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Hunt class destroyer

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The Hunt class was a class of "escort destroyer" (roughly analogous to the United States Navy's destroyer escort, they are never officially referred to as the latter) of the Royal Navy. They are named after British fox hunts. They served as convoy escorts in World War II.

The Hunt class were supposed to be quickly and cheaply built escort destroyers. The Type 1s were under armed; four 4" dual-purpose guns (capable of ship to ship and AA fire) in twin turrets. This was due to a major design error caused by rushed calculations in an overworked design department, leading to instability. One turret had to be removed and ballast added. The next batch of ships had their hulls split lengthways and widened while building to give 33 Type 2s with six 4" guns in 3 turrets. The subsequent 28 Type 3s carried four 4" guns but had two torpedo tubes amidships. The Type 4s were built to a larger different design by J I Thornycroft.

Except for the Type 1s, Hunt class destroyers served with the Royal Navy, Polish Navy, Royal Hellenic Navy (Greece) and Royal Norwegian Navy.

The modern Hunt class of GRP-hulled mine countermeasure vessels maintain the lineage of the Hunt class destroyers.

Contents

Type I

Hunt class
Type I

General Characteristics
Displacement: 1,000 t standard; 1,450 t full load
Length: 85 m (280 ft)
Beam: 8.8 m (29 ft)
Draught: 3.8 m (12 ft 6 inch)
Propulsion: 2 Admiralty 3 drum boilers, 2 shaft Parsons turbine, 19,000 shp
Speed: 29 kt
Range:
Complement: 146
Armament: 2 x twin 4 in Mk.XVI on mounting Mk.XIX
1 x quad 2 pdr "pom-pom" MK.VII
2 x single 20 mm Oerlikon AA
30 depth charges

Type II

Hunt class
Type II

General Characteristics
Displacement: 1,050 t standard; 1,610 t full load
Length: 85.3 m (280 ft) o/a
Beam: 9.6 m (31 ft 6 in)
Draught: 2.36 m (7 ft 9 in)
Propulsion: 2 Admiralty 3 drum boilers, 2 shaft Parsons turbine, 19,000 shp
Speed: 29 kt
Range: 3,600 nm at 14 kt
Complement: 146
Armament: 3 x twin 4 in Mk.XVI on mounting Mk.XIX
1 x quad 2 pdr "pom-pom" MK.VII
2 x single 20 mm Oerlikon AA
30 - 60 depth charges

Type III

Hunt class
Type III

General Characteristics
Displacement: 1,050 t standard; 1,610 t full load
Length: 85.3 m (280 ft) o/a
Beam: 10.16 m (33 ft 4 in)
Draught: 3.58 m deep (11 ft 9 in)
Propulsion: 2 Admiralty 3 drum boilers, 2 shaft Parsons turbine, 19,000 shp
Speed: 26 kt
Range: 272 t oil fuel, 2,350 nm at 20 kt
Complement: 146
Armament: 2 x twin 4 in Mk.XVI on mounting Mk.XIX
1 x quad 2 pdr "pom-pom" MK.VII
2 x single 20 mm Oerlikon AA]]
twin tubes for 21 in torpedoes Mk.IX 30 - 70 depth charges
The Type III "Hunts" came into service in 1941. Those not lost during the war or sold after the war were reclassified as frigates and scrapped by 1963.

Type IV

Hunt class
Type IV

General Characteristics
Displacement: 1,175 t standard; 1,700 t full load
Length: 90.22 m (296 ft) o/a
Beam: 9.6 m (31 ft 6 in)
Draught: 2.36 m (7 ft 9 in)
Propulsion: 2 Admiralty 3 drum boilers, 2 shaft Parsons turbine, 19,000 shp
Speed: 29 kt
Range: 3,600 nm at 14 kt
Complement: 146
Armament: 3 x twin 4 in Mk.XVI on mounting Mk.XIX
1 x quad 2 pdr "pom-pom" MK.VII
2 x single 20 mm Oerlikon AA
triple tubes for 21 in torpedoes Mk.IX 30 depth charges
Thornycroft improved and enlarged "Hunt" design.

Bibliography

External links

 

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