U.S. FLUSH DECK DESTROYERS IN ACTION

Al Adcock's book named "US Flush Deck Destroyers In Action" addresses four major classes of United States destroyers, namely Wickes, Sampson, Caldwell and Clemson. They all were designed for the purpose of ocean escort with top speed thus allowing them to keep station with the fastest battle cruisers if that time. The Sampson class deck destroyers were a transition design bringing together old destroyer design and flush deck design, while Caldwell class deck destroyers were some kind of test beds for the later Clemson and Wickes classes, which saw improved seaworthiness, higher speeds, greater range etc.

The so-called flush deck destroyers of the American Navy constructed during and straight after the First World War, were outdated and actually ready to go for scrapping by the beginning of the Second World War. However, they were put into active service and actually all of them performed well, meeting the expectations of the commanders of the American, British, Canadian, Soviet and other navy fleets of the world, including one destroyer serving even within the IJN, i.e. Imperial Japanese Navy. As it's a case with any other publication b the author, it provides all interested readers with a wealth of technical information about these destroyers, supplemented with the numerous data and plans plus images.