Admiralty type destroyer leader

The Admiralty type leader, sometimes known as the "Scott" class, were a class of eight destroyer leaders designed and built for the Royal Navy towards the end of World War I. They were named after Scottish historical leaders. The function of a leader was to carry the flag staff of a destroyer flotilla, therefore they were enlarged to carry additional crew, offices and signalling equipment, allowing a fifth gun to be carried. These ships were very similar to the Thornycroft type leader, but the latter had broad, slab-sided funnels characteristic of Thornycroft designs, the Admiralty type having two narrow funnels of equal height.

All except "Mackay" and "Malcolm" were completed in time for wartime service, "Scott" being a war loss. The two final orders - "Barrington" and "Hughes" - were cancelled with the end of the War; these two had originally been ordered to the Thornycroft leader design. "Stuart" was transferred to Australia in 1933. All the remaining ships except "Bruce" (expended as a target ship in 1939) survived service in World War II, being converted to escort ships. "Montrose" and "Stuart" had Brown-Curtis steam turbines, giving 43,000 shp for an extra ½ knot.

Ships

The prototype was ordered in April 1916 under the War Emergency Programme:
*"Scott"; built by Cammell Laird & Company, Birkenhead, launched 18 October 1917 and completed 1918. Torpedoed by U-boat 15 August 1918 in the North Sea off Danish coast.Two more were ordered in December 1916:
*"Bruce"; built by Cammell Laird, laid down 12 May 1917, launched 26 February 1918 and completed 30 May 1918. Sunk as target off the Isle of Wight, 22 November 1939
*"Douglas"; built by Cammell Laird, laid down 30 June 1917, launched 8 June 1918 and completed 2 September 1918. Convoy escort during World War II, sold for breaking up 20 March 1945.Five more were ordered in April 1917. The second vessel was originally named "Claverhouse", but was renamed "Mackay" 31 December 1918:
*"Campbell"; built by Cammell Laird, laid down 10 November 1917, launched 21 September 1918 and completed 21 December 1918. Convoy escort during World War II, sold for breaking up 18 February 1947.
*"Mackay"; built by Cammell Laird, launched 21 December 1918 and completed 1919. Convoy escort during World War II, sold for breaking up 18 February 1947.
*"Malcolm"; built by Cammell Laird, laid down 5 March 1918, launched 29 May 1919 and completed 1919. Convoy escort during World War II, sold for breaking up 25 July 1945.
*"Montrose"; built by R. & W. Hawthorn, Leslie and Company, Hebburn on Tyne, laid down 4 October, launched 10 June 1918 and completed 14 September 1918. Convoy escort during World War II, sold for breaking up 31 January 1946.
*"Stuart"; built by Hawthorn Leslie, laid down 18 October 1917, launched 22 August 1918 and completed 21 December 1918. Transferred to the Royal Australian Navy 11 October 1933, sold for breaking up 3 February 1947.Finally, two more were ordered in April 1918, but were cancelled with the end of the War:
*"Barrington", ordered from Cammell Laird, cancelled December 1918.
*"Hughes", ordered from Cammell Laird, cancelled December 1918.

Notes

References

*"Destroyers of the Royal Navy, 1893-1981", Maurice Cocker, 1983, Ian Allan ISBN 0-7110-1075-7
*"Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships, 1922-1946", Ed. Robert Gardiner, Naval Institute Press, ISBN 0-87021-913-8
*"Destroyers of World War Two : An International Encyclopedia", M J Whitley, Arms and Armour Press, 1999, ISBN 1-85409-521-8.

ee also

*List of destroyers of the Royal Navy