USS Fletcher (DD-445) was an American destroyer of World War II and the post-war period. The keel for this unit was laid down in 1941, and the launch took place in May 1942. The overall length of the ship at the time of launch was 114.73 meters and a beam of 12.09 meters. The displacement reached approximately 2,900 tons, and the maximum speed was approximately 36 knots. The armament at the time of launch consisted of five 127-mm guns, two 40-mm guns, six 20-mm anti-aircraft guns, and ten 533-mm torpedo tubes.
USS Fletcher was the first of 175 destroyers of the same name class. Units of this type were designed and built on a large scale to accelerate the process of decommissioning obsolete destroyers of the United States Navy during World War I. The Fletcher-class ships were originally designed to deal with large ships of the US Navy, and also had powerful anti-aircraft weapons. They were also characterized by the so-called smooth hull without a step on the midshipmen. USS Fletcher, shortly after launching and commissioning, was sent to the South Pacific and took part in operations in the Guadalcanal area. In early 1943, she actively participated in combat operations in the area of the island, including the sinking of the Japanese I-18. However, in late 1943, she supported the landing of American troops in the Gilbert Islands area. In late 1944, USS Fletcher (DD-445) operated in the Philippines. In 1947, the destroyer was placed in reserve, but shortly before the start of the Korean War (1950-1953), it returned to active military service and participated in this armed conflict, in particular, supporting the landing of US Marines near Inchon in September 1950. In 1969, the destroyer USS Fletcher was again placed in reserve, and in 1972 it was sold for scrap.
