American destroyer development progressed from Sims through Benson and Gleaves to the Fletcher class. A requirement for at least ten torpedoes preserved offensive power, while the 5-inch/38 provided a general-purpose gun for surface and anti-aircraft work across the Pacific. Extra development time and good fortune helped the Americans obtain that gun when they needed it. Production grew through thirty Bensons and sixty-six Gleaves before reaching 175 completed Fletchers, with thirteen more cancelled. Successive classes refined the design while yards increased output. Fletcher orders began in late 1940 and early 1941, and construction followed from March 1941.
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Fletcher-class numbers turn doctrine into capability
The U.S. Navy paired a capable 5-inch gun and torpedo armament with a production run large enough to support Pacific doctrine.