The Bainbridge-class destroyers were a class of United States Navy Torpedo Boat Destroyers (TBDs) built between 1899 and 1903. The first class so designated, they comprised the first 13 of 16 TBDs authorized by Congress in 1898 following the Spanish–American War (the remaining three authorised comprised the Truxtun-class destroyers). One ship of the class was lost at sea during service in World War I:, which collided with the British merchant ship SS Rose in 1917. The balance were decommissioned in 1919 and sold postwar in 1920, eleven to Joseph G. Hitner of Philadelphia, and the to the Denton Shore Lumber Company in Tampa, Florida.
Some sources subdivide the Bainbridge class into subsidiary classes based on their builders' differing designs.[1] [2] [3]
Some references, including contemporary ones, describe four ocean-going torpedo boats launched in 1898-1899 as the first US destroyers based on their tonnage, which ranged from . These were,,, and . Stringham, the largest of these, was larger than some contemporary British destroyers.[5] [6] However, at the Bainbridges were considerably larger and had a significantly greater gun armament than the four 6-pounders of the torpedo boats.
The Bainbridge class were produced on the recommendation of an 1898 war plans board formed to prosecute the Spanish–American War and chaired by Assistant Secretary of the Navy Theodore Roosevelt. The poor sea-keeping qualities of existing torpedo boats (such as the 165LT) and the existence of Spanish torpedo boat destroyers (such as the 370LT) were cited as reasons for the US to build its own destroyers.[5] The 13 Bainbridges were officially designated as the Navy's first TBDs when authorized by an Act of Congress on 4 May 1898 under the fiscal year 1899 program[4] [7] (with the remaining three being).
Due to construction difficulties the Bainbridges were completed 1901–02, thus too late for the Spanish–American War.[5] However, the destroyer type was instituted in the US Navy, as it had been in the Royal Navy around 1895 with the A-class destroyers. No further torpedo boats were constructed for the US Navy until the outbreak of World War II in Europe, and by then they had no design relationship to destroyers (see PT boats). The Imperial German Navy of 1898–1918 used the term "torpedo boat" for anything up to a large destroyer in size.
At 420 long tons normal displacement, the Bainbridges were twice as big as most previous torpedo boats. The extra displacement was used for a greatly increased gun armament and a sufficient engineering plant to rival the torpedo boats in speed (vs.).[5] The torpedo armament remained at two 18inches torpedo tubes; although the torpedo boat's mission was being transferred to the destroyer, apparently increased gun armament was more important to the designers than increased torpedo armament.[8]
The gun armament of two 3inches/50 caliber guns and five 6-pounder guns was a great increase over the four 6-pounder guns of the torpedo boat Farragut.[9] [10] It reflected a desire to quickly disable torpedo boats before they could get within range of friendly battleships. Future destroyer classes included progressive increases in armament.
The class was equipped with one or two depth charge racks during World War I for the anti-submarine mission.[11]
The best available technologies of coal-fired boilers and triple-expansion engines were used for propulsion, although steam turbines would be adopted in the next generation of US destroyers, beginning with the launched in 1908. The need for faster destroyers was to be a significant driver of naval propulsion technology throughout the type's future development.
Bainbridge had four Thornycroft boilers supplying steam to two triple-expansion engines totaling (design).[3] She made on trials at . Normal coal capacity was .[5]
Hopkins also had four Thornycroft boilers supplying steam to two triple-expansion engines totaling 7,000 ihp (design).[3] She made on trials at . Normal coal capacity was lower though, at .[5]
Lawrence had four Normand boilers supplying steam to two triple-expansion engines totaling (design).[3] She made on trials 8,400 ihp. Normal coal capacity was even lower, at only .[5]
An interesting note on destroyers is that they have continuously increased in size since their inception. The Bainbridges were under full load; some s in service in 2013 displace full load, more than the standard displacement limit on 1920s "Treaty cruisers".
A few Bainbridges were deployed to the Philippines 1904-1917. During the US participation in World War I, these were redeployed to the Mediterranean as convoy escorts. Others of the class served in the Atlantic, on the US East Coast, or guarded the Panama Canal. Chauncey collided with the British merchant ship SS Rose in 1917 and was lost. Following the Armistice, the remainder were sold for scrapping or merchant conversion in 1920.
Note that, although the ships are listed below with the prefix "DD-" before their official numbers, this classification was not created until 1911, and until then these vessels were officially categorised as "Destroyer No. 1" to "Destroyer No. 13".
Ship | Shipyard | Laid down | Launched | Commissioned | Decommissioned | Fate | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Neafie and Levy Ship and Engine Building Company, Philadelphia | 15 August 1899 | 27 August 1901 | 12 February 1903 | 15 September 1919 | Sold to Henry A. Hitner's Sons Company for merchant conversion | ||
Neafie and Levy Ship and Engine Building Company | 2 September 1899 | 22 March 1902 | 24 November 1902 | 28 June 1919 | Sold to Henry A. Hitner's Sons Company | ||
Neafie and Levy Ship and Engine Building Company | 2 December 1899 | 26 October 1901 | 21 February 1903 | data-sort-value="19 November 1917" | 19 November 1917 (sunk) | Sunk in collision with British SS Rose | |
William R. Trigg Company, Richmond, Virginia | 12 July 1899 | 24 July 1900 | 13 February 1903 | 9 July 1919 | Sold to Henry A. Hitner's Sons Company | ||
William R. Trigg Company, Richmond, Virginia | 26 July 1899 | 26 September 1900 | 19 May 1902 | 20 June 1919 | Sold to Henry A. Hitner's Sons Company | ||
Harlan & Hollingsworth Company, Wilmington, Delaware | 2 February 1899 | 24 April 1902 | 23 September 1903 | 20 June 1919 | Sold to Denton Shore Lumber Co., Tampa, FLorida | ||
Harlan & Hollingsworth Company | 22 February 1899 | 21 June 1902 | 20 May 1903 | 7 July 1919 | Sold to Henry A. Hitner's Sons Company | ||
Fore River Ship & Engine Company, Quincy, Massachusetts | 10 April 1899 | 7 November 1900 | 7 April 1903 | 20 June 1919 | Sold to Henry A. Hitner's Sons Company | ||
Fore River Ship & Engine Company | 10 April 1899 | 24 December 1900 | 5 September 1903 | 3 September 1919 | Sold to Henry A. Hitner's Sons Company for scrapping | ||
Union Iron Works, San Francisco | 20 April 1899 | 14 June 1902 | 19 July 1902 | 15 September 1919 | Sold to Henry A. Hitner's Sons Company for scrapping | ||
Union Iron Works | 19 April 1899 | 27 October 1900 | 4 September 1902 | 2 July 1919 | Sold to Henry A. Hitner's Sons Company for scrapping | ||
Union Iron Works | 21 April 1899 | 2 March 1901 | 14 December 1903 | 11 July 1919 | Sold to Henry A. Hitner's Sons Company | ||
Gas Engine and Power Company, Morris Heights, New York | 24 January 1900 | 10 May 1902 | 1 December 1902 | 9 July 1919 | Sold to Henry A. Hitner's Sons Company for scrapping |