![1/700 Tamiya USN DD445 Fletcher 31902 - MPM Hobbies](http://mpmhobbies.com/cdn/shop/files/1700-tamiya-usn-dd445-fletcher-31902-mpm-hobbies_436x436.jpg?v=1709986325)
One of the most famous and successful destroyer classes ever built was the U.S. Navy's Fletcher class that appeared during the World War period. A total of 175 sister ships proved to be the largest number for a destroyer class in the U.S. Navy inventory during the era. They were completed in two and a half years, showing a stunning example of wartime mass production. Development of the Fletcher class vessels began in mid-October 1939, when the U.S. The Navy General Board stated the initial characteristics and requirements for their new destroyers. The Navy needed a larger and more versatile multipurpose destroyer to replace the then-principal Benson/Livermore Tyoe ships, which were the final development of the pre-war destroyer design restricted by the London Treaty.