Ships of class: Ships of class: USS Bainbridge (TBD-1)(DD-1), USS Barry (TBD-2)(DD-2), USS Chauncey (TBD-3)(DD-3), USS Dale (TBD-4)(DD-4), USS Decatur (TBD-5)(DD-5), USS Hopkins (TBD-6)(DD-6), USS Hull (TBD-7)(DD-7), USS Lawrence (TBD-8)(DD-8), USS Macdonough (TBD-9)(DD-9), USS Paul Jones (TBD-10)(DD-10), USS Perry (TBD-11)(DD-11), USS Peble (TBD-12)(DD-12), USS Stewart (TBD-13)(DD-13, USS Truxtun (TBD-14)(DD-14), USS Whipple (TBD-15)(DD-15) and USS Wordern (TBD-16)(DD-16).

List of Blueprints

World War I
American Destroyers,
TBD-1 through TBD-16
A Collection of Blueprints

Excerpts from the book

Act of 4 May, 1898:

"...The President is hereby authorized to have constructed by con- tract...sixteen torpedo boat destroyers of about four hundred tons dis- placement, and twelve torpedo boats of about one hundred and fifty tons displacement, to have the highest practicable speed and, to cost in all, exclusive of armament, not exceeding six million nine hundred thousand dollars;...not more than five of said torpedo boat destroyers,...shall be built in one yard or by one contracting party, and the contracts for the construction of each of said vessels shall be awarded by the Secretary of the Navy to the lowest best responsible bidder, having in view the best results and most expeditious delivery;..."

TBD-1 through TBD-16.

The United States Navy needed a new design for a torpedo boat. The need for a fast torpedo boat to screen the fleet while at sea could not be addressed by the small torpedo boats of 1898. The current torpedo boats were in essence harbor or coastal patrol boats, not capable of prolonged voyages or the demands of deep sea penetration.

The requirements of the Spanish - American War amplified the Navy's need for a new breed of destroyer craft. The Revenue Cutter Service temporary filled the Navy's need for such craft by supplying nine cutters to the U.S. Navy. One cutter, the McCulloch, was transferred to the Asiatic Squadron, under Admiral George Dewey and eight cutters, Manning, Morrill, Hamilton, Windom, Woodbury, Hudson, Calumet and McLane to the North Atlantic Squadron, under Rear Admiral W.T. Sampson. These cutters supplied the necessary sea keeping qualities of extended tours to the front, deep sea penetration, scouting, screening the larger battleships and cruisers and miscellaneous chores the American fleet needed accomplished.

The Bureau of Construction and Repair design for the new torpedo boat destroyer called for a high flat forecastle deck, for safe seakeeping. Bilge keels, to fight the tendency for the long and narrow hull, from excessive rolling in heavy seas. A conning tower with half inch armor, with a 3-inch/50 gun placed on a platform on top of the tower. Two 6-pounder (57mm) guns placed aft the forecastle; necessitating the cutting away of the forecastle sides in order to train the guns forward. One 18-inch torpedo tube placed amidship between the two pairs of stacks and a second 18-inch torpedo tube on the fantail. A second 3-inch/50 gun was placed on a platform forward of the fantail. The remaining 57mm guns were placed on the main deck. The Bureau of Construction and Repair called for four boilers, which were paired fore and aft. Between the two pairs of boilers were placed two triple expansion engines.

The various contractors who bid on the new class of ships were allowed to use the Bureau of Construction and Repair design or submit their own designs. This resulted in variations of the ship's turned out by the winning ship yards.

Thus were born the blueprints of America's first destroyers.

Bainbridge class, Torpedo Boat Destroyer

(420 - ton destroyers)

Bainbridge (TBD - 1)

Length Overall:. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .250'
Extreme Beam:. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23'7"
Normal Displacement: . . . . . . . . . 420 tons
Mean Draft:. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6'6"
Designed Complement: . . . . . . . . Officers, 4; Enlisted, 69

Armament:
Primary: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Two, 3-inch/50 caliber
Secondary: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Five, 6-pdr (57mm)

Torpedo Tubes: . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Two, 18"
Designed Shaft Horsepower: . . . . 8,000
Drive: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Direct
Designed Speed:. . . . . . . . . . . . . .29 knots
Engines, Manufacturer: . . . . . . . . .Neafie & Levy Ship and Engine Building Co.
Boilers, Manufacturer: . . . . . . . . . Four, Thornycroft
Screws:. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Two
Fuel (coal), Tons: . . . . . . . . . . . . .213

Born in Princeton, New Jersey, May 7, 1774, William Bainbridge was appointed Lieutenant in the Navy, on August 3, 1798. He performed distinguished service in the war with France and commanded the frigate Philadelphia when she ran aground and was captured in the harbor of Tripoli on December 29, 1803. Bainbridge was held prisoner by the Tripolitans until June 3, 1805. During the War of 1812 Bainbridge commanded Constitution and on December 26, 1812, he engaged and captured HMS Java. Between 1824 and 1827 Bainbridge was a Navy Commissioner. Commodore Bainbridge died in Philadelphia July 28, 1833 and was buried at Christ Church, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

USS Bainbridge was built by Neafie & Levy Ship and Engine Building Co., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She was authorized on May 4, 1898; keel laid August 15, 1899 and commissioned November 24, 1902. Bainbridge was built to C & R design plans.

She departed Key West, Florida December 23, 1903 and sailed via the Suez Canal to the Philippine Islands, arriving at Cavite April 14, 1904. Between 1904 and 1917 she served with the 1st Torpedo Flotilla, Asiatic Fleet, except for a brief period (January 17, 1907 - April 24, 1908) when she was out of commission. From April 24, 1912 - April 1, 1913, she was in reserve.

With the advent of World War I, she arrived at Port Said, Egypt, where she joined Squadron 2, U.S. Patrol Force on September 25, 1917. Bainbridge served on patrol and convoy duty until July 15, 1918 when she departed for the United States. She arrived at Charleston, South Carolina August 3, 1918 and participated with the fleet in activities along the Atlantic coast until July 3, 1919 when she was decommissioned at Philadelphia. She was sold January 3, 1920.

Barry (TBD - 2)

Length Overall:. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250'
Extreme Beam:. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23'7"
Normal Displacement: . . . . . . . . . 420 tons
Mean Draft:. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6'6"
Designed Complement: . . . . . . . . Officers, 4; Enlisted, 69

Armament:
Primary: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Two, 3-inch/50 caliber
Secondary: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Five, 6-pdr (57mm)
Torpedo Tubes: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Two, 18"

Designed Shaft Horsepower: . . . . .8,000
Drive: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Direct
Designed Speed:. . . . . . . . . . . . . .29 knots
Engines, Manufacturer: . . . . . . . . .Neafie & Levy Ship and Engine Building Co.
Boilers, Manufacturer: . . . . . . . . . Four, Thornycroft
Screws:. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Two
Fuel (coal), Tons: . . . . . . . . . . . . .213

Born in County Wexford, Ireland, in 1745, John Barry was appointed a Captain in the Continental Navy on December 7, 1775. Barry then assumed command of Lexington and Alliance. He was seriously wounded on May 29, 1781 while in command of Alliance during her capture of HMS Atalanta and Trepassy. When President George Washington signed into law, the Naval Act, on March 27, 1894, the United States Navy was formed. Under the Navy Act, Barry was appointed senior Captain and given charge of superintending the building of the frigate United States. He took command of the United States and fought her in the Quasi - War with France. Commodore Barry died at Strawberry Hill, near Philadelphia, September 13, 1803 and was buried in St. Mary's Cemetery, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

USS Barry was built at Neafie & Levy Ship and Engine Building Co., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Authorized May 4, 1898; keel laid September 2, 1899 and commissioned on February 2, 1899. Barry was built to C & R design plans.

Barry was assigned to the 1st Torpedo Flotilla, Coast Squadron, North Atlantic Fleet and during the summer of 1903 participated in maneuvers off the New England coast. In December 1903 she departed the east coast and sailed via the Suez Canal to the Asiatic Station, arriving in April 1904.

On the Asiatic Station she served with the 1st Torpedo Flotilla, Battleship Squadron, until August 1917, except for two short periods (April 2 - December 21, 1908 and October 21, 1912 - June 24, 1913), when she was out of commission.

With the American entry into World War I, she departed the Philippine Islands August 1, 1917 and sailed via the Suez Canal for Gibraltar, arriving October 20. She escorted merchantmen in the Mediterranean until August of 1918, then was reassigned to Charleston, South Carolina. She remained there until the end of the year performing patrol and convoy duties. In January 1919 she left for Philadelphia Navy Yard where she went out of commission June 28, 1919 and was sold January 3, 1920.

Chauncey (TBD - 3)

Length Overall:. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250'
Extreme Beam:. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23'7"
Normal Displacement: . . . . . . . . 420 tons
Mean Draft:. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6'6"
Designed Complement: . . . . . . . Officers, 4; Enlisted, 69

Armament:
Primary: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Two, 3-inch/50 caliber
Secondary: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Five, 6-pdr (57mm)
Torpedo Tubes: . . . . . . . . . . . . Two, 18"

Designed Shaft Horsepower: . . . 8,000
Drive: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Direct
Designed Speed:. . . . . . . . . . . . 29 knots
Engines, Manufacturer: . . . . . . . Neafie & Levy Ship and Engine Building Co.
Boilers, Manufacturer: . . . . . . . Four, Thornycroft
Screws:. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Two
Fuel (coal), Tons: . . . . . . . . . . 213

Isaac Chauncey, born in Black Rock, Connecticut on February 20, 1779, was appointed a Lieutenant in the Navy on September 17, 1798. He fought with gallantry in the West Indies during the Quasi - War with France; in the Mediterranean during the War with the Barbary Powers; and commanded John Adams (1804 - 05), Hornet (1805 - 06), Washington and the Mediterranean Squadron (1815 - 20). Perhaps his most outstanding service was during the War of 1812 when he commanded the naval forces on Lake Ontario, conducting amphibious operations in cooperation with the army and containing the large British squadron stationed there. His last service was as member, and, for four years, President, of the Board of Navy Commissioners. Commodore Chauncey died in Washington, D.C., on January 27, 1840.

USS Chauncey was built at Neafie & Levy Ship and Engine Building Co., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Authorized May 4, 1898; keel laid on December 2, 1899 and commissioned November 20, 1902. She was built to C & R design plans. She served with the Coast Squadron until September 20, 1903 when she was transferred to the Asiatic Fleet, leaving Key West for the orient on December 18. After sailing by way of the Suez Canal, she arrived at Cavite to join the force representing American strength and interest in the Far East as it cruised in the Philippines during winter and off China during the summer. With the advent of World War I, she left Cavite August 1, 1917 for convoy escort duty in the eastern Atlantic, based at St. Nazaire, France. On November 17, 1917 Chauncey was rammed by SS Rose, sinking with the loss of 21 crew members.

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