Editing Wickes-class destroyer (section)

== Production ==
[[File:Camden Shipyard 1919.jpg|thumb|8 destroyers of the ''Wickes'' class, New York Shipbuilding Corporation, Camden, New Jersey, 1919.]] 
The [[United States Congress]] authorized 50 destroyers in the 1916 Act. However, the realization of the scope of the U-boat campaign resulted in 111 being built. The ships were built at Bath Iron Works, Bethlehem Steel Corporation's [[Fore River Shipbuilding Company]], Union Iron Works, [[Mare Island Navy Yard]], [[Newport News Shipbuilding]], [[New York Shipbuilding]], and [[William Cramp & Sons]]. 267 ''Wickes'' and ''Clemson''-class destroyers were built. This program was considered a major industrial achievement.<ref name="Friedman, p.40"/> Production of these destroyers was considered so important that work on cruisers and battleships was delayed to allow completion of the program.<ref>Friedman, p.41</ref> The first ''Wickes''-class vessel was launched on 11 November 1917, with four more by the end of the year. Production peaked in July 1918, when 17 were launched - 15 of them on 4 July.<ref name="SilverstoneI">{{cite book| title=U.S. Warships of World War I |author=Silverstone, Paul H. |publisher=Ian Allan |year=1970|pages=118–124}}</ref>
 
The program continued after the war ended: 21 of the ''Wickes'' class (and all but 9 of the ''Clemson'' class) were launched after the [[Armistice of 11 November 1918|armistice on 11 November 1918]]. The last of the ''Wickes'' class was launched on 24 July 1919.<ref name="SilverstoneI"/> This program left the U.S. Navy with so many destroyers that no new destroyers were built until 1932 (the {{sclass|Farragut|destroyer|4||1934}}).<ref>Friedman, 2004 p.47</ref>