Which country had the best destroyers in ww2?

• The Fletcher class was a class of destroyers built by the United States during World War II.
• The United States Navy commissioned 175 Fletcher-class destroyers between 1942 and 1944, more than any other destroyer class, and the design was generally regarded as highly successful.

What did destroyers do in ww2?

In World War II, with the addition of radar and antiaircraft guns, this escort role was expanded to include air defense. At the same time, destroyers also used their torpedoes and guns against other surface ships, notably in the pitched naval battles between U.S. and Japanese fleets in the Pacific theatre.

How many US destroyers were sunk in ww2?

Tin Can Sailors – The National Association of Destroyer Veterans. More than 70 destroyers were lost during World War II and hundreds more were damaged.

What is the purpose of destroyers?

In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast, maneuverable, long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against powerful short range attackers.

How good were the American destroyers in WW2?

All that said, for the full range of duties of a fleet destroyer, the American Fletcher class destroyers were good enough to engage the best Japanese ships and certainly in the same league as the British in surface gunnery and ASW. They had excellent machinery and rugged construction.

Why did the Japanese develop so many new destroyers?

The Japanese had reassessed their naval needs in the mid-1920s and, placing an emphasis on ship and weapons technology and night fighting expertise, developed a completely new destroyer design. Subsequent development from one destroyer class to the next was not, however, a smooth progression.

What is a Fletcher class destroyer?

Building upon design improvements developed and tested over the previous ten years, the Fletcher class was a new kind of destroyer, bigger, more seaworthy, more rugged, and more heavily armed. The first ships of the class were already being built when the U.S. entered the war officially.

What happened to the Japanese destroyers Asashio and Ōshio?

After the Japanese landings on Bali on February 19, 1942, two destroyers (Asashio and Ōshio) were left to escort a transport to safety. In separate night actions, they engaged two superior ABDA flotillas, inflicted damage to one Allied cruiser (HNLMS Tromp) and sank a destroyer (HNLMS Piet Hein). Both Allied flotillas withdrew.