Super Destroyers: From the Torpedo Boat Era to the Dominant Surface Warship of Today

This book explores the history of "super destroyers," larger, more powerful, or otherwise special designs that have been developed by naval powers throughout history. These ships were often driven by different factors in different countries and eras, but they all had a significant impact on naval warfare, particularly during the two world wars. The book highlights several notable super destroyer designs, including the introduction of "destroyer leaders" during the Great War, the Japanese "Special type" in the late 1920s, the British "Tribal class," the German "Narviks," and the interwar Franco-Italian rivalry that produced some of the fastest super destroyers. By the end of the Second World War, only the largest designs seemed adequate, leading to the development of the contemporary all-purpose warship that dominates the world's navies today.

Format: Hardback
Length: 256 pages
Publication date: 13 May 2024
Publisher: Pen & Sword Books Ltd

From the very beginnings of torpedo craft, all naval powers have seen the occasional need for larger, more powerful, or in other respects special designs that stand outside the contemporary norms for flotilla craft. The driving forces were often different from country to country and varied over time, but all the resulting ships may be conveniently defined as 'super destroyers.' This book is a history of these out-of-the-ordinary vessels, the specific conditions that produced them, and their impact on naval warfare, especially during the two world wars. Notable highlights of this story include the introduction of 'destroyer leaders' during the Great War, the Japanese 'Special type of the late 1920s, the British 'Tribal class, German 'Narviks, and the interwar Franco-Italian rivalry that produced some of the fastest of all super destroyers. By the end of the Second World War, only the largest designs seemed adequate, so although built in quantity, the US 'Gearing' class were effectively super destroyers by the standards of the day and pointed the way to the future. A final chapter explores the way that after 1945, the big destroyer slowly evolved into the contemporary all-purpose warship – whether described as cruiser, destroyer, or frigate – that has become the dominant surface combatant in the worlds navies. Although it concentrates on exceptional designs, in terms, the book provides a valuable overview of destroyer development as a whole, so will be of interest to any warship enthusiast and historian.

Weight: 1192g
Dimension: 224 x 269 x 25 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781526777454