Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 1:59:27-2:03:09

Why early destroyers had limited endurance

Prewar destroyers remained close to torpedo boats in size and endurance, while late-war V and W classes helped establish a larger type.

DestroyersShip DesignTorpedo BoatsUncrewed SystemsV And W Class DestroyersWorld War I
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Question

Why would a World War I destroyer be useful despite having little long-range logistical capability?

Short answer

Many destroyers were still relatively small developments of the torpedo boat. Their intended capabilities should not be confused with those of the larger, longer-ranging destroyers familiar from World War II.

Notes

Many destroyers before World War I displaced less than 1,000 tons and offered only a limited increase in range over torpedo boats. The panel treats the larger destroyer familiar from World War II as substantially a development of the 1920s. The V and W classes complicate a simple cutoff: the discussion gives 1,140 tons standard and about 1,500 tons full load for the Admiralty modified W type. This also shows why standard and full-load figures need to be distinguished when comparing ship sizes. The growth of destroyers provides an analogy for uncrewed vessels: there is no reason to assume a type must remain small as its duties expand.