Wikipedia / Hunt-class destroyer
Wikipedia / Hunt-class destroyer
The Hunt class was a class of escort destroyers built for the Royal Navy during the early stages of the Second World War. The first vessels were ordered in early 1939 to meet the need for compact, well-armed, escort capable of fleet screening and convoy protection.
The class saw extensive wartime service, particularly in the defence of coastal convoys in the North Sea and English Channel, as well as in operations in the Mediterranean, including the Malta Convoys, the North African campaign, and the invasion of Sicily.
Ships in the class were named after British fox hunting packs or hunting region, maintaining a tradition of naming Royal Navy vessels after countryside themes associated with rural Britain.
History
Before the Second World War, analysis by the Royal Navy concluded that two types of destroyer were necessary, large, heavily armed vessels designed for fleet operations and smaller, more economical ships for trade protection. Older fleet destroyers were initially reallocated for escort work but they proved unsuited to the role. Their machinery, designed for high-speed manoeuvres, was inefficient at the slower speeds required for convoy escort, significantly reducing their operational range. Their hull forms, built for speed, offered poor sea-keeping at low speeds that was compounded by the addition of new equipment to their superstructures.
A new type of warship was developed, this "fast escort vessel" sacrificed some gun and torpedo armament, as well as some speed, in favour of reduced cost, simplified construction and suitability for mass production. These vessels were later named "escort destroyers". Eighty-six Hunt-class escort destroyers were completed during and shortly after the Second World War. Of these, seventy-two entered service with the Royal Navy and fourteen were transferred to Allied navies under various wartime agreements. A further fourteen ships were transferred to foreign navies in the post-war period.
Design
The Hunt-class destroyers were based on the 1938 escort sloop , a vessel displacing 1,190 tons, powered by on geared steam turbines, capable of speeds up to . Her main armament comprised three twin Mark XIX mounts for the 4in QF Mark XVI dual-purpose gun, which, when engaging aircraft, were directed by the Fuze Keeping Clock anti-aircraft fire control system. The Hunt class was intended to carry a similar armament, with the addition of a quadruple QF 2-pounder Mark VII mount. The hull was designed to be the same length as Bittern, but with a beam reduced by and increased installed power of to deliver a maximum speed of .
The first twenty vessels were ordered in March and April 1939. They were constructed to full Admiralty standards, consistent with contemporary destroyer practice, in contrast to wartime frigate designs, which more closely followed commercial shipbuilding norms. The Hunts presented a significant design challenge. The original concept sacrificed range, beam, and hull size to meet urgent wartime requirements, limiting the class to operations in the North Sea and Mediterranean Sea. These constraints, combined with an overburdened design staff, led to miscalculations. When detailed weight and stability assessments were finally completed, it was found that the design had a centre of gravity higher than expected. As a result, the hull beam had to be increased during construction. Despite this adjustment, the first ships were still found to be up to 70 tons overweight and top-heavy, resulting in dangerously poor stability.
The first twenty ships, already under construction by the time the design flaw was confirmed, had to be modified. The aft 'X' mounting for the 4-inch gun was removed to lower topside weight, and approximately 50 tons of permanent ballast were added to restore some measure of stability. These modified ships became known as the Type I group. The quadruple 2-pounder mount, originally placed abaft the funnel, was moved to the 'X' position on the quarterdeck, which provided a better field of fire.The design deficiency in the Type I Hunt-class destroyers was addressed by modifying the hull dimensions. This involved splitting the hull lengthwise and inserting a longitudinal section, increasing the beam to . This improvement provided sufficient stability to carry the originally intended armament without compromising safety. Vessels built to this improved specification formed the Type II group. These also featured a revised bridge layout, with the compass platform extended forward to meet the face of the wheelhouse.
Under the 1939 Emergency War Programme, 36 additional Hunt-class ships were ordered. Of these, three were completed to the original Type I specifications due to construction already being under way when the redesign was implemented. The increased beam of the Type II design also allowed for a substantial rise in depth charge capacity, from 40 charges in the Type I to as many as 110. In the 1940 building programme, it was decided that torpedoes were needed, particularly for operations in the Mediterranean. The next 27 vessels were completed to a further revised design, the Type III group. These ships sacrificed the 'Y' 4-inch gun mounting on the quarterdeck to accommodate a pair of 21-inch torpedo tubes amidships. This modification required the moving of the searchlight to the aft shelter deck. Type III Hunts were readily identifiable by their straight funnels with sloping tops and by the absence of rake in the foremast. Fourteen ships of this group had their stabiliser fins omitted or removed during construction, with the vacant space used for additional fuel oil storage, thereby extending operational range.
The final two ships of the Hunt class were developed independently from the main series and were based on a private design prepared before the war by John I. Thornycroft & Company. Although initially rejected by the Admiralty in 1938, a revised version was accepted in 1940. These ships became known as the Type IV group. They featured a novel hull form, with a U-shaped forward section incorporating a distinctive double knuckle, and a full centre section with a squared turn at the bilge. This hull configuration was intended to improve low-speed efficiency and reduce rolling, thereby enhancing their effectiveness as gun platforms without the need for ballast or stabilisers. Trials demonstrated an 8 per cent improvement in steaming efficiency at , in exchange for only a 2 per cent reduction in maximum speed when proceeding full ahead.
A prominent feature of the Type IV design was the long fo'c'sle, which extended over most of the ship's length. This not only provided significantly improved internal accommodation, a common issue in wartime ships with enlarged crews but also allowed the vessel to be fought almost entirely under cover. The 'X' 4-inch gun mounting was now located at fo'c'sle deck level, rather than on a raised shelter deck as in earlier types. Although the hull was large enough to carry a triple set of 21-inch torpedo tubes, these were also positioned at fo'c'sle deck level, which necessitated the installation of their training gear on a lower deck due to space constraints.
The close-range anti-aircraft armament consisted of a pair of 20 mm Oerlikon guns mounted on the bridge wings and a pair of power-operated twin 0.5-inch Vickers machine guns amidships. The Vickers mountings proved ineffective in service and were soon replaced by the more capable twin Oerlikon Mark V power-operated mountings. The improved accommodation and shelter provided by the extended fo'c'sle were found to be highly beneficial in operational conditions. Crews could remain closed up at action stations for long periods, often in severe weather, with a degree of protection that earlier designs lacked. Although the Type IV was ultimately a developmental cul-de-sac, its features influenced later post-war escort vessel designs. All Hunt-class ships, with the exception of three Type II vessels and the Type IV , were originally fitted with fin stabilisers forward to reduce rolling and improve stability as gun platforms. Most of the Type III ships later had these stabilisers removed to increase fuel capacity by , extending operational endurance.
Wartime Hunt-class losses
Modifications
The Hunt-class destroyer was regarded as a successful and well-balanced design, although limited reserve displacement restricted the scope for modifications. As Oerlikon 20 mm anti-aircraft guns became available, ships were fitted with a pair of single mountings in the bridge wings. The main armament fire control was enhanced by the addition of Type 285 radar, integrated with the Rangefinder-Director Mark I installed on the bridge. For air warning, the initial fit was the Type 286 radar installed at the masthead, which was superseded by Type 291. , , and had their searchlights replaced by the Type 272 radar, a centimetric target indication set developed later in the war. Ships employed in East Coast convoys, all Type I vessels and the Type IIs , and and the Type IIIs Bleasdale and were equipped with a QF 2-pounder "bow chaser" gun intended for E-boat defence. Later in the war, most Type III ships had their single Oerlikon mounts replaced by powered twin Mark V mountings; some were fitted with two 40 mm Bofors guns, mounted forward of the wheelhouse and on the quarterdeck respectively.
Post-war modifications
Following the end of the Second World War, a number of Hunt-class destroyers remained in service or were reactivated for emerging Cold War. Several ships underwent modernisation to improve habitability, update equipment, and enhance their utility for secondary roles. Many vessels had their wartime anti-aircraft armament rationalised or reduced, often retaining only a pair of twin 40 mm Bofors guns in powered Mark V mountings. The older 20 mm Oerlikons were generally removed due to their limited effectiveness against post-war threats. Some ships, including and , were converted for use as aircraft direction frigates in the early 1950s. These conversions involved the addition of modern air warning and aircraft control equipment, notably the Type 277 height-finder radar and Type 293 target indicator, as well as additional communications fit. Modifications to improve sea keeping and crew comfort included the enclosure of open bridge structures and the upgrading of accommodation and ventilation systems. Ships retained in reserve or placed on extended service often had non-essential wartime fittings stripped to simplify maintenance.
Ships by Type
Type I
The first ten of the following were ordered on 21 March 1939, and the other ten on 11 April 1939. Three more were ordered on 4 September 1939 (see below) were intended to be of Type II, but were actually completed to the Type I design.
Builder: Cammell Laird, Birkenhead
Laid down: 8 June 1939
Launched: 12 December 1939
Completed: 23 March 1940
Fate: Paid off October 1945 and broken up 25 November 1957.
Builder: Cammell Laird, Birkenhead
Laid down: 8 June 1939
Launched: 29 January 1940
Completed: 6 June 1940
Fate: Bombed during the Dieppe Raid 19 August 1942.
Laid down: 9 June 1939
Launched: 22 February 1940
Completed: 22 July 1940
Fate: paid off 26 March 1946, and broken up 2 July 1957
Laid down: 7 July 1939
Launched: 24 April 1940
Completed: 18 September 1940
Fate: Paid off September 1945; sold to be broken up 1957, but wrecked en route to the scrap yard.
Builder: Vickers-Armstrong, Tyne
Laid down: 8 June 1939
Launched: 28 December 1939
Completed: 28 August 1940
Fate: Paid off 1945 and broken up 28 May 1956.
Builder: Vickers-Armstrong, Tyne
Laid down: 8 June 1939
Launched: 25 January 1940
Completed: 1 November 1940
Fate: sunk by E-boat S-30, off Lowestoft, 25 February 1941
Builder: John Brown & Company, Clydebank
Laid down: 8 June 1939
Launched: 9 January 1940
Completed: 29 May 1940
Fate: Aircraft target ship August 1945 to 1947. Paid off 1947, and broken up 7 November 1956.
Builder: John Brown & Company, Clydebank
Laid down: 8 June 1939
Launched: 14 February 1940
Completed: 1 July 1940
Fate: Paid off December 1945 and broken up 15 August 1958.
Builder: Swan Hunter, Wallsend
Laid down: 8 June 1939
Launched: 12 December 1939
Completed: 8 June 1940
Fate: Paid off December 1945 and broken up 4 February 1958.
Builder: Swan Hunter, Wallsend
Laid down: 29 June 1939
Launched: 8 February 1940
Completed: 10 August 1940
Fate: Paid off 20 May 1946 and broken up 20 November 1956.
Laid down: 11 October 1939
Launched: 18 July 1940
Completed: 16 November 1940
Fate: Paid off 29 June 1946 and broken up 11 September 1957.
Builder: Yarrow Shipbuilders, Scotstoun
Laid down: 12 December 1939
Launched: 5 September 1940
Completed: 29 December 1940
Fate: paid off 28 February 1946, sold to Egypt in 1950 as Ibrahim el Awal, renamed Mohamed Ali el Kebir in 1951, scrapped.
Builder: Swan Hunter, Wallsend
Laid down: 10 August 1939
Launched: 9 April 1940
Completed: 12 October 1940
Fate: paid off 20 May 1946, sold to Nationalist China 1947 and renamed Lin Fu. Seized prior to delivery and re-sold 1949 to Egypt as Mohamed Ali el Kebir, renamed Ibrahim el Awal in 1951, captured by Israel on 31 October 1956 and commissioned as INS Haifa (K-38), decommissioned 1968, used as training target and sunk by a Gabriel missile.
Builder: Swan Hunter, Wallsend
Laid down: 10 August 1939
Launched: 7 June 1940
Completed: 30 December 1940
Fate: Aircraft target ship 11 September 1945 to December 1946, when paid off. Sold to Ecuador 1954 and renamed Presidente Velasco Ibarra. 05/05/1978: Stricken and broken up.
Laid down: 26 July 1939
Launched: 13 February 1940
Completed: 23 October 1940
Fate: Paid off August 1946 and broken up 1 December 1956.
Laid down: 26 July 1939
Launched: 22 April 1940
Completed: 6 February 1941
Fate: paid off December 1945, sold to Ecuador 1954 and renamed Presidente Alfaro.
Builder: J. Samuel White, Cowes
Laid down: 26 July 1939
Launched: 27 March 1940
Completed: 21 September 1940
Fate: sunk by a human torpedo off Normandy during the D-Day invasion, 2 August 1944
Builder: J. Samuel White, Cowes
Laid down: 22 August 1939
Launched: 5 July 1940
Completed: 8 November 1940
Fate: Aircraft target ship 8 September 1945 to 1946. Paid off 22 May 1946, and broken up 1 November 1956.
Laid down: 27 July 1939
Launched: 5 June 1940
Completed: 2 December 1940
Fate: Sunk by the German submarine U-593 on 12 December 1943.
Laid down: 27 July 1939
Launched: 16 July 1940
Completed: 28 February 1941
Fate: Paid off October 1945 and broken up 5 April 1959.
Type II
Eighteen were ordered on 4 September 1939 and two more (Lauderdale and Ledbury) on the following day. Three of these were completed with the same armament as the Type I – Blencathra, Brocklesby and Liddesdale. A final batch of sixteen was ordered on 20 December 1939.
Builder: John Brown & Company, Clydebank
Laid down: 12 February 1940
Launched: 23 October 1940
Completed: 17 February 1941
Fate: Paid off post-war; broken up at Sunderland, 15 May 1958
Builder: Cammell Laird, Birkenhead
Laid down: 15 May 1940
Launched: 17 March 1941
Completed: 18 August 1941
Fate: Transferred to Royal Norwegian Navy as Arendal; scrapped 1965
Builder: Cammell Laird, Birkenhead
Laid down: 17 July 1940
Launched: 9 June 1941
Completed: 3 November 1941
Fate: Sold to Royal Norwegian Navy in 1952 as HNoMS Haugesund; scrapped 1965
Builder: R. & W. Hawthorn, Leslie and Company, Hebburn-on-Tyne
Laid down: 25 May 1940
Launched: 23 July 1941
Completed: 9 May 1942
Fate: Loaned to Polish Navy as ORP Ślązak in 1942; returned 1946; sold to Indian Navy & commissioned as in 1953; scrapped 1979
Builder: R. & W. Hawthorn, Leslie and Company, Hebburn-on-Tyne
Laid down: 29 May 1940
Launched: 5 September 1941
Completed: 9 May 1942
Fate: Scrapped at Grays, 22 August 1956
Builder: Alexander Stephen and Sons, Glasgow
Laid down: 10 February 1940
Launched: 2 December 1941
Completed: 14 April 1942
Fate: Transferred to Royal Danish Navy in 1954 as Esbern Snare (F341); scrapped 1966
Builder: John Brown & Company, Clydebank
Laid down: 17 May 1940
Launched: 19 December 1940
Completed: 11 April 1941
Fate: Scrapped 1957
Builder: Cammell Laird, Birkenhead
Laid down: 18 November 1939
Launched: 6 August 1940
Completed: 14 December 1940
Fate: Scrapped at Barrow, 2 January 1957
Builder: Cammell Laird, Birkenhead
Laid down: 8 August 1940
Launched: 25 July 1941
Completed: 3 December 1941
Fate: Transferred to Royal Hellenic Navy as Themistocles in 1946; scrapped 1960
Builder: Cammell Laird, Birkenhead
Laid down: 14 August 1940
Launched: 30 December 1941
Completed: 3 April 1942
Fate: Sold for scrap 1968
Builder: Cammell Laird, Birkenhead
Laid down: 20 September 1940
Launched: 30 August 1941
Completed: 30 December 1941
Fate: Transferred to Royal Danish Navy in 1954 as Rolf Krake (F342); scrapped 1966
Builder: John Brown & Company, Clydebank
Laid down: 15 July 1940
Launched: 19 August 1941
Completed: 22 November 1941
Fate: Sold to Indian Navy; commissioned as in 1953; scrapped circa 1975
Builder: John Brown & Company, Clydebank
Laid down: 10 September 1940
Launched: 27 March 1942
Completed: 4 June 1942
Fate: Scrapped 1959
Builder: Cammell Laird, Birkenhead
Laid down: 5 November 1940
Launched: 30 September 1941
Completed: 22 November 1941
Fate: Scrapped 1957
Builder: Cammell Laird, Birkenhead
Laid down: 8 October 1940
Launched: 23 April 1941
Completed: 3 September 1941
Fate: Scuttled by after being hit by a Hs 293 glider bomb, 13 November 1943
Builder: Cammell Laird, Birkenhead
Laid down: 25 October 1940
Launched: 23 March 1941
Completed: 16 September 1941
Fate: Sold for scrap 1946
Builder: John Brown & Company, Clydebank
Laid down: 6 August 1939
Launched: 20 February 1940
Completed: 20 June 1940
Fate: Transferred to Royal Danish Navy in 1954 as Valdemar Sejr (F343); scrapped 1966
Builder: John Brown & Company, Clydebank
Laid down: 28 September 1940
Launched: 11 April 1942
Completed: 12 September 1942
Fate: Scrapped at Blyth, 4 December 1962
Builder: John Brown & Company, Clydebank
Laid down: 21 November 1940
Launched: 28 April 1942
Completed: 14 August 1942
Fate: Sunk by , 12 June 1942
Builder: John Brown & Company, Clydebank
Laid down: 10 January 1941
Launched: 30 September 1942
Completed: 23 January 1943
Fate: Sunk by , 20 March 1942
Builder: John Brown & Company, Clydebank
Laid down: 25 February 1941
Launched: 10 October 1942
Completed: 15 February 1943
Fate: Transferred to Royal Hellenic Navy as Kriti
Builder: R. & W. Hawthorn, Leslie and Company, Hebburn-on-Tyne
Laid down: 20 March 1940
Launched: 8 November 1940
Completed: 20 March 1941
Fate: Sank after hitting a mine, 22 October 1943
Builder: R. & W. Hawthorn, Leslie and Company, Hebburn-on-Tyne
Laid down: 28 March 1941
Launched: 18 September 1942
Completed: 16 February 1943
Fate: Sold to Indian Navy; commissioned as in 1953
Builder: Alexander Stephen and Sons, Glasgow
Laid down: 14 April 1941
Launched: 12 November 1942
Completed: 8 March 1943
Fate: Loaned to Royal Hellenic Navy as Aigaion in 1946; discarded 1959
Builder: Alexander Stephen and Sons, Glasgow
Laid down: 1 May 1941
Launched: 15 December 1942
Completed: 10 April 1943
Fate: Scrapped 1958
Builder: Vickers-Armstrongs, Tyne
Laid down: 10 May 1941
Launched: 20 March 1943
Completed: 7 August 1943
Fate: Broken up 1948
Builder: Cammell Laird, Birkenhead
Laid down: 3 June 1940
Launched: 16 March 1942
Completed: 8 August 1942
Fate: Scrapped 1958
(i)
Builder: Cammell Laird, Birkenhead
Laid down: 15 June 1940
Launched: 21 May 1942
Completed: 15 August 1942
Fate: Transferred to Polish Navy as Kujawiak; sunk after hitting mine 16 June 1942
(ii)
Builder: Cammell Laird, Birkenhead
Laid down: 20 July 1941 (as Tickham)
Launched: 14 June 1942
Completed: 10 November 1942
Fate: Sold to West Germany in 1958; served as Gneisenau; broken up 1972
Builder: Alexander Stephen and Sons, Glasgow
Laid down: 14 July 1941
Launched: 27 March 1943
Completed: 3 August 1943
Fate: Sunk by U-boat , 6 September 1943
Builder: John Brown & Company, Clydebank
Laid down: 15 August 1941
Launched: 18 June 1943
Completed: 14 September 1943
Fate: Transferred to Polish Navy as Krakowiak
Builder: John Brown & Company, Clydebank
Laid down: 10 March 1939
Launched: 17 October 1939
Completed: 20 January 1940
Fate: Sunk by a mine, 24 March 1942
Builder: Alexander Stephen and Sons, Glasgow
Laid down: 12 August 1941
Launched: 23 July 1943
Completed: 20 November 1943
Fate: Scrapped 1957
Builder: Alexander Stephen and Sons, Glasgow
Laid down: 28 August 1941
Launched: 5 August 1943
Completed: 12 November 1943
Fate: Scrapped 1959
Builder: Yarrow Shipbuilders, Scotstoun
Laid down: 18 September 1941
Launched: 21 October 1943
Completed: 1 February 1944
Fate: Scrapped 1958
Builder: Alexander Stephen and Sons, Glasgow
Laid down: 30 July 1940
Launched: 23 March 1942
Completed: 29 July 1942
Fate: Loaned to Norway 1952; sold to Norway 1956; scrapped 1965
Type III
Builder: Builder: John Brown & Company, Clydebank
Laid down: 27 November 1939
Launched: 17 July 1940
Completed: 9 December 1940
Fate: Lost 30 June 1942 after aerial attack
Builder: Builder: John Brown & Company, Clydebank
Laid down: 8 January 1940
Launched: 17 August 1940
Completed: 4 January 1941
Fate: Transferred to Federal German Navy in 1959 as Raule, scrapped in Hamburg in 1969
Builder: Cammell Laird, Birkenhead
Laid down: 7 March 1941
Launched: 20 November 1941
Completed: 29 March 1942
Fate: Mined and lost 12 December 1944
Builder: Cammell Laird, Birkenhead
Laid down: 2 April 1941
Launched: 18 December 1941
Completed: 5 May 1942
Fate: Scrapped at Borrowstounness ("Bo'ness") October 1957
Builder: Hawthorn Leslie, Hebburn
Laid down: 24 May 1941
Launched: 28 January 1942
Completed: 26 May 1942
Fate: Lost 30 December 1942, torpedoed by
Builder: Vickers-Armstrongs, Barrow-in-Furness
Laid down: 16 July 1941
Launched: 27 February 1942
Completed: 3 June 1942
Fate: Scrapped at Blyth in September 1956
Builder: Swan Hunter, Wallsend
Laid down: 16 December 1941
Launched: 28 September 1942
Completed: 9 March 1943
Fate: Transferred to Greece as Pindos scrapped in 1960
Builder: Swan Hunter, Wallsend
Laid down: 9 January 1942
Launched: 1 October 1942
Completed: 19 March 1943
Fate: Transferred to Greece as Adrias, written off after mine damage October 1943
Builder: Vickers-Armstrongs, Barrow-in-Furness
Laid down: 15 September 1942
Launched: 21 May 1943
Completed: 26 July 1943
Fate: Bought by Greece in 1946 as Hastings, scrapped at Piraeus June 1963
Builder: Vickers-Armstrongs, Barrow-in-Furness
Laid down: 5 October 1942
Launched: 19 June 1943
Completed: 3 August 1943
Fate: Torpedoed by aircraft and written off March 1943
Builder: J. Samuel White, Cowes
Laid down: 15 March 1940
Launched: 14 June 1941
Completed: 3 September 1941
Fate: Scrapped at Rosyth in January 1953
Builder: J. Samuel White, Cowes
Laid down: 1 May 1940
Launched: 21 February 1941
Completed: 15 June 1941
Fate: Sold to Federal German Navy in 1959 as Brommy, scrapped in 1969
Builder: Cammell Laird, Birkenhead
Laid down: 17 June 1940
Launched: 20 February 1941
Completed: 15 June 1941
Fate: Transferred to Royal Norwegian Navy, torpedoed by S 65 or S 112 on 13–14 April 1943
Builder: Cammell Laird, Birkenhead
Laid down: 2 September 1940
Launched: 23 June 1941
Completed: 7 October 1941
Fate: Transferred to Royal Norwegian Navy; bought by Norway in 1946 as Narvik, scrapped in 1963
Laid down: 12 June 1940
Launched: 9 May 1941
Completed: 12 September 1941
Fate: Lost after mine damage in July 1944
Laid down: 25 May 1940
Launched: 13 March 1941
Completed: 3 June 1941
Fate: Transferred to Free French Navy as , lost to mine February 1945
Builder: Vickers-Armstrongs, Barrow-in-Furness
Laid down: 22 August 1940
Launched: 15 May 1941
Completed: 25 September 1941
Fate: Transferred to Greece as Kanaris, returned to the Royal Navy and scrapped in 1960
Builder: Vickers-Armstrongs, Barrow-in-Furness
Laid down: 10 November 1941
Launched: 20 July 1942
Completed: 20 December 1942
Fate: Scrapped at Dunston-on-Tyne, May 1958
Laid down: 15 September 1940
Launched: 20 May 1941
Completed: 9 October 1941
Fate: Torpedoed by on 12 December 1943
Laid down: 25 September 1940
Launched: 30 May 1941
Completed: 22 October 1941
Fate: Torpedoed by German torpedo boat T22 on 22 October 1943
Builder: Swan Hunter, Wallsend
Laid down: 2 December 1941
Launched: 9 September 1942
Completed: 1 February 1943
Fate: Scrapped at Grays, November 1956
Builder: Swan Hunter, Wallsend
Laid down: 28 January 1942
Launched: 11 October 1942
Completed: 21 February 1943
Fate: Transferred to Greece as Miaoulis returned to the Royal Navy and scrapped in 1960
Builder: Vickers-Armstrongs, Barrow-in-Furness
Laid down: 7 January 1942
Launched: 27 August 1942
Completed: 11 December 1942
Fate: Torpedoed by S 115 on 3 December 1942
Builder: Vickers-Armstrongs, Barrow-in-Furness
Laid down: 14 August 1940
Launched: 10 April 1941
Completed: 3 August 1941
Fate: Written off after hit by Henschel Hs 293 glider bomb in November 1943
Builder: J. Samuel White, Cowes
Laid down: 6 June 1940
Launched: 18 March 1941
Completed: 14 June 1941
Fate: Scrapped at Dunston, September 1959
Builder: J. Samuel White, Cowes
Laid down: 9 June 1941
Launched: 25 March 1943
Completed: 4 November 1943
Fate: Sold for scrapping in 1961
Builder: Yarrow Shipbuilders, Scotland
Laid down: 4 February 1942
Launched: 7 November 1942
Completed: 20 April 1943
Fate: Bought by Greece in 1946 as Adrias, scrapped in 1964
Builder: Yarrow Shipbuilders, Scotland
Laid down: 21 February 1942
Launched: 5 December 1942
Completed: 18 May 1943
Fate: Written off after collision November 1944
Type IV
These very distinct vessels were built to a radically different private design by Thornycroft at Southampton, ordered on 28 July 1940.
Laid down: 27 February 1941
Launched: 27 June 1942
Completed: 18 December 1942
Fate: Paid off 4 December 1945 and broken up on 17 September 1962 at Faslane.
Laid down: 28 February 1941
Launched: 15 September 1942
Completed: 12 February 1943
Fate: Paid off 19 June 1948 and broken up on 3 March 1965 at Dalmuir.
Footnotes
Bibliography
Further reading
External links