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    British Destroyers: J-C and Battle Classes
    British Destroyers: J-C and Battle Classes
    British Destroyers: J-C and Battle Classes
    Ebook180 pages1 hour

    British Destroyers: J-C and Battle Classes

    By Les Brown

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    About this ebook

    “A terrific author . . . invaluable to the modeler wishing to reproduce these classes of destroyers, and also to those interested in naval history.”—IPMS Magazine
     
    The ShipCraft series provides in-depth information about building and modifying model kits of famous warship types. Lavishly illustrated, each book takes the modeler through a brief history of the subject class, highlighting differences between sisterships and changes in their appearance over their careers. This includes paint schemes and camouflage, featuring color profiles and highly detailed line drawings and scale plans. The modeling section reviews the strengths and weaknesses of available kits, lists commercial accessory sets for super-detailing of the ships, and provides hints on modifying and improving the basic kit. This is followed by an extensive photographic survey of selected high-quality models in a variety of scales, and the book concludes with a section on research references—books, monographs, large-scale plans and relevant websites.
     
    A follow-up to ShipCraft 11 on inter-war destroyers, this new volume deals with the later classes which were the most modern British destroyers of the Second World War. Marked by a common single-funneled silhouette, they were actually very varied, ranging from the large and powerful J to N flotillas, via the austere “War Emergency” classes that were built in large numbers, to the radically different “Battle” class, designed with a powerful AA armament for service in the Pacific.
     
    “This book will be of interest to those who want an easy reference book that covers the British and Australian destroyers of this period, especially with regard to camouflage and overall appearance in service.”—Australian Naval Institute
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherOpen Road Integrated Media
    Release dateJul 3, 2013
    ISBN9781473826687
    British Destroyers: J-C and Battle Classes
    Author

    Les Brown

    LES BROWN is a leading light in the Small Warships Group of the IPMS and the editor of their newsletter. He is the author of a number of titles in the ShipCraft series, including two on British destroyers, and, with John Lambert, he produced two larger works, one on ‘Flower’ class corvettes and another on Allied torpedo boats. He also wrote the volume on Black Swan Class Sloops in Seaforth’s ‘Original Builders’ Plans’ series.

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      Book preview

      British Destroyers - Les Brown

      Design, Construction & Modifications

      Aprevious volume in this series, ShipCraft 11, was devoted to interwar British destroyers of the broadly similar ‘A’ to ‘I’ classes, but concluded with the radically different ‘Tribal’ class. This one covers the succeeding classes, from the ‘J’s, which were entering service at the outbreak of the war, to the ‘Battle’s, which were just commissioning at its conclusion. Thus, the earlier title features the two-funnelled classes and this one their single-funnelled successors.

      ‘J’ AND ‘K’ CLASSES

      The ‘Tribal’ class of 1935 were considered too large by some naval officers and the Admiralty’s requirement for the next class was for smaller vessels but still with a powerful gun armament (HA/LA) and two sets of torpedo tubes (the ‘Tribal’s carried only one set). There was a great deal of discussion regarding the guns and the relative importance of LA and HA fire – 4in or 4.7in calibre, single or twin mountings and 40° or 70° elevation were all considered. Priority was given to surface engagements, hence the selection of the 4.7in gun with limited elevation (just 40°) but using a heavier 62lb shell (even though it was thought that a shortage of mountings would require the first ships of the class to be fitted with at least two single mountings initially), and the pentad torpedo tubes.

      One particular requirement was for a small silhouette and hence a single funnel was adopted, and much attention was paid to stability. The ships were to have longitudinal framing rather than transverse framing, a change from normal practice but one which had been used for one destroyer (Ardent built by Denny) before the First World War. There was also a lot of discussion regarding how many boilers were to be fitted, eventually two (which suited the single funnel) being selected.

      The first sketch designs were submitted in August 1936 and, after some redrawing of the lines and a series of model tests, the final legend was submitted for approval in February 1937. Although completed building drawings were not available, tenders were requested almost immediately with the intention of placing orders by the end of March. The tenders were each for one ‘J’ class and one ‘K’ class vessel, the contracts for the ‘J’ class to be placed in March and those for the ‘K’ class in April. As for the preceding ‘Tribal’ class, the number of vessels was limited to just eight per flotilla with the leaders (Jervis and Kelly) being easily distinguished by the larger aft deckhouse and hence insufficient room on the quarterdeck to fit the Two Speed Destroyer Sweep (TSDS) gear. TSDS was not fitted to any of the ‘K’ class. The building drawings were formally approved in April and John Brown were given the task of laying off the vessels’ lines.

      HMS Jersey on builders’ trials (note the J S White flag at the stern) in April 1939. The visible crew are civilians and some of the equipment – notably the rangefinder – is yet to be fitted. (National Maritime Museum N11333)

      The aft gun mounting (‘X’ mounting) was initially installed to be stowed facing forwards, hence giving a 20° blind arc aft, but this was later reversed. The ships were intended to protect themselves against air attack, primarily with a quadruple 2pdr mounting fitted aft of the funnel where it had wide firing arcs, particularly astern, and with quadruple 0.5in machine guns mounted on the bridge wings protecting the forward arcs. Gun control was provided by the Director Control Tower (DCT) which transmitted both elevation and bearing signals to pointers on the mountings for the operators (layer and trainer) to follow, firing being by the director layer when ordered. Although the DCT had been modified to accept AA fire control instruments, it proved unsuitable for AA engagements and was only used for surface combat. The rangefinder was sited abaft the DCT and later carried a Type 285 radar antenna.

      The torpedo tubes could train on either beam and were fired electrically from the bridge. As well as the TSDS, the vessels carried two depth charge throwers and a rack for 20 depth charges. There was also a 44in searchlight fitted amidships and the ships were fitted with a light tripod mast. Both leaders, Jervis and Kelly, were to be fitted with D/F equipment. These vessels were considered to be very seaworthy but some problems were experienced with spray over the bridge and ‘B’ gun mounting. A number of captains also expressed reservations regarding the number and types of boats carried. Even though these were smaller vessels than the ‘Tribal’s, being shorter and carrying two less guns but an additional set of torpedo tubes, they were no less complex and cost was increased.

      In May 1940 pennant numbers of the ‘J’ and ‘K’ classes were changed, the digits remaining the same but the preceding letter (‘flag superior’) changing from ‘F’ to ‘G’. Degaussing equipment was fitted in the later ships while they were under construction and as the opportunities arose for the earlier vessels (eg Janus in January 1940, Jervis and Jupiter in February, Jaguar in October and Kingston in April 1940).

      As they became available radars Types 286, 285 and 252 were fitted, as were direction finding equipments FH3 (HF/DF) and FM7 (MF/DF). Javelin received Type 286 (a modified RAF set) in June 1940 and Jervis received Type 285 in October 1942 whilst at Alexandria. Nestor received Type 285 from her builders in April 1941, shortly after her completion. Janus was fitted with HF/DF equipment in December 1943.

      The four ships of the first two classes that survived the war (Jervis, Javelin, Kelvin and Kimberley) were fitted with lattice masts to support various antennas, Jervis and Kelvin receiving radar Type 271, Javelin receiving Type 272 and Kimberley Type 276. Jervis had her equipment fitted whilst in Belfast in late 1944/early 1945. Lattice masts were also fitted to the ‘N’ class repeats Napier, Nizam, Norseman and Norman, this last also having a pole mast aft to carry the HF/DF antenna.

      AA protection was enhanced by the fitting of 20mm Oerlikon mountings in lieu of the bridge wing machine guns, some vessels receiving these while still under construction and before completion. Additional mountings were also added on both sides of the searchlight and, in some cases, on the quarterdeck. Initially single mountings were fitted but the majority were later replaced by twin mountings. Jupiter received some in July 1941 and Jervis had two fitted in November 1942. Napier received an additional pair in September 1941 and yet another pair in April 1942, whilst at Bombay. For a period (late 1941/1942), a single 4in AA gun replaced the aft set of torpedo tubes.

      This photograph of HMS Kandahar was taken at Alexandria during 1941. The aft gun is stowed facing forwards and she carries two sets of torpedo tubes. (National Maritime Museum N31759)

      ‘L’ AND ‘M’ CLASSES

      The main requirement for the next class of destroyers was higher speed (in order to maintain a reasonable margin over the increasing speed of capital ships) and weatherproof gun mountings. The latter would increase weight significantly, despite a reduction in the number of torpedoes, and therefore much higher power would be

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