The Paulding-class destroyers were a series of United States Navy destroyers derived from the with the torpedo tubes increased from three to six via twin mounts. They were the first destroyers in the US Navy with oil-fired boilers. The 21 Pauldings doubled the number of destroyers in the US Navy. The Paulding class derived its name from the class's lead ship,, named for Rear Admiral Hiram Paulding (1797–1878). Like the Smiths, they were nicknamed "flivvers" after the small and shaky Model T Ford once the larger "thousand tonner" destroyers entered service.
The Act of 13 May 1908 made provision for "...Ten torpedo-boat destroyers, to have the highest practicable speed, and to cost, exclusive of armament, not to exceed eight hundred thousand dollars each, to be built by contract, not more than three by any one contractor...." The Act of 3 March 1909 made provision for "...Five torpedo-boat destroyers, to have the highest practicable speed, and to cost, exclusive of armament, not to exceed eight hundred thousand dollars each...." The Act of 24 June 1910 made provision for "...Six torpedo-boat destroyers, to have the highest practicable speed, and to cost in all not to exceed seven hundred and fifty thousand dollars each, and toward the construction of said torpedo-boat destroyers the sum of two million two hundred and twenty-five thousand dollars is hereby appropriated...."
Generally 21 ships, hull numbers 22 through 42, are considered Pauldings. However, some references list hull numbers 32 through 42 as the Monaghan class.[1] Others break out hulls 24–28, 30, 31, 33 and 36 as Roe class, with hulls 32, 35, and 38–42 as Monaghan class. Curiously, Jane's Fighting Ships of World War I refers to hulls 22–42 as the 21 [ships of the] Drayton class, going on to say "Unofficially known as 'Flivver Type'"; the book includes Paulding in the class listing, but not as the class leader.[2]
The torpedo armament was six 18-inch (450 mm) torpedo tubes in three twin mounts. This was an easy upgrade from the three single tubes with reloads of the Smith class, as the new design twin mounts actually weighed less than the older single mounts.[3] The gun armament was the same as the Smith class, with five 3adj=onNaNadj=on/50 caliber guns.[4] During World War I, one or two depth charge tracks were equipped for the convoy escort mission.[5]
There was some variation in engineering among the ships of this class. The most visible was that hulls 24–27, 30–32, 34, 36, 37, 39, and 40 had three stacks instead of four, with the middle stack being larger as two boiler uptakes were trunked together in it.[3] Most of the ships' direct drive turbines were arranged as in the Smith class on three shafts, with a high-pressure center turbine exhausting to two low-pressure turbines on the outboard shafts. Cruising turbines were also fitted on the outboard shafts in these ships to improve fuel economy at low speeds. However, hulls 26–27, 30–31, and 34 had two turbines on two shafts (Zoelly or Curtis), with cruising stages included in the turbine casings.[3]
This was the first USN destroyer class with oil-fired boilers. Compared with the Smith class, the Pauldings had 12000shp instead of 10000shp, making them about a knot faster. From DD-32 on, most references state that Thornycroft boilers instead of Normand were equipped.[1] However, the Navy's official Ships' Data Book for 1911 shows that other types of boilers were used as well, including Yarrow and White-Forster.[6]
Paulding made 32.8kn on trials at 17393shp. Normal fuel oil capacity was 241 tons with a design range of 3000nmi at .[3]
The Pauldings were commissioned in 1910–1912 and were active throughout World War I, primarily as convoy escorts in the Atlantic. They were equipped with one or two depth charge tracks for this mission.[5] All served in the United States Navy; twelve were transferred to the United States Coast Guard 1924–30 for the Rum Patrol; and all were scrapped 1934–35 to comply with the London Naval Treaty.[1]
| Name | Hull no. | Shipyard | Laid down | Launched | Commissioned | Decommissioned | Fate | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DD-22 | Bath Iron Works, Bath, Maine | 24 July 1909 | 12 April 1910 | 29 September 1910 | August 1919 | data-sort-value="1934" | USCG 1924–30, scrapped 1934 | ||
| DD-23 | Bath Iron Works | 19 August 1909 | 22 August 1910 | 29 October 1910 | 17 November 1919 | data-sort-value="1935" | Scrapped 1935 | ||
| DD-24 | Newport News Shipbuilding, Newport News, Virginia | 19 January 1909 | 24 July 1909 | 17 September 1910 | December 1919 | data-sort-value="1934" | USCG 1924–30, scrapped 1934 | ||
| DD-25 | Newport News Shipbuilding | 8 February 1909 | 21 August 1909 | 18 October 1910 | 13 November 1919 | data-sort-value="1934" | USCG 1924–30, scrapped 1934 | ||
| DD-26 | Fore River Ship and Engine, Quincy, Massachusetts | 22 March 1909 | 9 April 1910 | 18 November 1910 | 5 December 1919 | data-sort-value="1935" | Scrapped 1935 | ||
| DD-27 | Fore River Ship and Engine | 22 March 1909 | 12 May 1910 | 15 December 1910 | 9 December 1919 | data-sort-value="1935" | Scrapped 1935 | ||
| DD-28 | New York Shipbuilding, Camden, New Jersey | 8 June 1909 | 4 June 1910 | 23 January 1911 | 12 December 1919 | data-sort-value="1934" | USCG 1924–30, scrapped 1934 | ||
| DD-29 | New York Shipbuilding | 19 June 1909 | 23 June 1910 | 21 February 1911 | 12 December 1919 | data-sort-value="1934" | USCG 1925–31, scrapped 1934 | ||
| DD-30 | William Cramp & Sons, Philadelphia | 21 June 1909 | 18 June 1910 | 20 March 1911 | 31 January 1920 | data-sort-value="1935" | Scrapped 1935 | ||
| DD-31 | William Cramp & Sons | 22 April 1909 | 23 April 1910 | 12 July 1911 | 12 December 1919 | data-sort-value="1935" | Scrapped 1935 | ||
| DD-32 | Newport News Shipbuilding | 1 June 1910 | 18 February 1911 | 21 June 1911 | 4 November 1919 | data-sort-value="1934" | USCG 1924–31, scrapped 1934 | ||
| DD-33 | Bath Iron Works | 12 April 1910 | 20 December 1910 | 23 March 1911 | 6 November 1919 | data-sort-value="1934" | USCG 1924–31, scrapped 1934 | ||
| DD-34 | Fore River Ship and Engine | 5 March 1910 | 3 November 1910 | 22 July 1911 | 12 December 1919 | data-sort-value="1935" | Scrapped 1935 | ||
| DD-35 | New York Shipbuilding | 29 March 1910 | 20 September 1910 | 23 May 1911 | 11 December 1919 | data-sort-value="1934" | USCG 1924–31, scrapped 1934 | ||
| DD-36 | William Cramp & Sons | 29 March 1910 | 29 April 1911 | 11 October 1911 | 1 January 1919 | data-sort-value="1934" | USCG 1924–30, scrapped 1934 | ||
| DD-37 | Newport News Shipbuilding | 29 April 1911 | 11 January 1912 | 21 June 1912 | 24 November 1919 | data-sort-value="1934" | USCG 1924–30, scrapped 1934 | ||
| DD-38 | New York Shipbuilding | 1 July 1911 | 4 April 1912 | 22 October 1912 | 26 November 1919 | data-sort-value="1935" | Scrapped 1935 | ||
| DD-39 | Fore River Ship and Engine | 17 July 1911 | 3 April 1912 | 6 December 1912 | 12 December 1919 | data-sort-value="1934" | USCG 1924–31, scrapped 1934 | ||
| DD-40 | William Cramp & Sons | 8 May 1911 | 30 April 1912 | 30 August 1912 | 25 October 1919 | data-sort-value="1934" | USCG 1924–30, scrapped 1934 | ||
| DD-41 | Bath Iron Works | 7 March 1911 | 15 April 1912 | 24 May 1912 | 24 November 1919 | data-sort-value="1935" | USCG 1924–31, scrapped 1935 | ||
| DD-42 | Bath Iron Works | 24 March 1911 | 29 April 1912 | 15 June 1912 | 31 October 1919 | data-sort-value="1935" | Scrapped 1935 |