The move into a war production situation showed up the problem of producing turbine machinery for the naval vessels, the destroyer escorts of the Pearl class would be affected by this shortage. A solution was needed to be found pronto. The answer was to use the same hull as the Pearl, but add a 20 foot extra section to the middle of the ship to install enough diesel engine power to move the ships at 22 knots. Utilising diesel engines also almost doubled the range of the ships compared to the Pearl. This had the advantage that these escorts could go all the way from one side of the Atlantic to the other without need of refuelling.
Other advantages of the extra space was a stronger AA armament. Removing the torpedo tubes, as it was thought the ships would be to slow to mount an attack, allowed space for a full sick bay / medical facility, which from past experience would be required for treating, not only the ships crew, but also survivors from sunken ships. The main armament was reduced from the three single 5" turrets down to two 4" DP guns. If the ships needed more than that armament then other ships of the escort would be required. Extra depth charge throwers and liferafts showed that these ships main role would be convoy escorts for anti-submarine work.
The Benoit Class were named after Senate Presidents. An initial order for 20 was placed in October 1939, and to speed up production of those first ships, four Pearl Class hulls were taken and modified to prove the concept. With the first ships being completed in late 1940. Another ten ordered in 1941,1942, 1943 and 1944. Six of the ships were transferred to Allied Navies on completion in 1943-44, while four were scrapped before completion post war. The ships proved popular with smaller navies for their ease of maintenance and propulsion systems.
