Editing Wickes-class destroyer (section)

== Design ==
The requirements of the new design were high speed and mass production. The development of [[submarine warfare]] during World War I created a requirement for destroyers in numbers that had not been contemplated before the war. A top speed of {{convert|35|kn|km/h}} was needed for operation with the [[Lexington-class battlecruiser|''Lexington-class'' battlecruisers]] and [[Omaha-class cruiser|''Omaha-class'' cruisers]].

The final design had a flush deck and four smokestacks. It was a fairly straightforward evolution of the preceding [[Caldwell-class destroyer|''Caldwell'' class]]. General dissatisfaction with the earlier "1,000 ton" designs (''[[Cassin-class destroyer|Cassin]]'' and ''[[Tucker-class destroyer|Tucker]]'' classes) led to the fuller hull form of the "flush deck" type. Greater beam and the flush deck provided greater hull strength. In addition, the ''Wickes'' class had {{convert|26000|hp|lk=in}} - {{convert|6,000|hp}} more than the ''Caldwell'' class - providing an extra {{convert|5|kn|lk=off|abbr=on}}. The machinery arrangement of some of the ''Caldwell''s was used, with geared steam turbines on two shafts.<ref name="Register"/><ref>Friedman, 2004 p.37-39</ref>

The extra power required an extra 100 tons of engine and reduction gears. The design included an even keel and nearly horizontal propeller shafts to minimize weight.

As construction was undertaken by ten different builders, there was considerable variation in the types of boilers and turbines installed to meet a guaranteed speed requirement. However, there were in essence two basic designs; one for the ships built by the [[Bethlehem Steel]] yards (including [[Union Iron Works]]) and another used by the remaining shipyards, which was prepared by [[Bath Iron Works]].

The ''Wickes'' class proved to be short-ranged, and its bridge and gun positions were very wet. The fleet found that the tapered stern, which made for a nice [[depth charge]] deployment feature, dug into the water and increased the turning radius, thus hampering [[anti-submarine]] work.<ref>Friedman, p.45-46</ref> The ''Clemson'' class added 100 tons of fuel tankage to improve operational range, but the issue of range was solved only with the development of [[underway replenishment]] in World War II.{{Cn|date=September 2023}}