Class of Ships U.S. Navy WWII

Yikes!! You might want to google that one.

ps1scw wrote:

How many classes of ships were in use by the Navy during WWII?  What are the class names for Destroyers (I know there is a Fletcher Class) and Light & Heavy Cruisers

You really need to invest in a good reference book, such as Paul Silverstone's US Warships of World War II

For example you list only the Fletcher as THE destroyer class of WWII.   While it is true that the Fletcher was the most numerous class, destroyers from pre-WWI served along with 2 classes post-Fletcher.  

Included among the destroyers are: Allen,  Four-pipers (4 classes including Wickes, Clemson, etc.), Farragut, Porter, Mahan, Somers, Craven, Sims, Benson, Livermore, Fletcher, Allan M Sumner, Gearing.

There were 10 classes of battleships, one class of battlecruisers, 13 classes of carriers, 10 classes of cruisers (heavy & light), 6 classes of destroyer escorts, 16 classes of submarines,  plus a wide assortment of minecraft, tugs, attack transports, tankers, and amphibious craft

Ed is correct, the Silverstone book is an excellent source of WWII US Navy ship info. One thing Ed didn't mention is the US ARMY ships that were part of the Navy in WWII, operated by the USCG. And of course all US Coast Guard ship's and cutters were part of the Navy's fleet during the war. If I remember correctly, the Navy's Bluejacket manual always had a page of ship's silouettes that were used in the war. Also try a "Haze Gray and Underway" web site. Good Luck! 

ok ed this is a related question to further confuse the issue

what distinguises  a class of ship

for instance take 2 destroyer class, the guns are the same in size and qty the only real diff is a 15-20 ft increase in lenth

i think what i'm getting at is in a FEW cases there was so little diff as to not be a new class of ships just an up grade of the older class  aka refit

if i am asking this right  

Consider the Benson/Livermore classes.  It only matters if you are a lumper or a splitter. Bensons and Livermores are almost identical.   Similar hulls, similar superstructures, similar weapons.  Slight machinery differences.   The distinguishing characteristic between the classes is the funnels -- Bensons have flat sided funnels while Livermores have round funnels. 

Many of the differences between the 4-pipe classes were internal (i.e. machinery layouts). 

A class may be an evolutionary change.   Consider the 4-pipers of WWI with the Farraguts.  Major differences in appearance and weaponry.  

Sometimes the differnces are subtle, as between Fletchers and Sumners.  A Sumner is a Fletcher hull with 3 twin guns as opposed to 5 singles.  The desired goal was to not disrupt wartime production with the need to retool the assembly yards -- but to increase the firepower -- with one extra gun tube.  There is something like a 19 inch beam difference between the two classes.  

The Gearing not only added a 14 foot length extension to the Sumner,  but it also added capabilities (range, stability) that were important mission defining characteristics.

Whats the differnce between a Flight I Arleigh Burke and a Flight II version?  Its the internal electronics -- and very few of us model those differences.  (Flight IIa added the helicopter hangar facilities.)

Many times the differences between classes are as simple as the procurement contract.

See the IPMS-North Central Texas' award-winning group entry from the 2002 IPMS USA National Convention - 100 Years of US Navy Destroyers.  

http://smmlonline.com/members/shows/ipms_usa_nats2002/usnddcentury.html

We did 1:700 scale models of every US Navy destroyer since the first one in 1902.

 

Ok, get to work.........not that I have......here are a couple of links to a great web site for research.........

http://www.microworks.net/pacific/

http://www.microworks.net/pacific/ships/destroyers/

 

Just looked at that group build for the history of USN destroyers, Ed, and all I can say is, Wow.