USS Fletcher
Contents
Description
The USS Fletcher (DD-445) is a member of the Fletcher-class destroyer family, the first generation of destroyers developed by the U.S. after the disintegration of the Washington and London Naval Treaties during World War II. The Fletcher class was meant to be larger and carry more armament due to dissatisfaction with earlier destroyer classes. Some went on to serve in the Korean and Vietnam Wars. The USS Fletcher was laid down on October 2, 1941, by the Federal Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company in Kearny, New Jersey. Named after Admiral Frank Friday Fletcher, Mrs F. Fletcher sponsored her launch on 3 May 1942, and she was commissioned on 30 June 1942. During World War II, the USS Fletcher served as the flagship of the Fletcher-class destroyers in the Pacific. She received fifteen combat stars during World War II and five during the Korean War. On 1 August 1969, the USS Fletcher was decommissioned and struck from the Naval Vessel Register before being scrapped on 22 February 1972.
Introduced in Update 1.79 "Project X", the USS Fletcher is one of many powerful destroyers in the U.S. Navy bluewater fleet; the ship excels at gunning down targets and maintaining pressure on enemy destroyers. With five primary guns and a fast rate of fire, even if one of them is destroyed, the remaining four will be able to maintain their firepower, thus giving foes a difficult time while they're in range. Maps with various island covers will be preferred for the USS Fletcher, as you will be able to use your 40 knots of speed and decent turn speed to quickly assault a target and escape if necessary. Torpedoes are useful for securing choke spots and common passageways for players, launching long-range strikes on AI ships in encounter games, and forcing opposing ships to avoid.
General info
Survivability and armour
USS Fletcher has good survivability for a destroyer, similarly to other American destroyers of the rank. With 273 sailors, this falls short of the contemporary Mitscher-class or USS Sumner, but actually exceeds the higher rank Porter-class, giving her improved survivability under fire.
As for armour, her main belt consists of antifragmentation armour 0.75 inches thick, above average for destroyers and consistent with mid to late war US armour profiles. This belt, while not capable of stopping fire from any more than 40 mm armour-piercing fire at range, will however drastically lower the amount of splintering caused inside the ship by HE shells, giving the USS Fletcher a decisive advantage fighting destroyers from opposing nations that may not have similar armour, and especially against ships which only have access to HE shells, like the K2 or IJN Shimakaze. The primary battery is less well protected, with 0.125 inches of armour. This will stop some shell splinters and small calibre autocannon fire at range, however any direct hit, even from a 40 mm will render the turret inoperable. USS Fletcher also has the same weak spot as the other USN destroyers such as the Porter-class, in that any hit to the rear hull under the gun mounts will usually result in magazine detonation. Captains should be wary of allowing the stern to come under any fire, and take every precaution to take damage elsewhere on the ship.
Mobility
USS Fletcher reaches a flank speed of 35 kn at full steam. This places her middle of the pack compared to other American destroyers, being slower than the Porter-class which it precedes in the tech tree, but fractionally faster than the USS Sumner also at her rank. This speed will allow Fletcher to take objectives and key locations; however captains should be wary since other, faster destroyers such as the IJN Shimakaze may arrive before USS Fletcher is capable of doing so. USS Fletcher only takes 30 seconds to accelerate to flank speed, and 34 seconds to come to a halt. She is very responsive to engine and rudder commands, the latter only taking around 2 seconds to come full over. Speed falls to around 24 kn in a sustained turn; fractionally faster than other American destroyers, but this still leaves Fletcher vulnerable to enemy fire and prolonged manoeuvres are advised against.
| Mobility Characteristics | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Game Mode | Upgrade Status | Maximum Speed (km/h) | Turn Time (s) | Turn Radius (m) | |
| Forward | Reverse | ||||
| AB | Stock | 58 | 23 | ~101.82 | ~184.55 |
| Upgraded | 79 | 31 | ___ | ___ | |
| RB/SB | |||||
| Upgraded | 65 | 25 | ___ | ___ | |
Modifications and economy
| Seakeeping | Unsinkability | Firepower | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|
Armament
Primary armament
The Fletcher carries a strong main armament and is a step up from the preceding USS Aylwin. It is armed with 5 x single mount 5-inch/38 Mk.12s with an eye-watering fire rate of 22 rounds per minute with first stage ammo supplies, and a very respectable 15 rounds per minute once the first stage ammo is exhausted. USS Fletcher is capable of easily dispatching most similar rank opponents, up to lightly armoured cruisers, provided the captain aims accurately. The arrangement of the gun mounts is similar to that of the earlier USS Aylwin, but with an extra mount placed behind the torpedo tubes facing forward. Captains of the USS Fletcher should expect reasonable engagement ranges to be below 10,000 metres, and once within around 7,000 metres accurate fire will be possible.
USS Fletcher uses the same ammunition as other 5-inch/38 armed destroyers, with the AAC Mk.34 shell being the default. Additionally, the Common Mk.32, SP Common Mk.46, and AAVT Mk.31 are available as tier 1, 2, and 3 modifications respectively. The HE-VT shells are quite potent against aircraft, and with a 23-metre trigger radius, the 3.2 kg explosive mass is almost guaranteed to damage or destroy any aircraft which finds itself too close. Additionally, the AAVT shell works as well as the HE shell against unarmoured targets such as patrol boats: once it is unlocked it is recommended to replace the AAC shell. At the rank which USS Fetcher is placed, there is a high chance of seeing early light cruisers which can have formidable armour, for these and any destroyers with anti-fragmentation armour such as other American destroyers, the Common and SP Common shells are recommended. The Common shell will have greater effect against destroyers with its larger filler, and is the recommended shell in most cases. The SP Common shell with extra penetration should be utilized against cruisers, and still does reasonable damage to destroyers, so it can be utilized instead of the Common shell if ammo count is a concern.
| Penetration statistics | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ammunition | Type of warhead |
Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm) | |||||
| 1,000 m | 2,500 m | 5,000 m | 7,500 m | 10,000 m | 15,000 m | ||
| AAC Mk.34 | HE | 36 | 36 | 36 | 36 | 36 | 36 |
| Common Mk.32 | Common | 124 | 103 | 77 | 58 | 46 | 37 |
| SP Common Mk.46 | SP Common | 150 | 125 | 93 | 71 | 56 | 45 |
| AAVT Mk.31 | HE-VT | 36 | 36 | 36 | 36 | 36 | 36 |
| Shell details | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ammunition | Type of warhead |
Velocity (m/s) |
Projectile mass (kg) |
Fuse delay (s) |
Fuse sensitivity (mm) |
Explosive mass (TNT equivalent) (g) |
Ricochet | |||||
| 0% | 50% | 100% | ||||||||||
| AAC Mk.34 | HE | 792 | 25 | 0 | 0.1 | 3,220 | 79° | 80° | 81° | |||
| Common Mk.32 | Common | 792 | 24.49 | 0.01 | 6 | 1,150 | 47° | 60° | 65° | |||
| SP Common Mk.46 | SP Common | 792 | 25 | 0.01 | 6 | 906.5 | 48° | 63° | 71° | |||
| Proximity-fused shell details | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ammunition | Type of warhead |
Velocity (m/s) |
Projectile mass (kg) |
Fuse delay (s) |
Fuse sensitivity (mm) |
Arming distance (m) |
Trigger radius (m) |
Explosive mass (TNT equivalent) (g) |
Ricochet | |||
| 0% | 50% | 100% | ||||||||||
| AAVT Mk.31 | HE-VT | 792 | 25 | 0 | 0.1 | 457 | 23 | 3,220 | 79° | 80° | 81° | |
Secondary armament
USS Fletcher's secondary battery consists of one dual mount 40 mm Bofors mount, mounted in an elevated position between the 3rd and 4th turrets in the aft of the ship. The Bofors serves as both an excellent addition to the anti-aircraft battery, and a quick way to dispatch any coastal vessels nearby, as the mixture of HEFI-T and AP-T shells will quickly shred any plane or lightly-armoured coastal vessel. The Universal belt is recommended in most cases, as its composition of half AP, half HE rounds is excellent for any situation. Since the Fletcher only has the one double mount, it's not recommended to rely on it for anti-aircraft duties, and supplement the fire with volleys of proximity-fused HE from the main battery.
The 40 mm Bofors L/60 Mark 1 has three available belts:
- Universal: AP-T · HEFI-T
- 40 mm HE clips: HEFI-T · HEFI-T · HEFI-T · AP-T
- 40 mm AP clips: AP-T · AP-T · AP-T · HEFI-T
| Penetration statistics | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ammunition | Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm) | ||||||
| 10 m | 100 m | 500 m | 1,000 m | 1,500 m | 2,000 m | ||
| HEFI-T | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | |
| AP-T | 81 | 78 | 68 | 58 | 49 | 41 | |
| Shell details | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ammunition | Velocity (m/s) |
Projectile mass (kg) |
Fuse delay (m) |
Fuse sensitivity (mm) |
Explosive mass (TNT equivalent) (g) |
Ricochet | ||||||
| 0% | 50% | 100% | ||||||||||
| HEFI-T | 874 | 0.9 | 0 | 0.1 | 67.13 | 79° | 80° | 81° | ||||
| AP-T | 874 | 0.89 | - | - | - | 47° | 60° | 65° | ||||
Anti-aircraft armament
The anti-aircraft armament for Fletcher is 6 x 20 mm Oerlikon Mk.II cannons. These are spread along the ship with two of them being near the bridge and facing forward with the other four being on the main deck amidships, which gives a balanced level of coverage. Combined with the 40 mm Bofors L/60, these can give a decent level of short range defence and can easily take out aircraft which stray by and fail to evade. These guns can also be the last line of defence against small boats if necessary.
Additional armament
The torpedo armament on Fletcher is 2 x quintuple launchers carrying the 21" (533 mm) Mk.15 torpedo. The launchers are amidships and grouped together, but the tight spaces mean that you do need to manoeuvre the ship a bit to launch the torpedoes at their intended targets. The standard setting for the torpedo is 5,500 m at 45 knots and by using the Torpedo Mode upgrade it can be modified to 9,150 m at 33.5 knots. A single hit on a ship from one of these torpedoes will either be severely crippling or outright destroy it. Having 10 torpedoes allows for a wide range saturation attack with the increased range, or a wall at closer ranges.
After unlocking the Bomb Mortar upgrade, you have the option to equip 6 x Mk.6 mortar depth charges. With three on each side of the ship near the aft main battery mounts, this ship has more than the Farragut. These weapons have a very limited and short-range, but can be highly destructive in a close-quarters duel if their deployment is timed correctly.
Usage in battles
Considered one of many strong destroyers on the American tech tree, the Fletcher is most effective in gunning down its targets and maintaining that pressure on enemy destroyers. With the 5 main cannons and its quick rate of fire, even if one of these cannons gets destroyed, it will still be able to maintain its firepower with the remaining four. Altogether giving enemies a hard time when they're in range. The most favoured maps for the Fletcher will be maps that will have multiple island cover, as you will be able to take advantage of your speed of 40 knots and decent turn speed to swiftly attack a target and escape if needed. The torpedoes come in handy by locking down choke-points and common paths for players, making a long range attacks on the AI ships in encounter games, or forcing enemy ships to dodge.
As for playstyle, it can be used for hit and runs against other enemy destroyers and PT boats that are looking to capture objectives. When faced against cruisers, the Fletcher does have the rate of fire and shells to fight back. However, your anti-fragmentation armour will not be enough to prevent the powerful punch of large HE shells or AP shells that even early cruisers will use against you so it is highly advised to avoid larger ships.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Main battery has a very high rate of fire and quick turret traverse
- Single twin 40 mm Bofors provides powerful defence against aircraft
- Good speed and manoeuvrability
- Anti-fragmentation armour provides moderate protection from splinters and near misses
Cons:
- First stage ammo racks can be detonated with fire or explosion damage, potentially cause crippling damage
- Torpedo firing arcs are less effective
History
One of the most prolific ships during World War II 175 ships of the Fletcher-class destroyer were commissioned between 1942 and 1944. The designed proved so successful that it continued to serve into the Korean and Vietnam War.[1] The Fletcher class saw widespread use across the pacific theatre and was highly successful due to its long operational range and a high degree of flexibility that made it able to tackle almost any task.[1]
Being the first generation of ship designed after the collapse of the Washington and London Naval treaties, the Fletcher was designed to be larger and carry more armament than previous destroyers. Due to the increased threat of air targets, the fletcher was also given substantial Anti-Aircraft armaments, which became very useful against the Imperial Japanese Navy. [2]
During World War 2, nineteen Fletcher class destroyers were sunk while 6 were damaged to such a degree that repair was not carried out[3]
The last Fletcher Class destroyer was decommissioned in 2001 from the Mexican Navy, which gives it an impressive service record of almost 60 years.[3]
Media
- Skins
- Videos
See also
- Related development
- Other vehicles of similar configuration and role
External links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Friedman, Norman. US Destroyers: An Illustrated Design History (revised edition, Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, 2004), pp.111-112.
- ↑ Friedman, Norman. US Destroyers: An Illustrated Design History (revised edition, Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, 2004), pp 117-119
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Destroyer History Foundation. (n.d.). Fletcher Class - 2,100-ton destroyers in WWII. Retrieved October 2019, from http://destroyerhistory.org/fletcherclass/.
| Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company | |
|---|---|
| Gun Destroyers (DD) | |
| Somers-class | USS Somers |
| Fletcher-class | USS Fletcher |
| Allen M. Sumner-class | USS Sumner |
| Gearing-class | USS Gearing |
| Cruiser, Light (CL) | |
| Atlanta-class | USS Atlanta |
| USA destroyers | |
|---|---|
| Clemson-class | USS Welborn C. Wood · USS Barker · USS Litchfield |
| Farragut-class | USS Aylwin |
| Porter-class | USS Porter · USS Phelps · USS Moffett |
| Somers-class | USS Somers · USS Davis |
| Fletcher-class | USS Fletcher · USS Bennion · USS Cowell |
| Allen M. Sumner-class | USS Sumner |
| Gearing-class | USS Gearing · USS Frank Knox |
| Mitscher-class | USS Mitscher · USS Wilkinson |
