Design
As built, the Tucker class ships were 315 feet 3 inches (96.09 m) in length (overall), were between 29 feet 9 inches (9.07 m) and 30 feet 6 inches (9.30 m) abeam, and had a median draft of 9 feet 4 inches (2.84 m). The hull shape featured the distinctive high forecastle typical of U.S. destroyer classes since the 1908–09 Smith class, the first destroyers designed to be truly ocean-going vessels. The ships displaced between 1,060 and 1,150 long tons (1,080 and 1,170 t) with a median of 1,060 long tons (1,080 t).
The ships were equipped with two propeller shafts and two Curtis steam turbines fed by four Yarrow boilers, providing a minimum of 17,000 shaft horsepower (13,000 kW) to achieve the design speed of 29.5 knots (54.6 km/h). For all of the ships except Wadsworth, the pair of main turbines was supplemented with a cruising turbine geared to one of the shafts. Wadsworth had no cruising turbines, but instead had her twin turbines geared directly to the propeller shafts—the first American destroyer so outfitted. She served as a testbed, and had a considerable effect on U.S. destroyer design after her trials in July 1915.
The main battery of the Tucker class consisted of four 4-inch (100 mm)/50 Mark 9 guns, with each gun weighing in excess of 6,100 pounds (2,800 kg). The guns fired 33-pound (15 kg) armor-piercing projectiles at 2,900 feet per second (880 m/s). At an elevation of 20°, the guns had a range of 15,920 yards (14,560 m).
The Tucker class was also equipped with four twin 21-inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes, for a total load of eight torpedoes. Although the General Board had called for two anti-aircraft guns for the Tucker class, they were not originally outfitted with the weapons; the Sampson class was the first American destroyer class so armed. Likewise, there is no record of any of the Tucker ships being outfitted with mine-laying apparatus. During World War I, most American destroyers were used in anti-submarine warfare roles, and were equipped with depth charges and delivery systems, such as Y-guns and depth charge racks. Tucker-class ships were equipped with depth charges during the war, but no specific mentions of the types of depth charges used or delivery system are recorded in available sources.
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