Wreno, I found the answer on your site, a spanish navy officer was asked to develope an anti torpedo boat ship, after a big advancement in m.t.b.s. It was supposed to be the first ship designed from the ground up, just for this purpose, it's name translated in spanish means, destroyer. I would have to think other people were working on simuliar projects at the time, and it might not qualify as an invention, but my 9 year old has a model of the USS Fletcher, and wanted to use it, Thanks, Randy.