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W and Z-class destroyer

{{short description|Ship class}}

{{more footnotes needed|date=April 2009}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2017}}

{{Infobox ship begin|sclass=2}}

{{Infobox ship image

|Ship image=HMS Zebra.jpg

|Ship caption=HMS Zebra on 12 October 1944

}}

{{Infobox ship class overview

|Name=W and Z class

|Builders=

|Operators=*{{navy|United Kingdom}}

  • {{navy|South Africa|1952}}
  • {{navy|Yugoslavia}}
  • {{navy|Egypt}}
  • {{navy|Israel}}

|Class before={{sclass2|U and V|destroyer|4}}

|Class after={{sclass2|C|destroyer (1943)|4}}

|Subclasses=W, Z

|Built range=

|In commission range=1943 - 1971

|Total ships building=

|Total ships planned=

|Total ships completed=16

|Total ships cancelled=

|Total ships active=

|Total ships laid up=

|Total ships lost=4 (2 as targets)

|Total ships retired=12

|Total ships preserved=

}}{{Infobox ship characteristics

|Hide header=

|Header caption=(W class)

|Ship type=Destroyer

|Ship displacement=*1,710 tons (1,730 tonnes)

  • 2,530 tons full (2,570 tonnes)

|Ship length={{convert|362.75|ft|m|abbr=on}} o/a

|Ship beam={{convert|35.75|ft|m|abbr=on}}

|Ship draught={{convert|10|ft|m|abbr=on}}

|Ship propulsion=*2 Admiralty 3-drum boilers,

  • Parsons single-reduction geared steam turbines,
  • {{convert|40,000|shp|MW|lk=in|abbr=on}}, 2 shafts

|Ship speed={{convert|36|kn|lk=in}} / {{convert|32|kn}} full

|Ship range={{convert|4,675|nmi|lk=in}} at {{convert|20|kn}}

|Ship complement=179 (225 as leader)

|Ship sensors=* Radar Type 272 target indication

|Ship EW=

|Ship armament=* 4 × QF 4.7 inch (120-mm) L/45 Mk.IX guns, single mounts CP Mk.XXII

|Ship notes=

}}

{{Infobox ship characteristics

|Hide header=

|Header caption= (Z class)

|Ship displacement=*1,830 tons (1,860 tonnes)

  • 2,530 tons full (2,570 tonnes)

|Ship sensors=*Type 293 radar target indication

  • Type 285 fire-control radar on director type K

|Ship EW=

|Ship armament=

4 x QF 4.5 in (113 mm) Mk.IV guns, single mounts CP Mk.V

|Ship notes= Other characteristics as per W class

}}

The W and Z class was a class of sixteen destroyers of the Royal Navy launched in 1943–1944. They were constructed as two flotillas, with names beginning with "W-" and "Z-", respectively, although, like the preceding {{sclass2|U and V|destroyer|4}}, two of the flotilla leaders were named after historical naval figures (as had been Royal Navy practice during the inter-war years). They were known as the 9th and 10th Emergency Flotilla, respectively and served as fleet and convoy escorts in World War II. None were lost during World War II but INS Eilat (originally HMS Zealous) was sunk during the Israel-Egypt conflict in October 1967 by Egyptian missile boats and the El Qaher (originally HMS Myngs) of the Egyptian Navy was sunk at Berenice, Egypt on 16 May 1970 by Israeli Air Force aircraft during the War of Attrition.

Design

Repeats of the preceding U and V-class destroyers, with modified director structures. The Z class were armed with 4.5 inch guns.March, p.419.

Ships

=W class=

class="wikitable plainrowheaders"

|+ Construction data for W-class destroyers

scope="col" | Ship

! scope="col" | Shipyard

! scope="col" | Launched

! scope="col" | Fate/notes

scope="row" | {{HMS|Kempenfelt|R03|2}}

|rowspan=2|John Brown, Clydebank

|8 May 1943

|Flotilla leader. Sold to Yugoslavia 1956. After refit served as Kotor. Scrapped 1971{{cite web |url=http://www.naval-history.net/xGM-Chrono-10DD-62W-Kempenfelt2.htm |title=HMS Kempenfelt (ii) (R 03) - W-class Flotilla Leader |publisher=naval-history.net |last=Mason |first=Geoffrey B. |editor=Gordon Smith |date=2002 |access-date=2 May 2015 |archive-date=30 April 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180430041201/http://www.naval-history.net/xGM-Chrono-10DD-62W-Kempenfelt2.htm |url-status=live }}

scope="row" | {{HMS|Wager|R98|2}}

|1 November 1943

|Sold to Yugoslavia 1956, served as Pula after refit. Scrapped 1971.

scope="row" | {{HMS|Wakeful|R59|2}}

|rowspan=2|Fairfields of Glasgow

| 30 June 1943

| converted to Type 15 anti submarine frigate, later a training ship, scrapped 1971

scope="row" | {{HMS|Wessex|R78|2}}

| 2 September 1943

|Transferred to South Africa, 1950 as Jan van Riebeeck Scrapped 1978.{{cite web |url=http://www.naval-history.net/xGM-Chrono-10DD-63W-Wessex2.htm |title=HMS Wessex (ii) (R 78) - W-class Destroyer |publisher=naval-history.net |last=Mason |first=Geoffrey B. |editor=Gordon Smith |date=2002 |access-date=2 May 2015 |archive-date=23 June 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170623233055/http://www.naval-history.net/xGM-Chrono-10DD-63W-Wessex2.htm |url-status=live }}

scope="row" | {{HMS|Whelp|R37|2}}

|rowspan=2|Hawthorn Leslie

| 3 June 1943

|Transferred to South Africa, 1953 as Simon van der Stel. Scrapped Durban 1976.

scope="row" | {{HMS|Whirlwind|R87|2}}

|30 August 1943

| converted to Type 15 A/S frigate, lost while used as target 1974

scope="row" | {{HMS|Wizard|R72|2}}

|rowspan=2|Vickers-Armstrong, Barrow

|29 September 1943

|Broken up in March 1967 at Inverkeithing.

scope="row" | {{HMS|Wrangler|R48|2}}

|30 December 1943

|Transferred to South Africa, 1957 as Vrystaat. Sunk as target 1976.

=Z class=

class="wikitable plainrowheaders"

|+ Construction data for Z-class destroyers

scope="col" | Ship

! scope="col" | Shipyard

! scope="col" | Launched

! scope="col" | Fate/notes

scope="row" | {{HMS|Myngs|R06|2}}

|rowspan=2|Vickers-Armstrong, Tyneside

| 31 May 1943

|Flotilla leader completed June 1944. Transferred to Egypt, 1955 as El Qaher. Sunk in 1970 by Israel aircraft{{cite web |url=http://www.naval-history.net/xGM-Chrono-10DD-64Z-Myngs.htm |title=HMS Myngs (R 06) - Z-class Flotilla Leader |publisher=naval-history.net |last=Mason |first=Geoffrey B. |editor=Gordon Smith |date=2006 |access-date=2 May 2015 |archive-date=15 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220115174512/http://www.naval-history.net/xGM-Chrono-10DD-64Z-Myngs.htm |url-status=live }}

scope="row" | {{HMS|Zephyr|R19|2}}

|15 July 1943

|Broken up July 1958 at Dunston.

scope="row" | {{HMS|Zambesi|R66|2}}

|rowspan=2|Cammell Laird, Birkenhead

|12 November 1943

|Broken up December 1959 at Briton Ferry.

scope="row" | {{HMS|Zealous|R39|2}}

|28 February 1944

|Transferred to Israel 1955 as Eilat, sunk 1967 by an Egyptian missile boat.

scope="row" | {{HMS|Zebra|R81|2}}

|rowspan=2|William Denny and Brothers, Dunbarton

|8 March 1944

|Broken up February 1959 at Newport.

scope="row" | {{HMS|Zenith|R95|2}}

|5 June 1944

|Refitted 1950. Transferred to Egypt, 1955 as El Fateh Modernised in UK 1963–1964.{{cite web |url=http://www.naval-history.net/xGM-Chrono-10DD-65Z-Zenith.htm |title=HMS Zenith (R 95) - Z-class Destroyer |publisher=naval-history.net |last=Mason |first=Geoffrey B. |editor=Gordon Smith |date=2004 |access-date=2 May 2015 |archive-date=4 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304003738/http://www.naval-history.net/xGM-Chrono-10DD-65Z-Zenith.htm |url-status=live }}

scope="row" | {{HMS|Zest|R02|2}}

|rowspan=2|John I. Thornycroft, Woolston

|14 October 1943

|Refitted 1945. Sold in 1969 and broken up 1970{{cite web |url=http://www.naval-history.net/xGM-Chrono-10DD-65Z-Zest.htm |title=HMS Zest (R 02) - Z-class Destroyer |publisher=naval-history.net |last=Mason |first=Geoffrey B. |editor=Gordon Smith |date=2004 |access-date=2 May 2015 |archive-date=3 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303195943/http://www.naval-history.net/xGM-Chrono-10DD-65Z-Zest.htm |url-status=live }}

scope="row" | {{HMS|Zodiac||2}}

|11 March 1944

|Transferred to Israel, 1955 as Yaffo. Taken out of service in 1972{{cite web |url=http://www.naval-history.net/xGM-Chrono-10DD-65Z-Zodiac.htm |title=HMS Zodiac (R 52) - Z-class Destroyer |publisher=naval-history.net |last=Mason |first=Geoffrey B. |editor=Gordon Smith |date=2004 |access-date=2 May 2015 |archive-date=3 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303171152/http://www.naval-history.net/xGM-Chrono-10DD-65Z-Zodiac.htm |url-status=live }}

See also

References

;Notes

{{Reflist}}

;Bibliography

  • {{cite book|title=Destroyers of the Royal Navy, 1893-1981 |first=Maurice |last=Cocker |date=1981 |publisher=Ian Allan |isbn=0-7110-1075-7}}
  • {{Cite Colledge2006}}
  • {{cite book|title=Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1922-1946 |year=1984 |editor=Robert Gardiner |publisher=Naval Institute Press |isbn=0-87021-913-8}}
  • {{cite book|title=British destroyers: A history of development 1892-1953 |last=March |first=Edgar |publisher=Billing and Sons Ltd |place=London |date=1966}}
  • {{cite book |title=Royal Navy Destroyers since 1945 |first=Leo |last=Marriott |publisher=Ian Allan |date=1994 |isbn=0-7110-1817-0 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/royalnavydestroy0000marr }}
  • {{cite book|last=Raven|first=Alan|author2=Roberts, John |title=War Built Destroyers O to Z Classes|publisher=Bivouac Books|location=London|year=1978|isbn=0-85680-010-4}}
  • {{cite book|last=Whitley|first=M. J.|title=Destroyers of World War 2|publisher=Naval Institute Press|year=1988|isbn=0-87021-326-1|location=Annapolis, Maryland}}

External links

{{Commons category|W and Z class destroyer}}

{{W and Z class destroyers}}

{{War Emergency Programme destroyers}}

{{WWII British ships}}

Category:Destroyer classes

Category:Ship classes of the Royal Navy