V and W class destroyer
Encyclopedia : V : VA : VAN : V and W class destroyer
.jpg "HMS Wolverine from astern")
.jpg){kind=small}
The "V and W" class was an amalgam of very similar oil-fueled destroyer classes built around the end of the First World War for the Royal Navy. Some of the sub-classes were known by the name of their builder, e.g. "Thornycroft V and W class", but the generic title was normally used.
The "V and W" class were the ultimate evolution of British destroyer design in World War I, the first new post-war builds Ambuscade and Amazon, although incorporating many of the best features of the "V and W", were fresh appraisals of the type and formed the basis for most destroyers in the interwar period.
General Specifications
- Displacement: 1100 tons, 1490 tons deep load
- Length: 312 ft
- Beam: 29 ft
- Draught: 10 ft 6 in
- Machinery: 2 shaft geared turbines, 3 boilers 27,000 hp
- Speed: 34 knots
- Armament (designed):
- * 4 x QF 4 in /40 Mark IV on mounting P Mark IX
- * 2 x triple tubes for 21 inch torpedoes.
Most spent the period between the wars in reserve.
During World War II many ships were converted for convoy escort duty. Some were converted into long range escorts by removing a boiler and replacing it with extra fuel and depth charges. Other ships were converted to "WAIR" type anti-aircraft ships with two twin 4 in guns Mark XIX, a Mark II(W) rangefinder / fire-control director, air search radar, a new bridge structure and increased numbers of light AA weapons.
Although designed for fairly short dashes into the North Sea they very quickly found themselves in an ocean escort role once World War II started. The shortcomings of the design for that purpose were recognised and a number of ships were converted to escort destroyers, which meant removing one of the three boiler rooms and substituting increased fuel storage. The maximum speed of the conversions was around 25 knots.
Ships
Admiralty \"V\" class leaders
- Valentine 1 (lost on 15 May 1940)
- Valhalla
- Valkyrie
- Valorous 1
- Vampire, to Royal Australian Navy, (lost on 9 April 1942)
Admiralty \"V\" class
- Vancouver
- Vanessa 2
- Vanity 1
- Vanoc 2
- Vanquisher 2
- Vectis
- Vega 1
- Vehement (lost on 2 August 1918)
- Velox 2
- Vendetta, to Royal Australian Navy
- Venetia (lost on 19 October 1940)
- Venturous
- Verdun 1
- Versatile 2
- Verulam
- Vesper 2
- Vidette 2
- Vimiera 1 (lost on 9 January 1942)
- Violent
- Vittoria (lost on 1 September 1919)
- Vivacious 2
- Vivien 1
- Vortigern 3 (lost on 15 March 1942)
Admiralty \"W\" class
- Voyager, to Royal Australian Navy, (lost on 25 September 1942)
- Wakeful (lost on 29 May 1940)
- Walker 2
- Walpole 3 (lost on 6 January 1945)
- Walrus
- Warwick 2 (lost on 20 February 1944)
- Watchman 2
- Waterhen, to Royal Australian Navy, (lost on 30 June 1941)
- Wessex (lost on 24 May 1940)
- Westcott 2
- Westminster 1
- Whirlwind (lost on 5 July 1940)
- Whitley 1 (lost on 19 May 1940)
- Winchelsea 2
- Winchester 1
- Windsor 3
- Wolfhound 1
- Wrestler 2
- Wryneck 1 (lost on 27 April 1941)
- Viceroy 1
- Viscount 2
- Wolsey 1
- Woolston 1
Thornycroft modified \"V and W\" class
- Wishart 3 4
- Witch 3 4
Admiralty modified \"V and W\" class
- Vansittart 2 4
- Venomous 2 4
- Verity 2 4
- Veteran 3 (lost on 26 September 1942)
- Vimy 2
- Volunteer 2 4
- Wanderer 2 4
- Whitehall 2 4
- Whitshed 3 4
- Wild Swan 3 4 (lost on 17 June 1942)
- Witherington 3 4
- Wivern 3 4
- Wolverine 3 4
- Worcester 4
- Wren 4 (lost on 27 July 1940)
Notes:
- Fast escort.
- Long range escort.
- Short range escort.
- These ships had 4.7 inch guns instead of 4 inch guns.
From Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Original article here. Support Wikipedia by contributing or donating.
All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License See Wikipedia Copyrights for details.