How Fisher might phase out obsolete warships

In what order would Admiral Fisher phase out old ships if each had to be replaced by new construction?

He would most likely replace them by age, beginning with the oldest vessels.

If Fisher had been required to replace ships gradually rather than scrap them in a single sweep, age would probably govern the sequence. The oldest and least useful vessels would go first, providing a straightforward order for modernization. A phased rule would tie each disposal to funded replacement instead of abruptly stripping stations of hulls. It would preserve the logic of modernization while reducing the global presence gap created by mass scrapping.