The existing destroyers are gun-focused combatants rather than torpedo specialists. Their battery is built entirely around three-inch guns, so their role emerges from the armament already fitted rather than from the generic destroyer label. Two ships of the same broad type can therefore be optimized for very different tactical jobs. Their weapons and intended employment reveal more than the classification alone.
Notable Point · 1:58:34-2:00:02
Gun destroyers versus torpedo destroyers
Reviewing an older destroyer design shows how its three-inch battery has pushed it toward a gun-fighting role rather than a torpedo-centered one.