What was the most capable British destroyer class of WW2?

by LordBrighton

In your opinion which British destroyer class was the most capable or "best" overall in terms of armament, speed, etc. How are they compared against a Fletcher class destroyer?

Also, how many officers were usually onboard a British WW2 destroyer?

thefourthmaninaboat

I'm on holiday, so I can't give you as thorough an answer as I'd like. The biggest, and most capable British destroyer of the pre-war period was the Tribal class, displacing 1850 tons, and armed with eight 4.7 in guns. They fought well throughout the war, and were involved in all of the RN's campaigns, and most of its battles. They were also used by the Canadian and Australian navies, being well regarded by both. They compared well to a Fletcher class - their gun armament was heavier, but their light AA and torpedo armament was lacking in comparison. American destroyer machinery was more efficient, but the British designs had a better hull form. The Tribals were succeeded by the Battle class, which were designed with the lessons of the early war. These were bigger, at 23-2400 tons, but had a smaller gun armament, mounting only four 4.5in guns in two twin mountings. However, the 4.5in was a very fast firing gun and fired a heavy shell, allowing for an overall weight of metal that compared well with their better armed counterparts. The Battles had an extremely heavy light AA suite, mounting up to 14 of the excellent Bofors 40mm guns. Several of these were on stabilised, radar integrated mounts, making them very effective weapons. The typical RN destroyer would carry somewhere between 10-20 officers, depending on class. HMS Exmouth had 16 officers aboard when she sank, while both HMS Daring and the older HMS Vortigern had 10.

nastylittleman

You may get an answer over at /r/warshipporn