Destroyers

=__DESTROYERS__=

GENERAL INFORMATION
Destroyers in World War Two were ships. These ships are used for many different things. During the time of the war they could fight off attacks from on the surface, in the air, or the depths of the sea. They could rescue pilots and deliver mail as well as people to other ships. Sometimes a destroyer would be called on to help protect the troops with extra fire power or scout ahead of the fleet in enemy waters. (1) In the navy, a destroyer is quite handy since it is speedy and maneuverable yet long lasting. It has armor and is built to escort bigger boats in a fleet and block them against smaller, short-range enemy attackers. (2)

USS //Kearney// was patroling the coast of Greenland when a German U-boat toepedoed it.(3)

WEAPONS OF THE DESTROYER
A destroyer was armed with many anti aircraft guns, torpedoes and depth charges. A depth charge is the oldest form of anti sumbarine weaponry. All of these weapons help any navys win in their wars.(1)

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TACTICS OF A DESTROYER
- A tactic would be watching enemy's port. - Another one would be searching and patroling a coast line. - The third one would be attacking other ships - Leading a fleet of other boats.

**JAPANESE DESTROYERS**
The first Japanese destroyer was the Fubuki which started the standard destroyer design in World War Two. The Fubuki set a guide for later models and generations of destroyers. The Fubuki has enclosed double turrets as well as a heavy gun. This destroyer can also shoot torpedoes. (4)

This is a picture of the Fubuki destroyer from a side and above angle. (4)

AMERICAN DESTROYERS
The first destroyers, made to beat the Japenanese destroyers, were made in 1941 by the US navy. These destroyers were spacious, speedy, and durable. They also had a 175 flush-deck and were 2100 tons. They turned out to be the most successful of all the American destroyers. (6)

GERMAN DESTROYERS
In the beginning of World War Two the German Navy had 21 destroyers. Of these destroyers all of them were built in the 1930s which made them actually quite modern vessels. Later during the war 19 more German destroyers were put into service. There were many different classes of destroyers. These classes were ussually made according to the year that is was designed. One German destroyer was the Fleet Torpedo Boat. The Fleet Torpedo boat was large in size and had much weaponry. (5)

This is a picture of the inside of a destroyer. The room shown is the Pilot house which is where the Destroyer's wheel, compass and radar repeater, ruddar angle, and voice tubes are located.(7) 1.http://www.cr.nps.gov/history/online_books/butowsky1/warships5.htm 2.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Destroyer 3.http://www.navy.mil/navydata/ships/destroyers/destroyers.asp 4.http://www.friesian.com/destroy.htm 5.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_World_War_II_destroyers 6.http://www.destroyerhistory.org/fletcherclass/index.html 7.http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.destroyers.org/Inside-Story/is-ms.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.destroyers.org/Inside-Story/is-start.htm
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