 = O 'Brien @-@ class destroyer = 
 
 The O 'Brien class of destroyers was a class of six ships designed by and built for the United States Navy shortly before the United States entered World War I. The O 'Brien class was the third of five classes of destroyers that were known as the " thousand tonners " , because they were the first U.S. destroyers over 1 @,@ 000 long tons ( 1 @,@ 016 t ) displacement . 
 The design of what became the O 'Brien class was the result of discussions between the General Board of the United States Navy and the U.S. Navy 's Bureau of Ordnance . What resulted was a design that was an incremental development of the Aylwin class , which itself was similar to the first of the thousand tonners , the Cassin class ( which displaced about a third more than the preceding Paulding class ) . The key difference in the O 'Brien class was the increase in torpedo size , going up to 21 inches ( 533 mm ) from the preceding classes ' 18 @-@ inch ( 457 mm ) torpedoes . 
 The ships had a median displacement of 1 @,@ 050 long tons ( 1 @,@ 070 t ) , were just over 305 feet ( 93 m ) in length , and had a beam of about 31 feet ( 9 @.@ 4 m ) . All of the ships had two direct @-@ drive steam turbines and a combination of other engines for cruising at speeds less than 15 knots ( 28 km / h ) . All of the ships were designed for a maximum speed of 29 knots ( 54 km / h ) . As built , they were armed with four 4 @-@ inch ( 102 mm ) guns and had four twin 21 @-@ inch torpedo tubes with a load of eight torpedoes , but all were later equipped with depth charges . The ships were built by four private American shipyards — Bath Iron Works , Fore River Shipbuilding Company , New York Shipbuilding Corporation , and William Cramp and Sons — and were laid down between September and November 1913 ; launched between April 1914 and February 1915 ; and commissioned into the U.S. Navy between June 1914 and August 1915 . 
 All six ships operated in the Atlantic or Caribbean until the U.S. entrance into World War I in April 1917 , when all six were sent overseas to Queenstown , Ireland , for convoy escort duties . Several of the ships rescued passengers and crew from ships sunk by U @-@ boats , and several had encounters with U @-@ boats themselves ; Nicholson helped sink U @-@ 58 in November 1917 , the first U @-@ boat sunk by the U.S. Navy . All six members of the class had returned to the United States in January 1919 and were decommissioned by June 1922 . In 1924 , two of the six — Ericsson and McDougal — were commissioned into the United States Coast Guard to help enforce Prohibition as a part of the " Rum Patrol " . They were returned to U.S. Navy custody in 1932 and 1933 , respectively . All six ships had been sold for scrapping by June 1936 . 
 
 = = Background = = 
 
 For the 1913 fiscal year , the General Board of the United States Navy determined that six destroyers would be authorized . The design for Destroyers No. 51 through No. 56 — what became the O 'Brien class , was to closely follow the design of the Cassin and Aylwin classes from fiscal year 1912 . The chief of the U.S. Navy 's Bureau of Ordnance ( BuOrd ) suggested that the new destroyers be equipped with ten torpedo tubes and urged that the new 21 @-@ inch ( 533 mm ) torpedo be adopted . The General Board agreed in principle , adopting the 21 @-@ inch torpedo tubes , but eliminated BuOrd 's proposed centerline torpedo tubes and keeping the number of tubes at eight , the same as the Cassin and Aylwin classes . The additional weight of the larger torpedoes , 5 long tons ( 5 @.@ 1 t ) of top weight , was offset by reducing the planned two aft @-@ facing guns to a single one . This gave the class four 4 @-@ inch ( 102 mm ) guns , which , again , matched the battery of the Cassin and Aylwin classes . The design for the O 'Brien class was approved on 20 August 1912 , and authorized by Congress on 4 March 1913 . 
 
 = = Design = = 
 
 As built , the O 'Brien @-@ class ships were 305 feet 5 inches ( 93 @.@ 09 m ) in length ( overall ) , were 31 feet 2 inches ( 9 @.@ 50 m ) abeam , and had a standard draft of 9 feet 6 inches ( 2 @.@ 90 m ) . The hull shape featured the distinctive high forecastle typical of U.S. destroyer classes since the 1908 – 09 Smith class , the first destroyers designed to be truly ocean @-@ going vessels . The ships displaced between 1 @,@ 020 and 1 @,@ 090 long tons ( 1 @,@ 040 and 1 @,@ 110 t ) with a median of 1 @,@ 050 long tons ( 1 @,@ 070 t ) . 
 The ships were equipped with two propeller shafts and two direct @-@ drive , Zoelly steam turbines fed by four White @-@ Forster boilers . The power plant of the ships generated 17 @,@ 000 shaft horsepower ( 13 @,@ 000 kW ) which drive the ships to the design speed of 29 knots ( 54 km / h ) . Because of inherent inefficiency of turbines at low speeds , all of the ships were equipped with supplemental cruising engines for travel at speeds under 15 knots ( 28 km / h ) . All except Cushing were equipped with supplemental triple @-@ expansion reciprocating engines : O 'Brien , Nicholson , and Winslow each had a pair of reciprocating engines for cruising ; McDougal and Ericsson were outfitted with only one . Instead of reciprocating engines , Cushing was equipped with a pair of geared steam turbines for cruising . 
 The main battery of the O 'Brien class consisted of four 4 @-@ inch ( 100 mm ) / 50 Mark 9 guns , with each gun weighing in excess of 6 @,@ 100 pounds ( 2 @,@ 800 kg ) . The guns fired 33 @-@ pound ( 15 kg ) armor @-@ piercing projectiles at 2 @,@ 900 feet per second ( 880 m / s ) . At an elevation of 20 ° , the guns had a range of 15 @,@ 920 yards ( 14 @,@ 560 m ) . 
 The O 'Brien ships were also equipped with four twin 21 @-@ inch ( 533 mm ) torpedo tubes , for a total load of eight Mark 8 torpedoes . Although the General Board had called for two anti @-@ aircraft guns for the O 'Brien class , they were not originally outfitted with the weapons ; the later Sampson class was the first American destroyer class so armed . Likewise , there is no record of any of the O 'Brien ships being outfitted with mine @-@ laying apparatus . During World War I , most American destroyers were used in anti @-@ submarine warfare roles , and were equipped with depth charges and delivery systems , such as Y @-@ guns and depth charge racks . O 'Brien @-@ class ships were equipped with depth charges during the war , but no specific mentions of the types of depth charges used or delivery system are recorded in secondary sources . 
 
 = = = Comparisons with other " thousand tonners " = = = 
 
 The " thousand tonners " were the 26 United States Navy destroyers of five classes — Cassin , Aylwin , O 'Brien , Tucker , and Sampson — so named because they were the first U.S. Navy destroyers to have displacements greater than 1 @,@ 000 long tons . The Cassin class , the first of the thousand tonners , displaced about a third more than the preceding Paulding class . The introduction of the thousand tonners led to the Pauldings and other older , smaller displacement destroyers of previous classes to be dismissively called " flivvers " , a nickname also commonly applied to the Ford Model T. 
 The O 'Brien class was the third of the five classes of " thousand tonners " . The earlier Cassin- ( DD @-@ 43 to DD @-@ 46 ) and Aylwin @-@ class ( DD @-@ 47 to DD @-@ 50 ) ships were about the same length as the O 'Brien ships and all had median displacements in the range of 1 @,@ 020 – 1 @,@ 050 long tons ( 1 @,@ 040 – 1 @,@ 070 t ) ; the later Tucker- ( DD @-@ 57 to DD @-@ 62 ) and Sampson @-@ class ( DD @-@ 63 to DD @-@ 68 ) ships were about 10 feet ( 3 @.@ 0 m ) longer and had median displacements of 1 @,@ 090 – 1 @,@ 100 long tons ( 1 @,@ 110 – 1 @,@ 120 t ) . All five classes were armed with four 4 @-@ inch ( 102 mm ) guns , but the torpedo size and complement varied . All were equipped with four twin torpedo tubes loaded with eight torpedoes except for the Sampsons ( which had four triple tubes carrying twelve torpedoes ) , but the Cassin and Aylwin classes were armed with 18 @-@ inch ( 457 mm ) torpedoes . The O 'Brien ships were the first armed with the new21 @-@ inch ( 533 mm ) Mark 8 torpedoes ; the Tucker and Sampson ships also used the 21 @-@ inch torpedoes . The Sampsons were the only group originally equipped with anti @-@ aircraft guns , a pair of 1 @-@ pounder ( 0 @.@ 45 kg ) guns with a caliber of 37 mm ( 1 @.@ 46 in ) . 
 
 = = Construction = = 
 
 The construction of the six O 'Brien @-@ class ships was allocated to four U.S. shipbuilders . William Cramp constructed a trio of O 'Brien destroyers , while the Fore River Shipbuilding Company , Bath Iron Works , and New York Shipbuilding Corporation built one ship each . The keels for all six ships were laid down between July and November 1913 , with McDougal being the first and Ericsson the last . All were launched between April 1915 and January 1915 , with McDougal again being the first and Winslow being the last . McDougal was commissioned in June 1914 , two months after her launch ; the rest were commissioned between April and August 1915 , with Cushing the final ship to enter service . The cost of each ship for hull and machinery was $ 790 @,@ 000 . 
 
 = = Ships in class = = 
 
 All six members of the class served in the Atlantic or Caribbean throughout their U.S. Navy careers . In October 1916 , with the United States still neutral in World War I , five of the six class members ( all except Nicholson ) were among the U.S. destroyers sent out to rescue survivors from five ships torpedoed by German submarine U @-@ 53 off the Lightship Nantucket . 
 After the United States entered the war in April 1917 , all six class members were sent overseas to Queenstown , Ireland , for convoy escort and anti @-@ submarine duties . McDougal was in the first group of six American destroyers that arrived at Queenstown on 4 May ; Ericsson and Winslow followed in the second group , which arrived thirteen days later , and Cushing , Nicholson , and O 'Brien in the third group , a week after that . Several of the ships had encounters with U @-@ boats during the war : Nicholson , working with Fanning in November 1917 , helped to sink U @-@ 58 , which was the first U @-@ boat sunk by the U.S. Navy ; earlier , in June , O 'Brien had depth @-@ charged U @-@ 16 and was thought by the British Admiralty to have seriously damaged the U @-@ boat , but post @-@ war analysis of records showed that U @-@ 16 survived the attack and returned safely to port . 
 All six ships returned to the United States in January 1919 and served in various roles over the next two years . Cushing was decommissioned in August 1920 , followed by Nicholson and McDougal in May 1922 , and the remaining three in the following month . In June 1924 , two of the six ships — Ericsson and McDougal — were reactivated for service with the United States Coast Guard 's " Rum Patrol " . Ericsson was returned to the U.S. Navy in May 1932 , and McDougal in June 1933 ; both were sold for scrapping in 1934 . O 'Brien was sold for scrapping in 1935 , and the remaining three in June 1936 . 
 
 = = = USS O 'Brien ( DD @-@ 51 ) = = = 
 
 USS O 'Brien ( Destroyer No. 51 / DD @-@ 51 ) was laid down by William Cramp and Sons of Philadelphia in September 1913 and launched in July 1914 . The ship was the second U.S. Navy vessel named in honor of Jeremiah O 'Brien and his five brothers , Gideon , John , William , Dennis , and Joseph who , together on the sloop Unity , captured a British warship during the American Revolutionary War . 
 After O 'Brien 's May 1915 commissioning , she sailed off the east coast and in the Caribbean . She was one of the U.S. destroyers sent out to rescue survivors from five victims of German submarine U @-@ 53 off the Lightship Nantucket in October 1916 . After the United States entered World War I in April 1917 , O 'Brien was sent overseas to patrol the Irish Sea out of Queenstown , Ireland . 
 After returning to the United States in January 1919 , O 'Brien returned to European waters in May to serve as one of the picket ships for the NC @-@ type seaplanes in the first aerial crossing of the Atlantic . O 'Brien was decommissioned at Philadelphia in June 1922 . She was struck from the Naval Vessel Register in March 1935 sold for scrapping in April . 
 
 = = = USS Nicholson ( DD @-@ 52 ) = = = 
 
 USS Nicholson ( Destroyer No. 52 / DD @-@ 52 ) was laid down by William Cramp and Sons of Philadelphia in September 1913 and launched in August 1914 . The ship was the second U.S. Navy vessel named in honor of five members of the Nicholson family who gave distinguished service in the American Revolutionary War , the War of 1812 , and the American Civil War : brothers James , Samuel , and John Nicholson ; William Nicholson , son of John ; and James W. Nicholson , grandson of Samuel . 
 After Nicholson 's April 1915 commissioning , she sailed off the east coast and in the Caribbean . After the United States entered World War I in April 1917 , Nicholson was sent overseas to patrol the Irish Sea out of Queenstown , Ireland . In October 1917 , Nicholson steamed to the rescue of SS J. L. Luckenbach , driving off German submarine U @-@ 62 , which had shelled the American cargo ship for over three hours . In November , Nicholson and another U.S. destroyer , Fanning , were responsible for sinking German submarine U @-@ 58 , the first submarine taken by U.S. forces during the war . In September 1918 , Nicholson helped drive off U @-@ 82 after that U @-@ boat had torpedoed the American troopship Mount Vernon off the coast of France . 
 Upon returning to the United States after the war , Nicholson was placed in reduced commission in November 1919 . She was decommissioned at Philadelphia in May 1922 . She was struck from the Naval Vessel Register in January 1936 sold for scrapping in June . 
 
 = = = USS Winslow ( DD @-@ 53 ) = = = 
 
 USS Winslow ( Destroyer No. 53 / DD @-@ 53 ) was laid down by William Cramp and Sons of Philadelphia in October 1913 and launched in February 1915 . The ship was the second U.S. Navy vessel named in honor of John Ancrum Winslow , a U.S. Navy officer notable for sinking the Confederate commerce raider CSS Alabama during the American Civil War . 
 After Winslow 's August 1915 commissioning , she sailed off the east coast and in the Caribbean . She was one of the U.S. destroyers sent out to rescue survivors from five victims of German submarine U @-@ 53 off the Lightship Nantucket in October 1916 . After the United States entered World War I in April 1917 , Winslow was sent overseas to patrol the Irish Sea out of Queenstown , Ireland . Winslow made several unsuccessful attacks on U @-@ boats , and rescued survivors of several ships sunk by the German craft . 
 Upon returning to the United States after the war , Winslow was placed in reduced commission in December 1919 . She was decommissioned at Philadelphia in June 1922 . In November she dropped her name to free it for a new destroyer of the same name , becoming known only as DD @-@ 53 . She was struck from the Naval Vessel Register in January 1936 sold for scrapping in June . 
 
 = = = USS McDougal ( DD @-@ 54 ) = = = 
 
 USS McDougal ( Destroyer No. 54 / DD @-@ 54 ) was laid down by Bath Iron Works of Bath , Maine , in July 1913 and launched in April 1914 . The ship was the second U.S. Navy vessel named in honor of David Stockton McDougal , a U.S. Navy officer notable for his leadership during an 1863 battle off Japan while in command of Wyoming . 
 After McDougal 's June 1914 commissioning , she sailed off the east coast and in the Caribbean . She was one of the U.S. destroyers sent out to rescue survivors from five victims of German submarine U @-@ 53 off the Lightship Nantucket in October 1916 , and carried 6 crewmen from a sunken Dutch cargo ship to Newport , Rhode Island . After the United States entered World War I in April 1917 , McDougal was part of the first U.S. destroyer squadron sent overseas . Patrolling the Irish Sea out of Queenstown , Ireland , McDougal made several unsuccessful attacks on U @-@ boats , and rescued survivors of ships sunk by the German craft . After a collision with a British cargo ship in February 1918 , McDougal was under repair until mid @-@ July , and afterwards , operated out of Brest , France . 
 Upon returning to the United States after the war , McDougal conducted operations with the destroyers of the Atlantic Fleet until August 1919 , when she was placed in reserve , still in commission . After a brief stint of operations in mid 1921 , she was placed in reserve until she was decommissioned at Philadelphia in May 1922 . In June 1924 , Ericsson was transferred to the United States Coast Guard to help enforce Prohibition as a part of the " Rum Patrol " . She operated under the name USCGC McDougal ( CG @-@ 6 ) until May 1933 , when she was returned to the Navy . In November she dropped her name to free it for a new destroyer of the same name , becoming known only as DD @-@ 54 . She was struck for the Naval Vessel Register in July 1934 sold for scrapping in August . 
 
 = = = USS Cushing ( DD @-@ 55 ) = = = 
 
 USS Cushing ( Destroyer No. 55 / DD @-@ 55 ) was laid down by the Fore River Shipbuilding Company of Quincy , Massachusetts , in September 1913 and launched in January 1915 . The ship was the second U.S. Navy vessel named in honor of William B. Cushing , a U.S. Navy officer best known for sinking the Confederate ironclad warship CSS Albemarle during the American Civil War . 
 After Cushing 's August 1915 commissioning , she sailed off the east coast and in the Caribbean . She was one of the U.S. destroyers sent out to rescue survivors from five victims of German submarine U @-@ 53 off the Lightship Nantucket in October 1916 . After the United States entered World War I in April 1917 , Cushing was sent overseas to patrol the Irish Sea out of Queenstown , Ireland . Cushing made several unsuccessful attacks on U @-@ boats , and rescued survivors of several ships sunk by the German craft . 
 Upon returning to the United States after the war , Cushing was placed in reserve in reduced commission . She was decommissioned at Philadelphia in August 1920 . She was struck for the Naval Vessel Register in January 1936 and was sold for scrapping in June . 
 
 = = = USS Ericsson ( DD @-@ 56 ) = = = 
 
 USS Ericsson ( Destroyer No. 56 / DD @-@ 56 ) was laid down by the New York Shipbuilding of Camden , New Jersey , in November 1913 and launched in August of the following year . The ship was the second U.S. Navy vessel named in honor of John Ericsson , the Swedish @-@ born builder of the ironclad warship USS Monitor during the American Civil War . 
 After Ericsson 's May 1916 commissioning , she sailed off the east coast and in the Caribbean . She was one of the U.S. destroyers sent out to rescue survivors from five victims of German submarine U @-@ 53 off the Lightship Nantucket in October 1916 , and carried 81 passengers from a sunken British ocean liner to Newport , Rhode Island . After the United States entered World War I in April 1917 , Ericsson was part of the first U.S. destroyer squadron sent overseas . Patrolling the Irish Sea out of Queenstown , Ireland , Ericsson made several unsuccessful attacks on U @-@ boats , and rescued survivors of several ships sunk by the German craft . 
 Upon returning to the United State after the war , Ericsson conducted operations with the destroyers of the Atlantic Fleet until August 1919 , when she was placed in reserve , still in commission . After a brief stint of operations in mid 1921 , she was placed in reserve until she was decommissioned at Philadelphia in June 1922 . In June 1924 , Ericsson was transferred to the United States Coast Guard to help enforce Prohibition as a part of the " Rum Patrol " . She operated under the name USCGC Ericsson ( CG @-@ 5 ) until May 1932 , when she was returned to the Navy . She was sold for scrap in August 1934 . 
 
 