Eclipse 1939
Qu`Appelle 1943
| Name | No | Builder | Laid down | Launched | Comp | Fate |
| "E" group | ||||||
| Echo | H23 | Denny, Dumbarton | 3/1933 | 16/2/1934 | 10/1934 | to Greece 4/1944 (Navarinon) |
| Eclipse | H08 | Denny, Dumbarton | 3/1933 | 12/4/1934 | 12/1934 | sunk 24/10/1943 |
| Electra | H27 | Hawthorn Leslie, Hebburn | 3/1933 | 15/2/1934 | 9/1934 | sunk 27/2/1942 |
| Encounter | H10 | Hawthorn Leslie, Hebburn | 3/1933 | 29/3/1934 | 11/1934 | sunk 1/3/1942 |
| Escapade | H17 | Scotts, Greenock | 3/1933 | 30/1/1934 | 9/1934 | BU 2/1947 |
| Escort | H65 | Scotts, Greenock | 3/1933 | 29/3/1934 | 11/1934 | sunk 11/7/1940 |
| Esk | H15 | Swan Hunter, Wallsend | 3/1933 | 19/3/1934 | 10/1934 | sunk 31/8/1940 |
| Express, 6/1943 - Gatineau (RCN 6/1943) | H61 | Swan Hunter, Wallsend | 3/1933 | 29/5/1934 | 11/1934 | stricken 1/1946, BU 1956 |
| "F" group | ||||||
| Fame | H78 | Vickers-Armstrong, Tyne | 5/7/1933 | 28/6/1934 | 4/1935 | to Dominican Republic 2/1949 (Generalisimo) |
| Fearless | H67 | Cammell Laird, Birkenhead | 7/1933 | 12/5/1934 | 12/1934 | sunk 23/7/1941 |
| Firedrake | H79 | Vickers-Armstrong, Tyne | 7/1933 | 28/6/1934 | 5/1935 | sunk 16/12/1942 |
| Forester | H74 | White, Cowes | 5/1933 | 28/6/1934 | 3/1935 | BU 6/1947 |
| Foresight | H68 | Cammell Laird, Birkenhead | 7/1933 | 29/6/1934 | 5/1935 | sunk 12/8/1942 |
| Fortune, 6/1943 - Saskatchewan (RCN 6/1943) | H70 | John Brown, Clydebank | 7/1933 | 29/8/1934 | 4/1935 | BU 1/1946 |
| Foxhound, 2/1944 - Qu` Appelle (RCN 2/1944) | H69 | John Brown, Clydebank | 8/1933 | 12/10/1934 | 6/1935 | stricken 5/1946, BU 1948 |
| Fury | H76 | White, Cowes | 5/1933 | 10/9/1934 | 5/1935 | CTL 21/6/1944 |
|
Displacement standard, t |
1350 - 1405 |
|
Displacement full, t |
1886 - 1940 (later 2025 - 2095) |
|
Length, m |
97.0 pp 100.3 oa |
|
Breadth, m |
10.1 |
|
Draught, m |
3.81 (later 3.96 - 4.01) |
|
No of shafts |
2 |
|
Machinery |
Parsons geared steam turbines, 3 Admiralty 3-drum boilers Fortune, Foxhound: Brown-Curtis geared steam turbines, 3 Admiralty 3-drum boilers |
|
Power, h. p. |
36000 |
|
Max speed, kn |
36 |
|
Fuel, t |
oil 471 |
| Endurance, nm(kts) | 6350(15) |
|
Armament |
4 x 1 - 120/45 QF Mk IX, 2 x 4 - 12.7/62, 2 x 4 - 533 TT, 2 DCT, 1 DCR (20 DC), sweeps Esk, Express: 2 x 1 - 120/45 QF Mk IX, 2 x 4 - 12.7/62, 2 x 4 - 533 TT, 60 - 72 mines |
| Sensors | type 121 sonar |
|
Complement |
145 |
Ship project history: Since the 1931 program destroyers have ceased to be shared on equipped mainly minesweeping or anti-submarine armaments: "Å" 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 "Å" 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 "Å" without any changes in the design. The order for their building has been given out simultaneously with destroyers of 1931 program.
Modernizations: 1940, all but Escort: - 1 x 4 - 533 TT; + 1 x 1 - 76/45 QF Mk I HA
1941, Fame, Fearless, Firedrake: - 1 x 1 - 120/45; + 2 x 1 - 20/70 Oerlikon, 2 DCT (70 DC)
1941, Echo, Eclipse, Electra, Encounter, Escapade, Express: - 2 x 4 - 12.7/62; + 4 x 1 - 20/70 Oerlikon
1941, Forester, Foresight, Fortune, Foxhound, Fury: + 2 x 1 - 20/70 Oerlikon
1942, Forester, Foresight, Fortune, Foxhound, Fury, Firedrake: - 2 x 4 - 12.7/62; + 2 x 1 - 20/70 Oerlikon
1943, Forester, Fortune, Foxhound: - 1 x 1 - 120/45; + 2 DCT (70 DC)
1943, Escapade: - 2 x 1 - 120/45, 1 x 1 - 76/45; + 1 x 24 - 178 Hedgehog DCT, 2 DCT (70 DC)
1943, Express: - 2 x 1 - 120/45, 1 x 4 - 533 TT; + 2 x 1 - 57/40 Hotchkiss, 1 x 24 - 178 Hedgehog DCT, 2 DCT (70 DC)
1943, Fame: - 1 x 1 - 76/45; + 2 x 12 - 178 Split Hedgehog Mk II DCT
1943 - 1944, Echo, Escapade, Gatineau, Fame, Fury: - 2 x 1 - 20/70; + 2 x 2 - 20/70 Oerlikon
1944, Forester: - 1 x 1 - 76/45, 2 x 1 - 20/70; + 2 x 2 - 20/70 Oerlikon, 2 x 12 - 178 Split Hedgehog MkII DCT
1944, Saskatchewan, Qu`Appelle: - 2 x 1 - 20/70 Oerlikon; + 2 x 2 - 20/70 Oerlikon, 2 x 12 - 178 Split Hedgehog Mk II DCT
1945, Escapade: - 1 x 24 - 178 Hedgehog DCT; + 2 x 3 - 305 Squid DCT
Naval service: Eclipse 11/4/1940 was badly damaged by German aircraft at South Norwegian coast, ran aground and abandoned by crew, 16/4/1940 she was towed off to Britain and repaired till August, 1940. 24/10/1943 she was mined E of Kalimnos Island and sunk. Electra 27/2/1942 was sunk by gunfire of Japanese destroyer Asagumo in Java sea. Encounter 1/3/1942 was sunk by gunfire of Japanese cruisers Ashigara and Myoko in Java sea. Escort 11/7/1940 was torpedoed by Italian submarine Marconi N of Algeria and foundered at tow. Esk 31/8/1940 was mined off Dutch coast and sunk in the morning of next day. Express 31/8/1940 was badly damaged by a mine (the fore end was broken off), repaired till November, 1941. Fame was thrown out by a storm on rocks at Sunderland coast 17/10/1940, repaired to the mid-1941.
Fearless 23/7/1941 was badly damaged by Italian air torpedo from S.79 torpedo bomber in 50nm NW of point Bon, abandoned by crew and torpedoed by destroyer Forester. Firedrake 16/12/1942 was sunk by German submarine U211 in Northern Atlantic in 600nm S off Iceland. Foresight 12/8/1942 was badly damaged by Italian air torpedo from S.79 torpedo bomber, abandoned by crew and 13/8/1942 torpedoed by destroyer Tartar N of Bizerte. Fury 21/6/1944 was badly damaged by a mine at coast of Normandy and never repaired.
Express 1939 as minelayer
© Ivan Gogin, 2008-10