, but they had the emense advntage in the first year of the war of being armed with the highly effective Long Lance Torpedo. Ironically perhaps the single most important destroyer of the War was the Japanee destroyer Arashi which led American dive bombers to the First Air Fleet at Midway.

United States

At the outbreak of World War II, the United States did not have a modern destroyer. It was still using basically destoyers based on World War I technology. Some World War Four Stackers were still in service at the time of Pearl Hrbor. Others in the mothball fleet were transferred to the Royal Navy in desperate need of escort craft--part of the Bases or Destroyr deal. Several classes were designed and built during the inter-War era. Most were built under Treaty limitations. The Sims-class was the first built without Treaty limitatins. The largest number built was Gleaves-class and almost identical Benson class. American destroyers were first used for an undeclared war in the North Atlanic before America entered the War. Several destoyers were sunk or damaged in the early engagements. The Wickes-class USS Greer was the first U.S. vessel fired on by a German U-boat (September 1941). The Gleaves-class USS Kearny was the first to attack a German U-boat (October 1941). The first American servicemen killed in the War were on the Kearny. as a result of the action, President Roosevelt issued a 'shoot to kill order'--moving America closer to war. Hitler dud not, however, take the bait and ordered U-boat commanbders to avoid actions with the Americans. The U.S.Navy like the Royal Navy was not prepared for anti-submarine warfare (ASW). The American answer to the modern Japanese destoyers was the Fletcher-class destroyer. At the time that the U.S. Navy began the shooting war in the North Atlantic, the first Fletchers were still undergoing seatrials. It and related drivitives were the largest class of American destroyer ordered and proved the most successful class. It was the most popular destroyer among the men actually serving on destroyers. The Fletchers did not. however, begin reaching the fleet until after Midway (June 1942). The Fletchers were a large flush-deck 2,100-tonner. They had crews of a little over 300 men and were arnmed with five 5-inch guns. The United States devoted 11 shipyards to building Fletchers. The first Fletchers were used to form the Cactus Strike Force to support the hard-pressed Marines on Guadalcanal (August-December 1942). The Fletchers had a major advantage over the Japanese because they had radar. After the Guadalcanal campign, the United States began to get advanced aircraft and the Japanese withdrew their fleet. This substantially reduced action betweem surface units. American shipyards were churning out four Fletchers a month (1944). The Fletchers rapidly became the backbone of the American destroyer fleet in both the Pacific and Atlantic. They sank 29 confirmed Japanese submarine kills in the Pacific War. The Fletchers even played a key role in the D-Day landings, essentially saving the Omaha beachhead. The United States in addition to the Fletchers deployed large numbers of destroyer escorts which played an important role as pickets protecting major fleet operations as well as escorts. They were comparable the Royal Navy corvettes, but were better designed and somewhat larger.

Naval Campaigns

The most important naval campaign of the War was fought in the North Atlantic against the German U-boats which were defeated by a combined effort of the U.S. Navy , the British Royal Navy, and the Royal Canadian Navy. Destroyer esorts were developed for convoy duty and jeep carriers provuide air cover in the mid-ocean gap.

Created: 8:19 AM 6/9/2012
Last updated: 3:59 PM 3/11/2015