V and W class destroyer

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HMS Veteran, an Admiralty modified W ship. This is a model at the Glasgow Museum of Transport.

HMS Vidette (Admiralty V class) showing the typical inter-war layout of a V and W class destroyer. She is wearing the 1939-pattern funnel bands of the 16th Destroyer Flotilla based at Portsmouth; one red over one white

The V and W class was an amalgam of six similar classes of destroyer built for the Royal Navy under the War Emergency Programme of World War I and generally treated as one class. For their time they were among the most powerful and advanced ships of their type in the world, and set the trend for future designs. Indeed, the vast majority of post-war destroyer construction, of which Britain built a lion's share for export - were very strikingly similar.

They arrived in time to see service in the First World War. During the interwar period these ships formed the backbone of the Royal Navy's destroyer flotillas until gradually replaced by new construction, by the mid-1930s most had been displaced to the reserve fleet. Most ships survived to make an extensive contribution to the Second World War effort, in the vital role of the convoy escort, freeing up more modern ships for fleet action.

[edit] History

The V and W class were the ultimate evolution of British destroyer design in World War I, embodying the improvements of their predecessors as well as new technological advances. Their lineage can be traced to the River or E class of 1902 that had introduced the classic raised forecastle into the Royal Navy. The Tribal class of 1905 introduced oil-firing and the resultant economies in size, consumption and crew. The Anzac class leader of 1915 had introduced a raised shelter deck forwards, allowing two guns to be carried in the classic superfiring (i.e. one gun fires over the top of the one below and in front of it) "A" and "B" positions. The Yarrow Later M class, also of 1915, introduced a three-boiler, two-funnel layout allowing for a more compact hull and giving increased deckspace and the R class introduced geared turbines giving 30,000 shp on two shafts.

[edit] Design

The new design, originally known as the V Leader, incorporated all these improvements, and also a more sensible layout of the main armament, the amidships gun between the funnels being removed to the aft shelter deck, superfiring over the gun on the quarterdeck. This introduced the ubiquitous "A", "B", "X", "Y" layout for the main armament. New developments, such as director firing for the main armament, triple torpedo tubes and a heavier armament were introduced either from the outset, or as they became available. Ships with triple tubes became the W class and those upgunned with the BL 4.7 in gun became Modified ships.

[edit] Comparison

They compare very favourably to their American contemporaries, the "flush deckers" of the Caldwell, Clemson, and Wickes classes (some of which were later transferred to the Royal Navy as the Town class). The American vessels appeared to be of a different generation, with a flush deck, low forecastle and bridge, four funnels, guns shipped on the beam and a main deck crowded with banks of torpedo tubes on each side.

[edit] Admiralty V class leaders

The Admiralty V class leaders were the initial five V class ships ordered and were designed and built as flotilla leaders. These ships were necessary as the 36 knot speed of the new S class meant that existing flotilla leaders would no longer be able to keep pace with their charges. To speed construction time, these new vessels were based on the three boiler, two funnel machinery of the R class and as they were inevitably larger, a slight decrease in speed was accepted. The fore funnel was tall and narrow and the after one was shorter and wider. They differed from the later Admiralty and the Thornycroft V classes in that they a larger bridge structure, taller foremast, mainmast mounted further aft to accommodate an enlarged spread of wireless aerials, extra boats abreast the after funnel and the searchlight platform between the torpedo tubes was enlarged to accommodate an extra compass. Vampire trialled triple-tube mountings for her torpedoes and as a result had a total of six tubes.

[edit] Ships

• Valentine — built by Cammell Laird & Company, Birkenhead, laid down August 8, 1916, launched March 24, 1917, completed June 27, 1917, damaged by German aircraft, beached and abandoned off Terneuzen May 15, 1940, salvaged 1953
• Valhalla — built by Cammell Laird, laid down August 8, 1916, launched May 22, 1917, completed July 31, 1917, sold for scrapping 1931
• Valkyrie — built by William Denny & Brothers Limited, Dumbarton, laid down May 25, 1916, launched March 12, 1917, completed June 16, 1917, sold for scrapping 1936
• Valorous — built by Denny, laid down May 25, 1916, launched August 5, 1917, completed August 21, 1917, sold for scrapping 1947
• Vampire — built by J. Samuel White & Company, Cowes, laid down October 10, 1916, launched May 21, 1917, completed September 22, 1917, to Royal Australian Navy 1933, bombed and sunk by Japanese aircraft in Bay of Bengal April 9, 1942

[edit] Admiralty V class

The Admiralty V class were ordered as repeats of the Admiralty V class leaders to counter the threat posed by reports of a new class of powerful German destroyers. They omitted the flotilla leader function and as such differed in detail from the leader predecessor. Voyager was completed with triple tubes and during the inter-war period many ships had their twin tubes replaced by a triple bank, except in Vimy, Vanoc, Velox, Versatile and Vortigern in which only the forward bank was replaced, for a total of five torpedoes.

Vanquisher, Vanoc, Velox, Vehement, Venturous, Versatile, Vimiera, Vittoria and Vortigern were built with the ability to be converted into minelayers within 24 hours. For this purpose they would land their torpedo tubes and "Y" gun on the quarterdeck and have screens fitted to protect the mines, of which up to sixty could be carried. They could be distinguished by the permanent mine chutes at the stern.

[edit] Ships

• Vancouver — built by William Beardmore & Company, Dalmuir, laid down March 15, 1917, launched December 28, 1917, completed March 9, 1918. Renamed Vimy in 1933 to release the name Vancouver for another destroyer acquired by the Royal Canadian Navy. Sold for scrapping 1947
• Vanessa — built by Beardmore, laid down May 16, 1917, launched March 16, 1918, completed April 27, 1918, sold for scrapping 1947
• Vanity — built by Beardmore, laid down July 28, 1918, launched May 3, 1918, completed June 21, 1918, sold for scrapping 1947
• Vanoc — built by John Brown & Company, Clydebank, laid down September 20, 1916, launched June 14, 1917, completed August 15, 1917, sold for scrapping 1945, wrecked off Penryn en route breakers, later salved and scrapped
• Vanquisher — built by John Brown, laid down September 27, 1916, launched August 18, 1917, completed October 2, 1917, sold for scrapping 1947
• Vectis — built by J. Samuel White & Company, Cowes, laid down December 7, 1916, launched September 4, 1917, completed December 5, 1917, sold for scrapping 1936
• Vega — built by William Doxford & Sons Ltd, Pallion, laid down December 11, 1916, launched September 1, 1917, completed December 14, 1917, sold for scrapping 1947
• Vehement — built by William Denny & Brothers Limited, Dumbarton, laid down 1916, launched July 6, 1917, completed 1917, mined and sunk in North Sea August 2, 1918
• Velox — built by Doxford, laid down January 1917, launched November 17, 1917, completed April 1, 1918, sold for scrapping 1947
• Vendetta — built by Fairfield Shipbuilding & Engineering Company, Govan, laid down November 1916, launched September 3, 1917, completed October 17 1917, to Royal Australian Navy 1933, scuttled off Sydney July 2, 1948
• Venetia — built by Fairfield, laid down February 2, 1917, launched October 29, 1917, completed December 19, 1917, mined and sunk in Thames estuary October 19, 1940
• Venturous — built by Denny, laid down October 9, 1916, launched September 21, 1917, completed November 29, 1917, sold for scrapping 1936
• Verdun — built by Hawthorn Leslie & Company, Hebburn, launched January 13, 1917, launched August 21, 1917, completed November 3, 1917, sold for scrapping 1946
• Versatile — built by Hawthorn Leslie, laid down January 31, 1917, launched August 21, 1917, completed November 3, 1917, sold for scrapping 1946
• Verulam — built by Hawthorn Leslie, laid down launched October 3, 1917, mined and sunk off Seiskari Island in Gulf of Finland on night of September 3 / 4 1919
• Vesper — built by Alexander Stephens & Sons Limited, Linthouse, laid down December 7, 1916, launched December 15, 1917, completed February 20, 1918, sold for scrapping 1947
• Vidette — built by Stephens, laid down February 1, 1917, launched February 28, 1918, completed April 27, 1918, sold for scrapping 1947
• Vimiera — built by Swan, Hunter & Wigham Richardson, Wallsend, laid down October 1916, launched June 22, 1917, completed September 19, 1917, mined and sunk in Thames estuary January 9, 1942
• Violent — built by Swan Hunter, launched September 1, 1917, sold for scrapping 1937
• Vittoria — built by Swan Hunter, October 29, 1917, torpedoed and sunk by Bolshevik submarine Pantera off Seiskari Island in Gulf of Finland September 1, 1919
• Vivacious — built by, Yarrow & Company Limited, laid down July 1916, launched November 3, 1917, completed December 29, 1917, sold for scrapping 1947
• Vivien — built by Yarrow, laid down July 1916, launched February 16, 1918, completed May 28, 1918, sold for scrap 1947
• Vortigern — built by White, laid down January 17, 1917, launched October 15, 1917, completed January 25, 1918, torpedoed and sunk by German E-boat off Cromer March 15, 1942

[edit] Admiralty W class

The Admiralty W class was a follow on from the Admiralty Vs, with minimal changes, namely that the triple torpedo tube was ready and all these vessels shipped it from new. They also had a taller mainmast.

[edit] Ships

• Voyager — built by Alexander Stephens & Sons Limited, Linthouse, laid down May 17, 1917, launched May 8, 1918, completed June 24, 1916, for Royal Australian Navy, bombed by Japanese aircraft and beached Timor September 23, 1942
• Wakeful — built by William Beardmore & Company, Dalmuir, laid down 17 January 1917, launched October 6, 1917, completed November 16, 1917, torpedeod and sunk by German E-boat S30 off Nieuwpoort May 29, 1940
• Walker — built by William Denny & Brothers Limited, Dumbarton, laid down March 26, 1917, launched November 29, 1917, completed February 2, 1918, sold for scrapping 1946
• Walpole — built by William Doxford & Sons Ltd, Pallion, laid down May 1917, launched February 12, 1918 Completed August 7, 1918, mined in North Sea January 6, 1945 and written off as constructive total loss, scrapped 1945
• Walrus — built by Fairfield Shipbuilding & Engineering Company, Govan, laid down 1917, launched December 27, 1917, completed March 8, 1918, scrapped interwar
• Warwick — built by Hawthorn Leslie & Company, Hebburn, laid down March 10, 1917, launched December 28, 1917, completed March 18, 1918, torpedoed and sunk by German U-boat U413 off Trevose Head 20 February 1944
• Watchman — built by Beadmore, laid down January 17, 1917, launched November 2, 1917, completed January 26, 1918, sold for scrapping 1945
• Waterhen — built by Palmers Shipbuilding & Iron Company, Jarrow, laid down July 1917, launched March 26, 1918, completed April 17, 1918, for Royal Australian Navy, bombed and sunk off of Libya by German and Italian aircraft 30 June 1941
• Wessex — built by Hawthorn Leslie, laid down May 23, 1917, launched March 12, 1918, completed May 11, 1918, bombed by German aircraft off Calais 24 May 1940
• Westcott — built by Denny, laid down March 30, 1917, launched February 14, 1918, completed March 12, 1918, sold for scrapping 1946
• Westminster — built by Scotts Shipbuilding & Engineering Company, Greenock, laid down April 1917, launched February 25, 1917, completed April 18, 1918, sold for scrapping 1947
• Whirlwind — built by Swan Hunter & Wigham Richardson, Wallsend laid down May 1917, launched December 15, 1917, completed March 15, 1918, torpedoed by German U-boat U34 southwest of Ireland, 5 July 1940
• Whitley (ex-Whitby) — built by Doxford, laid down June 1917, launched April 13, 1918, completed October 14, 1918, bombed by German aircraft and beached off Oostende 19 May 1940
• Winchelsea — built by J. Samuel White & Company, Cowes, laid down May 25, 1917, launched December 15, 1917, completed March 15, 1918, sold for scrapping 1945
• Winchester — built by White, laid down June 12, 1917, launched February 1, 1918, completed April 29, 1918, sold for scrapping 1946
• Windsor — built by Scotts, laid down April 1917, launched June 21, 1918, completed August 28, 1918, sold for scrapping 1947
• Wolfhound — built by Fairfield, laid down April 1917, launched March 14, 1918, completed April 27, 1918, sold for scrapping 1948
• Wrestler — built by Swan Hunter, laid down April 1917, launched February 25, 1918, completed May 15, 1918, mined off Juno Beach June 6, 1944 and written off as constructive total loss, scrapped 1944
• Wryneck — built by Palmers, laid down April 1917, launched May 13, 1918, completed November 11, 1918, bombed by German aircraft off Morea 27 April 1941

[edit] Thornycroft V and W class

The Thornycroft V and W class were two V class and two W class specials built by John I. Thornycroft & Company Limited to Admiralty specifications. The two groups were ordered six months apart, on January 30, 1916 and December 9, 1916, respectively. They could be recognised by a higher freeboard and shorter mainmast than the Admiralty type and the flat-sided funnels typical of Thornycroft. The large boiler room (two units) was aft with the single unit forward, the fore funnel therefore being narrower. This arrangement was transposed in the Thornycroft Modified W class. The V-class ships had twin torpedo tubes and those of the W-class triple units. Early in their careers the specified anti-aircraft gun, the QF 2 pounder, was replaced by a single QF 12 pdr 20 cwt Mark I weapon, on a platform between the after funnel and the forward torpedo tubes.

All except Viscount, which became a short range escort, were modified to WAIR type fast anti-aircraft escorts. Their conversions were non-standard in that they carried a pair of QF 2 pdr Mark VIII guns on platforms amidships - en echelon in Woolston only - and that Viceroy retained a bank of torpedoes for some time.

[edit] Ships

• Viceroy, built by John I. Thornycroft & Company Limited, Woolston, laid down December 15, 1916, launched November 17, 1917, completed January 18, 1918, sold for scrapping 1948
• Viscount, built by Thornycroft, laid down December 20, 1916, launched December 29, 1917, completed March 3, 1918, sold for scrapping 1947
• Wolsey, built by Thornycroft, laid down March 28, 1917, launched March 16, 1918, completed May 14, 1918, sold for scrapping 1947
• Woolston, built by Thornycroft, laid down April 25, 1917, launched January 27, 1918, completed June 28, 1916, sold for scrapping 1947

[edit] Thornycroft Modified W class

The Thornycroft Modified W class were a private design by Thornycroft based on the Thornycroft V and W class to Admiralty specifications. The position of the boiler rooms was reversed, with the two-boiler room forward and the single unit aft. As a result, the funnel arrangements were transposed, with the thick funnel forwards and the narrow funnel aft. In common with other Thornycroft designs, they had characteristic broad, flat-sided funnels. Like the Admiralty modified ships, the Thornycrofts were up-gunned with the BL 4.7 inch Mark I weapon, and they received triple banks of torpedo tubes from the outset. Another feature of recognition was that the QF 2 pdr guns were mounted en echelon amidships, between the funnels.

The completion of Witch was delayed by the end of the war, and she was eventually towed to Devonport and completed there at HM Dockyard. Both were converted to the Short Range Escort type during World War II.

[edit] Ships

• Wishart — built by John I. Thornycroft & Company Limited, Woolston, laid down May 18, 1918, launched July 18, 1919, completed June 1920, sold for scrapping 1945
• Witch — built by Thornycroft, laid down June 13, 1918, launched November 11, 1919, completed March 1924, sold for scrapping 1946

[edit] Admiralty Modified W class

[edit] Ships

• Vansittart — built by William Beardmore & Company, Dalmuir, laid down July 1, 1918, launched April 4, 1919, completed November 5, 1919, sold for scrapping 1946
• Venomous (ex-Venom) — built by John Brown & Company, Clydebank, laid down May 31, 1918, launched December 21, 1918, completed August 24, 1918, sold for scrapping 1947
• Verity — built by John Brown, laid down May 17, 1918, launched March 19, 1919, completed September 17, 1919, sold for scrapping 1947
• Veteran — built by John Brown, laid down August 30, 1918, launched April 26, 1919, completed November 13, 1919, torpedoed and sunk by German U-boat in Western Atlantic 26 September 1942
• Volunteer — built by William Denny & Brothers Limited, Dumbarton, laid down April 16, 1918, launched April 17, 1918, completed November 7, 1919, sold for scrapping 1947
• Wanderer — built by Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company, Govan, laid down August 7, 1918, launched May 1, 1919, completed September 18, 1919, sold for scrapping 1946
• Whitehall — built by Swan Hunter and Wigham Richardson, Wallsend, laid down June 1918, launched September 11, 1919, completed by HM Dockyard Chatham July 9, 1924, sold for scrapping 1945
• Whitshed — built by Swan Hunter, laid down June 3, 1918, launched January 31, 1919, completed July 11, 1919, sold for scrapping 1947
• Wild Swan — built by Swan Hunter, laid down July 1918, launched May 17, 1919, completed November 14, 1919, bombed and damaged by German aircraft and collided with Spanish trawler 100 miles off of France, lost on 17 June 1942
• Witherington — built by J. Samuel White & Company, laid down September 27, 1918, launched April 16, 1919, completed October 10, 1919, sold for scrapping 1947, wrecked en route Charlestown April 29, 1947
• Wivern — built by White, laid down August 19, 1918, launched April 16, 1919, completed December 23, 1919, sold for scrapping 1947
• Wolverine — built by White, laid down October 8, 1918, launched July 17, 1919, completed February 27, 1920, sold for scrapping 1946
• Worcester — built by White, laid down December 20, 1918, launched October 24, 1919, completed by HM Dockyard Portsmouth September 20, 1922, mined and damaged in North Sea December 23, 1943, written off as constructive total loss and used as accommodation hulk Yeoman
• Wren — built by Yarrow & Company, laid down June 1918, launched November 11, 1919, completed by HM Dockyard Pembroke Dock January 27, 1923, bombed and sunk by German aircraft off of Aldeburgh 27 July 1940

[edit] Conversion

During World War II many ships were converted for convoy escort duty.

[edit] Long-range escort

The V and W class were designed to support the Grand Fleet in its actions in the North Sea, for which they were required to make fairly short, high speed dashes. Thus, they were unsuitable for the ocean escort role to which they found themselves allocated in the Second World War, where speeds over 20 knots were of limited value (as ASDIC rapidly lost efficiency) and endurance was desirable over firepower.

To remedy such shortcomings, a number of V and W class were modified into Long-range escorts to suit them to this sort of warfare. The small, single-unit boiler room was struck and the resulting space divided into fuel tanks (lower) and accommodation (upper). Not only did this both lower fuel consumption and increase bunkerage, but it provided much needed space for ballooning wartime crews. 'A' and 'Y' guns were landed and replaced with a Hedgehog throwing weapon and depth charge stowage and launchers respectively. The torpedo tubes were removed and replaced with a QF 12 pdr anti-aircraft gun and platforms for a pair of 20 mm Oerlikon guns amidships, with a further pair in the bridge wings. Radar Type 271 target indication was added in its distinctive "lantern" dome on the bridge and Radar Type 291 air warning was added at the masthead, with High Frequency Direction Finding (HF/DF) fitted in some ships. The maximum speed of the conversions was a useful around 24½ knots.

Converted long-range escorts were:

• Vanessa
• Vanoc
• Vanquisher
• Velox
• Vansittart
• Venomous
• Verity
• Versatile
• Vesper
• Vidette
• Vimy
• Viscount
• Volunteer
• Walker
• Wanderer
• Warwick
• Watchman
• Westcott
• Whitehall
• Winchelsea
• Wrestler

[edit] WAIR

The WAIR type conversion supplemented the construction of Hunt and Black Swan class escorts with their emphasis on anti-aircraft capabilities for east coast service (the exact meaning of 'WAIR' has fallen into obscurity, it is often capitalised suggesting an abbreviation or acronym). The Thornycroft type leader Wallace was also given a WAIR conversion, but this larger ship also received a quadruple QF 2 pdr Mark VII mounting.

Converted ships were cleared to the main deck level, leaving only the funnels and after shelter deckhouse. The armament was replaced with four QF 4 inch L/45 Mark XVI guns in two twin mountings HA/LA Mark XIX, shipped on the fore and aft shelter decks. The armament was controlled by a Mark II(W) rangefinder - director, fitted with Radar Type 285 for target ranging as soon as it became available. A new tower bridge, reminiscent of the Hunt class, was built and the metric Radar Type 286 air warning was added at the foremast head, replaced by Type 291 as it became available. The armament was completed by a pair of quadruple 0.5 inch Vickers machine guns on a platform amidships, although sometimes single QF 2 pdr Mark VIII were carried in lieu. These guns were generally sided, but a number of ships had them arranged en echelon to allow cross-deck fire. These light weapons proved to be generally ineffective and were replaced by the 20 mm Oerlikon gun as it became available, although other ships took priority and the older weapons were carried well into 1942 in some cases. Two racks and throwers for depth charges were carried aft. Although this was mainly for self defence purposes, Viceroy sank U1274 off the east coast of Scotland on April 16, 1945.

Ships were allocated new L-series (escort) pennant numbers upon re-commissioning:

• Valentine (L69)
• Valorous (L00)
• Vanity (L38)
• Vega (L40)
• Verdun (L93)
• Vimiera (L29)
• Vivien (L33)
• Viceroy (L21)
• Westminster (L40)
• Whitley (L23)
• Wolfhound (L?)
• Wolsey (L02)
• Woolston (L49)
• Winchester (L55)
• Wryneck (L04)

[edit] Short-range escort

The remaining V and W class were not given either of the former conversions as they were either early war losses, had the valuable BL 4.7 inch main gun or had the modified boiler arrangements of the Thornycroft and Admiralty modified desgns with the small room aft. This latter feature proved unsuitable for the long-range escort conversion. Thus, these ships were known as Short-range escorts.

The conversion was generally limited to adding more role-specific armaments and new technology as it became available. Additions were made piecemeal, and ships were often lost with only some, or even none, of the following modifications. In common with most elderly destroyers allocated to escort duties in World War II, the after bank of torpedo tubes was removed early in the war and replaced with a single QF 12 pdr A/A gun. They also landed 'Y' gun to receive additional space for depth charge gear and stowage. Generally, two 20 mm Oerlikons were added in the bridge wings and (when available) replaced the old 2 pounder guns amidships, 'A' gun was replaced by a Hedgehog weapon and Radar Type 271 target indication was added on the bridge, with Type 286 or 291 air warning fitted at the masthead as and when available. Walpole, Windsor, Witshed and Wivern received an army-pattern twin 6 pounder semi-automatic gun in 'A' position for east coast anti-E boat work.

HMS Wolverine (Admiralty Modified W class) as modified into a "short range escort". She retains both boiler rooms and funnels, but has "Y" gun replaced by depth charges, the after torpedo tubes replaced by a 12 pdr anti-aircraft gun, centimetric Radar Type 271 has been added on the bridge and (not visible) "A" gun has been replaced by a hedgehog weapon.

The following vessels were short range escorts (some vessels were allocated pennant numbers in the L - escort - series):

• Venetia
• Veteran
• Vivacious
• Vortigern
• Wakeful (L91)
• Walpole
• Wessex
• Whirlwind
• Whitshed
• Wild Swan
• Windsor (L94)
• Wishart
• Witch
• Wivern
• Wolverine
• Worcester
• Wren
• Witherington

[edit] In fiction

• HMS Viperous is the name of a fictional V and W class destroyer in the novel The Cruel Sea by Nicholas Monsarrat, the leader of an escort group including Compass Rose, the focus of the first part of the story.
• HMS Warlock is the name of the leader of a flotilla of eight fictional V and W class destroyers in the 1974 novel The Destroyers by Douglas Reeman.
• HMS Vagabond is the name of an apparently fictional V and W class destroyer in the 1989 novel The Fighting Spirit by Charles Giddey (Wheeler) published by William Collins. In this book's fictionalised account of the 1940 Dunkirk evacuation at least 15 actual V and W class ships are mentioned.
• HMS Viking and HMS Vectra are two of the escorts of the 14th Aircraft Carrier Squadron in Alistair MacLean's novel HMS Ulysses.

[edit] See also

• U and V class destroyer - World War 2 destroyer design with "V" names
• W and Z class destroyer - World War 2 destroyer design with "W" names

[edit] Bibliography

• V&W Class Destroyers 1917-1945, Antony Preston, Macdonald & Co, 1971, ISBN 0-356-03471-2
• Destroyers of the Royal Navy, 1893-1981, Maurice Cocker, Ian Allan, ISBN 0-7110-1075-7
• Royal Navy Destroyers since 1945, Leo Marriot, Ian Allan, ISBN 0-7110-1817-0
• British and Empire Warships of the Second World War, H T Lenton, Greenhill Books, ISBN 1-85367-277-7
• Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships, 1922-1946, Ed. Robert Gardiner, Naval Institute Press, ISBN 0-87021-913-8
• Destroyers of World War Two : An International Encyclopedia, M J Whitley, Arms and Armour Press, 1999, ISBN 1-85409-521-8.
• "V & W Class Destroyers" (Man o' War No. 2), Alan Raven & John Roberts, A&AP 1979, ISBN 0-85368-233-X