Modified "W" Class Destroyer (1918)

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A total of sixteen destroyers of the Modified "W" Class were completed soon after the war, though many more were cancelled. The ships were a variation of the "W" class destroyers completed in some time earlier. The design of the stern was different, and there were changes in the boiler room arrangement to improve watertightness which made the second funnel larger than the first, but the big change was that the 4-in guns long common on Royal Navy destroyers were now landed in favor of 4.7-in weapons.

Armament

4-in Guns

Other Guns

In 1918, it was ordered that the Scott class flotilla leaders and destroyers of "V" and "W" classes should have range and deflection receivers for their 3-in H.A. guns and fire gongs worked off the firing key used for the ships' L.A. weaponry.[1]

Torpedoes

Fire Control

Directors

Firing Circuits[2]
Training and Slewing Circuits[3]

In 1917, it was approved that the "V" class and later destroyers should all receive installations of the British Destroyer Director Firing System.[4] These ships were likely delivered with directors in place.[Citation needed]

In 1918, it was ordered that those destroyers with director installations were to additionally receive:[5]

  • a voice pipe from T.S. to director
  • a fire gong at director worked from existing push in T.S.
  • a fire gong push on fore bridge to be added, wired in parallel to that in the T.S.
  • the repeat receivers on the fore bridge were to be positioned so as to be visible to the director sightsetter.

Rangefinders

By 1921, all four-gun destroyers mounted a 1m F.T. 27 RF on a M.H. 37 mounting or a 9ft F.Q. 2 on an M.Q. 12 mount on their fore bridge.[6]

Torpedo Control

See Also

Footnotes

  1. Annual Report of the Torpedo School, 1918. p. 376. (C.I.O. 11/18, G. 39278/17).
  2. Annual Report of the Torpedo School, 1917. Plate100.
  3. Annual Report of the Torpedo School, 1917. Plate101.
  4. Annual Report of the Torpedo School, 1917. p. 229.
  5. Annual Report of the Torpedo School, 1918. p. 376. (C.I.O. 1081/18, G. 24486/15).
  6. Handbook for Naval Range-Finders and Mountings, Book I. p. 168.

Bibliography

  • March, Edgar J. (1966). British Destroyers: A History of Development, 1892-1953. London: Seeley Service & Co. Limited. (on Bookfinder.com).
  • Gray, Randal (editor) (1985). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1906–1921. London: Conway Maritime Press. (on Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk).


Modified "W" Class Destroyer
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