The O'Brien class of destroyers was a class of six ships designed by and built for the United States Navy shortly before the United States entered World War I. The O'Brien class was the third of five classes of destroyers that were known as the "thousand tonners", because they were the first U.S. destroyers over 1,000 long tons (1,016 t) displacement.
Lead ship of the O'Brien class, USS O'Brien
O'Brien class member Ericsson, between the closely related Tucker-class ships Jacob Jones (left) and Wadsworth, is moored by destroyer tender Melville at Queenstown, Ireland, in 1917.
O'Brien, in dazzle camouflage, escorting a convoy in 1918
Nicholson
Four destroyers in the United States Navy comprised the Cassin class. All served as convoy escorts during World War I. The Cassins were the first of five "second-generation" 1000-ton four-stack destroyer classes that were front-line ships of the Navy until the 1930s. They were known as "thousand tonners" for their normal displacement, while the previous classes were nicknamed "flivvers" for their small size, after the Model T Ford.
USS Cassin in Coast Guard service