The USS McKee (DD-87) was a Wickes-class destroyer constructed for the United States Navy during World War I. The Wickes class was an improved, faster variant of the Caldwell-class, characterized by variations in turbines and boilers depending on the design, with McKee built to the Bethlehem Steel design at Union Iron Works in San Francisco. The vessel displaced approximately 1,202 to 1,208 long tons at standard load and up to 1,295 to 1,322 long tons at deep load. It measured 314 feet 4 inches (95.8 meters) in length, with a beam of 30 feet 11 inches (9.4 meters), and a draught of 9 feet 10 inches (3.0 meters). The crew comprised 6 officers and 108 enlisted men. Powered by two steam turbines driving two propellers, the ship used four water-tube boilers, with turbines producing around 27,000 shaft horsepower, intended to reach speeds of 35 knots (65 km/h). The ship carried 225 long tons (229 tonnes) of fuel oil, providing a range of approximately 2,500 nautical miles at 20 knots. Its armament included four 4-inch (102 mm) guns in single mounts, two 1-pounder anti-aircraft guns (often replaced by 3-inch AA guns due to shortages), and a torpedo battery of twelve 21-inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes arranged in four triple mounts. Additionally, McKee was equipped with depth charge rails and a "Y-gun" depth charge thrower for anti-submarine warfare. Laid down on October 29, 1917, and launched on March 23, 1918, USS McKee was commissioned on September 7, 1918. After shakedown along the West Coast, she transited the Panama Canal and joined Destroyer Flotilla 5 in New York. During the final months of World War I, she primarily performed coastal duties and convoy escort missions, including a voyage to the Azores in November 1918. Following the war, McKee operated in the Caribbean and along the East Coast, conducting fleet exercises and training voyages from Key West to Halifax. Decommissioned on June 16, 1922, USS McKee was struck from the Navy list in 1936 and sold for scrapping. Her service exemplifies the rapid development and deployment of destroyers during World War I and the interwar period, highlighting her role in convoy escort and fleet training activities.

This description has been generated using GPT-4.1-NANO based on the Vessel's wikidata information and then modified by ShipIndex.org staff.