Production
The United States Congress authorized 50 destroyers in the 1916 Act. However, the realization of the scope of the U-boat campaign resulted in 111 being built. The ships were built at Bath Iron Works, Bethlehem Steel Corporation's Fore River Shipbuilding Company, Union Iron Works, Mare Island Navy Yard, Newport News Shipbuilding, New York Shipbuilding, and William Cramp and Sons. 267 Wickes and Clemson-class destroyers were built. This program was considered a major industrial achievement. Production of these destroyers was considered so important that work on cruisers and battleships was delayed to allowed completion of the program. The first Wickes class was launched on 11 November 1917, with four more by the end of the year. Production peaked in July 1918, when 17 were launched - 15 of them on 4 July.
The program continued after the war ended: 21 of the Wickes class (and all but 9 of the Clemson class) were launched after the armistice on 11 November 1918. The last of the Wickes class was launched on 24 July 1919. This program left the U.S. Navy with so many destroyers that no new destroyers were built until 1932.
Read more about this topic: Wickes Class Destroyer
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