C-class destroyer (1943)

HMS Croziers on 22 December 1945
Class overview
Operators
Preceded byW and Z class
Succeeded byWeapon class
SubclassesCa-, Ch-, Co-, Cr-
In commission1944 - 1972
Planned34
Completed32
Cancelled2
Retired31
Preserved1
General characteristics Ca class[1]
TypeDestroyer
Displacement
Length
  • 362 ft 9 in (110.57 m) o/a
  • 339 ft 6 in (103.48 m) pp
Beam35 ft 9 in (10.90 m)
Draught10 ft (3.05 m)
Propulsion
  • 2 Admiralty 3-drum boilers,
  • Parsons single-reduction geared steam turbines,
  • 40,000 shp (30 MW), 2 shafts
Speed
  • 36 kn (67 km/h; 41 mph)
  • 32 kn (59 km/h; 37 mph) (full load)
Range
  • 4,675 nautical miles (8,658 km; 5,380 mi) at 20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph)
  • 1,400 nautical miles (2,600 km; 1,600 mi) at 32 knots (59 km/h; 37 mph)
Complement186 (222 as leader)
Armament
General characteristics (Ch-, Co- & Cr- class)[3]
Displacement
  • 1,900 long tons (1,930 t) standard
  • 2,535 long tons (2,576 t) full load
Draught10 ft 6 in (3.20 m)
Armament
  • 4 × QF 4.5-inch (113-mm) L/45 Mk IV guns on mounts CP Mk.V
  • 2 × Bofors 40 mm L/60 guns on twin mount "Hazemeyer" Mk.IV;
  • 2 × single 2-pounder
  • 2 × 20 mm Oerlikon cannon[4]
NotesOther characteristics as per Ca- class

The C class was a class of 32 destroyers of the Royal Navy that were launched from 1943 to 1945. The class was built in four flotillas of 8 vessels, the "Ca", "Ch", "Co" and "Cr" groups or sub-classes, ordered as the 11th, 12th, 13th and 14th Emergency Flotillas respectively. The sub-class names are derived from the initial 2 letters of the member ships' names, although the "Ca" class were originally ordered with a heterogeneous mix of traditional destroyer names. A fifth flotilla, the "Ce" or 15th Emergency Flotilla, was planned but were cancelled in favour of the Weapon-class destroyers after only the first two ships had been ordered. The pennant numbers were all altered from "R" superior to "D" superior at the close of World War II; this involved some renumbering to avoid duplications.

  1. ^ Lenton 1970, p. 39.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference Conways22 p43 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Lenton 2000, p. 45.
  4. ^ Gardiner and Chesneau 1995, pp. 43–44.