These were the War Emergency Destroyer design. The final four Hylla class were cancelled and any materials gathered for them were put to the new Andromeda Class. The design was a simple flush deck hull with two of the new twin 4", one forward, and one aft. The first twin 40mm Bofors mounting with a radar predictor was fitted between the funnels. Twin and single 20mm cannons made up the rest of the gun armament. One quadruple bank of torpedoes, depth charges and eventually Hedgehog mortars (mounted beside the bridge) were also fitted. Air search, Surface search and Asdic detection systems allowed the ships to electronically contact any potential enemy.
The first four units were laid down in November 1939, with regular four unit orders being placed till eventually twenty-eight had been ordered with the last four being laid down in 1943 and being completed at the end of 1945 beginning of 1946. Single 40mm replaced the twin 20mm. Predictors being mounted for them as well.
28 built, 2 lost during the war. 6 handed over to Coastal Command, served until 1970, then deleted and scrapped. Of the other 20, 6 served till after the Korean War, when they were then sold and scrapped. 5 were sold overseas 1948-50. The 9 left were placed in the Reserve Fleet 1947 to 1960 when they were deleted from the Naval List and sold for scrap thereafter.
