Allied Warships


Destroyers

Town class

50 ships


The Town class destroyer HMS Wells.

Technical information

TypeDestroyer
Displacement1190 BRT 
Length314 
Complement190 men 
Armament

4 x 4in guns (4x1)
4 21in torpedo tubes
Depth charge throwers 

Notes on class

The Town class of ships were exchanged with Great Britain under a "ships for bases" deal agreed between President Rosolvelt and Prime Minister Churchill. The deal was for a 100 year lease for bases for the US Armed Forces in the Caribbean. They were not part of the famous "Lend-lease" deal later agreed on.

The ships were taken in hand prior to delivery for the replacement of American Navy equipment with RN equipment. However on arrival a much more detailed refit was undertaken. Ships retained by the RCN underwent refits in Canadian dockyards. As with all warships further modifications were put in hand as required.

HMS Champeltown took part in one of the most dramatic naval operations in WW2 when she was modified and had several tons of explosive fitted in her bow. She was then sailed to St Nazair where she was rammed into the Atlantic Dock caisson, whereupon she eventually exploded killing a large number of German officers and other troops and destroying the dock caisson.

Approximately eighty identical but better preserved destroyers, including USS Reuben James, remained in active service with the United States Navy to become the U-boats' most numerous American adversaries while newer destroyers went to the Pacific.  


All ships of the Town class:

Royal Canadian Navy (more on Royal Canadian Navy)

HMCS Annapolis (I 04)
HMCS Columbia (I 49)
HMCS Hamilton (I 24)
HMCS Niagara (I 57)
HMCS St. Clair (I 65)
HMCS St. Croix (I 81) (lost 20 Sep 1943)
HMCS St. Francis (I 93)

Royal Navy (more on Royal Navy)

HMS Bath (I 17) (to Norway as HNoMS Bath (I 17))
HMS Belmont (H 46) (lost 31 Jan 1942)
HMS Beverley (H 64) (lost 11 Apr 1943)
HMS Bradford (H 72)
HMS Brighton (I 08) (to Soviet Union as USSR Zarkij)
HMS Broadwater (H 81) (lost 18 Oct 1941)
HMS Broadway (H 90)
HMS Burnham (H 82)
HMS Burwell (H 94)
HMS Buxton (H 96) (ex. USS Edwards (DD 265))
HMS Caldwell (I 20)
HMS Cameron (I 05)
HMS Campbeltown (I 42) (lost 28 Mar 1942)
HMS Castleton (I 23)
HMS Charlestown (I 21)
HMS Chelsea (I 35) (to Soviet Union as USSR Derzkij)
HMS Chesterfield (I 28)
HMS Churchill (I 45) (to Soviet Union as Dejatelnyj)
HMS Clare (I 14)
HMS Georgetown (I 40) (to Soviet Union as USSR Zostkij)
HMS Hamilton (I 24) (to Canada as HMCS Hamilton (I 24))
HMS Lancaster (G 05)
HMS Leamington (G 19) (to Soviet Union as USSR Zguchij)
HMS Leeds (G 27)
HMS Lewes (G 68)
HMS Lincoln (G 42) (to Soviet Union as USSR Druznyj)
HMS Ludlow (G 57)
HMS Mansfield (G 76)
HMS Montgomery (G 95)
HMS Newark (G 08)
HMS Newmarket (G 47)
HMS Newport (G 54)
HMS Ramsey (G 60)
HMS Reading (G 71)
HMS Richmond (G 88) (to Soviet Union as USSR Zivuchij)
HMS Ripley (G 79)
HMS Rockingham (G 58) (lost 27 Sep 1944)
HMS Roxborough ( I 07) (to Soviet Union as USSR Doblestnyj)
HMS Salisbury (I 52)
HMS Sherwood (I 80)
HMS St Albans (I 15) (to Soviet Union as USSR Dostojnyj)
HMS St Marys (I 12)
HMS Stanley (I 73) (lost 19 Dec 1941)
HMS Wells (I 95)

Royal Dutch Navy (more on Royal Dutch Navy)

HNMS Campbeltown (I 42) (ex. HMS Campbeltown)

Royal Norwegian Navy (more on Royal Norwegian Navy)

HNoMS Lincoln (G 42) (ex. HMS Lincoln (G 42))
HNoMS Mansfield (G 76) (ex. HMS Mansfield (G 76))
HNoMS Bath (I 17) (ex. HMS Bath (I 17)) (lost 19 Aug 1941)
HNoMS Newport (G 54) (ex. HMS Newport (G 54))
HNoMS St Albans (I 15) (ex. HMS St. Albans (I 15))

Soviet Navy (more on Soviet Navy)

Dejatelnyj (ex. HMS Churchill (I 45)) (lost 16 Jan 1945)
Derzkij (ex. HMS Chelsea (I 35))
Doblestnyj (ex. HMS Roxborough (I 07))
Dostojnyj (ex. HMS St Albans (I 15))
Druznyj (ex. HMS Lincoln (G 42))
Zguchij (ex. HMS Leamington (G 19))
Zivuchij (ex. HMS Richmond (G 88))
Zostkij (ex. HMS Georgetown (I 40))
Zarkij (ex. HMS Brighton (I 08))

9 destroyers of the Town class lost.


Town class ships hit by U-boats (7)

19 Aug 1941HNoMS BathSunkU-204
31 Jan 1942HMS BelmontSunkU-82
11 Apr 1943HMS BeverleySunkU-188
18 Oct 1941HMS BroadwaterSunkU-101
16 Jan 1945USSR DejatelnyjSunkU-956
20 Sep 1943HMCS St. CroixSunkU-305
19 Dec 1941HMS StanleySunkU-574

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