DESTROYERS. For many years since the last war British destroyers were produced virtually to a standard design, providing moderate sized, economical boats guaranteed to give “good value for money.” But the increasingly threatening international situation in the thirties brought about a change, and in 1936 the big “Tribal” class were laid down, followed in the next year by the powerful “J” series. The “Lightening,” shown in the following drawing shows yet further progress in British destroyer design. She is fifty tons heavier than the “Tribal” class, and her elaborate equipment includes (according to “Flottes de Combat”) twin dual purpose guns in gas tight gun houses and quintuple torpedo-tubes in armour shields. The “Lightning” destroyers are, in effect, very economical light cruisers.  H.M.S. “LIGHTNING”. Drawing by Oscar Parkes OBE.  TRIBAL CLASS DESTROYERS ON EXERCISE. Photo taken from HMS “Eskimo” with “Mashona,” “Ashanti” and Matabele” ahead. Perkins. The first British “torpedo-boat destroyers,” the “Havoc,” “Hornet,” “Daring” and “Decoy,” were started in 1892 as an answer to the menace of the torpedo-boat to capital ships. The first destroyers to have oil-fired boilers and turbines were the original “Tribal” class, which were built in 1905-08. The Admiralty “R” class launched in the early years of the last war were the first destroyers to have geared turbines (making for great additional efficiency in propulsion). One of these old boats, the “Skate,” is still with us, the last three-funnelled British destroyer to survive. The next milestone in British destroyer development came with the “Ambuscade” and “Amazon” launched in 1925 and 1926 respectively. In these two ships the two firms of Yarrow and Thornycroft were asked to incorporate all the lessons of the Great War in destroyer design. All succeeding classes were based upon this “standard” design, down to 1936, so that they were the “ancestors” of about seventy British destroyers of the familiar two-funnelled type. After the “W’s” and “V’s” the destroyer series started again at “A,” the “Amazon” and “Ambuscade.” In 1936 a series of super destroyers were laid down in Britain—the “Tribal” class of 1,870 tons. They had eight guns, instead of the four or five of previous destroyers, in twin mountings, but, since their purpose was to protect squadrons against attacks of other torpedo craft and aeroplanes, they carried only four torpedo tubes, instead of the eight usual in British destroyers. In the following year were laid down the first boats of the “J” class, of slightly less displacement, but mounting six (twin) guns. TRIBAL CLASS. Comprise fifteen ships, HMS “Afridi,” Vickers Armstrong, Tyne, 1938, HMS “Cossack,” Vickers Armstrong, Tyne, 1938, HMS “Eskimo,” Vickers Armstrong, Tyne, 1938, HMS “Mashona,” Swan Hunter, 1939, HMS “Maori,” Fairfield, 1939, HMS “Matabele,” Scotts, 1939, HMS “Punjabi,” Scotts, 1939, HMS “Mowhawk,” Thorneycroft, 1938, HMS “Nubian,” Thorneycroft, 1938, HMS “Ashanti,” Denny, 1938, HMS “Bedouin,” Denny, 1939, HMS “Sikh,” Stephen, 1938, HMS “Zulu,” Stephen, 1938, HMS “Somali,” Swan Hunter, 1938 and HMS “Tartar,” Swan Hunter, 1939.  H.M.S. “SOMALI”. The Times. Displacement: 1,870 tons. Complement: 190. Dimensions: 630ft x 68ft 4-inch x 16ft 4-inch draught. HP & speed: 80,000 at 31.5 knots. Guns: Eight 4.7-inch, seven smaller. Torpedo Tubes: Four 21 inch. Original Cost: Averages £470,000 each. ADMIRALTY TYPE LEADER. (1937) One only though HMS “Hardy” was considered as such.  H.M.S. “INGLEFIELD”. Wright & Logan. Displacement: 1,530 tons. Complement: 175. Dimensions: 334ft x 34ft x 9ft draught. HP & speed: 38,000 at 36.5 knots. Guns: Five 4.7-inch, six smaller. Torpedo Tubes: Ten 21-inch quintuples. Original cost: £354,303. HERO AND GREYHOUND CLASS. Comprise thirteen ships, HMS “Hasty,” Denny, 1936, HMS “Havock,” Denny, 1937, HMS “Hereward,” 1936, HMS “Hero,” Vickers Armstrong, Tyne, 1936, HMS “Hostile,” Scotts, 1936, HMS “Hotspur,” Scotts, 1936, HMS “Hunter,” Swan Hunter, 1936, HMS “Hyperion,” Swan Hunter, 1936, HMS “Stephen, 1936, HMS “Garland,” Fairfield, 1936, HMS “Gipsy,” Fairfield, 1936, HMS “Greyhound,” Vickers Armstrong, Barrow, 1936 and HMS “Griffin” Vickers Armstrong, Barrow, 1936.  H.M.S. “HERO”. Wright & Logan. Displacement: “H’s,” 1,340 tons; “G’s,” 1,335 tons. Complement : 145. Dimensions : 323ft x 33ft x 8ft 6-inch draught. HP & speed: 34,000 at 36 knots. Torpedo Tubes: Eight 21-inch. Original Cost: Averaged £300,000 each.  H.M.S. “GREYHOUND”. Note difference in bridge structure to her ‘Hero’ class sisters. Cribb. ADMIRALTY TYPE LEADERS (1931 through to 1933) Comprise three ships, HMS “Keith,” Vickers Armstrong, Barrow, 1931, HMS “Kempenfelt,” White, 1932 and HMS “Duncan,” Portsmouth Dockyard, 1933. HMS “Kempenfelt” by this time had transferred to the Royal Canadian Navy.  H.M.S. “DUNCAN”. Cribb. Displacement: 1,390-1,400 tons. Complement: 175. Dimensions : 326ft x 33ft x 8ft 8-inch draught with slight variations. HP and speed: 3-,000 at 35.75 knots. Guns: Four 4.7-inch; six smaller. Torpedo Tubes: Eight 21-inch quadrupled. ADMIRALTY TYPE LEADER (1935) Two ships only. HMS “Faulknor,” Yarrow, 1935 and HMS “Exmouth,” Portsmouth Dockyard, 1935 sunk on the 21st of January 1940 by U-22 when off Moray Firth. Original cost £330,239.  H.M.S. “FAULKNOR”. Cribb. Displacement: 1,460 tons. Complement: 175. Dimensions: 340ft x 33ft 9-inch x 8ft 7-inch draught. HP and speed: 38,000 at 36.75 knots. Guns: Five 4.7-inch; six smaller. Torpedo Tubes: Eight 21-inch quadrupled. INTREPID CLASS. Comprise eight ships, HMS “Icarus,” John Brown, 1937, HMS “Ilex,” John Brown, 1937, HMS “Imogen,” Hawthorn Leslie, 1937, HMS “Imperial,” Hawthorn Leslie, 1937, HMS “Impulsive,” Young, Sunderland, 1938, HMS “Intrepid,” White, 1937, HMS “ISIS,” Yarrow, 1937 and HMS “Ivanhoe,” Yarrow, 1937.  H.M.S. “ICARUS”. Cribb. Displacement: 1,370 tons. Complement: 145. Dimensions: 320ft x 33ft x 8ft 6-inch draught. HP and speed: 34,000 at 36 knots. Guns: Four 4.7-inch and six smaller. Torpedo Tubes: Ten 21-inch. Note, this class are capable of minelaying. JAVELIN CLASS. Comprise twenty four ships, HMS “Jervis,” Hawthorn, 1939, HMS “Kelly,” Hawthorn,” 1939, HMS “Jackal,” Clydebank, 1939, HMS “Javelin,” Clydebank, 1939, HMS “Nerissa,” Clydebank, 1939, HMS “Nizam,” Clydebank, 1939, HMS “Jaguar,” Denny, 1939, HMS “Kandahar,” Denny, 1939, HMS “Noble,” Denny, 1939, HMS “Nonpareil,” Denny, 1939, HMS “Napier,” Fairfield, 1939, HMS “Juno,” Fairfield, 1939, HMS “Kelvin,” Fairfield, 1939, HMS “Nestor,” Fairfield, 1939, HMS “Janus,” Swan Hunter, 1939, HMS “Khartoum,” Swan Hunter, 1939, HMS “Kashmir,” Thorneycroft, 1939, HMS “Kimberley,” Thorneycroft, 1939, HMS “Norman,” Thorneycroft, 1939, HMS “Norseman,” Thorneycroft, HMS “Jersey,” White, 1939, HMS “Kingston,” White, 1939, HMS “Jupiter,” Yarrow, 1939 and HMS “Kipling,” Yarrow, 1939. This class were the first British destroyers to be fitted with a single funnel.  H.M.S. “JAVELIN”. Wright & Logan. LIGHTENING CLASS. Comprise fouteen ships, HMS “Laforey,” Yarrow, 1940, HMS “Lance,” Yarrow, 1940, HMS “Larne,” Cammell Laird, 1940, HMS “Lively,” Cammell Laird, 1940, HMS “Legion,” Hawthorn, 1940, HMS “Lightening,” Hawthorn, 1940, HMS “Lookout,” Scotts, 1940, HMS “Loyal,” Scotts, 1940, HMS “Milne,” Scotts, 1940, HMS “Marksman,” Scotts, 1940, HMS “Musketeer,” Fairfield, 1940, HMS “Myrmidon,” Fairfield, 1940, HMS “Matchless,” Stephen, 1940, HMS “Meteor,” Stephen, 1940, HMS “Marne,” Vickers Armstrong, 1940 and HMS “Martin,” Vickers Armstrong, 1940. Displacement: 1,920 tons. Guns: Six 4.7-inch; several smaller. Other details unspecified at the time of going to press. The need for larger boats with superior fighting power, increased accommodation, and better sea-keeping qualities, to act as leaders to destroyer flotillas, became apparent in the years immediately preceding the last war. The forerunner of this class of vessel was the “Swift,” 1907, of 1,800 tons displacement and thirty-five knots speed, built really as an experimental vessel under the recommendation of the Committee of Designs of 1904. She was a contemporary of the first “Tribal” class of destroyers, and developed 30,000 h.p. with turbine machinery and oil fired boilers. This larger type of vessel was not continued until, in 1914, the “Faulknor” and “Broke” were taken over from the Chilean Government. “Broke” is a sister ship of the “Keppel” and “Wallace,” very handsome and powerful-looking ships with large, equal-sized, flat sided funnels, clear evidence of their Thorneycroft origin. “Broke” differs from the Thorneycroft “W” destroyers (such as “Witch”) by reason of the large fore-funnel and additional gun amidships. During the last war 25 leaders were constructed, culminating in the “Campbell” class. Many of the destroyers and flotilla leaders built during the war attained higher speeds than those for which they were designed. In common with that of all other types of warships, the construction of destroyers slowed down very considerably after the armistice. Destroyers classes having run practically right through the alphabet, it was appropriately symbolic that the first two to be built after the war should be called the “A” type, as they were the embodiment of the lessons learned during the war and started, as it were, a new order. They were the “Amazon” and “Ambuscade,” completed at the beginning of 1927. In these two destroyers the builders were asked to incorporate certain of their own features, with a view to evolving a standard type for future construction. The general design is similar, and the vessels do not differ very much in dimensions, the “Ambuscade” being about 180 tons lighter. All-steel bridges, slightly higher freeboard, improved accommodation and increased radius of action are amongst the improvements as compared with the previous “W” type, while considerably higher speeds have been attained. The subsequent “Acasta” class were based upon the results obtained from these two vessels, which became the “ancestors” of some seventy post-war British destroyers. DESTROYER “R” CLASS.  H.M.S. “SKATE”. Cribb. Displacement: 900 tons. Complement: 98. Dimensions: 276ft x 26ft 9-inch x 15ft draught. HP and speed: 27,000 at 36 knots. Guns: Three 4-inch, one 2-pounder Pom-pom, one machine gun and four Lewis. Torpedo Tubes: Four 21-inch in pairs. ADMIRALTY “S” CLASS. Comprise nine ships, HMS “Scimitar,” John Brown, 1918, HMS “Scout,” John Brown, 1918, HMS “Thanet,” Hawthorn Leslie, 1918, HMS “Thracian,” Hawthorn Leslie, 1920, HMS “Tenedos,” Hawthorn Leslie, 1918, HMS “Stronghold,” Scotts, 1919, HMS “Sturdy,” Scotts, 1919, HMS “Saladin,” Stephen, 1919 and HMS “Sardonyx,” Stephen, 1919.  H.M.S. “SCOUT”. Cribb. THORNEYCROFT “V” TYPE. Comprise two ships, HMS “Viceroy,” Thorneycroft, 1918, and HMS “Viscount,” Thorneycroft, 1918.  HMS “VISCOUNT.” Perkins. ADMIRALTY “V” ClASS. Comprise thirteen ships, HMS “Vanessa,” Beardmore, 1918, HMS Vanity,” Beardmore, 1918, HMS “Venetia,” Fairfield, 1917, HMS “Verdun,” Hawthorn Leslie, 1917, HMS Vidette,” Stephen, 1918, HMS “Vesper,” Stephen, 1918, HMS “Vivacious,” Yarrow, 1917, HMS “Vanquisher,” John Brown, 1917, HMS “Vanoc,” John Brown, 1917, HMS “ Vimy,” Beardmore, 1928, original 1918 ship of this class cancelled in 1919 when under conversion from ‘W’ class, HMS “Velox,” Doxford, 1917, HMS “Versatile,” Hawthorn Leslie, 1917 and HMS “Vortigern, White, 1917.  HMS “VESPER”. Perkins. Displacement: 1,090 tons. Complement: 134. Dimensions: 312ft x 29ft 6inch x 11ft 9inch draught. HP & speed: 27,000 at 34 knots. Guns: Four 4 inch, One two pounder, Pom-pom; One M.G.; Four Lewis. Torpedo Tubes: Five 21 inch, one triple forward and a double aft. ADMIRALTY “W” CLASS. Comprise eight ships, HMS “Watchman,” John Brown, 1918, HMS “Walker,” Denny, 1917, HMS “Westcott,” Denny, 1918, HMS “Walpole,” Doxford, 1918, HMS “Wolfhound,” Fairfield, 1918, HMS “Warwick,” Hawthorn Leslie, 1918, HMS “Whirlwind,” Swan Hunter, 1917 and HMS “Winchelsea,” White, 1917.  HMS “WOLFHOUND”. Wright & Logan. “CAMPBELL” CLASS LEADERS. Comprise five ships, HMS “Campbell,” Cammell Laird, 1918, HMS “Douglas,” Cammell Laird, 1918, HMS “Mackay,” Cammell Laird, 1918, HMS “Malcolm,” Cammell Laird 1919 and HMS “Montrose,” Hawthorn Leslie, 1918. THORNEYCROFT LEADERS. Comprise two ships, HMS “Broke,” Thorneycroft,” 1924 and HMS “Keppel,” Thorneycroft, 1925.  HMS “BROKE”. Displacement: 1,480 tons. Complement: 183. Dimensions: 329ft x 31ft 9inch x 12ft 4inch draught. HP & speed: 40,000 at 36 knots. Guns: Five 4.2 inch, One 3 inch, A.A.; Two 2 pounder, Pom-poms; One M.Four Lewis. Torpedo Tubes: Six 21 inch in two triple-deck mountings. THORNEYCROFT “MODIFIED W” TYPE. Comprise two ships, HMS “Wishart,” Thorneycroft, 1920 and HMS “Witch,” Thorneycroft, 1924.  HMS “WITCH”. Displacement: 1140 tons. Complement: 134. Dimensions: 312ft x 30ft x 10ft draught. HP & speed: 30,000 at 35 knots. Guns: Four 4.7 inch, Two 2 pounder, Pom-poms, One M.G.; Four Lewis. Torpedo Tubes: Six 21 inch in Witch three in Wishart. ADMIRALTY “MODIFIED W” CLASS. Comprise fourteen ships, HMS “Veteran,” John Brown, 1919, HMS “Whitshed,” Swan Hunter, 1919, HMS “Wild Swan,” Swan Hunter, 1919, HMS “Witherington,” White, 1919, HMS “Wivern,” White, 1919, HMS “Wolverine,” White, 1919, HMS “Worcester,” White, 1919, HMS “Vansittart,” Beardmore, 1919, HMS “Venomous,” John Brown, 1918, HMS “Verity,” John Brown, 1919, HMS “Volunteer,” Denny, 1919, HMS “Wanderer,” Fairfield, 1919, HMS “Whitehall,” Swan Hunter, 1919 and HMS “Wren,” Yarrow, 1919.  HMS “WORCESTER.” Cribb. Displacement: 1120 tons. Complement: 134. Dimensions: 312ft x 29ft 6inch x 10ft 10inch draught. HP & speed: 27,000 at 34 knots. Guns: Four 4.7ich, Two 2 pounder, pom-poms. Torpedo Tubes: Six 21 inch in two triple mountings. “A” TYPE. Comprise two ships, HMS “Amazon,” Thorneycroft, 1926 and HMS “Ambuscade,” Yarrow, 1926.  HMS “AMAZON.” Cribb. Displacement: 1350 tons. Complement: 138. Dimensions: 311ft 9inch x 31ft 6inch x 9ft 2ich draught. HP & speed: 39,5àà at 37 knots. Guns: Four 4.7inch; six smaller. Torpedo Tubes: Six-21inch triple mounted. “A” TYPE LEADER. Comprise one vessel, HMS “Codrington,” Swan Hunter, 1929.  HMS “CODRINGTON.” Cribb. Displacement: 1540 tons. Complement: 185. Dimensions: 332ft x 33ft 9inch x 12ft 3inch draught. HP & speed: 39,000 at 35 knots. Guns: Five 4.7inch; six smaller. Torpedo Tubes: Eight 21inch quadruple mounted. “BEAGLE” AND “ACASTA” CLASS. Comprised fifteen ships, HMS “Beagle,” John Brown, 1930, HMS “Basilisk,” John Brown, 1930, HMS “Boadicea,” Hawthorn Leslie, 1930, HMS “Boreas,” Palmer, Heburn, 1930, HMS “Brazen,” Palmer, Heburn, 1930, HMS “Brilliant,” Swan Hunter, 1930, HMS “Bulldog,” Swan Hunter, 1930, HMS “Acasta,” John Brown, 1929, HMS “Achates,” John Brown, 1929, HMS “Acheron,” Thorneycroft, 1930, HMS “Active,” Hawthorn Leslie, 1930, HMS “Antelope,” Hawthorn Leslie, 1929, HMS “Anthony,” Scotts, 1929, HMS “Ardent,” Scotts, 1929 and HMS “Arrow,” Vickers Armstrong, Barrow, 1929.  HMS “BOADICEA.” Cribb.  HMS “ANTHONY.” Wright & Logan. Displacement: “B” Class 1360 tons, “A”, Class 1350 tons. Complement: 138. Dimensions: 323ft x 32ft 3inch x 12ft draught. HP & speed: 34,000 at 35 knots. Guns: Four 4.7inch, six smaller. Torpedo Tubes: Eight 21inch quadruple mounted. “DEFENDER” CLASS. Comprise six ships, HMS “Defender,” Vickers Armstrong, 1932, HMS “Diamond,” Vickers Armstrong, 1932, HMS “Decoy,” Thorneycroft, 1933, HMS “Dainty,” Fairfield, 1933, HMS “Delight,” Fairfield, 1933 and HMS “Diana,” Palmers, 1932.  HMS “DELIGHT.” Cribb. Displacement: 1,375 tons. Complement: 145. Dimensions: 326ft x 33ft x 8ft 6inch. HP & speed: 36,000 at 36 Knots. Guns: Four 4.7inch; six smaller. Torpedo Tubes: Eight 21inch. ECLIPSE AND FEARLESS CLASS. Comprise seventeen ships, HMS “Eclipse,” Denny, 1934, HMS “Echo,” Denny, 1934, HMS “Escapade,” Scotts,” 1934, HMS “Escort,” Scotts, 1934, HMS “Esk,” Swan Hunter, 1934, HMS “Express,” Swan Hunter, 1934, HMS “Electra,” Hawthorn Leslie, 1934, HMS “Encounter,” Hawthorn Leslie, 1934, HMS “Fearless,” Cammell Laird, 1934, HMS “Foresight,” Cammell Laird, 1934, HMS “Foxhound,” John Brown, 1934, HMS “Fortune,” John Brown, 1934, HMS “Forester,” White, 1934, HMS “Fury,” White, 1934, HMS “Fame,” Vickers Armstrong, 1934 and HMS “Firedrake,” Vickers Armstrong, 1934.  HMS “ESCAPADE.” Perkins. Displacement: 1375 tons. Complement: 145. Dimensions: 329ft x 33ft 3inch x 8ft 6inch. HP & speed: 36,000 at 36 Knots. Guns: Four 4.7inch; six smaller. Torpedo Tubes: Eight 21inch and Depth-Charge Throwers. Go to Chapter Six |
