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Hunt Class Type 1 (1940) DE |
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| By 1938
it was clear the war was not far off, and the Hunt Class (Type 1) was the
result of the need for a convoy escort vessel with anti-aircraft
capabilities, and a good speed to allow them to undertake some destroyer
functions. A speed of 30 kts was not needed for ASW work because ASDIC would
not operate at speeds above 20 kts, but was useful for transit and chasing
operations.
Initial orders were verbally placed in Jan-1939, confirmed in Mar-1939, and an additional 10 ordered 11-Apr-1939. Nine were laid down by Jun-1939 and when WW2 started 18 were on the slipways. In the rush to get get ships under construction a serious design error was made which was not spotted until the lead ship HMS Atherstone was fitting out. The error resulted in reduced stability which meant the third 4in twin turret had to be removed. A major problem as 23 ships were under construction beyond the point where their design could be altered to retain the third turret. By the end of 1940, 19 Hunts were in service mainly on East coast and Channel convoy escort. In 1943 several went to the Mediterranean. After WW2 ended all went into Reserve and saw no more service. Several were later sold to other navies.
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This page last edited -
01 April, 2013.
Copyright © Ian M King, except where otherwise indicated. |
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