NAVYPEDIA

Ships

Name	No	Yard No	Builder	Laid down	Launched	Comp	Fate	Modification
Gatineau (ex-Express)	H61		Swan Hunter, Wallsend, UK	3/1933	29.5.1934	11/1934 // 6.1943	stricken 1.1946, BU 1956	"E" group
Saskatchewan (ex-Fortune)	H70		John Brown, Clydebank, UK	7/1933	29.8.1934	4/1935 // 6.1943	BU 1.1946	"F" group
Qu'Appelle (ex-Foxhound)	H69		John Brown, Clydebank, UK	8/1933	12.10.1934	6/1935 // 2.1944	stricken 5.1946, BU 1948	"F" group

Technical data

Displacement standard, t	1350 - 1405
Displacement full, t	2025 - 2095
Length, m	97.0 pp 100.3 oa
Breadth, m	10.1
Draught, m	3.96 - 4.01
No of shafts	2
Machinery	Gatineau: 2 sets Parsons geared steam turbines, 3 Admiralty 3-drum boilers Saskatchewan, Qu'Appelle: 2 sets Brown-Curtis geared steam turbines, 3 Admiralty 3-drum boilers
Power, h. p.	36000
Max speed, kts	36
Fuel, t	oil 471
Endurance, nm(kts)	6350(15)
Armament	Gatineau: 2 x 1 - 120/45 QF Mk IX, 1 x 1 - 76/45 QF Mk I/II/III/IV, 2 x 1 - 57/40 6pdr Hotchkiss Mk I, 4 x 1 - 20/70 Oerlikon Mk II/IV, 1 x 24 - 178 Hedgehog ASWRL, 2 DCT (70 DC), 60 - 72 mines Saskatchewan, Qu'Appelle: 3 x 1 - 120/45 QF Mk IX, 1 x 1 - 76/45 QF Mk I/II/III/IV, 4 x 1 - 20/70 Oerlikon Mk II/IV, 1 x 4 - 533 TT, 4 DCT, 1 DCR (70 DC), mechanical minesweeping gear
Electronic equipment	Gatineau: type 271, type 286M/P radars, type 144 sonar Saskatchewan, Qu'Appelle: type 271, type 286M/P radars, type 121 sonar
Complement	145

Standard scale images

Project history

Since the 1931 program destroyers have ceased to be shared on equipped mainly minesweeping or anti-submarine armaments: "Е" class destroyers carried both. Moreover, it was supposed to equip these ships also with the minelaying equipment. It was originally planed to equip in a similar way all destroyers but absence of operating experience of a new minelaying drive had to be limited to two suppressors Esk and Express.

The extended armament structure conducted to growth of displacement and as consequence fall of speed. To avoid it new destroyers had improved hull form that managed to be reached after very many model tests in a ship-research bassin.

The important difference of "Е" class from previous "C" and "D" classes was the sectioning of 2nd boiler room by a watertight bulkhead on two smaller. Thus, boiler rooms became 3 as figure of boilers that has positively affected damage tolerance.

76mm AA gun figuring in the project at early phases was cancelled in favour of new main gun mounts with an 40° elevation angle. New Mk XVII mounts ensured more elevation angle at the expense of rather original reception. There was a ring in a deck round a mount more than 2m in diametere and 35cm deep. It was covered by special metallic boards at surface fire. These boards were lifted at big elevation angles, that ensured standard gun recoil with natural balancing, removing risk of blow of breech in a deck. This construction has called subsequently a number of critical remarks because of the impracticality however used on destroyers of three classes up to "G".

"F" class (1932 program) became repetition of "Е" without any changes in the design. The order for their building has been given out simultaneously with destroyers of 1931 program.

Modernizations

1943 - 1944, Gatineau: - 2 x 1 - 20/70; + 2 x 2 - 20/70 Oerlikon Mk II/IV

1943 - 1944, almost all: - type 286/M/P radar; + type 291 radar

1944, Saskatchewan, Qu`Appelle: - 2 x 1 - 20/70; + 2 x 2 - 20/70 Oerlikon Mk II/IV, 2 x 12 - 178 Split Hedgehog Mk II ASWRL

Naval service

No significant events.

© Ivan Gogin, 2015