Congressional funding for destroyers remained difficult through much of the interwar period, with greater support arriving toward the end of the 1930s and further authorizations in 1940. Fletcher construction began in March 1941, leaving shipyards little time to deliver ships for the expanding war. The effort of Bath Iron Works, Boston Navy Yard, and Consolidated Steel Corporation in Texas helped bring the ships into service quickly. USS Nicholas, DD-449, was laid down in March 1941, launched in February 1942, and entered service in June 1942. Delayed procurement left the yards to bring destroyers into service on a compressed schedule.
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Delayed funding and the rapid construction of USS Nicholas
USS Nicholas illustrates the shipyard effort that brought the first Fletchers into service after years of difficult destroyer funding.