W and Z-class destroyer

Class overview
Operators:  Royal Navy
South African Navy
 Royal Canadian Navy
 Yugoslav Navy
 Egyptian Navy
 Israeli Navy
Preceded by: U and V class
Succeeded by: C class
Subclasses: W, Z
In commission: 1943 - 1971
Completed: 16
Lost: 4 (as targets)
Retired: 12
General characteristics W class
Type:Destroyer
Displacement:1,710 tons (1,730 tonnes)
2,530 tons full (2,570 tonnes)
Length:362.75 ft (110.57 m) o/a
Beam:35.75 ft (10.90 m)
Draught:10 ft (3.0 m)
Propulsion:2 Admiralty 3-drum boilers,
Parsons single-reduction geared steam turbines,
40,000 shp (29.8 MW), 2 shafts
Speed:36 kt / 32 kt full
Range:4,675 nmi at 20 kt
Complement:179 (225 as leader)
Sensors and
processing systems:
  • Radar Type 272 target indication
  • Radar Type 291 air warning
  • Radar Type 285 fire control on director Mk.III(W)
  • Radar Type 282 fire control on 40 mm mount Mk.IV
Armament:
  • 4 x QF 4.7 inch (120-mm) L/45 Mk.IX guns, single mounts CP Mk.XXII
  • 4 x QF 2-pounder (40-mm) Mk.VIII "pom-poms", quad mount Mk.VII, or;
  • 4 x A/A mountings;
    • twin 20 mm Oerlikon Mk.V
    • single Bofors 40 mm Mk.III or "Boffin" Mk.V
    • single QF 2 pdr Mk.XVI
  • 8 (4x2) tubes for 21-inch (530 mm) torpedoes Mk.IX
  • 2 racks & 4 throwers for 70 depth charges
General characteristics (Z class)
Displacement:1,830 tons (1,860 tonnes)
2,530 tons full (2,570 tonnes)
Sensors and
processing systems:		Radar Type 293 target indication Radar Type 285 fire control on director type K
Armament:4 x QF 4.5 in (113 mm) Mk.IV guns, single mounts CP Mk.V
Notes:Other characteristics as per W class

The W and Z class was a class of sixteen destroyers of the Royal Navy launched in 1943–1944. They were constructed as two flotillas, with names beginning with "W-" and "Z-", respectively, although, like the preceding U and V class, two of the flotilla leaders were named after historical naval figures (as had been Royal Navy practice during the inter-war years). They were known as the 9th and 10th Emergency Flotilla, respectively and served as fleet and convoy escorts in World War II. None were lost during World War II but INS Eilat (originally HMS Zealous) was sunk during the Israel-Egypt conflict in October 1967 by Egyptian missile boats.

Design

Repeats of the preceding U and V class destroyers, with modified director structures. The Z class were armed with 4.5 inch guns.[1]

Ships

W class

Ship Shipyard Launched Fate/notes
Kempenfelt John Brown, Clydebank 8 May 1943 Flotilla leader. Sold to Yugoslavia 1956. After refit served as Kotor. Scrapped 1971[2]
Wager John Brown, Clydebank 1 November 1943 Sold to Yugoslavia 1956, served as Pula after refit. Scrapped 1971.
Wakeful Fairfields 30 June 1943 converted to Type 15 anti submarine frigate, later a training ship, scrapped 1971
Wessex Fairfields 2 September 1943 Transferred to South Africa, 1950 as Jan van Riebeeck Scrapped 1978.[3]
Whelp Hawthorn Leslie 3 June 1943 Transferred to South Africa, 1953 as Simon van der Stel. Scrapped Durban 1976.
Whirlwind Hawthorn Leslie 30 August 1943 converted to Type 15 A/S frigate, lost while used as target 1974
Wizard Vickers-Armstrong, Barrow 29 September 1943 Broken up in March 1967 at Inverkeithing.
Wrangler Vickers-Armstrong, Barrow 30 December 1943 Transferred to South Africa, 1957 as Vrystaat. Sunk as target 1976.

Z class

Ship Shipyard Launched Fate/notes
Myngs Vickers-Armstrong, Tyneside launched 31 May 1943 Flotilla leader completed June 1944. Transferred to Egypt, 1955 as El Qaher. Sunk in 1970 by Israel aircraft[4]
Zephyr Vickers-Armstrong, Tyneside launched 15 July 1943 Broken up July 1958 at Dunston.
Zambesi Cammell Laird, Birkenhead 12 November 1943 Broken up December 1959 at Briton Ferry.
Zealous Cammell Laird 28 February 1944 Transferred to Israel 1955 as Eilat, sunk 1967 in action.
Zebra William Denny and Brothers, Dunbarton 8 March 1944 Broken up February 1959 at Newport.
Zenith Denny 5 June 1944 Refitted 1950. Transferred to Egypt, 1955 as El Fateh Modernised in UK 1963-1964.[5]
Zest John I. Thornycroft, Woolston 14 October 1943 Refitted 1945. Sold in 1969 and broken up 1970[6]
Zodiac John I. Thornycroft 11 March 1944 Transferred to Israel, 1955 as Yaffo. Taken out of service in 1972[7]

See also

References

Notes
  1. ↑ March, p.419.
  2. ↑ HMS KEMPENFELT (ii) (R 03) - W-class Flotilla Leader
  3. ↑ HMS WESSEX (ii) (R 78) - W-class Destroyer
  4. ↑ HMS MYNGS (R 06) - Z-class Flotilla Leader
  5. ↑ HMS ZENITH (R 95) - Z-class Destroyer
  6. ↑ HMS ZEST (R 02) - Z-class Destroyer
  7. ↑ HMS ZODIAC (R 52) - Z-class Destroyer
Bibliography

External links

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