The Bainbridge-class destroyers were a class of United States Navy Torpedo Boat Destroyers (TBDs) built between 1899 and 1903. The first class so designated, they comprised the first 13 of 16 TBDs authorized by Congress in 1898 following the SpanishâÂÂAmerican War (the remaining three authorised comprised the Truxtun-class destroyers). One ship of the class was lost at sea during service in World War I: , which collided with the British merchant ship SS Rose in 1917. The balance were decommissioned in 1919 and sold postwar in 1920, eleven to Joseph G. Hitner of Philadelphia, and the to the Denton Shore Lumber Company in Tampa, Florida.
Some sources subdivide the Bainbridge class into subsidiary classes based on their builders' differing designs.
Some references, including contemporary ones, describe four ocean-going torpedo boats launched in 1898âÂÂ1899 as the first US destroyers based on their tonnage, which ranged from . These were , , , and . Stringham, the largest of these, was larger than some contemporary British destroyers. However, at the Bainbridges were considerably larger and had a significantly greater gun armament than the four 6-pounders of the torpedo boats.
The Bainbridge class were produced on the recommendation of an 1898 war plans board formed to prosecute the SpanishâÂÂAmerican War and chaired by Assistant Secretary of the Navy Theodore Roosevelt. The poor sea-keeping qualities of existing torpedo boats (such as the ) and the existence of Spanish torpedo boat destroyers (such as the ) were cited as reasons for the US to build its own destroyers. The 13 Bainbridges were officially designated as the Navy's first TBDs when authorized by an Act of Congress on 4 May 1898 under the fiscal year 1899 program (with the remaining three being ).
Due to construction difficulties the Bainbridges were completed 1901âÂÂ02, thus too late for the SpanishâÂÂAmerican War. However, the destroyer type was thereby instituted in the US Navy, as it had been in the Royal Navy around 1893 with the "26-knotter" torpedo-boat destroyers and the follow-on "27-knotters", of which the survivors of the later group in 1913 were redesignated as the "A" class destroyers. No further torpedo boats were constructed for the US Navy until the outbreak of World War II in Europe, and by then they had no design relationship to destroyers (see PT boats). The Imperial German Navy of 1898âÂÂ1918 used the term "torpedo boat" for anything up to a large destroyer in size.
At 420 long tons normal displacement, the Bainbridges were twice as big as most previous torpedo boats. The extra displacement was used for a greatly increased gun armament and a sufficient engineering plant to rival the torpedo boats in speed ( vs. ). The torpedo armament remained at two torpedo tubes; although the torpedo boat's mission was being transferred to the destroyer, apparently increased gun armament was more important to the designers than increased torpedo armament.
The gun armament of two /50 caliber guns and five 6-pounder () guns was a great increase over the four 6-pounder guns of the torpedo boat Farragut. It reflected a desire to quickly disable torpedo boats before they could get within range of friendly battleships. Future destroyer classes included progressive increases in armament.
The class was equipped with one or two depth charge racks during World War I for their anti-submarine warfare (ASW) mission.
The best available technologies of coal-fired boilers and triple-expansion engines were used for propulsion, although steam turbines would be adopted in the next generation of US destroyers, beginning with the launched in 1908. The need for faster destroyers was to be a significant driver of naval propulsion technology throughout the type's future development.
Bainbridge had four Thornycroft boilers supplying steam to two triple-expansion engines totaling (design). She made on trials at . Normal coal capacity was .
Hopkins also had four Thornycroft boilers supplying steam to two triple-expansion engines totaling 7,000 ihp (design). She made on trials at . Normal coal capacity was lower though, at .
Lawrence had four Normand boilers supplying steam to two triple-expansion engines totaling (design). She made on trials 8,400 ihp. Normal coal capacity was even lower, at only .
An interesting note on destroyers is that they have continuously increased in size since their inception. The Bainbridges were under full load; some s in service in 2013 displace full load, more than the standard displacement limit on 1920s "Treaty cruisers".
A few Bainbridges were deployed to the Philippines 1904âÂÂ1917. During the US participation in World War I, these were redeployed to the Mediterranean as convoy escorts. Others of the class served in the Atlantic, on the US East Coast, or guarded the Panama Canal. Chauncey collided with the British merchant ship SS Rose in 1917 and was lost. Following the Armistice, the remainder were sold for scrapping or merchant conversion in 1920.
The ships were given the prefix "DD-" before their official numbers, on 17 July 1920, after they had all been decommissioned.