NAVYPEDIA

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Fernie 1941 Many thanks to Wolfgang Stöhr for additional information on this page.

Ships

Name	No	Yard No	Builder	Laid down	Launched	Comp	Fate
Atherstone	L05, 1948- F05	1043	Cammell Laird, Birkenhead	6/1939	12.12.1939	3/1940	BU 11.1957
Berkeley	L17	1044	Cammell Laird, Birkenhead	6/1939	29.1.1940	6/1940	sunk 19.8.1942
Blencathra	L24, 1948- F24	1048	Cammell Laird, Birkenhead	11/1939	6.8.1940	12/1940	BU 1.1957
Brocklesby	L42, 1948- F142	1049	Cammell Laird, Birkenhead	11/1939	30.9.1940	5/1941	BU 10.1968
Cattistock	L35, 1948- F135	1734	Yarrow, Scotstoun	6/1939	22.2.1940	8/1940	BU 6.1957
Cleveland	L46, 1948- F146	1735	Yarrow, Scotstoun	7/1939	24.4.1940	9/1940	wrecked 28.6.1957
Cotswold	L54, 1948- F154	1736	Yarrow, Scotstoun	10/1939	18.7.1940	11/1940	BU 9.1957
Cottesmore	L78, 1948- F178	1737	Yarrow, Scotstoun	12/1939	5.9.1940	12/1940	to Egypt 9.1950 (إبراهيم الأول [Ibrahim El Awal])
Eglinton	L87, 1948- F87	14	Vickers-Armstrong, Tyne	6/1939	28.12.1939	8/1940	BU 5.1956
Exmoor	L61	15	Vickers-Armstrong, Tyne	6/1939	25.1.1940	10/1940	sunk 25.2.1941
Fernie	L11, 1948- F111	561	John Brown, Clydebank	6/1939	9.1.1940	5/1940	BU 11.1956
Garth	L20, 1948- F120	562	John Brown, Clydebank	6/1939	14.2.1940	7/1940	BU 8.1958
Hambledon	L37, 1948- F137	1571	Swan Hunter, Wallsend	6/1939	12.12.1939	6/1940	hulk 1955, BU 9.1957
Holderness	L48, 1948- F148	1573	Swan Hunter, Wallsend	6/1939	8.2.1940	8/1940	BU 11.1956
Liddesdale	L100	20	Vickers-Armstrong, Tyne	11/1939	19.8.1940	2/1941	BU 1.1948
Mendip	L60, 1948- F160	1577	Swan Hunter, Wallsend	8/1940	9.4.1940	10.1940	to China 5.1948 - 6.1949 (靈甫 [Lin Fu]), to Egypt 11.1949 (محمد علي [Mohammed Ali])
Meynell	L82, 1948- F182	1579	Swan Hunter, Wallsend	8.1939	7.6.1940	12.1940	to Ecuador 10.1954 (Presidente Velasco Ibarra)
Pytchley	L92, 1948- F192	581	Scotts, Greenock	7/1939	13.2.1940	10/1940	BU 12.1956
Quantock	L58, 1948- F158	582	Scotts, Greenock	7.1939	22.4.1940	2.1941	to Ecuador 10.1954 (Presidente Alfaro)
Quorn	L66	1882	White, Cowes	8/1939	27.3.1940	8/1940	sunk 3.8.1944
Southdown	L25, 1948- F25	1883	White, Cowes	8/1939	5.7.1940	11/1940	BU 11.1956
Tynedale	L96	571	A. Stephens, Linthouse	7/1939	5.6.1940	11/1940	sunk 12.12.1943
Whaddon	L45, 1948- F145	572	A. Stephens, Linthouse	7/1939	16.7.1940	2/1941	BU 4.1959

Technical data

Max speed, kts, kn	28
Displacement standard, t	1000
Displacement full, t	1340, finally up to 1420 - 1450
Length, m	80.5 pp 85.3 oa
Breadth, m	8.84
Draught, m	3.81 deep load
No of shafts	2
Machinery	2 sets Parsons geared steam turbines, 2 Admiralty 3-drum boilers
Power, h. p.	19000
Fuel, t	oil 240
Endurance, nm(kts)	2500(20)
Armament	2 x 2 - 102/45 QF Mk XVI, 1 x 4 - 40/39 2pdr QF Mk VIII, 2 DCT, 1 DCR (30) Atherstone, Fernie, Hambledon: 3 x 2 - 102/45 QF Mk XVI, 1 x 4 - 40/39 2pdr QF Mk VIII, 2 DCT, 1 DCR (30)
Electronic equipment	presumably type 285 radar, type 128 sonar
Complement	147

Standard scale images

Graphics

Project history

"Hunt" class ships were designed according to the concept of fast escort capable, besides providing of air defence of convoys, to solve some functions of destroyers. This concept was accepted by Admiralty early 1938  and allowed to expedite replenishing of RN destroyer flotillas: that became especially actual in view of scheduled to this time delay of completing of large and complex destroyers of "L" and "M" classes at appreciable smaller expenses. As a starting point at designing of the new ships Bittern class sloop was chosen, she had powerful armament included 3 102mm twin DP mounts with corresponding fire control system and  anti-rolling stabilizing tanks (that was especially important for so small size ships). Design was revised for achieving of higher speed of 28-31kts. (Machinery power was increased from 3300 to 18000hp), one 102mm twin mount was replaced by quadruple 40mm pompom, quadruple TT was installed. Standard displacement was only 810ts. In process of designing TT was refused, but there was a third 102mm twin mount, displacement and machinery power have a little grown. Officer cabins have transferred from a stern to the space under a fwd superstructure at first time in RN.     Order for a building of 20 ships of 1939 Programme has followed in the beginning of year, 18 units were laid down before a war. 36 precisely same destroyers (classification was changed to escort destroyers in the beginning of war) have ordered under "War emergency Programme" in the autumn of 1939.     Lead-ship Atherstone had rather low stability as a result of error corollary in calculations. As a result the design has been urgently recycled (first of all, the breadth was increased) and ships with high degree of readiness did not allow to make serious changes to a hull structure, received a ballast (nearby 50ts), one 102mm twin was removed and pompom was transferred to aft superstructure for loads redistribution. These ships became known as "Hunt I", 20 units of 1939 Programme and 3 (Blencathra, Brocklesby and Leddesdale) from "War Emergency Programme" concerned to them.

Modernizations

1940, Atherstone, Fernie, Hambledon: - 1 x 2 - 102/45

1941, almost all: + type 285, type 286 radars

1941 - 1942, all survived: + 2 x 1 - 20/70 Oerlikon Mk II/IV, DC stowage increased up to 50

1942, Atherstone, Berkeley, Blencathra, Cattistock, Cleveland, Cotswold, Cottesmore, Eglinton, Fernie, Garth, Hambledon, Holderness, Liddesdale, Mendip, Meynell, Pytchley, Quantock, Quorn, Southdown, Whaddon: + 1 x 1 - 40/39 2pdr QF Mk VIII

1943, mostly: - type 286 radar; + type 291 radar

1943, some: + type 271 radar

1945, Meynell: - 1 x 4 - 40/39; + 1 x 2 - 40/56 Bofors Mk XI

1/1946, Brocklesby: 2 x 2 - 102/45 Mk XIX, 1 x 4 - 40/39 Mk VII, 2 x 1 - 20/70 Mk III, 2 DCT, 1 DCR (50), type 271 (some), type 285, type 286 radars, type 128 sonar

1/1946, Atherstone, Blencathra, Cattistock, Cleveland, Cotswold, Cottesmore, Eglinton, Fernie, Garth, Hambledon, Holderness, Liddesdale, Mendip, Pytchley, Quantock, Southdown, Whaddon: 2 x 2 - 102/45 Mk XIX, 1 x 4 - 40/39 Mk VII, 1 x 1 - 40/39 Mk VIII, 2 x 1 - 20/70 Mk III, 2 DCT, 1 DCR (50), type 271 (some), type 285, type 286 radars, type 128 sonar

1/1946, Meynell: 2 x 2 - 102/45 Mk XIX, 1 x 2 - 40/60 RP.50 Mk V, 1 x 1 - 40/39 Mk VIII, 2 x 1 - 20/70 Mk III, 2 DCT, 1 DCR (50), type 271 (some), type 285, type 286 radars, type 128 sonar

Naval service

Exmoor was sunk 25.2.1941 by German MTB S30 at Lowestoft, Berkeley was sunk 19.8.1942 by German Bf 109 fighter-bomber at Dieppe. Tynedale was sunk 12.12.1943 by a torpedo from German submarine U593 at coast of Algeria. Quorn was sunk 3.8.1944 by "Linse" class suicide boats at coast of Normandy. All surviving ships were reclassified as frigates. Brocklesby was disarmed in 1953 and taken large depth-changing sonar.

Many thanks to Wolfgang Stöhr for additional information on this page.