Hunt type Destroyer Escorts (DDE)
HMS Ledbury (1942)
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The Hunt class started completing in 1940. These ships were to be the
replacements for the older R/S/V/W type destroyers. Their smaller size and their
intended use got them to be termed Escort Destroyers. The ships were designed to
act as inshore escorts around the coasts of Britain and for this they were given
a heavy Anti-aircraft armament with only 1 set of triple torpedo tubes.
Eventually these escorts ended up serving everywhere from the Arctic to the
Pacific and everywhere in-between, They were versatile ships with over 100 built
for the RN and other Commonwealth countries.
The ships were fitted with a twin 4" light turret as they were to be in areas
where the ships were likely to be straffed by enemy aircraft and it was felt the
light turret would give protection to the crew. One quad 2 pounder and four twin 20mm Oerlikons rounded out the armament. The light turret proved its worth wherever
the ships served. Protecting its crew from not only enemy action but also from
the weather as well. Many variables in weapon fit outs, depended on where the
ship was serving. Some serving in the English Channel area were fitted with a
single 2 pounder or 40mm gun, in the bow, for firing at E-Boats, that liked to
attack from the bow where most escorts only had a slow firing 4" or similar.
| Displacement |
1200 tons standard, 1,600 tons full load |
| Length |
299.5 |
| Breadth |
32 ft |
| Draught |
13 ft |
| Machinery |
2 shaft Steam turbines, 25,000shp |
| Speed |
28 knots |
| Range |
4000 miles at 14 knots
2500 miles at 20 knots
1200 miles at 25 knots |
| Armament |
4 x 4" (2x2)
4 x 2pd (1x4)
8 x 20mm (4x2) |
| Torpedoes |
3 x 21" (1x3) |
| Complement |
180 |
| Notes |
|
Original drawing using a cut down destroyer hull and upperworks.
.PNG)
Real World Hunt class DDE's Type I - II - III - IV
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