Allied Warships

Destroyers

I class

11 ships


The destroyer HMS Intrepid (D 10) of the Royal Navy. She was lost on 26 Sep 1943.

Technical information

TypeDestroyer
Displacement1360 BRT 
Length323 feet (oa) 
Complement138 men 
Armament

4 4.7" guns (4x1)
2 .5" AA (2x4)
10 21" torpedo tubes (2x5) 

Max speed36 knots
EnginesGeared turbines, 2 shafts 
Power34000 HP 
Notes on class

The specifications as listed above are for the 'normal' I-class destroyers. HMS Inglefield was fitted as flotilla leader and had some different specifications;
Displacement: 1544 BRT
Complement: 175 men
Lenght: 337 feet (oa)
Armament:
5 4.7" guns (5x1)
8 .5" AA (2x4)
10 21" torpedo tubes (2x5)
Speed: 36 knots
Power: 38000 HP
HMS Inglefield was a basically a repeat Hardy with pentad torpedo tubes. The I-class destroyers were repeat of the H-class with some minor alterations. The new type of bridge tried in HMS Hero and HMS Hereward was adopted for the whole class as well as pentad torpedo tubes. HMS Impulsive, HMS Ivanhoe, HMS Intrepid and HMS Icarus were fitted for rapid conversion to minesweepers. Two of the 4.7" guns (A and Y gun) had to be landed as well as both banks of torpedo tubes. 


All ships of the I class


Royal Navy Royal Navy (more on Royal Navy)

HMS Icarus (D 03)
HMS Ilex (D 61)
HMS Imogen (D 44) Lost on 16 Jul 1940
HMS Imperial (D 09) Lost on 29 May 1941
HMS Impulsive (D 11)
HMS Inconstant (H 49)
HMS Intrepid (D 10) Lost on 26 Sep 1943
HMS Isis (D 87) Lost on 20 Jul 1944
HMS Ithuriel (H 05) Lost on 28 Nov 1942
HMS Ivanhoe (D 16) Lost on 1 Sep 1940

Flotilla leader


Royal Navy Royal Navy (more on Royal Navy)

HMS Inglefield (D 02) Lost on 25 Feb 1944


11 Destroyers of the I class. 7 of them were lost.

See all Destroyer classes.



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
A Home on the Rolling Main, A G F Ditcham, 2013
Afridi to Nizam – British Fleet Destroyers 1937 – 43, English, John, 2003
All the Gallant Men, Donald Stratton, 2016
Arctic Convoy PQ8, Michael Wadsworth, 2010
The Battle of Tassafaronga, Russell Syndnor Crenshaw, 2010
Battlestations, Veronico, Nicholas A., 2001
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
The Captain Class Frigates in the Second World War, Collingwood, Donald, 1999



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