L and M-class destroyer

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HMS Legion with her Type 285 radar aerials visible on her HA DCT
Class overview
Operators	Royal Navy  Polish Navy  Turkish Navy
Preceded by	J, K and N class
Succeeded by	O and P class
Subclasses	L, M
Built	1938–42
Completed	16
Lost	9
Scrapped	7
General characteristics as completed
Type	Destroyer
Displacement	1,920 long tons (1,951 t) (standard) 2,660 long tons (2,703 t) (deep)
Length	362 ft 3 in (110.4 m) o/a
Beam	37 ft (11.3 m)
Draught	10 ft (3.0 m)
Installed power	48,000 shp (36,000 kW)
Propulsion	2 × shafts 2 × Parsons geared steam turbines 2 × Admiralty 3-drum boilers
Speed	36 knots (67 km/h; 41 mph)
Range	5,500 nmi (10,200 km; 6,300 mi) at 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph)
Complement	190
Sensors and processing systems	ASDIC Type 285 anti-aircraft (AA) radar Type 286M air warning radar
Armament	3 × 2 - QF 4.7-inch Mk XI dual purpose guns Or 4 × 2 - QF 4-inch Mk XVI dual purpose guns 1 × 1 - QF 4-inch Mk V anti-aircraft gun 1 × 4 - QF 2-pounder Mk VIII anti-aircraft guns 2 × 4 - QF .5-inch Vickers Mk III anti-aircraft machine guns 2 × 4 - 21-inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes 42 × Depth charges, 2 rails and 2 throwers

The L and M class was a class of sixteen destroyers which served in the British Royal Navy during World War II. The ships of the class were launched between 1939 and 1942.

The L class (also known as the Laforeys) were approved under the 1937 Naval Estimates. Four of these ships (Lance, Lively, Legion and Larne) were built with 4-inch (100 mm) armament instead of 4.7 inch. Six of the eight were war losses, with the surviving pair being broken up in 1948.

The M Class were built under the 1939 Naval Estimates. They served in the Home Fleet until 1944 and then went to the Mediterranean. Three were wartime losses; of the five survivors, the Musketeer was broken up in 1955 and the other four sold to Turkey in 1958.