Fighting Ships of the U.S. Navy 1883-2019: Volume 4, Part 4 - Destroyers (1937-1943)

Fighting Ships of the U.S. Navy 1883–2019, Volume Four, Part Four: Destroyers is devoted to one of the most important and numerous American destroyer types of the Second World War — the Fletcher class.

This volume presents the Fletcher-class destroyers, from USS Fletcher (DD-445) through the later ships of the class, including vessels numbered up to DD-804. The book follows individual ships in a clear reference format, with entries covering construction data, launch and commissioning dates, service histories, conversions, reclassifications, modernisations and final fates. The volume also includes “as built” class specification tables, information on major overhauls, and a rich photographic record showing ships in different periods of their careers and in a variety of camouflage schemes.

The Fletcher class formed the backbone of the U.S. Navy’s destroyer force during the Second World War and remained important well into the post-war period. This book is therefore an essential reference for naval historians, researchers, ship modellers and everyone interested in U.S. Navy warships. It is particularly valuable for modellers thanks to the extensive photographic coverage, camouflage references and detailed ship-by-ship data.