C class destroyer (1943)

C class destroyer (1943)
For other classes of the same name, see C class destroyer.
Cavalierjune19461.jpg
Cavalier, flying paying off pennant, June 1946
Class overview
Operators:  Royal Navy
 Royal Norwegian Navy
Canadian Blue Ensign.svg Royal Canadian Navy
 Pakistan Navy
Preceded by: W and Z class
Succeeded by: Weapon class
Subclasses: Ca-, Ch-, Co-, Cr-
In commission: 1944 - 1972
Planned: 8
Completed: 32
Lost: 1
Retired: 30
Preserved: 1
General characteristics Ca class
Displacement: 1,710 tons (1,730 tonnes)
2,530 tons full (2,570 tonnes)
Length: 362.75 ft (110.57 m) o/a
Beam: 35.75 ft (10.90 m)
Draught: 10 ft (3.0 m)
Propulsion: 2 Admiralty 3-drum boilers,
Parsons single-reduction geared steam turbines,
40,000 shp (29.8 MW), 2 shafts
Speed: 36 kt / 32 kt full
Range: 4,675 nmi at 20 kt
1,400 nmi at 32 kt
Complement: 186 (222 as leader
Sensors and
processing systems:
  • Radar Type 276 target indication
  • Radar Type 291 air warning
  • Radar Type 285 fire control on director Type K
  • Radar Type 282 fire control on 40 mm mount Mk.IV
Armament:
General characteristics (Ch-, Co- & Cr- class)
Displacement: 1,885 tons (1,915 tonnes)
2,545 tons full (2,585 tonnes)
Draught: 11.75 ft (3.58 m)
Sensors and
processing systems:		 Radar Type 275 fire control on director Mk.VI
Armament:
  • 8 (2x4) tubes for 21 inch torpedoes Mk.IX
Notes: Other characteristics as per Ca- class

The C class was a class of 32 destroyers of the Royal Navy that were launched from 1943 to 1945. The class was built in four flotillas of 8 vessels, the Ca, Ch, Co and Cr classes, ordered as the 11th, 12th, 13th and 14th Emergency Flotillas respectively. The class names are derived from the initial 2 letters of the member ships' names, although the Ca class were originally ordered with a heterogeneous mix of traditional destroyer names. A fifth flotilla, the Ce class, was planned but were cancelled in favour of the Weapon class destroyers.

Contents

Design

They were built as part of the War Emergency Programme, based on the hull and machinery of the pre-war J class, incorporating whatever advances in armament and naval radar were available at the time. Some of the class were completed in time for wartime service. All ships used the Fuze Keeping Clock High Angle Fire Control Computer.[1]


The Ca flotilla were generally repeats of the preceding W and Z class, while the Ch, Co and Cr flotillas had quadruple instead of pentuple torpedo tubes to compensate for the added weight of remote power control (RPC) gunlaying equipment. They also introduced the all-welded hull into Royal Navy destroyer construction, beginning in Contest.

Caprice was the last destroyer built for the Royal Navy to be fitted with the ubiquitous quadruple QF 2 pounder "pom-pom" mounting Mark VII. Comet and Contest were fitted as minelayers, and lacked 'Y' 4.5 inch gun.

The Ca flotilla were reconstructed in the 1960s to serve as fast fleet escorts.

Ships

* = flotilla leaders

Ca flotilla