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fighting ships of the world

ROYAL NAVY (UNITED KINGDOM)

ESCORTS

CLEMSON ex-US destroyers (1919 - 1921 / 1940)

Clemson 1919

Buxton 1942

Rockingham 1942

St. Croix 1942

St. Francis 1943

Name No Yard No Builder Laid down Launched Comp Fate
Belmont (ex-DD190 Satterlee) H46 232 Newport News, USA 7/1918 21.12.1918 12/1919 // 10.1940 sunk 31.1.1942
Beverley (ex-DD197 Branch) H64 239 Newport News, USA 10/1918 19.4.1919 7/1920 // 10.1940 sunk 11.4.1943
Bradford (ex-DD264 McLanahan) H72 344 Bethlehem, Squantum, USA 4/1918 22.9.1918 4/1919 // 10.1940 BU 6.1946
Broadwater (ex-DD191 Mason) H81 233 Newport News, USA 7/1918 8.3.1919 2/1920 // 10.1940 sunk 18.10.1941
Broadway (ex-DD194 Hunt) H90 236 Newport News, USA 8/1918 14.2.1920 11/1920 // 10.1940 BU 3.1948
Burnham (ex-DD258 Aulick) H82 338 Bethlehem, Quincy, USA 12/1918 11.4.1919 7/1919 // 10.1940 BU 12.1948
Burwell (ex-DD263 Laub) H94 343 Bethlehem, Squantum, USA 4/1918 25.8.1918 3/1919 // 10.1940 BU 3.1947
Buxton (ex-DD265 Edwards) (RCN 9.1942 - 6.1945) H96 345 Bethlehem, Squantum, USA 4/1918 10.10.1918 4/1919 // 10.1940 BU 3.1946
Cameron (ex-DD257 Welles) I05 337 Bethlehem, Quincy, USA 11/1918 8.5.1919 9/1919 // 9.1940 CTL 15.12.1940, BU 11.1944
Chesterfield (ex-DD195 Welborn C. Wood) I28 237 Newport News, USA 9/1918 6.3.1920 1/1921 // 9.1940 BU 3.1947
Churchill (ex-DD198 Herndon) I45 240 Newport News, USA 11/1918 31.5.1919 9/1920 // 9.1940 to Soviet Union 3.1944 (Деятельный [Deyatelnyy])
Clare (ex-DD193 Abel P. Upshur) I14 235 Newport News, USA 8/1918 14.2.1920 11/1920 // 9.1940 BU 3.1947
Ramsey (ex-DD274 Meade) G60 354 Bethlehem, Squantum, USA 9/1918 24.5.1919 9/1919 // 11.1940 BU 7.1947
Reading (ex-DD269 Bailey) G71 349 Bethlehem, Squantum, USA 6/1918 5.2.1919 7/1919 // 11.1940 BU 7.1945
Ripley (ex-DD268 Shubrick) G79 348 Bethlehem, Squantum, USA 6/1918 31.12.1918 7/1919 // 11.1940 BU 3.1945
Rockingham (ex-DD273 Swasey) G58 353 Bethlehem, Squantum, USA 8/1918 7.5.1919 8/1919 // 11.1940 sunk 27.9.1944
St. Croix (RCN) (ex-DD252 McCook) I81 332 Bethlehem, Quincy, USA 9.1918 31.1.1919 4.1919 // 9.1940 sunk 20.9.1943
St. Francis (RCN) (ex-DD256 Bancroft) I93 336 Bethlehem, Quincy, USA 11.1918 21.3.1919 6.1919 // 9.1940 collision 14.7.1945
Sherwood (ex-DD254 Rodgers, ex-Kalk) I80 334 Bethlehem, Quincy, USA 9/1918 26.4.1919 7/1919 // 10.1940 sunk as target 20.9.1943
Stanley (ex-DD253 McCalla) I73 333 Bethlehem, Quincy, USA 9/1918 28.3.1919 5/1919 // 10.1940 sunk 19.12.1941

 

Displacement standard, t

1190

Displacement full, t

1590

Length, m

94.5 wl 95.8 oa

Breadth, m

9.40

Draught, m

3.00

No of shafts

2

Machinery

exact data is not available in many cases, following machinery composition is somewhat conjectural

Belmont, Beverley, Broadwater, Broadway, Chesterfield, Churchill, Clare: 2 sets Westinghouse geared steam turbines, 4 White-Forster boilers

Bradford, Burnham, Burwell, Buxton, Cameron, Ramsey, Reading, Ripley, Rockingham, St. Croix, St. Francis, Sherwood, Stanley: 2 Curtis steam turbines / 1 geared steam turbine for cruising, 4 Yarrow boilers

Power, h. p.

26000

Burnham, Cameron, St. Croix, St. Francis, Sherwood, Stanley: 27000

Max speed, kn

35

Fuel, t

oil 375

Endurance, nm(kts)

5000(14)

Armament

4 x 1 - 102/50 Mk 9, 1 x 1 - 76/23 Mk 14, 3 x 1 - 12.7/90, 4 x 3 - 533 TT, 2 DCR (10 - 15)

Sensors type 141 sonar

Complement

146

Project history: In May, 1940 Sir Winston Churchill has suggested US president Roosevelt to take for 99-year use all English naval and aviation bases in Western hemisphere, in exchange for 50 old destroyers. Originally the request has been turned down, however after the heavy losses suffered by Royal Navy in the summer of the same year, Churchill nevertheless managed to persuade Roosevelt, and 2.9.1940 president has signed the agreement. Transferred destroyers concerned to numerous class of "flushdeckers" built in the USA in 1917-1920. Their distinctive feature were flyshdecked hull silhouette, a rhombic arrangement of main guns and powerful torpedo armament. Ships were sectioned into some groups, differing by macinery structure, number of funnels and a fuel stowage.

Transfer passed from September till November, 1940, part at once has arrived to RCN. Though Admiralty was in great need in the ships for escort of Atlantic convoys, destroyers received from the USA needed many modernizing works to use them in this role. Armament of "flushdeckers" has not undergone some serious changes in 20 years of service and suited for the anti-air and anti-submarine tasks a little. Besides, insufficient, from the point of view of Admiralty, stability of ships demanded acceptance of measures for decrease of the top weight. As a whole update of former American destroyers repeated update to which have undergone in 1940 on old British WWI-era destroyers: British-constructed sonar was fitted, aft 102mm main gun was changed by 3'' AA, and short gun of the same calibre was removed, as well as pair of TT mounts. 4 DCTs were installed (rarely 2).

Modernizations: late 1940, all but Reading, Ramsey, St. Croix: - 1 x 1 - 102/50, 1 x 1 - 76/23, 2 x 3 - 533 TT; + 1 x 1 - 76/45 20cwt QF Mk I/II/III/IV, 4 DCT, DC stowage increased up to 60

late 1940, Reading, Ramsey: - 1 x 1 - 102/50, 1 x 1 - 76/23, 2 x 3 - 533 TT; + 1 x 1 - 76/45 20cwt QF Mk I/II/III/IV, 2 DCT, DC stowage increased up to 60

late 1940, St. Croix: - 2 x 3 - 533 TT; + 4 DCT, DC stowage increased up to 60

1941-1942, most: + type 271, type 286 radars

1941 - 1943, Beverley, Bradford, Broadway, Burnham, Buxton, Chesterfield, Churchill, Clare, Ripley, Rockingham, St. Francis, Stanley: - 2 x 1 - 102/50, 1 x 3 - 533 TT; + (2 - 4) x 1 - 20/70 Oerlikon Mk II/IV or 2 x 1 - 40/39 2pdr QF Mk VIII, 1 x 24 - 178 Hedgehog ASWRL. TT was moved to center line.

1942 - 1943, St. Francis: 1 boiler and its funnel were removed. Fuel stowage rose. Engine power and maximal speed were decreased.

1942 - 1943, Bradford, Clare, Stanley: 2 boilers with its funnels were removed. Engine power was deceased to 13500 h. p. and maximal speed to 25 kts. Fuel stowage rose. + 4 DCT

1943-1944, some: - type 286 radar; + type 291 radar

1/1946, Burwell: 3 x 1 - 102/50 Mk 12, 1 x 1 - 76/45 Mk II, 2 x 3 - 533 TT, 4 DCT, 2 DCR (60), type 271, type 286 or type 291 radars, type 141 sonar

1/1946, Bradford, Broadway, Burnham, Buxton, Chesterfield, Clare: 1 x 1 - 102/50 Mk 12, 1 x 1 - 76/45 Mk II, 4 x 1 - 20/70 Mk III, 1 x 3 - 533 TT, 1 x 24 - 178 Hedgehog ASWRL, 4 DCT, 2 DCR (60), type 271, type 286 or type 291 radars, type 141 sonar

1/1946, Bradford, Clare: 1 x 1 - 102/50 Mk 12, 1 x 1 - 76/45 Mk II, 4 x 1 - 20/70 Mk III, 1 x 3 - 533 TT, 1 x 24 - 178 Hedgehog ASWRL, 8 DCT, 2 DCR (110), type 271, type 286 or type 291 radars, type 141 sonar

1/1946, Ramsey: 3 x 1 - 102/50 Mk 12, 1 x 1 - 76/45 Mk II, 4 x 1 - 20/70 Mk III, 2 x 3 - 533 TT, 2 DCT, 2 DCR (60), type 271, type 286 or type 291 radars, type 141 sonar

Naval service: Broadwater 18.10.1941 was sunk by German submarine U101 at South coast of Ireland. Stanley was sunk 19.12.1941 at SW coast of Portugal by German submarine U574. Belmont 31.1.1942 was sunk by German submarine U82 at Halifax. Beverley 9.4.1943 was badly damaged at collision with s/s Cairnvolona and 11.4.1943 sunk by German submarine U188 in Western Atlantic. St. Croix was sunk by German submarine U305 S of Iceland 20.9.1943. Rockingham was mined at Aberdeen 27.9.1944.

Chesterfield in February, 1943 was damaged at explosion of own DCs and was under repair till November. Sherwood was sunk as a target for aircraft 30.11.1943. Cameron was badly damaged 15.12.1940 in Portsmouth and not repaired, she was used as a hulk since 1941 and handed over for BU in November, 1944.

Many thanks to Wolfgang Stöhr for additional information on this page.

© Ivan Gogin, 2008-15