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in the Fletcher class design phase "Also asked was at what point would the design grow large enough to become a torpedo target instead of a torpedo delivery system. The answer that came back was that five 5 in (127 mm) dual purpose guns, twelve torpedoes, and twenty-eight depth charges (on two racks) would be ideal,
THis highly accurate model shows four racks and 40 depth charges... The (vintage)USS Kidd on display at Baton Rouge shows a single rack with 14?? depth charges>Of some interest to diehards: http://archive.hnsa.org/doc/destroyer/depthtrack/part2.htm#pg60 ...all of which does not take into account additional (IF ANY) k launchers
Not content WITH ANY OF THE ABOVE info I then called the Louisiana Naval War Memorial; 225-342-1942-and spoke to the resident person, Tim, who knows regarding the USS KIDD on display at the Louisiana Naval War Memorial. As good a 'primary-source' as I'll find! In WWII-upgraded: She carried 2 ten DC racks and 6 K guns-one DC apiece; and at one point had a two-DC Y gun on the stern. A grand total of 28 loaded..with any amount of spares lashed topside to the gunnels -never stored below...with subsequent complications in heavy seas. Footnote: there was a gap after the first DC on each of the racks to prevent a accidental discharge of an entire rack... so 9 only: S.O.P!!! How many lashed spares is subject to conjecture. http://www.usskidd.com/history.html At least once a year on July Fourth, KIDD's guns sound with an angry roar, firing against would-be attackers in a dramatic reenactment. She is one of the only World War II vessels still capable of performing such a feat.