Battle-class destroyer

HMAS Anzac
Class overview
Name:	Battle class
Operators:	Royal Australian Navy  Royal Navy Imperial Iranian Navy  Pakistan Navy
Preceded by:	Weapon class
Succeeded by:	Daring class
Subclasses:	"1942", "1943"
Completed:	26
General characteristics
Type:	Destroyer
Displacement:	1942 ships: 2,315 tons standard / 3,290 tons full load 1943 ships: 2,480 tons standard / 3,430 tons full load
Length:	379 ft (116 m)
Beam:	1942 ships: 40 ft 3 in (12.27 m) 1943 ships: 40 ft 6 in (12.34 m)
Draught:	12.75 ft (3.89 m) standard 15.3 ft (4.7 m) full load
Propulsion:	2 Admiralty 3-drum boilers, 2 Parsons geared steam turbines, 2 shafts, 50,000 shp (37 MW)
Speed:	1942 ships: 34 knots (63 km/h) 1943 ships: 35.75 knots (66.21 km/h)
Range:	4,400 nmi (8,100 km) at 20 knots (37 km/h)
Complement:	1942 ships: 247 peace time, 308 war 1943 ships: 232 peace time, 268 war
Armament:	1942 Battle 2 × twin 4.5 in guns QF Mark III on mounting BD Mk. IV 1 × single 4 in gun QF Mk. XXIII on mount Mk. III (First six ships only. Later removed) 4 × twin 40 mm Bofors mounts "Hazemeyer" Mk. IV 4-6 × single 40 mm Bofors mounts Mk. VII 2 × quad tubes for 21 in (533 mm) torpedoes Mk. IX Two depth charge rails. Four depth charge throwers. Depth charges later replaced by 1 × Squid A/S mortar 1943 Battle 2 × twin 4.5 in guns QF Mark III on mount BD Mk. IV 1 × single 4.5 in gun QF Mark IV on mount CP Mk. V 2 × twin 40 mm Bofors mounts "STAAG" Mk. II 1 × twin 40 mm Bofors mounts "utility" Mk. V 2 × single 40 mm Bofors mount Mk. VII 2 × quintuple tubes for 21 in torpedoes Mk. IX 1 × Squid A/S mortar

The Battle class were a class of destroyers of the British Royal Navy (RN) and Royal Australian Navy (RAN), named after naval or other battles fought by British or English forces. Built in three groups, the first group were ordered under the 1942 naval estimates. A modified second and third group, together with two ships of an extended design were planned for the 1943 and 1944 estimates. Most of these ships were cancelled when it became apparent that the war was being won and the ships would not be required, although two ships of the third group, ordered for the RAN, were not cancelled and were subsequently completed in Australia.

Seven Battles were commissioned before the end of World War II, but only Barfleur saw action, with the British Pacific Fleet.

The first years of World War II had shown that British destroyers were ill-equipped to deal with concentrated air attacks, and the Royal Navy suffered heavy losses as a result. In 1941 urgent consideration of the problem led to a naval staff requirement for a new class of large fleet destroyer with High Angle (HA) twin guns and an HA control system. It was decided that this main armament would be set forward in a superfiring configuration for all guns to engage one target. Arcs of fire were increased by setting the bridge structure further aft than normal. The proposed anti-aircraft (AA) armament were eight 40/60 mm guns in twin mountings set atop the middle and after deck houses to give all around, overlapping arcs of fire. These were to be supplemented by 20 mm guns positioned variously around the ship. Eight 21-inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes were to be carried in two quadruple mounts. A/S armament called for two depth charge rails and four depth charge throwers to be fitted. A new feature was the first use of stabilisers in a destroyer, allowing a steady platform for AA gunnery.

With these parameters accepted, a sketch design was approved in the autumn of 1941 and orders for sixteen ships (two flotillas) were placed under the 1942 programme. Considerably larger than the standard fleet destroyer, these ships were seen as a replacement for the Tribal class which had already suffered many losses. With a length of 379 feet (116 m) they were two feet longer than the Tribals and with a beam of 40 feet 3 inches (12.27 m) were just over three feet wider. It was decided to abandon the usual alphabetical naming of destroyer flotillas and name these ships after famous land and sea battles, thus these ships became known as the 1942 Battle class.

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Wikipedia