The Royal Navy did with the VW class to destroyers what the Dreadnought did for battleships. The fore and aft superfiring guns was a better layout than anything that had come before them. Most nations copied the VW's including the Amazon Navy. Where the Royal Navy had 4" and 4.7" (and later 4.5") guns for their destroyer classes, the Amazons stuck with the 4" guns for all their destroyer classes. One very good reason for this was ease of obtaining munitions.
No new destroyers were contemplated until the completion of the last Dioxippe class in 1921. Trials for twelve months would show that the Dioxippe class hull with modern modifications would be suitable for the new destroyer classes to be built during the 1920's. There would be five orders for new destroyers in groups of four. These ships would replace the last of the pre-WW1 destroyers that were still in service. The first four were to complete in 1926, with four per year being completed after that.
Changes between the four groups of ships were made. Groups 1 & 2 were the same. Group 3 the torpedoes went from triple to quadruple mountings. Groups 4 had the center 4" replaced with a quad 2 pounder mounting and the single 2 pounder guns replaced with 20mm. Group 5 featured the first DP gun director and 4" dual purpose guns. The other groups were brought up to Group 5 standard, except 1 & 2 who retained their triple torpedoes.
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It was the electronic outfit that was most increased during the Second World War. The drawing above reflects Group 5 standard with electronics. From completion, each group of four would be matched with a Chalcaor class cruiser as Flotilla Leader. These groups continued into WW2. The Groups spent their time in the Pacific with TF69 and its Fleet Train. They were very good as escorts to the light carriers and escort carriers with those groups. Three were lost in and around the Island Hopping battles. One was lost at Guadalcanal with its Leader, after receiving torpedo and gunfire hits. Two were lost in the Philippines battles to aircraft and gunfire.
