The United States Navy is the sole leader in the maritime aspect. No other country devotes as much attention and material resources as the United States. The main reason for this is the use of the fleet for the political purposes of the country as a lever of pressure on third parties or a simple demonstration of its power. After all, everyone knows very well that the fleet can represent the interests of a state far from its native lands. in terms of the total displacement of its warships, it is ahead of the next 13 countries combined, and this is certainly a serious indicator. Moreover, the American fleet is the center of ship technology and all this is supported by modern weapons. Today we will look at a class of warships, which, according to some sources, is considered one of the weapons of death of the US Navy - the destroyer.

Destroyer (full name destroyer) is a class of multi-purpose warships that appeared at the end of the nineteenth century. It was inferior in size to a cruiser, but larger than a frigate. Until the 1990s, destroyers were used more as auxiliary vessels accompanying aircraft-carrying warships. But with the advent of Aegis control system technology, the picture changed radically - destroyers became capable of independently destroying any targets in the air, on land or water. However, to give an idea of ​​the class of these warships, I think it would be better if we start disassembling them from an earlier period.

The newest US destroyer Zumwalt

Background and early US Navy destroyers

In the late nineteenth century, the United States adopted a more closed policy. America has not yet had such large-scale economic, political and military power as we have become accustomed to seeing since the middle of the last century. Therefore, today's giant production of naval equipment at that time copied the technologies of its European neighbors more than creating its own. However, the Americans had the peculiarity of mass construction of any equipment, which gave them an advantage in the development of their fleet.

The first destroyers of European countries were built in the 1880s, while in the United States this event occurred only in 1890. The first example of this type of combat vessel in the American fleet was the destroyer Cushing. Over the next 10 years, 34 more ships of this type were built. At the beginning of the twentieth century, the US Navy began to build new types of destroyers:

• 1900-1902 16 Bainbridge units;
• 1909 destroyers "Smith" (prototypes of the English "Tribal" and German "Beagle");
• 1913 The first four-tube destroyers "Cassin" / USS "Cushing" (prototypes of the Russian destroyer "Novik" and the British "V/W").

US destroyers in World War I

Initially, Congress did not plan to enter the First World War, adhering to the Monroe Doctrine, adopted back in the nineteenth century. However, under pressure from President Wilson, the United States nevertheless entered the war in 1917, a year before its end. Due to the fact that America was the last player to enter the war, it had enough time to complete its fleet.

In the first years of the war, 26 ships of 4 types of destroyers “Cassin” (8), “O’Brien” (6), “Tucker” (6) and “Sampson” (6) were built. The common feature of all these destroyers was their lack of speed. While European destroyers reached a maximum speed of 35-37 knots, American destroyers only reached 29 knots, which was a strong disadvantage at that time. However, the United States had its own reasons for this. The first was that high speed created a shortage of fuel. In order to fill this gap, it was necessary to increase the displacement, which the command did not want. Moreover, speed required high power, and this reduced the life of the engines, which was also undesirable. And of course it was all financial in nature.

In 1916, Congress passed a law to expand the fleet. The rule “the more the merrier” became the basic principle of the Navy. For example, it was planned to build the first 50 “smooth-deck” destroyers of the “Wicks” type within two years. However, due to the fact that America became involved in the First World War, 111 destroyers of this type were built. An incredible figure that gave rise to the hegemony of the United States. Weeks is the second series of American destroyers. The main feature of this type was its speed, it could reach speeds of up to 35 knots and sail at optimal speed (15 knots) up to 5,000 nautical miles.

Do you think a series of 111 destroyers built is a record? No, the next type of destroyer, the Clemson, developed in 1917-1918, was built in the amount of 156 units (and back this is not a record). Clemson is considered the third series of American destroyers. True, except for some weapons, it was no different from the previous one.

US destroyers played a significant role in the outcome of the war. The US deployed approximately 280 combat and support vessels, of which 64 were destroyers. At the cost of 7,000 personnel and 48 ships (mostly auxiliary), the world learned what the American Navy was capable of.

US destroyers in World War II

The rule “the more the merrier” showed its fruits during the First World War, so the US government continued to adhere to it. Having taken a break in the construction of destroyers (at that time, cruisers were mainly built), by the early 1930s the Navy again began building destroyers of the Farragut, Mahan, Dunlap, Porter, Somers, and Gridley types. , Bagley, Benham, Sims, Gleaves, Benson, Bristol and of course the great Fletcher. During the construction of new destroyers, in 1939, most of the old ones were removed from service or rebuilt into high-speed minesweepers, landing ships and minelayers. According to the 1940 treaty between the United States and Great Britain, 50 squadron Minnons were transferred to the Royal Navy, in exchange for the lease of military bases belonging to England.

The Porter ships are the first type of leaders - destroyers of the American fleet (all leaders before them were cruisers). They were followed by other Somers-class destroyer leaders. Thus, destroyers grew from auxiliary attack ships into attack ships themselves, which determined their importance in the future.

Fletcher-class destroyer - record holder and hero of World War II

Development of Fletcher began in 1939, but the construction decree was signed only in 1941. The main reason for the construction of the Fletchers was the lack of range of the Benson. Initially, the Fletchers were intended for use in the Pacific Ocean, but the situation during World War II made adjustments to their operation. A total of 175 units of this type were built between 1941 and 1943 (a record in the history of construction of one type of ship). Three of them were converted into (“DD-477”, “DD-478” and “DD-480”). At the moment, there are 4 Fletcher destroyers, all of them converted into a museum.

In terms of general characteristics, this type was built in a “smooth-deck” style, which gave it an advantage in terms of weight. The second bottom of the ship appeared again, which improved their survivability. The ship's armor ranged from 12.7mm to 19mm, depending on the part of the ship. The 492-ton fuel reserve allowed these destroyers to travel up to 6,000 nautical miles at an optimal speed of 15 knots, and the maximum speed was 32 knots.

Model of the leader of the Fletcher-class destroyers

In terms of weapons, the Fletcher was equipped with fairly modern weapons for that time. It had Mark 12 (127 mm) class artillery, Bofors and Oerlikon class anti-aircraft artillery, anti-submarine weapons and mine-torpedo weapons. But the main feature was the fire control system, thanks to which the destroyer’s artillery was aimed automatically.

Thanks to their long range, the Fletcher destroyers sailed freely in the Pacific Ocean. The main naval battles of the US Navy took place in these waters. After the Pearl Harbor crisis, the American fleet intensified its operations in the Pacific territory. Battle of Midway, Operation Mo, Capture of Okinawa, Battle of Iwo Jima, Battle of Saipan, Battle of the Solomon Islands, Battle of Gualdacanal, Battle of Savo Island, Battle of Wake and of course the Battle of Leyte Gulf, followed by the Imperial Japanese Navy lost all hope for major actions by his fleet, are the Japanese-American naval battles, where the main trump card of the United States was the Fletcher destroyers.

The current position of destroyers in the US Navy

As I already wrote, after the 1980s, the mission of destroyers changed dramatically with the advent of Aegis technology. Destroyers were able to be armed with vertical launch systems for the use of cruise, anti-submarine and anti-aircraft missiles, which made it possible for these ships to provide cover for sea and land groups, as well as carry out massive strikes on land, sea and air targets.

Currently, the US Navy has 62 Arleigh Burke-class destroyers and 2 Zumwalt-class destroyers in service. Both types are equipped with the Aegis system, Tamagafk cruise missiles (Arleigh Burke up to 56, Zamvolt up to 80 missiles) and many other modern weapons.

The last Arleigh Burke-class destroyer was built in 2012, but the Navy plans to build 30 more. Arleigh Burke-class destroyers have been frequently used in combat in Libya and Syria.

"Zamvalt" are representatives of the latest technologies, built in 2013 and 2017. The appearance of these destroyers is very strange because... they use Stealth technology. All ships of this type operate exclusively on electricity.

From the point of view of personnel, on the one hand, these are professionals in their field, on the other hand, these are personnel who can tarnish their name so much that it can no longer be washed. For example, the captain of the destroyer Porter, which in April 2017 struck a Syrian air base, killing 72 civilians (27 children), is a woman, Andria Slough (maybe not the most humane, but the clearest example of professionalism). Another example is the commander of the destroyer Fitsgerald, in the same year 2017, without taking the necessary measures, collided with a container ship (I hardly think the command patted him on the head for this incident).

It is difficult to remember a more successful and widespread type of destroyers of the Second World War than the Fletcher-class destroyers. It is no less difficult to find a ship with an equally glorious military history. The second destroyer of this type, after which the entire series was named, did not look as impressive as the giant battleships and fast cruisers, but went through the entire war, took part in the largest battles in the Pacific Ocean and remained in service until 1969. The pennant of the veteran ship was decorated with fifteen battle stars for World War II and five for the Korean War, which became a clear confirmation of its nickname “Battle Fletcher.”

History of creation

A new type of destroyer was developed in 1939–1940. The war had not yet begun for the United States, and it was not easy for American shipbuilders to develop the “ideal concept” of light ships - naval battles on the other side of the Atlantic did not have time to provide the necessary statistics on the use of destroyers. For example, the actual effectiveness of naval aviation remained a mystery to naval theorists. Thus, there was no clarity regarding the necessary air defense systems, and therefore the reserve of free space and displacement that needed to be included in the design of new destroyers.

The 1939 design proposals were a development of the Benson and Sims types. At that time, there was a restriction for destroyers of 1,600 tons of displacement, but by 1940 it became clear that such a small size of the ships would not allow them to be equipped with effective anti-aircraft weapons, and the restriction was lifted.

The result of the development was a project for a ship with a length of 114.7 m (according to other sources - 112.5 m) and a displacement of 2100 tons. Despite such large dimensions, it was a very fast ship, capable of developing 38 knots of maximum speed (with 15 economic knots) with a turning circle of 950 yards (867 m) at a speed of 30 knots.

The US Department of the Navy approved the project, submitted by specialists from the Bureau of Shipbuilding on January 27, 1940. The destroyer was supposed to be armed with five 127-mm Mk.12 cannons with a barrel length of 38 calibers. The main means of anti-ship warfare were two Mk.15 torpedo tubes, each with five tubes of 533 mm caliber (later replaced by Mk.23 tubes). To combat enemy submarines, six K-type bomb launchers with an ammunition capacity of 28 bombs were used. Anti-aircraft weapons consisted of a quad 28-mm gun and four 12.7-mm Browning machine guns. Having approved the project, the ministry placed an order for twenty-four ships. By the end of 1940, the order increased to hundreds of destroyers; in total, 175 ships of this series were commissioned during the Second World War.

The destroyer with tail number DD-445 was launched on May 3, 1942, at the very height of the war. The ship was christened after Francis Friday Fletcher, the commander of the first destroyer of the United States Navy. Somewhat earlier, the destroyer Nicholas (DD-449) entered service, but the series received the name of a ship with a lower tactical number.

Francis Friday Fletcher (1855–1914), commander of the USS Cushing, the first destroyer of the American fleet
navsource.org/archives

The operation of the ships almost immediately showed the ineffectiveness of machine gun armament as an anti-aircraft weapon. The new combat aircraft were too durable even for “solid” 50-caliber bullets. Moreover, the 28-mm gun mount also turned out to be insufficiently powerful - on the Fletcher it was replaced with a twin 40-mm Bofors cannon. The machine guns were also dismantled, replacing them with four 20-mm Oerlikon cannons.

Later, during the modernization of 1943, the number of Bofors was increased to five, and the Oerlikons to seven. In 1945, two Bofors were replaced with quad mounts, and four of the seven Oerlikons were replaced with twin mounts, bringing the total number of anti-aircraft guns to twenty-five. At the same time, one of the torpedo tubes was dismantled.

In general, the design overload was typical for the Fletchers: because of it, even a powerful power plant of 60,000 hp. could never produce a rated speed of 38 knots. The real maximum speed of these destroyers did not exceed 34 knots, which, nevertheless, was an impressive indicator for such large ships. As American naval historian Norman Friedman wrote, “In retrospect, the Fletchers are considered the most effective of the American destroyers. Fast, capacious, able to withstand significant damage while still fighting.".

127-mm bow gun mounts of the destroyer Fletcher
navsource.org/archives

Service history

1942

After degaussing the hull at Bayon (July 16), the destroyer Fletcher went to Guantanamo Bay for crew training. Lieutenant Commander William Cole became the commander of the destroyer, and Joseph Wiley was appointed his deputy. Midshipman Alfred Gressard recalled: “We had the best skipper and deputy skipper in the entire Navy. Cole was a wonderful leader who was loved by the entire crew. He also had a great relationship with Wiley. These are two of the best officers I have ever met.".

The bridge of the destroyer Fletcher. US Naval Museum, Washington
Source – en.wikipedia.org

On November 5, Fletcher arrived in Noumea (New Caledonia Island), after which it became part of Task Force 67. The situation in the Pacific Ocean was far from calm - the Americans launched Operation Watchtower, the purpose of which was to cover the island of Guadalcanal from the landing of releasing Japanese forces and the destruction of enemy bases on the islands of Rabaul, New Ireland and others. It was here that the first Fletchers received their baptism of fire.

The destroyer "Fletcher" at sea. Pictorial reconstruction by J. Watt
navsource.org/archives

Fletcher first entered combat on October 30 during the bombardment of Lunga Point on the northern coast of Guadalcanal. The real battle awaited him on November 13, when the American squadron clashed with the Japanese battlecruisers Hiei and Kirishima, as well as eleven destroyers. The battle began with the battle cruiser Hiei and the destroyer Akatsuki, which at 1:48 illuminated the American cruiser Atlanta with firing searchlights at a distance of 2.7 km. The Fletcher, along with five other ships, opened fire on the Akatsuki, focusing on the lights of the searchlights. The salvoes were successful, and soon the Japanese destroyer sank. Due to the short distances and surprise, the battle proceeded chaotically and lasted only about forty minutes, but it turned out to be extremely bloody. "Hiei" received a torpedo hit, which turned out to be fatal for it. In addition to this, in the morning it was damaged by Avenger torpedo bombers that had risen from American aircraft carriers, and the Japanese were forced to scuttle the ship, which lost its speed. The honor of successfully firing a torpedo salvo at a Japanese cruiser belonged to the destroyer Laffey (DD-459). At this time, the Fletcher and its other sistership, the O'Bannon, fired at enemy destroyers, providing access to the attack for other ships of the American squadron.

The deck of the destroyer USS Fletcher during modernization in San Francisco, 1943
navsource.org/archives

Fletcher emerged from the battle undamaged. The battle took place on an “unlucky day” - Friday the 13th, the number of the ship, when adding up all its numbers, also gave a total of thirteen (4+4+5), like the number of Task Force 67, so the superstitious sailors gave their ship the nickname “Lucky Thirteenth” "(Lucky Thirteen).

Luck generally favored the Fletcher and many of its crew members. As John Jensen, the operator of the Bofors anti-aircraft gun, recalled, once, under the threat of a night enemy airstrike, the destroyer stood up to cover the battleship Colorado, moving to its side beam. At this time, the battleship's gunners fired a shrapnel shell from a 127 mm gun prematurely. The shell exploded directly above the Fletcher, and its destructive elements showered the deck of the destroyer. Some of the shrapnel hit the box of 40-mm charges - a strong explosion followed, but only one sailor was wounded (in the arm). In the morning, Jensen was horrified to discover a hole in the deck just thirty centimeters from his combat post - a little more, and the shrapnel would have killed him on the spot.

Luck, the skill of the crew and excellent radar allowed the Fletcher to emerge without significant damage from the battle off Cape Tassafaronga, which took place on the night of November 30, 1942. Task Force 67, consisting of the heavy cruisers Northampton, Minneapolis, Pensacola, New Orleans, the light cruiser Honolulu and four destroyers, was supposed to intercept the Tokyo Express of eight destroyers, which was delivering reinforcements and ammunition to Japanese troops , located in the Solomon Islands.

Fletcher's engine room

"Fletcher" led the combat order of the task force and established radar contact with the enemy in the area of ​​Savo Island. The American destroyers opened the battle with a salvo of torpedoes and cannon fire, “hung” lighting shells over the formation of enemy ships. A firestorm from the cruisers hit the destroyer Takanami, which was ahead of the Japanese column. The ship was engulfed in flames, and it actually left the battle.

View from the Fletcher of the battle order of the destroyers during the voyage to Cape Tassafaronga. 1943
Source – picasaweb.google.com

Japanese Rear Admiral Raizo Tanaka skillfully used fire exposure and smoke screens and, through skillful maneuvering, missed a twenty-torpedo salvo from the Americans. According to military historian Russell Crenshaw, the main reason for the rare success of the Japanese was the poor quality of American torpedoes. The commander of the US Navy group in the South Pacific, Vice Admiral William Halsey, drew different conclusions from the battle:

“The destroyers fired a torpedo salvo at too great a distance. Night use of torpedoes at distances greater than 4000-5000 yards is unacceptable... The destroyers, which were leading the way, fired torpedoes, did not provide support to the cruisers, leaving to the northwest. Such a lack of offensive initiative by destroyer formations is unacceptable in future operations."

Mk.23 torpedo tube
Source – picasaweb.google.com

Japanese Type 93 torpedoes of a huge 610 mm caliber had a long range and significant speed, so the Japanese retaliatory salvoes led to catastrophic consequences. Three American heavy cruisers were disabled and suffered terrible damage. “New Orleans” and “Minneapolis” had their nasal ends completely torn off, and “Northampton” sank, and “Fletcher”, who arrived in time to the scene of the tragedy, had to do rescue work. Together with the destroyer Drayton, he took 773 people on board.

1943

Bloody fighting continued in the Solomon Islands. The Japanese command, understanding the importance of jump-off and support airfields, gave the order to create an airfield at Cape Munda (New Georgia Island). To eliminate this threat, the command of Task Force 67 assigned Tactical Group 67.2. On January 5, the destroyers Fletcher and O'Bannon, along with three cruisers, shelled enemy positions for an hour.

On February 11, in the area of ​​Rennel Island, a seaplane from the light cruiser Helena spotted a Japanese submarine. The pilots marked the point of contact with a smoke bomb, pointing the destroyer Fletcher at the target. An attack with nine depth charges led to the destruction of the submarine I-18. By February 21, the Fighting Fletcher arrived at Russell Island to support the landing. On April 23, the destroyer arrives in Sydney to undergo routine repairs, where she remains until May 4. Upon completion, Fletcher was relocated to San Francisco for major repairs and modernization. Despite its quite successful combat fate, the ship was in need of repairs due to minor damage and wear and tear of the machinery. In addition, anti-aircraft weapons showed insufficient effectiveness: the realities of World War II forced the Americans to strengthen the battery of Bofors and Oerlikons.

The destroyer returned to combat service only on September 27, based in Noumea. At the same time, Fletcher became part of Task Force 53, and from November 20 to 30 took part in the landings on the Gilbert Islands as part of Task Force 53.2. In early December, the ship was deployed to Kwajalein Atoll to support ground operations.

1944

Having undergone ongoing repairs at Pearl Harbor in December 1943, Fletcher continued to participate in the Gilbert-Marshall offensive operation of the combined forces of the US Navy and Army. So, from January 30 to February 21, he had the opportunity to cover the battleships that were shelling Watj Atoll. By the second half of April, the destroyer was included in Task Force 77 under the command of Vice Admiral Thomas Cassin Kincaid. Fletcher itself was part of Task Force 77.2, which was led by Rear Admiral Oldendorf - this was the main striking force of the formation, consisting of 28 destroyers, 6 battleships and 8 cruisers. In May 1944, Fletcher took part in a battle with Japanese destroyers off the island of Biak near New Guinea. During the battle, three enemy destroyers were damaged.

Task Forces 38 and 77, under the personal direction of Admiral William Halsey, took part in the massive capture of the Philippines and the Battle of Leyte Gulf on October 23–26, 1944. Fletcher accompanied convoys and took part in artillery shelling of ground targets, and also served as an air defense ship.

"Fletcher" on a combat mission. Photograph of unknown origin and date
Source – navsource.org/archives

1945

In early January, while part of Task Force 77.2, Fletcher provided landing force on the island of Luzon, covering the landing with artillery and anti-aircraft fire. The downed Japanese plane was recorded on the ship's account. On January 29, Fletcher covers minesweepers in Subic Bay, and on January 31, it supports the landing force in Nasugbu Bay with artillery fire.

In February, the ship went to the shores of the Bataan Peninsula and Corregidor Island, where it fired guns along the coast and covered minesweepers in Manila Bay. Much of the service of the Fletcher (and other destroyers) during this period of the war was associated with supporting the work of minesweepers engaged in clearing water areas of mines. According to the recollections of John Jensen, it was then that the ship was fired upon by a coastal howitzer battery from a camouflaged position. Unable to conduct counter-battery combat and in the complete absence of target designation, the commander of the Fletcher (by that time he had become Lieutenant Commander Johnston) skillfully maneuvered the ship out of the fire until a howitzer shell damaged the minesweeper YMS-48. "Fletcher" rushed to help, but was hit himself, which led to the death of five sailors and the wounding of five more. However, the smoke screen made it possible to complete the combat mission, and the minesweeper crew was saved. The Americans sent the damaged ship to the bottom with gunfire.

The end of February was marked for Fletcher by covering landings on the islands of Palawan and Mindanao. In April-May, the destroyer patrols the Philippines and ensures the landing of troops on Tarakan Island in Indonesia. On June 1, the ship was taken for repairs in San Pedro (California), and World War II ended for her. On August 7, 1945, "Fighting Fletcher" completed combat service, and in 1947 he was transferred to the naval reserve.

The “vacation” of the honored ship was short-lived - the world after the end of the war was very tense. The time had come for the great confrontation between the two superpowers, and in 1949, Fletcher was transferred to San Diego as an escort destroyer. He soon became part of the Valley Forge carrier group, which operated against North Korea in the 1950-1953 war. After the end of the Korean War, the destroyer operated as part of the US 7th Fleet, completing several cruises as an anti-submarine ship. Subsequently, “Lucky Thirteenth” served for many more years and was withdrawn from the fleet only in 1969.

"Fletcher" in 1943
Source – shipmodels.info

"Fletcher" personifies the combat fate of a whole type of destroyer named after her. A long and eventful combat “career” of twenty-seven years would have done honor to any battleship, but such a bright military fate befell these small and nondescript ships.

Bibliography:

1. Gaisinsky P. B. “Fletchers”: 50 years in service. Kharkov: ATF, 2000
2. Crenshaw Jr., Russell S. The Battle of Tassafaronga, Naval Institute Press, 2010
3. Jensen John V. A Collection of Stories from WWII, http://ussfletcher.org/stories/wwii.html
4. Friedman N.U.S. Destroyers. Illustrated Design Histories. Naval Institute Press, 2003
5. Morison, Struggle for Guadalcanal . Champaign, IL: University of Illinois Press, 2001

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Fletcher-class destroyer

Few ships have achieved such recognition during combat service as the American Fletcher-class destroyer, commissioned in the early forties and well established in the service of other countries after the end of World War II. This naval legend, instantly recognizable to all military history buffs, is ready to turn the tide of battle once again in one of the upcoming testing sessions.

The Fletcher is one of the most famous and most produced warships designed and built for the US Navy during World War II. Its history begins in 1939 with the start of development of a new, improved generation of American destroyers. Due to the fact that the existing ships at that time did not have the characteristics necessary to fight Japan in the Pacific Ocean, the US Navy issued special requirements for new projects, suggesting an increase in the range, speed and firepower of the new generation of destroyers. The restrictions imposed by existing naval agreements at the time seriously hampered the development of future designs, so the United States chose to ignore them and create a new, modern warship. A few years later, in 1941, the first destroyers left the shipyard and entered service the following year.

Taking into account the fact that the Fletcher would serve in the Pacific theater of operations, where the seas are not as rough as in the Atlantic, engineers optimized the shape and appearance of the ship. On ships of this type, instead of a traditional deck with a forecastle, a smooth-deck hull design was used. This decision not only increased the ship's durability, but also made it possible to quickly and easily upgrade the weapon systems. In the later stages of the Pacific War, Japan increasingly sent suicide pilots to attack. However, the design of the deck of the new destroyers made it possible to quickly equip the ships with heavy anti-aircraft guns, such as the 40-mm Bofors gun, which once again proved the correctness of the choice made. This scope for tactical decisions shows that Fletcher was capable of performing literally any task suitable for a destroyer, and doing it well.

Not surprisingly, these warships formed the backbone of the US Navy during World War II and took part in almost every combat operation in the Pacific from Midway to Okinawa. An excellent indicator of quality was the fact that between 1942 and 1945, American shipyards produced 175 destroyers of this type, of which only 25 were lost in battle. After the war, these ships continued to serve around the world. It is noteworthy that the last Fletcher, owned by the Mexican Navy, was decommissioned in 2001.

Despite the fact that it will be almost impossible to surpass the effectiveness of the Fletcher in real life, future commanders of these ships in War Thunder will have every chance to confirm their combat merits in the game. With a fearsome range of offensive weapons ranging from five 127mm guns mounted in separate gun turrets to ten 533mm torpedo tubes spread across two mid-hull launchers, the destroyer is capable of taking on any enemy and sending it to the bottom. . While the player is busy with torpedo attacks or shelling enemy ships with main-caliber guns, AI gunners will take advantage of the destructive power of air defense systems located throughout the destroyer's deck and will not allow enemy aircraft to fly too close. The Fletcher's air defenses consist of a range of 20mm Oerlikon cannons and 40mm Bofors cannons, highly effective guns made famous in World War II. Even if the tide of battle turns against the commanders of this warship and retreat is the only option, they should not despair. Two steam turbines, fed by four boiler houses, provide a power of 60,000 hp and accelerate the Fletcher to a speed of 36 knots (68 km/h). Combined with the streamlined hull shape, this allows the destroyer to easily maneuver and quickly escape from dangerous situations.

This destroyer is a true jack of all trades and is sure to please many players. The commander will have absolute freedom in choosing tactics to solve the assigned task. Regardless of whether you prefer to lead the attack or, conversely, cover the rear during small operations, the Fletcher will be equally effective in achieving your plans. However, do not forget that victory depends only on good team play and coordination. The Fletcher is a good ship, but even she can't secure an easy victory on her own. Stay close to your teammates and watch their actions. Remember: if you fall behind them, you will go on an unplanned excursion to the seabed in the area of ​​​​the nearest coral reefs, after which repairs will cost you dearly.