Fletcher

Tier VII \| Type: Destroyer
Preceded by	Succeeded by
Benson	Allen M. Sumner Gearing
Cost	18 000 000
XP Required	210 000

Fletcher — American Tech Tree Tier VII Destroyer.

Fletcher belonged to the most numerous series of destroyers in the world. She proved to be a very successful ship combining high speed and efficient AA defenses, as well as powerful artillery and torpedo armament.

Entered Service: 1942
Ships in a series: 175

Ship Traits

Extended Smoke: Increased smoke screen duration.	Reloader: Above average main battery reload time.	Nimble Aim: Above average main battery traverse speed. Gives an edge in close quarters combat.

Modules

	Hit Points	Min Armor (mm)	Max Armor (mm)	Torpedo Damage Reduction (%)	Main Battery Turrets	Torpedo Launchers	Rudder Shift (s)	Purchase Price
Stock	14 400	13	20	0	5x1	2	4.5	0
Hull B	16 700	13	20	0	5x1	2	3	3 600 000

	Turret Arrangement	Reload Time (s)	180° Turn Time (s)	Max HE Damage	HE Fire Chance (%)	Max AP Damage
127 mm Mk30 mod. 0	5x1	3.3	5.3	1800	5	2100
127 mm Mk30 mod. 0	5x1	3.3	5.3	1800	5	2100

	Firing Range Increase (%)	Main Battery Firing Range	Purchase Price
Stock	0 %	10 km	0
Targeting System Mk7 mod. 2	10 %	11 km	450 000

	Launcher Arrangement	Reload Time (s)	180° Turn Time (s)	Max Damage	Range	Speed	Detection	Purchase Price
533mm quintuple	2x5	109s	7.2s	11 600	9.2	55	1	0
Torpedoes Mk 15 mod. 3	2x5	122s	7.2s	16 633	9.2	55	1	450 000

	Maximum Speed
Stock	36.5 kn

History

USS Fletcher (DD-445) was an american destroyer, the lead ship of her class of 175 units, which make it the most produced destroyer class in History. Designed without the treaties' limitations, she was bigger than the preceding Benson-Gleaves class destroyer to allow better range of operation in the Pacific Ocean. The Fletchers had the same weaponry as the Bensons with five dual purposes 5 inches/127mm main guns and two quintuple 21 inch/533mm torpedo launchers, but with slightly improved anti-air armament and engines compared to their predecessor. They were less top-heavy than the Bensons, allowing them to receive more upgrades during the war without needing major refits. Followed by the Allen M. Sumner and Gearing class, which were direct improvements over the Fletcher’s designs, the design itself was considered good enough to be used as a basis for the first post-war US destroyer design, the Forrest Sherman class.

She received 15 battle stars during world war two for her service in the Pacific.

Commissioned in the middle of 1942, Fletcher was deployed in New Caledonia to take part in multiple escort duties at Guadalcanal. During the early phases of the Guadalcanal Campaign, Fletcher provided artillery cover to landing troops, as well as anti-air cover and contributed to damaging the Japanese battleship Hiei before her sinking by US aeronaval. At the beginning of the Battle of Tassafaronga, she was the first vessel to get a radar contact and she contributed after the battle to rescue the crew of the sunken cruiser USS Northampton (CA-26). Until the end of the year, Fletcher stayed in the Solomons, conducting patrols, shore bombardment and AA covering.

In early 1943, Fletcher sank the Japanese submarine I-18 thanks to one USS Helena (CL-50)’s embarked plane. She took a short break at Sydney between the end of April and the beginning of May before resuming patrol duties in the Solomons during most of the year. In November, she took part in a carrier group to provide air support to the invasion of the Gilbert islands. At the end of the year, Fletcher returned to Pearl Harbor for a complete overhaul and training.

The next year, she escorted a Convoy during her return to the Pacific to resume escort, bombardment and AA cover duties in the Marshalls. Most of 1944 was dedicated to such duties. She took part in the battle of Leyte Gulf in October of the same year, covering the Americans troops during the landings operations and carrying reinforcements. She also contributed to the liberation of the Philippines.

In 1945, Fletcher took part in the operations at Luzon in the early days of the year. She provided artillery cover, as well as contributing to the minesweeping of the area. During shore bombardment during an assault on Corregidor, she took a hit. Maintaining the bombardment, her crew was only able to start the damage control half-hour after the hit, because of operations to save the crew of a sunken minesweeper. After the operations at Luzon, Fletcher resumed the patrols and the shore bombardments, returning to the west coast for an overhaul in May. When the war ended, she was put into reserve and was reclassified in 1949 as DDE-445 to serve as a specialised ASW escort vessel.

She took part in 1950 in the Korean War, conducting patrols around the Peninsula and taking part in the Inchon invasion, after which she returned to Pearl Harbor. A year later she returned to Korean water to screen the Seventh Fleet’s carriers as well as conducting, once again, shore bombardment. She finally returned to Pearl Harbor in 1952. She provided ASW screening during the evacuation of the Tachen islands in 1955 and served during the Vietnam War. Fletcher was decommissioned at San Diego in 1969, although efforts were made to save the ship.

In World of Warships Legends, USS Fletcher hull A represents her as-built configuration, with four single 20mm Oerlikon guns and two twin 40mm Bofor guns. Her second hull seems to be the standardised 1943 AA refit of the class, with seven single 20mm Oerlikon guns and five twin 40mm Bofor guns.

Source :

https://www.history.navy.mil/browse-by-topic/ships/modern-ships/uss-fletcher.html

Legends Ship Map

Games

Navigation

Tools

Fletcher

Games

Navigation

Tools

Fletcher

Modules

Modifications

Consumables

Player Opinion

Pros:

Cons:

Performance

Changes

History

Gallery