The Hunt class was a class of escort destroyers built for the Royal Navy during the early stages of the Second World War. The first vessels were ordered in early 1939 to meet the need for compact, well-armed, escort capable of fleet screening and convoy protection.[1]
Ships in the class were named after British fox hunting packs or hunting region, maintaining a tradition of naming Royal Navy vessels after countryside themes associated with rural Britain.[3]
The name 'Hunt class' continues in modern naval service with the current class of mine countermeasure vessels. These later vessels, introduced in the late 20th century, are built of glass-reinforced plastic (GRP) hulls to reduce magnetic signature and are minesweepers and minehunters.[4]
History
Before the Second World War, analysis by the Royal Navy concluded that two types of destroyer were necessary, large, heavily armed vessels designed for fleet operations and smaller, more economical ships for trade protection.[2] Older fleet destroyers were initially reallocated for escort work, they proved unsuited to the role. Their machinery, designed for high-speed manoeuvres, was inefficient at the slower speeds required for convoy escort, significantly reducing their operational range. Their hull forms, built for speed, offered poor sea-keeping at low speeds that was compounded by the addition of new equipment to their superstructures.[4]
A new type of warship was developed, this "fast escort vessel" sacrificed some gun and torpedo armament, as well as some speed, in favour of reduced cost, simplified construction and suitability for mass production. These vessels were later named "escort destroyers".[1] Eighty-six Hunt-class escort destroyers were completed during and shortly after the Second World War. Of these, seventy-two entered service with the Royal Navy and fourteen were transferred to Allied navies under various wartime agreements. A further fourteen ships were transferred to foreign navies in the post-war period.[3]
The Hunt-class destroyers were based on the 1938 escort sloopBittern, a 262-foot (80m) vessel displacing 1,190 tons, powered by 3,300shp (2,500kW) on geared steam turbines, capable of speeds up to 18.75kn (34.73km/h; 21.58mph). Her main armament comprised three twin Mark XIX mounts for the 4in (100mm) QF Mark XVI dual-purpose gun, which, when engaging aircraft, were directed by the Fuze Keeping Clock anti-aircraft fire control system.[4] The Hunt class was intended to carry a similar armament, with the addition of a quadruple QF 2-pounder Mark VII mount. The hull was designed to be the same length as Bittern, but with a beam reduced by 8 feet (2m) and increased installed power of 19,000shp (14,000kW) to deliver a maximum speed of 27 knots (50km/h).[1]
The first twenty vessels were ordered in March and April 1939. They were constructed to full Admiralty standards, consistent with contemporary destroyer practice, in contrast to wartime frigate designs, which more closely followed commercial shipbuilding norms.[5] The Hunts presented a significant design challenge. The original concept sacrificed range, beam, and hull size to meet urgent wartime requirements, limiting the class to operations in the North Sea and Mediterranean Sea. These constraints, combined with an overburdened design staff, led to miscalculations. When detailed weight and stability assessments were finally completed, it was found that the design had a centre of gravity higher than expected. As a result, the hull beam had to be increased during construction. Despite this adjustment, the first ships were still found to be up to 70 tons overweight and top-heavy, resulting in dangerously poor stability.
The first twenty ships, already under construction by the time the design flaw was confirmed, had to be modified. The aft 'X' mounting for the 4-inch gun was removed to lower topside weight, and approximately 50 tons of permanent ballast were added to restore some measure of stability. These modified ships became known as the Type I group. The quadruple 2-pounder mount, originally placed abaft the funnel, was moved to the 'X' position on the quarterdeck, which provided a better field of fire.The design deficiency in the Type I Hunt-class destroyers was addressed by modifying the hull dimensions. This involved splitting the hull lengthwise and inserting a 2.5 feet (0.8m) longitudinal section, increasing the beam to 31feet 6inches (9.60m). This improvement provided sufficient stability to carry the originally intended armament without compromising safety. Vessels built to this improved specification formed the Type II group. These also featured a revised bridge layout, with the compass platform extended forward to meet the face of the wheelhouse.[4]
Under the 1939 Emergency War Programme, 36 additional Hunt-class ships were ordered. Of these, three were completed to the original Type I specifications due to construction already being under way when the redesign was implemented.[1] The increased beam of the Type II design also allowed for a substantial rise in depth charge capacity, from 40 charges in the Type I to as many as 110. In the 1940 building programme, it was decided that torpedoes were needed, particularly for operations in the Mediterranean. The next 27 vessels were completed to a further revised design, the Type III group. These ships sacrificed the 'Y' 4-inch gun mounting on the quarterdeck to accommodate a pair of 21-inchtorpedo tubes amidships. This modification required the moving of the searchlight to the aft shelter deck.[5] Type III Hunts were readily identifiable by their straight funnels with sloping tops and by the absence of rake in the foremast. Fourteen ships of this group had their stabiliser fins omitted or removed during construction, with the vacant space used for additional fuel oil storage, thereby extending operational range.[4]
The final two ships of the Hunt class were developed independently from the main series and were based on a private design prepared before the war by John I. Thornycroft & Company. Although initially rejected by the Admiralty in 1938, a revised version was accepted in 1940. These ships became known as the Type IV group. They featured a novel hull form, with a U-shaped forward section incorporating a distinctive double knuckle, and a full centre section with a squared turn at the bilge. This hull configuration was intended to improve low-speed efficiency and reduce rolling, thereby enhancing their effectiveness as gun platforms without the need for ballast or stabilisers. Trials demonstrated an 8 per cent improvement in steaming efficiency at 20 knots (37km/h), in exchange for only a 2 per cent reduction in maximum speed when proceeding full ahead.[4]
A prominent feature of the Type IV design was the long fo'c'sle, which extended over most of the ship's length. This not only provided significantly improved internal accommodation, a common issue in wartime ships with enlarged crews but also allowed the vessel to be fought almost entirely under cover. The 'X' 4-inch gun mounting was now located at fo'c'sle deck level, rather than on a raised shelter deck as in earlier types. Although the hull was large enough to carry a triple set of 21-inch torpedo tubes, these were also positioned at fo'c'sle deck level, which necessitated the installation of their training gear on a lower deck due to space constraints.
The close-range anti-aircraft armament consisted of a pair of 20 mm Oerlikon guns mounted on the bridge wings and a pair of power-operated twin 0.5-inch Vickers machine guns amidships. The Vickers mountings proved ineffective in service and were soon replaced by the more capable twin Oerlikon Mark V power-operated mountings.[1] The improved accommodation and shelter provided by the extended fo'c'sle were found to be highly beneficial in operational conditions. Crews could remain closed up at action stations for long periods, often in severe weather, with a degree of protection that earlier designs lacked. Although the Type IV was ultimately a developmental cul-de-sac, its features influenced later post-war escort vessel designs. All Hunt-class ships, with the exception of three Type II vessels and the Type IV HMSBrissenden, were originally fitted with fin stabilisers forward to reduce rolling and improve stability as gun platforms. Most of the Type III ships later had these stabilisers removed to increase fuel capacity by 63 long tons (64t), extending operational endurance.[4]
Wartime Hunt-class losses
Hunt-class destroyers lost in the Second World War[6][7]
The Hunt-class destroyer was regarded as a successful and well-balanced design, although limited reserve displacement restricted the scope for modifications.[1] As Oerlikon 20 mm anti-aircraft guns became available, ships were fitted with a pair of single mountings in the bridge wings. The main armament fire control was enhanced by the addition of Type 285 radar, integrated with the Rangefinder-Director Mark I installed on the bridge. For air warning, the initial fit was the Type 286 radar installed at the masthead, which was superseded by Type 291. HMSCotswold, Silverton, Bleasdale and Wensleydale had their searchlights replaced by the Type 272 radar, a centimetric target indication set developed later in the war.[8] Ships employed in East Coast convoys, all Type I vessels and the Type IIs HMSAvon Vale, Blencathra and Liddesdale and the Type IIIs Bleasdale and Glaisdale were equipped with a QF 2-pounder "bow chaser" gun intended for E-boat defence.[9] Later in the war, most Type III ships had their single Oerlikon mounts replaced by powered twin Mark V mountings; some were fitted with two 40 mm Bofors guns, mounted forward of the wheelhouse and on the quarterdeck respectively.[4]
Post-war modifications
Following the end of the Second World War, a number of Hunt-class destroyers remained in service or were reactivated for emerging Cold War. Several ships underwent modernisation to improve habitability, update equipment, and enhance their utility for secondary roles. Many vessels had their wartime anti-aircraft armament rationalised or reduced, often retaining only a pair of twin 40 mm Bofors guns in powered Mark V mountings. The older 20 mm Oerlikons were generally removed due to their limited effectiveness against post-war threats.[8] Some ships, including HMSBrecon and HMSCatterick, were converted for use as aircraft direction frigates in the early 1950s. These conversions involved the addition of modern air warning and aircraft control equipment, notably the Type 277 height-finder radar and Type 293 target indicator, as well as additional communications fit.[5] Modifications to improve sea keeping and crew comfort included the enclosure of open bridge structures and the upgrading of accommodation and ventilation systems. Ships retained in reserve or placed on extended service often had non-essential wartime fittings stripped to simplify maintenance.
The first ten of the following were ordered on 21 March 1939, and the other ten on 11 April 1939. Three more were ordered on 4 September 1939 (see below) were intended to be of Type II, but were actually completed to the Type I design.
Fate: Paid off 20 May 1946. Sold to Nationalist China 1947 and renamed Lin Fu. Seized prior to delivery and re-sold 1949 to Egypt as Mohamed Ali el Kebir, renamed Ibrahim el Awal in 1951, captured by Israel on 31 October 1956 and commissioned as INS Haifa (K-38), decommissioned 1968, used as training target and sunk by a Gabriel missile.
Fate: Aircraft target ship 11 September 1945 to December 1946, when paid off. Sold to Ecuador 1954 and renamed Presidente Velasco Ibarra. 05/05/1978: Stricken and broken up.
Eighteen were ordered on 4 September 1939 and two more (Lauderdale and Ledbury) on the following day. Three of these were completed with the same armament as the Type I – Blencathra, Brocklesby and Liddesdale. A final batch of sixteen were ordered on 20 December 1939.
Critchley, Mike (1982). British Warships Since 1945: Part 3, Destroyers. Liskeard: Maritime Books. ISBN0-9506323-9-2.
Evans, Arthur S. (2010). Destroyer Down: An Account of HM Destroyer Losses 1939–1945. Barnsley: Pen & Sword Maritime. ISBN978-1-84884-270-0.
Friedman, Norman (2006). British Destroyers and Frigates: The Second World War and After. Barnsley: Seaforth. ISBN978-1-84832-015-4.
Winser, John de D. (1999). B.E.F. Ships Before, At and After Dunkirk. Gravesend: World Ship Society. ISBN0-905617-91-6.
Further reading
Cocker, Maurice (1981). Destroyers of the Royal Navy, 1893–1981. London: Ian Allan. ISBN0-7110-1075-7.
English, John (1987). The Hunts: A History of the Design, Development and Careers of the 86 Destroyers of This Class Built for the Royal and Allied Navies During World War II. Kendal: World Ship Society. ISBN0-905617-44-4.
Gardiner, Robert, ed. (1984). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1922–1946. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press. ISBN0-87021-913-8.
Ireland, Bernard (2003). Battle of the Atlantic. Barnsley: Naval Institute Press. ISBN978-1-59114-032-0.
Lenton, H. T. (1998). British and Empire Warships of the Second World War. London: Greenhill Books. ISBN1-85367-277-7.
Marriott, Leo. Royal Navy Destroyers Since 1945. London: Ian Allan. ISBN0-7110-1817-0.
Whitley, M. J. (1999). Destroyers of World War Two: An International Encyclopaedia. London: Arms and Armour Press. ISBN1-85409-521-8.
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