Fletcher

13.3

Fletcher

Destroyer | U.S.A. | Tier IX

Tech Tree Position

stock

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General

Research price158000 exp

Purchase price12,850,000

Hit Points13,900

Main Battery

127 mm/38 Mk.12 on a Mk.30 mod.0 mount5 х 1 pcs.

Rate of Fire17.96 shots/min.

Reload Time3.34 sec.

Rotation Speed34 deg./sec.

180 Degree Turn Time5.29 sec.

Firing Range11.77 km.

Maximum Dispersion103 m.

HE Shell127 mm HE Mk32

Maximum HE Shell Damage1,800

Chance of Fire on Target Caused by HE Shell5 %

Initial HE Shell Velocity792 m./s.

HE Shell Weight24.5 kg.

AP Shell127 mm AP/SC Mk38

Maximum AP Shell Damage2,100

Initial AP Shell Velocity792 m./s.

AP Shell Weight25 kg.

Torpedo Tubes

533 mm Mk152 х 5 pcs.

Rate of Fire0.49 shots/min.

Reload Time122 sec.

Rotation Speed25 deg./sec.

180 Degree Turn Time7.2 sec.

TorpedoMk15 mod. 3

Maximum Damage16,633

Torpedo Speed55 knot

Torpedo Range9.15 km.

AA Defense

127 mm/38 Mk.12 on a Mk.30 mod.0 mount5 х 1 pcs.

. . . Average Damage per Second53.5

. . . Firing Range5.01 km.

40 mm/56 Bofors on a Mk.1 mount3 х 2 pcs.

. . . Average Damage per Second33.9

. . . Firing Range3.51 km.

20 mm Oerlikon on a Mk.4 mount9 х 1 pcs.

. . . Average Damage per Second32.4

. . . Firing Range2.01 km.

Maneuverability

Maximum Speed36.5 knot

Turning Circle Radius560 m.

Rudder Shift Time4.5 sec.

Concealment

Surface Detectability Range7.16 km.

Air Detectability Range3.24 km.

Battle Levels

12345678910

13.3

Fletcher

Destroyer | U.S.A. | Tier IX

Tech Tree Position

stock

 top

General

Research price158000 exp

Purchase price12,850,000

Hit Points17,100

Main Battery

127 mm/38 Mk.12 on a Mk.30 mod.0 mount5 х 1 pcs.

Rate of Fire17.96 shots/min.

Reload Time3.34 sec.

Rotation Speed34 deg./sec.

180 Degree Turn Time5.29 sec.

Firing Range12.95 km.

Maximum Dispersion103 m.

HE Shell127 mm HE Mk32

Maximum HE Shell Damage1,800

Chance of Fire on Target Caused by HE Shell5 %

Initial HE Shell Velocity792 m./s.

HE Shell Weight24.5 kg.

AP Shell127 mm AP/SC Mk38

Maximum AP Shell Damage2,100

Initial AP Shell Velocity792 m./s.

AP Shell Weight25 kg.

Torpedo Tubes

533 mm Mk152 х 5 pcs.

Rate of Fire0.57 shots/min.

Reload Time106 sec.

Rotation Speed25 deg./sec.

180 Degree Turn Time7.2 sec.

TorpedoMk16 mod. 1

Maximum Damage19,033

Torpedo Speed66 knot

Torpedo Range10.5 km.

AA Defense

127 mm/38 Mk.12 on a Mk.30 mod.0 mount5 х 1 pcs.

. . . Average Damage per Second53.5

. . . Firing Range5.01 km.

40 mm/56 Bofors on a Mk.1 mount5 х 2 pcs.

. . . Average Damage per Second56.5

. . . Firing Range3.51 km.

20 mm Oerlikon on a Mk.24 mount7 х 2 pcs.

. . . Average Damage per Second42.7

. . . Firing Range2.01 km.

Maneuverability

Maximum Speed36.5 knot

Turning Circle Radius560 m.

Rudder Shift Time3 sec.

Concealment

Surface Detectability Range7.16 km.

Air Detectability Range3.24 km.

Battle Levels

12345678910

IX

12,850,000

Fletcher — American Tier IX destroyer.

Fletcher was the lead ship of the most numerous series of destroyers ever produced. They proved to be highly successful ships, combining high speed with efficient AA defenses, quick-firing artillery, and powerful torpedo armament.

Four of the class are preserved as military museum ships: USS Cassin Young in Boston, Massachusetts; USS Kidd in Baton Rouge, Louisiana; USS The Sullivans in Buffalo, New York; and HNS Velos (ex-USS Charrette) in Athens, Greece.

Modules

	Rate of Fire (shots/min)	180° Turn Time (sec)	Maximum Dispersion (m)	Maximum HE Shell Damage (HP)	Chance of Fire on Target Caused by HE Shell (%)	Maximum AP Shell Damage (HP)		Research price (exp)	Purchase price ()
127 mm/38 Mk.12 on a Mk.30 mod.0 mount	18	5.3	103	1,800	5	2,100		0	1,050,000

	Hit Points (HP)	Armor (mm)	Armor (mm)	Main Turrets (pcs.)	Secondary Gun Turrets (pcs.)	AA Mounts (pcs.)	Torpedo Tubes (pcs.)	Hangar Capacity (pcs.)		Research price (exp)	Purchase price ()
Fletcher (A)	13,900	13	20	5		9/3/5	2			0	1,400,000
Fletcher (B)	17,100	13	20	5		7/5	2			36,000	3,250,000

	Rate of Fire (shots/min)	Torpedo Tubes Reload Time (sec)	180° Turn Time (sec)	Maximum Damage (HP)	Torpedo Speed (knot)	Torpedo Range (km)		Research price (exp)	Purchase price ()
Mk15 mod. 3	0.5	122	7.2	16,633	55	9.2		0	1,470,000
Mk16 mod. 1	0.6	106	7.2	19,033	66	10.5		34,500	2,400,000

	IDS_SHIP_PARAM_SUO_INCREASE_DIST (%)	Maximum Firing Range (km)		Research price (exp)	Purchase price ()
Mk9 mod. 1		0		0	880,000
Mk9 mod. 2		0		22,500	1,850,000

	Maximum Speed (knot)		Research price (exp)	Purchase price ()
Propulsion: 60,000 hp	36.5		0	1,100,000

Compatible Upgrades

Slot 1
Slot 2
Slot 3
Slot 4
Slot 5
Slot 6

Player Opinion

Performance

Fletcher-class ships were workhorses of the United States Navy during World War II, and their legacy transfers well into World of Warships. Fletcher herself is, without question, the most flexible destroyer in the game. She can be tailored — via Commander Skills and Upgrades — to be a torpedo boat with good guns, or to be a murderous gunboat with above average torpedoes. She is one of a handful of destroyers in the game with decent anti-aircraft armament in her top configuration, and can finally equip the Defensive AA Fire consumable without having to sacrifice any of her five main battery guns.

As with her immediate predecessors, Fletcher’s main battery is punishing to enemy destroyers at close range. The ballistics of her guns make landing shells reliably on targets beyond 7 or 8 km problematic, but in close-quarters combat she has few rivals. Her upgraded torpedoes are the hardest-hitting torpedoes in the American destroyer line, and she retains Benson’s ability to fire them from well beyond her detection range. Her torpedoes also remain more difficult to spot than those of her Japanese or Russian counterparts. Most importantly, Fletcher gains access to Upgrade Slot 3, allowing her captain to tailor her to a torpedo-centric build (via Torpedo Tubes Modification 3 and Torpedo Armament Expertise) or a gun-centric build (with Main Battery Modification 3 and Basic Firing Training) with relative ease.

There are only a handful of categories where Fletcher does not improve upon Benson, and they're relatively minor things (such as air detection radius). Without Defensive AA Fire equipped she's still very vulnerable to enemy planes, and she's noticeably slower than Benson as well. Still, she's a significant upgrade from Tier VIII and a true joy to play... so much so that many players simply stop playing the line at Fletcher and never move on to Gearing.

Pros:

• Excellent concealment.
• Punishing main battery reload speed; Fletcher is capable of putting a lot of shells on target in a short amount of time.
• Very fast turret rotation speed.
• Hard hitting torpedoes deal more damage and reload faster than Tier X Gearing.
• Can equip the Defensive AA Fire consumable without giving up any of her main battery guns.

Cons:

• Still fragile; engaging Russian destroyers beyond 6km range is inadvisable, and Fletcher remains vulnerable to cruisers of all tiers she will face.
• As good as her torpedoes are, Yūgumo’s still pack more punch with greater range.
• Slower than Benson.
• Upgraded torpedo range is still 6km shorter than Gearing’s.
• While her anti-aircraft suite is better than most destroyers, it will struggle to shoot down high tier planes.

Research

Fletcher is likely to spend most of her time in close-combat with enemy destroyers, making Hull (B) the best upgrade to invest in first (for the extra hit points). The Mk16 mod. 1 Torpedo upgrade should come next, as it is a drastic upgrade to her torpedo armament. The Fire Control System upgrade should be saved for last or skipped entirely.

Optimal Configuration

Fletcher is a highly flexible destroyer capable of being tailored in a variety of different ways. Most captains, however, will choose to focus on improving one of her main armaments to the maximum extent possible.

Upgrades

Most Fletcher captains will equip Main Armaments Modification 1 in Upgrade Slot 1, AA Guns Modification 2 or Aiming Systems Modification 1 in Upgrade Slot 2, Propulsion Modification 1 in Upgrade Slot 4, Propulsion Modification 2 or Steering Gears Modification 2 in Upgrade Slot 5, and Concealment Systems Modification 1 in Upgrade Slot 6. The upgrade chosen for Upgrade Slot 3 — and the corresponding commander skills — is where most of the customization lies.

Torpedo Build: Captains wishing to focus their Fletcher as a torpedo boat will opt for Torpedo Tubes Modification 3 in Upgrade Slot 3. This lowers her torpedo reload to only 90 seconds. If her commander invests in the Level 3 commander skill Torpedo Armament Expertise, the reload time drops to a scant 81 seconds. Given how hard her torpedoes hit and how fast they travel, this configuration of Fletcher can give even the vaunted Japanese destroyers a run for their money in the torpedo damage category.

Main Battery (Maximum Rate of Fire) Build: Another solid choice for Fletcher in Upgrade Slot 3 is Main Battery Modification 3. When coupled with Level 3 commander skill Basic Firing Training, her rate of fire increases significantly. In this configuration, the reload time on her main battery guns drops to 2.6 seconds (from a base of 3.3 seconds).

Main Battery (Maximum Range) Build: Some captains prefer to maximize the range of Fletcher’s main battery guns utilizing Gun Fire Control System Modification 2 in the third upgrade slot. While this pushes her main battery range out to 15 km and gives her a large window from which she can safely fire beyond her detection range, landing shells on all but the slowest, largest ships at such range is incredibly difficult.

Commander Skills

Regardless of other choices, Fletcher commanders should always invest in Preventative Maintenance at Level 1, Last Stand at Level 2, Survivability Expert at Level 3, and Concealment Expert at Level 4. Where points go after that depends on how captains wish to play the ship.

A Torpedo Build Fletcher will want to invest in Torpedo Armament Expertise at Level 3, whereas a Main Battery Build Fletcher will want to pick up Basic Firing Training — and probably Demolition Expert — instead. Captains concerned about enemy aircraft could opt for Advanced Firing Training or Manual Fire Control for AA Armament. The latter is the better option, as Fletcher will run most of the time with her anti-aircraft guns disabled in order to avoid detection (making the additional AA range less valuable).

Recommended Commander Skills
Cost (points)	Endurance		Attack		Support		Versatility
1	Priority Target Situational Awareness indicator will show the number of opponents currently aiming at you with main battery guns. ★	Preventative Maintenance -30% to the risk of incapacitation of main turrets, torpedo tubes, steering gear, engines. ★★★	Expert Loader -50% to reload time when shell type is switched.	Air Supremacy -5% aircraft restoration time.	Direction Center for Fighters +1 fighter to carrier fighter squadrons or catapult fighters.	Improved Engine Boost +10% Aircraft engine boost time.	Incoming Fire Alert Indicator of long-range enemy artillery fire.	Last Gasp Completely restores the engine boost for the last attack flight of the carrier's planes.
2	High Alert -10% to reload time of Damage Control Party consumable. ★★	Jack of All Trades -5% to reload time of all consumables. ★	Expert Marksman +2.5 deg/sec to traverse speed of guns with a caliber up to 139mm. +0.7 deg/sec to traverse speed of guns with a caliber above 139mm.	Torpedo Acceleration +5 knots to torpedo speed. -20% to torpedo range.	Smoke Screen Expert +20% to the radius of the smoke screen. ★	Improved Engines +2.5% Squadron speed.	Adrenaline Rush -0.2% to reload times of all types of armament for each 1% of total health lost. +0.2% squadron speed for each 1% of total health lost. ★★	Last Stand The ship remains able to move and maneuver while the engine or steering gears are incapacitated. ★★★
3	Basics of Survivability -15% to time of repair, fire extinguishing, and recovery from flooding.	Survivability Expert +350 ship HP for each ship tier. +15 aircraft HP for each ship tier. ★★★	Torpedo Armament Expertise -10% to reload time of torpedo tubes. ★★	Aircraft Armor Reduces continuous damage to aircraft in all AA defense zones. -10% continuous damage.	Basic Firing Training -10% to reload time of main battery guns with a caliber up to and including 139mm and all secondary battery guns. +10% to continuous damage from AA guns. ★★	Superintendent +1 additional charge to all consumables mounted on a ship. ★★	Demolition Expert +2% chance of HE shells causing a fire on target. +1% chance of rockets causing a fire on target. +5% chance of HE bombs causing a fire on target. ★★	Vigilance +25% to detection range of enemy torpedoes. ★★
4	Manual Fire Control for Secondary Armament Tightens dispersion of shells from secondary batteries. -15% for Tier I-VI ships. -60% for Tier VII-X ships. Manually selected target only.	Fire Prevention -10% to the risk of fire. The maximum number of fires on a ship is reduced to three.	Inertia Fuse for HE Shells +30% to the armor penetration capacity of HE shells. -1% chance of fire on target caused by shells <=139mm. -3% chance of fire on target caused by shells >139mm. ★	Sight Stabilization Speeds up the aiming of a carrier's aircraft. +5% attack aircraft aiming speed. +5% torpedo bomber aiming speed. +10% dive bomber aiming speed.	Advanced Firing Training +20% to firing range of main battery guns with a caliber up to 139mm and all secondary battery guns. +15% damage/sec. within the explosion radius of shells fired from long-range AA defenses. ★	Massive AA Fire Instantaneous Damage +100%. Priority AA sector cooldown +50%.	Radio Position Finding Shows the direction to the nearest enemy ship. The enemy is alerted that a bearing has been taken.	Concealment Expert -10% to the detection radius of all ships and aircraft. ★★★
Key: ★★★ - Extremely Useful       ★★ - Frequently Useful       ★ - Occasionally Useful      No stars - Meh     Χ - Not recommended

Consumables

Even if her captain doesn't sink any commander skill points or upgrades into improving her anti-aircraft suite, Defensive AA Fire is recommended over Engine Boost due to the extreme threat that enemy aircraft create for a Fletcher. Simply having it equipped and demonstrating to an enemy carrier that it is available is frequently a deterrent to them swarming Fletcher with bombers or assigning a fighter squadron to keep her spotted.

Beyond that, Damage Control Party II is worth the credits (or doubloons) for the shortened cooldown on repairing broken modules.

Camouflage

Type 1, 2, or 5 camouflage can be equipped for credits; Types 1 or 5 are recommended at a minimum to reduce detectibility range.

Players who wish to spend doubloons can equip Fletcher with Type 19 camouflage that lowers her detection radius, reduces the accuracy of incoming shells, reduces her repair costs, and increases the amount of experience she earns.

Signals

Captains who have opted for a Torpedo Build Fletcher will want to equip a Juliet Whiskey Unaone signal in order to maximize potential damage from torpedo hits. Throwing on a Sierra Mike signal is an excellent way to help make up for her loss of speed from Benson. November Foxtrot and Juliet Charlie are also highly recommended, if available. Main Battery Build Fletcher captains should also consider Victor Lima and India X-Ray signals to increase the fire chance of her main battery shells.

Gallery

Historical Info

Construction

Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company; Kearny, New Jersey

Laid down: 2 October 1941

Launched: 3 May 1942

Commissioned: 30 June 1942

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Specifications

2,100 tons displacement, standard

114.7m length

12.1m beam

4.2m draft

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Machinery

4 boilers, 2 turbines

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Performance

38.0 knots at 60,000 shaft horsepower

4,800 nm at 15 knots

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Armament

Main

Five (5x1) 127mm guns

Torpedoes

Ten (2x5) 533mm torpedo tubes

History

Design

The Fletcher-class destroyer was the first generation of destroyers to be designed after the series of naval treaties that had limited ship designs heretofore. The growth in the design was in part to answer a question that always dogged U.S. Navy designs, that being the long range required by operations in the Pacific Ocean. They were also to carry no less than five 5-inch (127 mm) guns and ten deck-mounted torpedo tubes on the centerline, allowing them to meet any foreign design on equal terms. Compared to earlier designs, the Fletchers were large, allowing them to eventually absorb the addition of two 40 mm Bofors quadruple mount AA guns as well as six 20 mm Oerlikon dual AA gun positions. This addition to the AA suite required the deletion of the forward quintuple torpedo mount, a change done under the 4 April 1945 anti-kamikaze program.

They also were much less top-heavy than the previous classes, allowing them to take on additional equipment and weapons without major redesign. They were fortunate in catching American production at the right moment, becoming "the" destroyer design, and only Fletcher-class derivatives, the Sumner and Gearing classes, would follow it. The first design inputs were in the fall of 1939 from questionnaires distributed around design bureaus and the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations. The design parameters were the armaments desired of the next destroyer. As such, the questions were of how many guns, torpedoes, and depth charges were seen as desirable. Also asked was at what point would the design grow large enough to become a torpedo target instead of a torpedo delivery system. The answer that came back was that five 5-inch (127 mm) dual purpose guns, twelve torpedoes, and twenty-eight depth charges would be ideal, while a return to the 1500-ton designs of the past was seen as undesirable. Speed requirements varied from 35 to 38 knots (40 to 44 mph; 65 to 70 km/h), and shortcomings in the earlier Sims class, which were top heavy and needed lead ballast to correct it, caused the Fletcher design to be widened by 18 in (46 cm) of beam. As with other previous U.S. flush deck destroyer designs, seagoing performance suffered. This was mitigated by deployment to the Pacific Ocean, which is relatively calm.

To achieve 38 knots (44 mph; 70 km/h) with a 500-ton increase in displacement, shaft horsepower was increased from 50,000 to 60,000 compared to the previous Benson and Gleaves classes. The Fletchers featured air-encased boilers producing steam at 600 psi and 850°F, with emergency diesel generators providing 80 kW of electric power. Typically, Babcock & Wilcox boilers and General Electric geared steam turbines were equipped, although other designs and manufacturers were probably used to maximize the rate of production.

The main gun armament was five dual-purpose 5 inch/38 caliber (127 mm) guns in single mounts, guided by a Mark 37 Gun Fire Control System, including a Mk 25 fire control radar linked by a Mark 1A Fire Control Computer and stabilized by a Mk 6 8,500 rpm gyro. Ten 21-inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes were fitted in two quintuple centerline mounts, firing the Mark 15 torpedo. Initial designed anti-aircraft armament was a quadruple 1.1"/75 caliber gun mount and six .50 caliber machine guns; however, as the attack on Pearl Harbor had shown the need for increased light AA weapons, later ships were typically fitted with two twin 40 mm Bofors mounts plus seven single 20 mm Oerlikon weapons. Anti-submarine armament was initially two depth charge racks at the stern, augmented by up to six K-gun depth charge throwers as the war progressed.

Throughout the course of World War II, the number of anti-aircraft weapons increased, typically resulting in five twin 40 mm Bofors mounts plus seven single 20 mm Oerlikon weapons by 1945. Due to the increasing threat from kamikaze attacks, fifty-one ships of the class received further AA modifications beginning in 1945, replacing the forward torpedo tubes and midships 40 mm twin Bofors with two quad 40 mm mounts for a total of 14 barrels, and the seven 20 mm singles with six 20 mm twins. Three (USS Pringle, USS Stevens, and USS Halford) were built (six planned) with aircraft catapults, resulting in the deletion of one 5-inch mount and the after set of torpedo tubes. This alteration was not a success in service and was not repeated. These three destroyers were later converted to the normal Fletcher-class configuration.

Service

Nineteen were lost during World War II; six more were damaged and not repaired. Postwar, the remainder were decommissioned and put into reserve.

With the outbreak of the Korean War many were returned to active duty. During this time 39 were refitted, reducing their overall main armament and the number of torpedo tubes to accommodate other weapons. A new ahead-throwing weapon called Weapon Alpha was installed in many of the ships. Others carried trainable Hedgehogs. Eighteen ships were redesignated as escort destroyers (DDE), optimized for anti-submarine warfare.

Historical Gallery

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  Commissioning of USS Fletcher, 30 June 1942.

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  Emblem of USS Fletcher.

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  Fletcher off of New York Harbor, 18 July 1942.

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  Fletcher at Purvis Bay, Solomon Islands, 26 March 1943.

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  Fletcher at Mare Island, California for refit and overhaul, August 1943.

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  Fletcher with Hickam Air Force Base hangars, Honolulu, and Diamond Head in background, circa 1957.

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  Fletcher at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, circa 1964.

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  Cutaway drawing of USS Fletcher.

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  The bridge of Fletcher at the U.S. Navy Museum.

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  Close-up of the after turrets of a Fletcher-class destroyer.

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  Line drawing of a Fletcher-class ship.

Ships of U.S.A.

Destroyers