Allied Warships


Destroyers

O class

8 ships


The O class destroyer HMS Offa.

Technical information

TypeDestroyer
Displacement1540 BRT 
Length345 feet 
Complement175 men 
Armament

As designed;
4 4.7" guns (4x1)
4 2pdr AA (1x4)
6 20mm AA (2x2, 2x1)
8 21" torpedo tubes(2x4)
Upon completetion the after bank of torpedo tubes was omitted in favour of a 4" AA gun.

HMS Obdurate, HMS Obedient, HMS Opportune and HMS Orwell were fitted as minelayers and had a different armament when completed;
4 x 4" guns (4x1)
4 x 2pdr AA (1x40
6 x 20mm (2x2, 2x1)
8 x 21" torpedo tubes (2x4) 

Max speed37 knots
EnginesGeared turbines, 2 shafts 
Power40000 HP 
Notes on classThe displacement of HMS Onslow was 1550 tons as she was fitted as flottilla leader.  

Royal Navy ships of the O class

To see all O class ships click here.

HMS Obdurate (G 39)
HMS Obedient (G 48)
HMS Offa (G 29)
HMS Onslaught (G 04)
HMS Opportune (G 80)
HMS Oribi (G 66)
HMS Orwell (G 98)

Flotilla leader


HMS Onslow (G 17)


O class ships hit by U-boats (1)

25 Jan 1944HMS ObdurateDamagedU-360


The last stand of the tin can sailors

Hornfischer, James D.

Books dealing with this subject include:

200,000 Miles Aboard the Destroyer Cotten, Robinson, C. Snelling, 1999
Afridi to Nizam – British Fleet Destroyers 1937 – 43, English, John, 2003
Blood on the Sea, Parkin, Robert Sinclair, 1996
A Blue Water Navy, WAB Douglas, R. Sarty, M. Whitby et al., 2007
British destroyers & frigates, Norman Friedman, 2006
British Destroyers 1892 to 1953, March, Edgar J, 2003
British Destroyers in World War Two, Burt, R.A., 1986
Cadillac of Destroyers, Barrie, Ron and Macpherson, Ken, 1996
Cape Hatteras, Lloyd, Keith Warren, 2008
Capturing Enigma, Harper, Stephen, 2000 (transl.)
Conway's All The World's Fighting Ships 1922-1946, Chesneau, Roger, 1988
The Court-Martial of Ensign Mason, Nash, Edgar M., 2001
DD 522 : Diary of a destroyer, Surels, Ron, 1996
Deadly Seas, Bercuson, David Jay and Herwig, Holger H., 1997 (transl.)
Destroyer, Brookes, Ewart, 1973



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