C-class destroyer (1943)

Cavalier, flying paying off pennant, June 1946
Class overview
Operators:	Royal Navy  Royal Norwegian Navy  Royal Canadian Navy  Pakistan Navy
Preceded by:	W and Z class
Succeeded by:	Weapon class
Subclasses:	Ca-, Ch-, Co-, Cr-
In commission:	1944 - 1972
Planned:	34
Completed:	32
Cancelled:	2
Retired:	31
Preserved:	1
General characteristics Ca class
Type:	Destroyer
Displacement:	1,710 long tons (1,740 t) standard 2,530 long tons (2,570 t) full load
Length:	362 ft 9 in (110.57 m) o/a 339 ft 6 in (103.48 m) pp
Beam:	35 ft 9 in (10.90 m)
Draught:	10 ft (3.05 m)
Propulsion:	2 Admiralty 3-drum boilers, Parsons single-reduction geared steam turbines, 40,000 shp (30 MW), 2 shafts
Speed:	36 kn (67 km/h; 41 mph) 32 kn (59 km/h; 37 mph) (full load)
Range:	4,675 nautical miles (8,658 km; 5,380 mi) at 20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph) 1,400 nautical miles (2,600 km; 1,600 mi) at 32 knots (59 km/h; 37 mph)
Complement:	186 (222 as leader)
Armament:	4 × QF 4.5-inch (113 mm) L/45 Mk IV guns on mounts CP Mk.V 2 × Bofors 40 mm L/60 guns on twin mount "Hazemeyer" Mk.IV; 4 × Single QF 2-pounder (40 mm) Mk.XVI guns 8 (2 × 4) tubes for 21-inch (533 mm) torpedoes Mk.IX 80 depth charges
General characteristics (Ch-, Co- & Cr- class)
Displacement:	1,900 long tons (1,930 t) standard 2,535 long tons (2,576 t) full load
Draught:	10 ft 6 in (3.20 m)
Armament:	4 × QF 4.5-inch (113-mm) L/45 Mk IV guns on mounts CP Mk.V 2 × Bofors 40 mm L/60 guns on twin mount "Hazemeyer" Mk.IV; 2 × single 2-pounder 2 × 20 mm Oerlikon cannon
Notes:	Other characteristics as per Ca- class

The C class was a class of 32 destroyers of the Royal Navy that were launched from 1943 to 1945. The class was built in four flotillas of 8 vessels, the "Ca", "Ch", "Co" and "Cr" groups or sub-classes, ordered as the 11th, 12th, 13th and 14th Emergency Flotillas respectively. The sub-class names are derived from the initial 2 letters of the member ships' names, although the "Ca" class were originally ordered with a heterogeneous mix of traditional destroyer names. A fifth flotilla, the "Ce" or 15th Emergency Flotilla, was planned but were cancelled in favour of the Weapon-class destroyers after only the first two ships had been ordered. The pennant numbers were all altered from "R" superior to "D" superior at the close of World War II; this involved some renumbering to avoid duplications.

They were built as part of the War Emergency Programme, based on the hull and machinery of the pre-war J class, incorporating whatever advances in armament and naval radar were available at the time. Some of the class were completed in time for wartime service. All ships used the Fuze Keeping Clock High Angle Fire Control Computer.

The "Ca" flotilla were generally repeats of the preceding Z class, and as such had a main gun armament of four QF 4.5 in (114 mm) Mk IV guns on Mk V mounts, which could elevate to 55 degrees to give an anti-aircraft capability. Close-in anti-aircraft armament generally consisted of two 40mm Bofors guns in a twin stabilized Hazemayer mount, supplemented by four single 2-pounder "pom-pom" anti aircraft guns on power operated mounts. Caprice differed in having a quadruple 2-pounder "pom-pom" instead of the Hazemayer Bofors mount, while Cassandra had eight Oerlikon 20 mm cannon instead of the single pom-poms. Torpedo armament consisted of eight 21 in (533 mm) torpedoes in two quadruple mounts, while 70 depth charges could be carried.