Destroyers double as scouts when cruisers are scarce

The Cassins carried four 4-inch guns and four twin 18-inch torpedo launchers, a marked increase in firepower over earlier destroyers. The improvement served more than combat against other small craft. With just three Chester-class scout cruisers, the Navy expected its already scarce destroyers to scout for the battle fleet. Some ships had triple-expansion engines clutched into a shaft for cruising, although most relied on their Parsons turbines. A shortage in one ship type had transferred missions and design pressure onto another.