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Hunt Class Type 2 (1941) DE |
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| By 1938
it was clear the war was not far off, and the Hunt Class 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.
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 required the third 4in twin turret 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. These were designated Hunt Class Type 1. The Type 2 ships, corrected the design error by increasing the beam from 29ft (8.84m) to 31ft 6in (9.6m). This allowed the third twin 4in turret to be retained as originally intended. On completion almost the entire class served in the Mediterranean, from summer 1941 to early 1945. Only a few saw post WW2 service in the Royal Navy and most were transferred to other Allied Navies. The numbers in service reduced rapidly during the 1950's but HMS Farndale lasted until 1962
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This page last edited -
24 January, 2013.
Copyright © Ian M King, except where otherwise indicated. |
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