RN Destroyers: Battle Class

[ivorthediver]

Yes Tim I can see his cheeky grin now ....

[timlewin]

'ee were a good lad; we were talking about squids, here are a couple more from that period with the bombs in flight....or did I post these already?

[timlewin]

they really were fine looking ships; the idea of the single 4.5 abaft the funnel was to fire star shell while still allowing the two main turrets to continue to fire HE without interruption. All of which made sense when they were laid down/designed but was all rather eclipsed by the rapid improvements in radar.

[ivorthediver]

'ee were a good lad; we were talking about squids, here are a couple more from that period with the bombs in flight....or did I post these already?

Well if you had Tim , I missed them [ figuratively speaking that is ] thanks very much for sharing with us .

What a change over those brief years from just getting in the approx location to drop Depth Charges , to Hedge hog which was better but still hit or miss , to Squid which certainly got their attention along with better detection as I understand it

[DaveH]

Tim , Some of them were fitted with a 4.7 abaft the Funnel for High Altitude Air Defence --- Codrington is one that comes to mind .

[Brian James]

Battle Class Destroyer HMS Barrosa pictured as she steams through the ripples left by her Squid ASW mortars.

[Little h]

Camperdown D32 at speed

Camperdown D32 at speed img244 (2).jpg

[Little h]

BZ Hon Mod Jim great additions to the collection on this thread.

Screen provided by Battle Class Destroyers of the 1st DS and Super Battles of the 7th DS with Bermuda C52 as the main body.

1st DS img030.jpg

Screenshot (4429) jpeg.jpg

[Little h]

Two more Camperdown D32

1st DS img183 (2).jpg

HMS CAMPERDOWN.jpg

[Little h]

HMS Saintes R84/D84 as gunnery trials ship


1942 BATTLE-Class Fleet Destroyer ordered From Hawthorn Leslie at Newcastle on 27th April 1942 with ships of the 1st and 2nd Flotillas on 27th April 1942. The ship was laid down on 8t.h June 1943 and launched on 19th July 1944. She was the 1st RN ship to carry this name which commemorates the brilliant action by Sir Samuel Hood in Frigate Bay on 12 April 1782. Build was completed on 29th September 1946 after delay due to late delivery of the Mk VI Gunnery Director and further problems to installation of the fire-control system. This delay enabled snip to be completed with the more modem design of ten centimetre Radar Type 293 with associated display units. During build she was fitted with a Dutch designed twin Bofor mounting controlled by an RN radar, but this proved to be unsatisfactory and was removed during later service. The new design Mark VI Twin 4.5 inch mounting was fitted in B-position, but the Type 262 radar controlled AA mounting was not installed during build, as in the later 1943 BATTLE Class. This ship was designed for use as a Flotilla Leader and had the necessary additional accommodation and office facilities.

S u m m a r y o f S e r v i c e

(for more ship information, go to Naval History Homepage and type name in Site Search)

1 9 4 5 Build completion delayed by deliver of Mk VI Director.

1 9 4 6
January Contractors trials
to Completion of fire-control and radar installations.
August (Note : For details of development arid use of radar in the Royal Navy see
RADAR AT AT SEA by D Howse
Selected for use as Gunnery Trials Ship for new mounting after acceptance.
September Commissioned for trials.
26th Build completion date and commenced acceptance trials.

October On completion of trials and calibrations took passage to Portsmouth for service as
to Gunnery Trials Ship attached to HMS EXCELLENT.
December Deployed for trials on new Mark VI twin 4.5" mounting.

1 9 4 7 Deployed at Portsmouth and as required for Gunnery trials and training.

1 9 4 8 Gunnery trials and training attached to HMS EXCELLENT in continuation.
Selected for service in 3rd Destroyer Flotilla, Mediterranean Fleet.
Pennant Number for visual signalling purposes changed to D84.

1 9 4 9
January Gunnery Trials and training deployment in continuation.
to May
June Prepared for commissioning with full complement.
July Joined 3rd Destroyer Flotilla on formation with HM Destroyers ARMADA, GRAVELINES
and VIGO. Deployed as Leader.
August Flotilla trials and exercises prior to deployment.
to Passage to Mediterranean for service in Destroyer Command in place of V-Class.
December Attached to HM Depot Ship FORTH based in Malta.

Above excerpt taken from navy-history.net
SERVICE HISTORIES of ROYAL NAVY WARSHIPS in WORLD WAR 2
by Lt Cdr Geoffrey B Mason RN (Rtd) (c) 2003
HMS SAINTES (R 84) - Battle-class Destroyer

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There is currently a photo on e-Bay showing Saintes R84 with the new design Mark VI Twin 4.5 gun turret in position on 'B' gun deck.