List of torpedo boats of the United States Navy



This list of steam-driven torpedo boats of the United States Navy includes all ships with the hull classification symbol TB, running from TB-1 of 1890 to TB-35 of 1901. It does not include the Patrol Torpedo (PT) boats of World War II.

The first torpedo-boat to serve with the United States Navy was the experimental Stiletto of 31 tons, built in 1885-86 as a yacht by the Herreschoff Manufacturing Company, Bristol, Rhode Island. Designated WTB-1 (for "Wooden Torpedo Boat"), she was purchased under the Act of 3 March 1887 for use as a torpedo boat for experimental purposes and commissioned in July 1887. She measured 94ft overall (88ft 6in waterline) x 11ft 6in x 3ft, and had a 1-shaft vertical compound engine of 359 ihp, achieving 18.2 knots. She was stricken on 27 January 1911 and sold on 18 July 1911.

The authorisation for the following steel torpedo-boats was as follows:
 * Act of 3 August 1886: TB-1
 * Act of 30 June 1890: TB-2
 * Act of 26 July 1894: TB-3 to TB-5
 * Act of 2 March 1895: TB-6 to TB-8
 * Act of 10 June 1896: TB-9 to TB-18
 * Act of 3 March 1897: TB-19 to TB-23
 * Act of 4 May 1898: TB-24 to TB-35 (also the first sixteen TBDs - see Bainbridge-class destroyer)

Cushing class torpedo boat

 * USS Cushing (TB-1)

Ericsson class torpedo boat

 * USS Ericsson (TB-2)

Foote class torpedo boats

 * USS Foote (TB-3)
 * USS Rodgers (TB-4)
 * USS Winslow (TB-5)

Porter class torpedo boats

 * USS Porter (TB-6)
 * USS Du Pont (TB-7)

Rowan class torpedo boat

 * USS Rowan (TB-8)

Dahlgren class torpedo boats

 * USS Dahlgren (TB-9)
 * USS Craven (TB-10)

Farragut class torpedo boat

 * USS Farragut (TB-11)

Davis class torpedo boats

 * USS Davis (TB-12)
 * USS Fox (TB-13)

Morris class torpedo boat

 * USS Morris (TB-14)

Talbot class torpedo boats

 * USS Talbot (TB-15)
 * USS Gwin (TB-16)

MacKenzie class torpedo boats

 * USS MacKenzie (TB-17)
 * USS McKee (TB-18)

Stringham class torpedo boat

 * USS Stringham (TB-19)

Goldsborough class torpedo boat

 * USS Goldsborough (TB-20)

Bailey class torpedo boat

 * USS Bailey (TB-21)

Somers class torpedo boat

 * USS Somers (TB-22)

Manley class torpedo boat

 * USS Manley (TB-23)

Note: * purchased for US Navy during Spanish-American War on 25 March 1898 and 13 April 1898 respectively.

Bagley class torpedo boats

 * USS Bagley (TB-24)
 * USS Barney (TB-25)
 * USS Biddle (TB-26)

Blakely class torpedo boats

 * USS Blakely (TB-27)
 * USS DeLong (TB-28)
 * USS Nicholson (TB-29)
 * USS O'Brien (TB-30)
 * USS Shubrick (TB-31)
 * USS Stockton (TB-32)
 * USS Thornton (TB-33)
 * USS Tingey (TB-34)
 * USS Wilkes (TB-35)

Note: * not recorded; first log for Shubrick started 19 November 1901; first log for Stockton started 14 November 1901.

Re-classification in 1918
On 1 August 1918 all 17 surviving torpedo boats were redesignated as Coast Torpedo Boats and given numbers in place of their original names and were subsequently sold for breaking up in 1919 and 1920.