The Wickes class was an improved and faster version of the preceding. Two different designs were prepared to the same specification that mainly differed in the turbines and boilers used. The ships built to the Bethlehem Steel design, built in the Fore River and Union Iron Works shipyards, mostly used Yarrow boilers that deteriorated badly during service and were mostly scrapped during the 1930s. The ships displaced at standard load and at deep load. They had an overall length of, a beam of and a draught of. They had a crew of 6 officers and 108 enlisted men. Performance differed radically between the ships of the class, often due to poor workmanship. The Wickes class was powered by two steam turbines, each driving one propeller shaft, using steam provided by four water-tube boilers. The turbines were designed to produce a total of intended to reach a speed of. The ships carried of fuel oil which was intended gave them a range of at. The ships were armed with four 4-inch guns in single mounts and were fitted with two 1-pounder guns for anti-aircraft defense. Their primary weapon, though, was their torpedo battery of a dozen 21 inch torpedo tubes in four triple mounts. In many ships a shortage of 1-pounders caused them to be replaced by 3-inch anti-aircraft guns. They also carried a pair of depth charge rails. A "Y-gun" depth charge thrower was added to many ships.
Construction and career
O'Bannon, named for Presley O'Bannon, was laid down by Union Iron Works, San Francisco, California, 12 November 1918, launched 28 February 1919, sponsored by Mrs. Henry O'Bannon Cooper descendant by marriage of Lt. O'Bannon, and commissioned at San Francisco 27 August 1919, Lt. Robert F. Gross in command. O'Bannon sailed out of San Diego for exercises and training maneuvers along the coast of California and in Hawaiian waters throughout her career. In the spring of 1920 she conducted experiments with torpedoes, and then was in reserve commission from June to November, when she resumed her training schedule. She decommissioned at San Diego 27 May 1922, was struck from the Navy List19 May 1936, and was sold 29 September 1936.
