Difference between revisions of "USS Aylwin"

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{{Specs-Card|code=us_destroyer_farragut_1942}}
 
{{Specs-Card|code=us_destroyer_farragut_1942}}
  
==Description==
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== Description ==
<!--''In the first part of the description, cover the history of the ship’s creation and military application. In the second part, tell the reader about using this ship in the game. Add a screenshot. If a beginner player has a hard time remembering vehicles by name, a picture will help them understand which ship is being discussed.''-->
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<!-- ''In the first part of the description, cover the history of the ship's creation and military application. In the second part, tell the reader about using this ship in the game. Add a screenshot: if a beginner player has a hard time remembering vehicles by name, a picture will help them identify the ship in question.'' -->
 
[[File:GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|420px|thumb|left]]
 
[[File:GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|420px|thumb|left]]
 
{{Break}}
 
{{Break}}
The '''{{specs|name}}''' is a rank {{specs|rank}} American destroyer {{Battle-rating}}. This destroyer was introduced in [[Update 1.79 "Project X"]] as part of the fleet closed beta test.
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The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} American destroyer {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.79 "Project X"]] as part of the fleet closed beta test.
  
==General info==
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== General info ==
===Survivability and armour===
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=== Survivability and armour ===
This vessel has no armour. That being said, it’s spread out crew can take a few hits from low caliber guns, but rounds above 130 millimeters will cause massive damage. Alywin also can have her ammunition destroyed very easily if a fire rages for too long, or her ammo is not wetted and ventilated  
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<!-- ''Talk about the vehicle's armour. Note the most well-defended and most vulnerable zones, e.g. the ammo magazine. Evaluate the composition of components and assemblies responsible for movement and manoeuvrability. Evaluate the survivability of the primary and secondary armaments separately. Don't forget to mention the size of the crew, which plays an important role in fleet mechanics. Save tips on preserving survivability for the "Usage in battles" section. If necessary, use a graphical template to show the most well-protected or most vulnerable points in the armour.'' -->
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This vessel has no armour. That being said, its spread out crew can take a few hits from low calibre guns, but rounds above 130 mm will cause massive damage. Aylwin also can have her ammunition destroyed very easily if a fire rages for too long, or her ammo is not wetted and ventilated.
  
===Mobility''.''===
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=== Mobility ===
Alywin has a decent top speed and can cruise to around 60 kph. It does have a very poor speed change time though, which is to be expected, but this is made for by its decent ability to dodge shells, when positioned correctly
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<!-- ''Write about the ship's mobility. Evaluate its power and manoeuvrability, rudder rerouting speed, stopping speed at full tilt, with its maximum forward and reverse speed.'' -->
  
==Armament==
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Aylwin has a decent top speed and can cruise to around 60 km/h. It does have a very poor speed change time though, which is to be expected, but this is made up for by its decent ability to dodge shells, when positioned correctly.
===Primary armament===
 
<!--Provide information about the characteristics of the primary armament. Evaluate their efficacy in battle based on their reload speed, ballistics and the capacity of their shells. Add a link to the main article about the weapon: <code><nowiki>{{main|Weapon name (calibre)}}</nowiki></code>. Broadly describe the ammunition available for the primary armament, and provide recommendations on how to use it and which ammunition to choose.-->
 
{{main|5/38 Mark 12 Dual Purpose (127 mm)}}
 
  
The Farragut has a total of 4 x single 5"/38 Mark 12 guns arranged in a balanced manner. These guns are rapid firing compared to earlier destroyers (13 rounds/minute) and have a very quick rate of traverse (25 degrees/second). However, due to low muzzle velocity, it can be difficult to aim at distant targets. Past around 7,000 meters the shells will take over 10 seconds to land and tracking shell splashes will be challenging.
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== Armament ==
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=== Primary armament ===
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<!-- ''Provide information about the characteristics of the primary armament. Evaluate their efficacy in battle based on their reload speed, ballistics and the capacity of their shells. Add a link to the main article about the weapon: <code><nowiki>{{main|Weapon name (calibre)}}</nowiki></code>. Broadly describe the ammunition available for the primary armament, and provide recommendations on how to use it and which ammunition to choose.'' -->
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{{main|5 inch/38 Mk.12 (127 mm)}}
  
Like the other American 5"/38 Mark 12 guns, Farragut has the AAC Mark 34 HE shell as stock. The Common Mark 32 SAP and the AAVT Mark 31 HE-VT shells are available as upgrades. Making good use of the VT shell will mean that hostile aircraft stand little chance against you. HE shells will make quick work of light craft such as torpedo boats and sub chasers. HE can also be used against destroyers as they lack armour, while SAP can be used against cruisers with armour protection. Just be aware that at longer ranges and at significant angles the SAP will be ineffective against armour plating.
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Aylwin has a total of 4 x single 5"/38 Mark 12 guns arranged in a balanced manner. These guns are rapid firing compared to earlier destroyers (13 rounds/minute) and have a very quick rate of traverse (25 degrees/second). However, due to low muzzle velocity, it can be difficult to aim at distant targets. Past around 7,000 meters the shells will take over 10 seconds to land and tracking shell splashes will be challenging.
  
===Anti-aircraft armament===
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Like the other American 5"/38 Mark 12 guns, Aylwin has the AAC Mark 34 HE shell as stock. The Common Mark 32 SAP and the AAVT Mark 31 HE-VT shells are available as upgrades. Making good use of the VT shell will mean that hostile aircraft stand little chance against you. HE shells will make quick work of light craft such as torpedo boats and sub chasers. HE can also be used against destroyers as they lack armour, while SAP can be used against cruisers with armour protection. Just be aware that at longer ranges and at significant angles the SAP will be ineffective against armour plating.
<!--An important part of the ship's armament responsible for air defence. Anti-aircraft armament is defined by the weapon chosen with the control <code>Select anti-aircraft weapons</code>. Talk about the ship's anti-air cannons and machine guns, the number of guns and their positions, their effective range, and about their overall effectiveness – including against surface targets. If there are no anti-aircraft armaments, remove this section.-->
 
{{main|Oerlikon Mk.II (20 mm)}}
 
  
Farragut has access to 8 x 20 mm Oerlikon cannons for her anti-aircraft defences. 2 of them are just forward of the bridge, four of them are just behind the smoke funnels, and the last 2 are just in front of the after main battery mounts. These provide a wide range of fire and can make short work of aircraft that stray too close. They can be effective against hostile torpedo boats, but if these are firing at surface targets it is highly likely that you will have torpedoes headed your way.
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=== Secondary armament ===
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<!-- ''Some ships are fitted with weapons of various calibres. Secondary armaments are defined as weapons chosen with the control <code>Select secondary weapon</code>. Evaluate the secondary armaments and give advice on how to use them. Describe the ammunition available for the secondary armament. Provide recommendations on how to use them and which ammunition to choose. Remember that any anti-air armament, even heavy calibre weapons, belong in the next section. If there is no secondary armament, remove this section.'' -->
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{{main|20 mm/70 Oerlikon Mk.II (20 mm)}}
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Aylwin has access to 8 x 20 mm Oerlikon cannons for her anti-aircraft defences. 2 of them are just forward of the bridge, four of them are just behind the smoke funnels, and the last 2 are just in front of the after main battery mounts. These provide a wide range of fire and can make short work of aircraft that stray too close. They can be effective against hostile torpedo boats, but if these are firing at surface targets it is highly likely that you will have torpedoes headed your way.
  
 
The 20 mm Oerlikon cannon has access to 3 different ammunition belts: Universal, HE, and AP.
 
The 20 mm Oerlikon cannon has access to 3 different ammunition belts: Universal, HE, and AP.
  
* Universal: HEF-T / HEF-I / AP-T
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* Universal: HEF-T{{-}}HEF-I{{-}}AP-T
* HE: HEF-T / HEF-I / AP-T / HEF-I
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* HE: HEF-T{{-}}HEF-I{{-}}AP-T{{-}}HEF-I
* AP: AP-T / AP-T / AP-T / HEF-I
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* AP: AP-T{{-}}AP-T{{-}}AP-T{{-}}HEF-I
  
===Torpedo armament===
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=== Torpedo armament ===
<!-- Many ships are armed with torpedo launchers, and for some vessels such as boats, torpedoes are an extremely important means of defeating an opponent. Evaluate the position of the torpedo launchers, discuss the ammunition available, firing specifics such as dead zones, features of the torpedoes themselves, etc. If there is no torpedo armament, remove this section. -->
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<!-- ''Torpedo launchers are standard equipment on many ships and boats. Torpedoes are a significant means of defeating an opponent. Evaluate the position of the torpedo launchers, discuss the ammunition available, firing specifics such as dead zones, features of the torpedoes themselves, etc. If there is no torpedo armament, remove this section.'' -->
{{main|Mk.15}}
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{{main|Mk.15 (533 mm)}}
  
The torpedo armament on Farragut is less than the preceding '''''[[Clemson (DD-213)]]''''' but it is more versatile as both of the quadruple 21" (533 mm) launchers are mounted on the centerline amidships. Due to the tight spaces onboard the ship, you do have to give significant broadside to fire the torpedoes so be aware of your surroundings.
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The torpedo armament on Aylwin is less than the preceding [[Clemson (DD-213)]] but it is more versatile as both of the quadruple 21" (533 mm) launchers are mounted on the centreline amidships. Due to the tight spaces on-board the ship, you do have to give significant broadside to fire the torpedoes so be aware of your surroundings.
  
The Farragut uses the Mk.15 steam turbine torpedo with a default setting of 5,500 meters at 45 knots. This can be modified to an extended range of 9,150 meters at a reduced speed of 33.5 knots. Each torpedo has a warhead of 224 kg TNT which can make short work of an enemy destroyer providing the hit is not on an extremity. Cruisers may take more than one, but even a single torpedo can be devastating to a larger ship.
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The Aylwin uses the Mk.15 steam turbine torpedo with a default setting of 5,500 meters at 45 knots. This can be modified to an extended range of 9,150 meters at a reduced speed of 33.5 knots. Each torpedo has a warhead of 224 kg TNT which can make short work of an enemy destroyer providing the hit is not on an extremity. Cruisers may take more than one, but even a single torpedo can be devastating to a larger ship.
  
===Special armament===
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=== Special armament ===
<!-- Depth charges, mines, rocket launchers and missiles are also effective in skilled hands and can be an unexpected surprise for an opponent. Evaluate the ammunition of this type of armament and rate its performance in combat. -->
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<!-- ''Depth charges, mines, rocket launchers and missiles are also effective in skilled hands and can take an off-guard opponent by surprise. Evaluate the ammunition of this type of armament and rate its performance in combat. If there are no special armaments, remove this section.'' -->
{{main|Mk.6 depth charge}}
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{{main|Mk.6 mortar depth charge}}
  
Upon unlocking the "Bomb mortar" upgrade you can equip 4 x Mk. 6 depth charges which are projected from mortars. These are positioned near the aft end of the ship, right in line with the No.3 turret. These weapons have an ''extremely'' limited range (only a few hundred meters off each side of the ship) and would only be used during a close-in brawl. Keep in mind that the depth charges do take a few seconds to fly through the air and sink before they detonate, so be aware of timing their firing.
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Upon unlocking the "Bomb mortar" upgrade you can equip 4 x Mk.6 depth charges which are projected from mortars. These are positioned near the aft end of the ship, right in line with the No.3 turret. These weapons have an ''extremely'' limited range (only a few hundred meters off each side of the ship) and would only be used during a close-in brawl. Keep in mind that the depth charges do take a few seconds to fly through the air and sink before they detonate, so be aware of timing their firing.
  
Each Mk. 6 depth charge has an explosive charge of 136 kg TNT which will obliterate any small craft and deal significant damage to a larger ship.
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Each Mk.6 depth charge has an explosive charge of 136 kg TNT which will obliterate any small craft and deal significant damage to a larger ship.
  
==Usage in battles==
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== Usage in battles ==
The first US destroyer with five inch guns, Alywin is a major upgrade from the Clemsons, boasting a one fo the best DPMs at her tier. Unfortunately this comes at the price of a small broadside and a non existent armor profile. Thus Alywin has two roles depending on game time and preference
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<!-- ''Describe the technique of using this ship, the characteristics of her use in a team and tips on strategy. Abstain from writing an entire guide – don't try to provide a single point of view, but give the reader food for thought. Talk about the most dangerous opponents for this vehicle and provide recommendations on fighting them. If necessary, note the specifics of playing with this vehicle in various modes (AB, RB, SB).'' -->
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The first US destroyer with five inch guns, Aylwin is a major upgrade from the [[Clemson (Family)|Clemsons]], boasting one of the best DPMs at her tier. Unfortunately this comes at the price of a small broadside and a non-existent armour profile. Thus Aylwin has two roles depending on game time and preference:
  
'''<big>Mid Range Sniping</big>'''
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'''Mid Range Sniping'''
  
Due to her powerful cannons Alywin can decimate ships at medium to close range. Unfortunately, due to her guns having somewhat poor velocity, at ranges exceeding 6000 km, Alywin’s guns become harder to land shots with. At shorter ranges, her lack of anti-fragmentation armour punishes you for getting caught in enemy cross fire, as retreating can take some time. Hence at a medium ranges, Alyson should use her high rate of fire, and powerful guns to lock down cap zones, and support more protected destroyers such as Fletchers, as they push up. This does not mean that Alywin cannot cap, but does mean that one must be very mindful of enemy destroyers when using Alywin, as not getting hit is a vital for this vessel
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Due to her powerful cannons, Aylwin can decimate ships at medium to close range. Unfortunately, due to her guns having somewhat poor velocity, at ranges exceeding 6,000 km, Aylwin's guns become harder to land shots with. At shorter ranges, her lack of anti-fragmentation armour punishes you for getting caught in enemy cross fire, as retreating can take some time. Hence at a medium ranges, Aylwin should use her high rate of fire, and powerful guns to lock down cap zones, and support more protected destroyers such as [[Fletcher (Family)|Fletchers]] as they push up. This does not mean that Aylwin cannot cap, but does mean that one must be very mindful of enemy destroyers when using Aylwin, as not getting hit is a vital for this vessel.
  
'''<big>Support Vessel</big>'''
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'''Support Vessel'''
  
Especially good when up-tiered or when being used as a second or third spawn, Alywin’s decent(ish) anti-air defense of eight twenty-millimeter cannons is actual quite potent. Though low caliber, their ability to fire almost for eternity as well their decent placement, makes fighting Alywin in an aircraft very risky. Naturally this AA is only good at short range, so one must always lookout for air dropped torpedoes and low flying bombers, but it still can deter and often destroy even the most potent of attackers. In addition Alywin’s main battery has an air burst shell that can be researched. As it is radio controlled it will always burst very near to where your gun distance is set, allowing to use your high fire rate to tear down aircraft at longer ranges. This firepower also can help deal with short range gun and torpedo boats. As many players tend to bring these light craft in around the end game, when capping gets more fierce and most first spawns are destroyed, sailing into a contested area and letting your twenty millimeters fire is still a feasible idea. Unfortunately, Alywin is quite vulnerable to frigates, which the Germans, Japanese and especially Soviets have a lot of, so use your main guns and keep these close range monsters as far away as possible
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Especially good when up-tiered or when being used as a second or third spawn, Aylwin's decent(ish) anti-air defence of eight 20 mm cannons is actual quite potent. Though low calibre, their ability to fire almost constantly as well their decent placement makes fighting Aylwin in an aircraft very risky. Naturally this AA is only good at short range, so one must always look out for air dropped torpedoes and low flying bombers, but it can still deter and often destroy even the most potent of attackers. In addition, Aylwin's main battery has an proximity-fused shell that can be researched. As it is radio controlled, it will always burst very near to where your gun distance is set, allowing you to use your high fire rate to tear down aircraft at longer ranges. This firepower can also help deal with short range gun and torpedo boats. As many players tend to bring these light craft in around the end game, when capping gets more fierce and most first spawns are destroyed, sailing into a contested area and letting your 20 mm cannons fire is still a feasible idea. Unfortunately, Aylwin is quite vulnerable to frigates, which the Germans, Japanese and especially Soviets have a lot of, so use your main guns and keep these close range monsters as far away as possible.
  
 
===Modules===
 
===Modules===
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|}
 
|}
  
===Pros and cons===
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=== Pros and cons ===
<!--Summarize and briefly evaluate the vehicle in terms of its characteristics and combat effectiveness. Mark its pros and cons in the bulleted list. Try not to use more than 6 points for each of the characteristics. Avoid using categorical definitions such as "bad", "good" and the like - they have a substitution in the form of softer "inadequate", "effective".-->
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<!-- ''Summarise and briefly evaluate the vehicle in terms of its characteristics and combat effectiveness. Mark its pros and cons in the bulleted list. Try not to use more than 6 points for each of the characteristics. Avoid using categorical definitions such as "bad", "good" and the like - use substitutions with softer forms such as "inadequate" and "effective".'' -->
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'''Pros:'''
 
'''Pros:'''
  
 
* Great rate-of-fire (ROF) and quick turret traverse
 
* Great rate-of-fire (ROF) and quick turret traverse
 
* Agile when fully upgraded
 
* Agile when fully upgraded
* Anti-aircraft capabilities are great once you combine the ROF and turret traverse with VT proximity fuze shells
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* Anti-aircraft capabilities are great once you combine the ROF and turret traverse with VT proximity fuse shells
 
* 20 mm guns are decent at shooting down planes
 
* 20 mm guns are decent at shooting down planes
 
* Decent torpedo firing arcs
 
* Decent torpedo firing arcs
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* No armour
 
* No armour
 
* Aft guns have no protection; easily disabled or destroyed
 
* Aft guns have no protection; easily disabled or destroyed
* Has a large bridge which is prone to be disabled  
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* Has a large bridge which is prone to be disabled
  
==History==
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== History ==
<!-- ''Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the ship in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too big, take it to a separate article, taking a link to an article about the vehicle and adding a block "/ History" (example: <nowiki>https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Vehicle-name)/History</nowiki>) and add a link to it here using the <code>main</code> template. Be sure to reference text and sources by using <code><nowiki><ref></nowiki></code>, as well as adding them at the end of the article.'' -->
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<!-- ''Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the ship in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too long, take it to a separate article, taking a link to the article about the ship and adding a block "/History" (example: <nowiki>https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Ship-name)/History</nowiki>) and add a link to it here using the <code>main</code> template. Be sure to reference text and sources by using <code><nowiki><ref></ref></nowiki></code>, as well as adding them at the end of the article with <code><nowiki><references /></nowiki></code>. This section may also include the ship's dev blog entry (if applicable) and the in-game encyclopedia description (under <code><nowiki>=== In-game description ===</nowiki></code>, also if applicable).'' -->
  
 
The design of the Farragut-class destroyers can be dated back to 1928 when the United States Navy General Board began to outline what the next class of destroyers would look like. As no construction of destroyers had taken place in the United States after the Clemson-class destroyers from 1919-1921, the General Board was able to start from scratch. The idea was to have a destroyer and a destroyer leader, both at 1,500 tons, to serve in flotillas together with one or two of the leaders commanding a group of standard destroyers.<ref name="Friedman1" /> By November of 1930, the concept had changed into a 1,375-ton and 1,500-ton destroyer with a 1,850-ton leader, each using the 5 inch/25 guns as the main armament.<ref name="Friedman2" /> A much heavier torpedo armament was chosen and a change was made for the leader to have a possibility for 5-inch twin mounts, and later the Bureau of Ordnance had developed the 5 inch/38 dual purpose gun which was incorporated into the designs.<ref name="Friedman1" /> Further changes to the designs and addition of ASW equipment meant that by the end of 1931 the design was considered completed. The 1,500-ton design became DD 348-355, the Farragut-class, and the 1,850-ton design became DD 356-363, the Porter-class leaders. In the end, a total of 8 Farragut-class destroyers were built from 1932 to 1935 with the majority of them being commissioned into service in 1935.
 
The design of the Farragut-class destroyers can be dated back to 1928 when the United States Navy General Board began to outline what the next class of destroyers would look like. As no construction of destroyers had taken place in the United States after the Clemson-class destroyers from 1919-1921, the General Board was able to start from scratch. The idea was to have a destroyer and a destroyer leader, both at 1,500 tons, to serve in flotillas together with one or two of the leaders commanding a group of standard destroyers.<ref name="Friedman1" /> By November of 1930, the concept had changed into a 1,375-ton and 1,500-ton destroyer with a 1,850-ton leader, each using the 5 inch/25 guns as the main armament.<ref name="Friedman2" /> A much heavier torpedo armament was chosen and a change was made for the leader to have a possibility for 5-inch twin mounts, and later the Bureau of Ordnance had developed the 5 inch/38 dual purpose gun which was incorporated into the designs.<ref name="Friedman1" /> Further changes to the designs and addition of ASW equipment meant that by the end of 1931 the design was considered completed. The 1,500-ton design became DD 348-355, the Farragut-class, and the 1,850-ton design became DD 356-363, the Porter-class leaders. In the end, a total of 8 Farragut-class destroyers were built from 1932 to 1935 with the majority of them being commissioned into service in 1935.
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USS Aylwin (DD-355) was named after the officer John Cushing Aylwin who had served in the War of 1812. The first assignment for the Aylwin was to tour Europe and she took part in fleet exercises in 1936 and 1937.<ref name="Aylwin" /> On 7 December 1941, Aylwin was sitting in port at Pearl Harbor when Japanese planes flew overhead to begin their attack. Aylwin was one of the first ships to steam out and fire back, and later met up with the Enterprise strike group out at sea the following day.<ref name="Aylwin" /> A few days later the Commander of the ship had congratulated the crew, as only around half of them were on board and they had still carried out all of their tasks without him.<ref name="Aylwin" /> Aylwin would take part in many major engagements throughout the war, such as being with the ANZAC forces in 1942, the Gilbert and Marshall Islands Campaign in 1943, the Marianas Islands in 1944 and the invasion of Okinawa in 1945.<ref name="Aylwin" /> She was decommissioned in October 1945 and sold for scrap the following year. USS Aylwin earned 13 Battle Stars for her service in World War II.
 
USS Aylwin (DD-355) was named after the officer John Cushing Aylwin who had served in the War of 1812. The first assignment for the Aylwin was to tour Europe and she took part in fleet exercises in 1936 and 1937.<ref name="Aylwin" /> On 7 December 1941, Aylwin was sitting in port at Pearl Harbor when Japanese planes flew overhead to begin their attack. Aylwin was one of the first ships to steam out and fire back, and later met up with the Enterprise strike group out at sea the following day.<ref name="Aylwin" /> A few days later the Commander of the ship had congratulated the crew, as only around half of them were on board and they had still carried out all of their tasks without him.<ref name="Aylwin" /> Aylwin would take part in many major engagements throughout the war, such as being with the ANZAC forces in 1942, the Gilbert and Marshall Islands Campaign in 1943, the Marianas Islands in 1944 and the invasion of Okinawa in 1945.<ref name="Aylwin" /> She was decommissioned in October 1945 and sold for scrap the following year. USS Aylwin earned 13 Battle Stars for her service in World War II.
  
==Media==
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== Media ==
''An excellent addition to the article will be video guides, as well as screenshots from the game and photos.''
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''Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.''
 
 
==See also==
 
''Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:''
 
  
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== See also ==
 +
''Links to articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:''
 
* ''reference to the series of the ship;''
 
* ''reference to the series of the ship;''
 
* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.''
 
* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.''
  
==External links==
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== External links ==
''Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:''
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<!-- ''Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:''
 
 
 
* ''topic on the official game forum;''
 
* ''topic on the official game forum;''
* ''encyclopedia page on ship;''
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* ''encyclopedia page on the ship;''
* ''other literature.''
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* ''other literature.'' -->
  
== References ==
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=== References ===
 
<references>
 
<references>
 
<ref name="Friedman1">Norman Friedman, ''U.S. Destroyers'' (Annapolis: Naval Institute Press, 2004), p. 78.</ref>
 
<ref name="Friedman1">Norman Friedman, ''U.S. Destroyers'' (Annapolis: Naval Institute Press, 2004), p. 78.</ref>

Revision as of 21:37, 8 July 2020

Introducing Wiki 3.0
us_destroyer_farragut_1942.png
USS Aylwin
AB RB SB
4.0 4.0 4.0
Class:
Research:5 900 Specs-Card-Exp.png
Purchase:6 300 Specs-Card-Lion.png

Description

GarageImage USS Aylwin.jpg


The Farragut-class, USS Aylwin (DD-355), 1942 is a rank I American destroyer with a battle rating of 4.0 (AB/RB/SB). It was introduced in Update 1.79 "Project X" as part of the fleet closed beta test.

General info

Survivability and armour

This vessel has no armour. That being said, its spread out crew can take a few hits from low calibre guns, but rounds above 130 mm will cause massive damage. Aylwin also can have her ammunition destroyed very easily if a fire rages for too long, or her ammo is not wetted and ventilated.

Mobility

Aylwin has a decent top speed and can cruise to around 60 km/h. It does have a very poor speed change time though, which is to be expected, but this is made up for by its decent ability to dodge shells, when positioned correctly.

Armament

Primary armament

Aylwin has a total of 4 x single 5"/38 Mark 12 guns arranged in a balanced manner. These guns are rapid firing compared to earlier destroyers (13 rounds/minute) and have a very quick rate of traverse (25 degrees/second). However, due to low muzzle velocity, it can be difficult to aim at distant targets. Past around 7,000 meters the shells will take over 10 seconds to land and tracking shell splashes will be challenging.

Like the other American 5"/38 Mark 12 guns, Aylwin has the AAC Mark 34 HE shell as stock. The Common Mark 32 SAP and the AAVT Mark 31 HE-VT shells are available as upgrades. Making good use of the VT shell will mean that hostile aircraft stand little chance against you. HE shells will make quick work of light craft such as torpedo boats and sub chasers. HE can also be used against destroyers as they lack armour, while SAP can be used against cruisers with armour protection. Just be aware that at longer ranges and at significant angles the SAP will be ineffective against armour plating.

Secondary armament

Aylwin has access to 8 x 20 mm Oerlikon cannons for her anti-aircraft defences. 2 of them are just forward of the bridge, four of them are just behind the smoke funnels, and the last 2 are just in front of the after main battery mounts. These provide a wide range of fire and can make short work of aircraft that stray too close. They can be effective against hostile torpedo boats, but if these are firing at surface targets it is highly likely that you will have torpedoes headed your way.

The 20 mm Oerlikon cannon has access to 3 different ammunition belts: Universal, HE, and AP.

  • Universal: HEF-T · HEF-I · AP-T
  • HE: HEF-T · HEF-I · AP-T · HEF-I
  • AP: AP-T · AP-T · AP-T · HEF-I

Torpedo armament

Main article: Mk.15 (533 mm)

The torpedo armament on Aylwin is less than the preceding Clemson (DD-213) but it is more versatile as both of the quadruple 21" (533 mm) launchers are mounted on the centreline amidships. Due to the tight spaces on-board the ship, you do have to give significant broadside to fire the torpedoes so be aware of your surroundings.

The Aylwin uses the Mk.15 steam turbine torpedo with a default setting of 5,500 meters at 45 knots. This can be modified to an extended range of 9,150 meters at a reduced speed of 33.5 knots. Each torpedo has a warhead of 224 kg TNT which can make short work of an enemy destroyer providing the hit is not on an extremity. Cruisers may take more than one, but even a single torpedo can be devastating to a larger ship.

Special armament

Upon unlocking the "Bomb mortar" upgrade you can equip 4 x Mk.6 depth charges which are projected from mortars. These are positioned near the aft end of the ship, right in line with the No.3 turret. These weapons have an extremely limited range (only a few hundred meters off each side of the ship) and would only be used during a close-in brawl. Keep in mind that the depth charges do take a few seconds to fly through the air and sink before they detonate, so be aware of timing their firing.

Each Mk.6 depth charge has an explosive charge of 136 kg TNT which will obliterate any small craft and deal significant damage to a larger ship.

Usage in battles

The first US destroyer with five inch guns, Aylwin is a major upgrade from the Clemsons, boasting one of the best DPMs at her tier. Unfortunately this comes at the price of a small broadside and a non-existent armour profile. Thus Aylwin has two roles depending on game time and preference:

Mid Range Sniping

Due to her powerful cannons, Aylwin can decimate ships at medium to close range. Unfortunately, due to her guns having somewhat poor velocity, at ranges exceeding 6,000 km, Aylwin's guns become harder to land shots with. At shorter ranges, her lack of anti-fragmentation armour punishes you for getting caught in enemy cross fire, as retreating can take some time. Hence at a medium ranges, Aylwin should use her high rate of fire, and powerful guns to lock down cap zones, and support more protected destroyers such as Fletchers as they push up. This does not mean that Aylwin cannot cap, but does mean that one must be very mindful of enemy destroyers when using Aylwin, as not getting hit is a vital for this vessel.

Support Vessel

Especially good when up-tiered or when being used as a second or third spawn, Aylwin's decent(ish) anti-air defence of eight 20 mm cannons is actual quite potent. Though low calibre, their ability to fire almost constantly as well their decent placement makes fighting Aylwin in an aircraft very risky. Naturally this AA is only good at short range, so one must always look out for air dropped torpedoes and low flying bombers, but it can still deter and often destroy even the most potent of attackers. In addition, Aylwin's main battery has an proximity-fused shell that can be researched. As it is radio controlled, it will always burst very near to where your gun distance is set, allowing you to use your high fire rate to tear down aircraft at longer ranges. This firepower can also help deal with short range gun and torpedo boats. As many players tend to bring these light craft in around the end game, when capping gets more fierce and most first spawns are destroyed, sailing into a contested area and letting your 20 mm cannons fire is still a feasible idea. Unfortunately, Aylwin is quite vulnerable to frigates, which the Germans, Japanese and especially Soviets have a lot of, so use your main guns and keep these close range monsters as far away as possible.

Modules

Tier Seakeeping Unsinkability Firepower
I Dry-Docking Tool Set 127 mm Common Mk.32 20 mm HE Anti-Air Armament Targeting
II Rudder Replacement Fire Protection System Smokescreen 20 mm AP
III Propeller Replacement Ventilation Shrapnel Protection 127 mm AAVT Mk.31 Improved Rangefinder Primary Armament Targeting
IV Engine Maintenance New Pumps Ammo Wetting Torpedo Mode Bomb mortar

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Great rate-of-fire (ROF) and quick turret traverse
  • Agile when fully upgraded
  • Anti-aircraft capabilities are great once you combine the ROF and turret traverse with VT proximity fuse shells
  • 20 mm guns are decent at shooting down planes
  • Decent torpedo firing arcs

Cons:

  • 20 mm gun rounds have slow velocity and can be dodged by attentive pilots
  • No armour
  • Aft guns have no protection; easily disabled or destroyed
  • Has a large bridge which is prone to be disabled

History

The design of the Farragut-class destroyers can be dated back to 1928 when the United States Navy General Board began to outline what the next class of destroyers would look like. As no construction of destroyers had taken place in the United States after the Clemson-class destroyers from 1919-1921, the General Board was able to start from scratch. The idea was to have a destroyer and a destroyer leader, both at 1,500 tons, to serve in flotillas together with one or two of the leaders commanding a group of standard destroyers.[1] By November of 1930, the concept had changed into a 1,375-ton and 1,500-ton destroyer with a 1,850-ton leader, each using the 5 inch/25 guns as the main armament.[2] A much heavier torpedo armament was chosen and a change was made for the leader to have a possibility for 5-inch twin mounts, and later the Bureau of Ordnance had developed the 5 inch/38 dual purpose gun which was incorporated into the designs.[1] Further changes to the designs and addition of ASW equipment meant that by the end of 1931 the design was considered completed. The 1,500-ton design became DD 348-355, the Farragut-class, and the 1,850-ton design became DD 356-363, the Porter-class leaders. In the end, a total of 8 Farragut-class destroyers were built from 1932 to 1935 with the majority of them being commissioned into service in 1935.

USS Aylwin (DD-355) was named after the officer John Cushing Aylwin who had served in the War of 1812. The first assignment for the Aylwin was to tour Europe and she took part in fleet exercises in 1936 and 1937.[3] On 7 December 1941, Aylwin was sitting in port at Pearl Harbor when Japanese planes flew overhead to begin their attack. Aylwin was one of the first ships to steam out and fire back, and later met up with the Enterprise strike group out at sea the following day.[3] A few days later the Commander of the ship had congratulated the crew, as only around half of them were on board and they had still carried out all of their tasks without him.[3] Aylwin would take part in many major engagements throughout the war, such as being with the ANZAC forces in 1942, the Gilbert and Marshall Islands Campaign in 1943, the Marianas Islands in 1944 and the invasion of Okinawa in 1945.[3] She was decommissioned in October 1945 and sold for scrap the following year. USS Aylwin earned 13 Battle Stars for her service in World War II.

Media

Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.

See also

Links to articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:

  • reference to the series of the ship;
  • links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.

External links

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 Norman Friedman, U.S. Destroyers (Annapolis: Naval Institute Press, 2004), p. 78.
  2. Norman Friedman, U.S. Destroyers (Annapolis: Naval Institute Press, 2004), p. 79.
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 "Aylwin III (DD-355)," Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, Naval History and Heritage Command, Published June 1, 2016, https://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/a/aylwin-iii.html


USA destroyers
Clemson-class  USS Welborn C. Wood · USS Barker · USS Litchfield
Farragut-class  USS Aylwin
Bagley-class  USS Bagley
Porter-class  USS Porter · USS Phelps · USS Moffett
Somers-class  USS Somers · USS Davis
Fletcher-class  USS Fletcher · USS Bennion · USS Cowell
Allen M. Sumner-class  USS Sumner
Gearing-class  USS Gearing · USS Frank Knox
Mitscher-class  USS Mitscher · USS Wilkinson