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fighting ships of the world

ROYAL NAVY (UNITED KINGDOM)

ESCORTS

GRIMSBY sloops (1934 - 1940)

Wellington 1939

Swan 1940

Name No Yard No Builder Laid down Launched Comp Fate
RN
Aberdeen L97 - U97   Devonport DYd 6.1935 22.1.1936 9.1936 sold 12.1948
Deptford L53 - U53   Chatham DYd 4.1934 5.2.1935 8.1935 sold 3.1948
Fleetwood L47 - U47, 1948- F47   Devonport DYd 8.1935 24.3.1936 11.1936 test ship 1947
Grimsby L16 - U16   Devonport DYd 1.1933 19.7.1933 5.1934 sunk 25.5.1941
Leith L36 - U36   Devonport DYd 2/1933 9.9.1933 7.1934 sold 1946, to Denmark 8.1949 (Galathea)
Londonderry L76 - U76   Devonport DYd 6.1934 16.1.1935 9.1935 sold 3.1946
Lowestoft L59 - U59   Devonport DYd 8.1933 11.4.1934 11.1934 sold 10.1946
Wellington L65 - U65   Devonport DYd 9.1933 29.5.1934 1.1935 HQ ship Master Mariners 2.1947
RAN, 1st group
Yarra (RAN) L77 - U77 114 Cockatoo DYd, Australia 5.1934 28.3.1935 1.1936 sunk 4.3.1942
Swan (RAN) L74 - U74, 1948- F74 115 Cockatoo DYd, Australia 5.1935 28.3.1936 1.1937 TS 1955, sold 6.1964
RAN, 2nd group
Parramatta (RAN) L44 - U44 131 Cockatoo DYd, Australia 11.1938 18.6.1939 4.1940 sunk 27.11.1941
Warrego (RAN) L73 - U73, 1948- F312 132 Cockatoo DYd, Australia 5.1939 10.2.1940 8.1940 survey vessel 1955, BU 4.1965

 

Displacement standard, t

990

Australian ships: 1055 - 1070

Displacement full, t

1480 - 1510

Length, m

81.2

Breadth, m

11.0

Draught, m

3.02 - 3.07 deep load

No of shafts

2

Machinery

2 sets Parsons geared steam turbines, 2 Admiralty 3-drum boilers

Power, h. p.

2000

Parramatta, Warrego: 2200

Max speed, kn

16.5

Parramatta, Warrego: 16.85

Fuel, t

oil 347

Australian ships: oil 317

Endurance, nm(kts)

5350(15)

Armament

2 x 1 - 120/45 QF Mk IX, 1 x 1 - 76/45 20cwt QF Mk I/II/III/IV, 4 x 1 - 47/40 3pdr Hotchkiss Mk I, 2 DCT, 1 DCR (15)

Aberdeen: 2 x 1 - 102/45 QF Mk V, 1 x 4 - 12.7/62, 2 DCT, 1 DCR (15)

Fleetwood: 2 x 2 - 102/45 QF Mk XVI, 4 x 1 - 47/40 3pdr Hotchkiss Mk I, 1 x 4 - 12.7/62, 2 DCT, 1 DCR (15)

Swan, Yarra: 3 x 1 - 102/45 QF Mk V, 1 x 4 - 12.7/62, 2 DCT, 1 DCR (15)

Parramatta, Warrego: 1 x 2 - 102/45 QF Mk XVI, 1 x 1 - 102/45 QF Mk XVI, 1 x 4 - 12.7/62, 2 DCT, 1 DCR (15)

Sensors

type 124 sonar

Yarra, Swan: type 126 sonar

Parramatta, Warrego: type 127S sonar

Complement

100

Project history: First six sloops were designed under 1931 (Grimsby and Leith), 1932 (Lowestoft and Wellington) and 1933 (Deptford and Londonderry) Programmes.

    Unlike the ships of previous Programmes, Grimsby class sloops, first of all, were intended for escort service and had no minesweeping equipment. Architecture of the hull and machinery as a whole repeated the previous designs, and changes concerned mainly armament. The artillery has been strengthened at the expense of replacing of 102mm by 120mm guns. New guns were not DP, and ships were equipped with 76mm AA gun.

    Aberdeen and Fleetwood were designed under the 1934 Programme. They were designed as previous Grimsby class, but being fitting out armament structure was changed. Single-purpose 120mm guns were replaced by 102mm DP guns: 4 single on Aberdeen (the place was provided, actually only two were installed, three since August, 1939), two twin on Fleetwood.

    Australian sloops were created on the basis of Grimsby class design for RAN, but were a little bit larger. The second group had hardly more powerful machinery and was by 0.35kts faster.

Modernizations: late 1935, Lowestoft: - 1 x 1 - 120/45

early 1937, Lowestoft: + 1 x 1 - 120/45 QF Mk IX

1938, Fleetwood: - 4 x 1 - 47/40; + 1 x 4 - 12.7/62

1938-1939, Deptford, Leith, Grimsby, Londonderry: - 4 x 1 - 47/40; + 2 x 4 - 12.7/62

summer 1939, Londonderry: - 2 x 1 - 120/45, 1 x 1 - 76/45, 4 x 1 - 47/40; + 2 x 2 - 102/45 QF Mk XVI

summer 1939, Lowestoft: - 2 x 1 - 120/45, 1 x 1 - 76/45, 4 x 1 - 47/40; + 2 x 2 - 102/45 QF Mk XVI, 1 x 4 - 12.7/62

autumn 1939, many: DC stowage increased up to 40

autumn 1939, Grimsby, Lowestoft: can carry up to 40 mines

1940, Deptford, Londonderry, Lowestoft: + type 286 radar

1941, Aberdeen, Wellington: - 4 x 1 - 47/40; + 2 x 1 - 20/70 Oerlikon Mk II/IV

1941, Fleetwood: + 3 x 1 - 20/70 Oerlikon Mk II/IV, type 286M radar

1941, Leith: + type 286 radar

1941, Londonderry: - 2 x 4 - 12.7/62; + 2 x 1 - 20/70 Oerlikon Mk II/IV

1941, Lowestoft: + 2 x 1 - 20/70 Oerlikon Mk II/IV, 1 x 4 - 12.7/62

1942, Aberdeen: - type 124 sonar; + 4 x 1 - 20/70 Oerlikon Mk II/IV, 1 x 24 - 178 Hedgehog ASWRL, type 271 radar, type 144 sonar

1942, Deptford: - type 286 radar, type 124 sonar; + 4 x 1 - 20/70 Oerlikon Mk II/IV, 1 x 24 - 178 Hedgehog ASWRL, type 271 radar, type 144 sonar

1942, Fleetwood: - 2 x 4 - 12.7/62,type 286M radar; + 3 x 1 - 20/70 Oerlikon Mk II/IV, type 271, type 286P radars

1942, Leith: - 2 x 4 - 12.7/62, type 286 radar; + 4 x 1 - 20/70 Oerlikon Mk II/IV, type 271, type 291 radars

1942, Londonderry: + type 271 radar

1942, Lowestoft: - 2 x 4 - 12.7/62; + 4 x 1 - 20/70 Oerlikon Mk II/IV

1942, Wellington: + 4 x 1 - 20/70 Oerlikon Mk II/IV, type 271 radar

1942, Swan, Warrego: - 3 x 1 - 102/45, 1 x 4 - 12.7/62; + 2 x 2 - 102/45 QF Mk XVI, 1 x 1 - 40/60 Bofors Mk III, 6 x 1 - 20/70 Oerlikon Mk II/IV, presumably type 271, type 291 radars

1943, Londonderry: - type 286 radar, type 124 sonar; + 4 x 1 - 20/70 Oerlikon Mk II/IV, 1 x 24 - 178 Hedgehog ASWRL, type 291 radar, type 144 sonar

1943, Deptford: - 2 x 4 - 12.7/62; + 2 x 1 - 20/70 Oerlikon Mk II/IV

1943, Fleetwood: - type 124 sonar; + 1 x 24 - 178 Hedgehog ASWRL, type 144 sonar

1943, Lowestoft: - type 286 radar, type 124 sonar; + 1 x 24 - 178 Hedgehog ASWRL, type 271, type 291 radars, type 144 sonar

1943, Leith: - type 124 sonar; + 2 x 1 - 20/70 Oerlikon Mk II/IV, 1 x 24 - 178 Hedgehog ASWRL, type 144 sonar

1943, Wellington: - 1 x 1 - 76/45, type 124 sonar; + 1 x 24 - 178 Hedgehog ASWRL, type 144 sonar

1943 - 1944, all survived: +, 2 DCT, 1 DCR, DC stowage rose up to 90

1/1946, Aberdeen: 2 x 1 - 102/45 HA Mk III, 6 x 1 - 20/70 Mk III, 1 x 4 - 12.7/62, 1 x 24 - 178 Hedgehog ASWRL, 2 DCT, 1 DCR (15), type 271 radar, type 144 sonar

1/1946, Deptford: 2 x 1 - 120/45 CP Mk XIV, 1 x 1 - 76/45 Mk II, 6 x 1 - 20/70 Mk III, 1 x 24 - 178 Hedgehog ASWRL, 4 DCT, 2 DCR (90), type 271 radar, type 144 sonar

1/1946, Leith: 2 x 1 - 120/45 CP Mk XIV, 1 x 1 - 76/45 Mk II, 6 x 1 - 20/70 Mk III, 1 x 24 - 178 Hedgehog ASWRL, 4 DCT, 2 DCR (90), type 271, type 291 radars, type 144 sonar

1/1946, Fleetwood: 2 x 2 - 102/45 Mk XIX, 6 x 1 - 20/70 Mk III, 1 x 24 - 178 Hedgehog ASWRL, 4 DCT, 2 DCR (90), type 271, type 286P radars, type 144 sonar

1/1946, Londonderry, Lowestoft: 2 x 2 - 102/45 Mk XIX, 6 x 1 - 20/70 Mk III, 1 x 24 - 178 Hedgehog ASWRL, 4 DCT, 2 DCR (90), type 271, type 291 radars, type 144 sonar

1/1946, Fleetwood: 2 x 1 - 120/45 CP Mk XIV, 1 x 1 - 76/45 Mk II, 2 x 2 - 20/70 Mk V, 2 x 1 - 20/70 Mk III, 4 DCT, 2 DCR (90)

1/1946, Wellington: 2 x 1 - 120/45 CP Mk XIV, 6 x 1 - 20/70 Mk III, 1 x 24 - 178 Hedgehog ASWRL, 4 DCT, 2 DCR (90), type 271 radar, type 144 sonar

 

late 1940s, Swan, Warrego: - 6 x 1 - 20/70; + 3 x 1 - 40/60 Mk VII

1955, Swan, Warrego: all old armament was replaced by 1 x 2 - 102/45 Mk 19, 1 x 1 - 40/60 Mk 7

Naval service: Grimsby was destroyed by German dive-bomber Ju 87 25.5.1941, Parramatta was torpedoed by German submarine U559 in Mediterranean 27.11.1941. Yarra was sunk in action against Japanese cruisers and destroyers in Java Sea 4.3.1942. Leith was sold commercially in 1946 but later was resold to Denmark as fighting ship.

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

© Ivan Gogin, 2008-15