Fletcher-class Destroyers
Rigging & Antenna Arrangement
This builder’s drawing illustrates the rigging, lines and antennas of a typical Fletcher-class destroyer; some of the pencilwork is light and the lettering may be difficult to read. Zoom in completely to read the captions.
The rotation of moving equipment — such as guns — is shown, because nothing could be allowed to tangle the lines and rigging. Also, the ship’s steering light, which was mounted on a pole at the bow, was carefully measured so that a line of sight running from the helmsman through the steering light would hit the water 800 yards (.4 nautical miles or 732 meters) ahead of the ship; this is how the helmsman could accurately gauge short distances in harbors and anchorages.
We have a more complete set of general plans, and we are also assembling a complete set of blueprints for the Fletcher-class destroyers that were built in series with Abbot at Bath Iron Works in Maine. We also have a drawing of the post-war modifications.
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See the Fletcher Class page for more details about blueprints that are available on this site.