In the late 19th century, a new threat emerged to navies worldwide. The invention of the torpedo and the torpedo boat was bad news for admirals that had invested heavily in battleships and cruisers. Small, fast, and capable of crippling the largest of ships, torpedo boats threatened to disrupt the naval balance of power.
The solution was the destroyer: A small warship with the speed and endurance to travel with the fleet and fend off torpedo boats, protecting the larger ships and allowing them to continue with their mission.
As a follow-up to their article on the evolution of the navy cruiser, the Naval History and Heritage Command has another article—and infographic—on the history of U.S. Navy destroyers. The story begins with the USS Bainbridge—the first destroyer commissioned in 1903—and continues on all the way to the Zumwalt-class destroyers currently under construction.
The chart ticks off every notable destroyer class from the last 110 years. The Fletcher class, for example, with their 25 anti-aircraft guns, marked the moment when the destroyer's mission changed from screening the fleet from torpedo boats to aircraft. The Charles F. Adam class established the anti-air guided missile as the primary armament of destroyers. The new Zumwalt-class destroyer, the largest destroyers ever built, mix stealth with firepower—and may eventually introduce lasers and railguns to the fleet.
Read the article—and get the infographic in a much bigger format—here.