Kingfisher class sloop

The "Kingfisher" class was a class of patrol sloop of the British Royal Navy built during the 1930s that saw service during World War II.

Design

The "Kingfisher" class was an attempt to build a small patrol vessel under 600 tons, such vessels being outwith the clauses of the London Naval Treaty of 1930. It was intended that it would escort coastal shipping in wartime.

The design had a number of shortcomings, however. Firstly, it was simply designed to too high a standard; constructed to full naval warship specifications and powered by geared steam turbine engines, it was not suitable for mass production. Secondly, it was simply too small, short on range, and the hull-form, based on a scaled-down destroyer, was not suitable for open ocean work, where escorts were found to be dearly lacking in numbers during wartime. Thirdly, armed originally with only a single 4-inch gun forwards and depth charges aft, they were limited in their ability to defend themselves, never mind their charges.

Modifications

The woeful lack of defensive armament was addressed early in the war by adding a multiple Vickers machine gun on the quarterdeck in the "Kingfisher" and "Kittiwake" groups, as per the "Shearwaters". As they became available, two single 20 mm Oerlikon guns were added, on single pedestal mounts on the deckhouse aft, with the useless machine gun being replaced later with a further pair of such weapons. Centimetric Radar Type 271 was added on the roof of the bridge as it became available, this was a target indication set capable of picking up the conning tower or even the periscope or schnorkel of a submarine. Radar Type 286 air warning was added at the masthead. The ships that had the Mark V gun on the open mounting HA Mark III had a shield added to give the gun crews a measure of protection on the exposed fo'c'sle.

Ships

"Kingfisher" group

* "Kingfisher" — built by Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company, Govan, launched 14 February 1935, sold for scrapping 1947
* "Mallard" — built by Alexander Stephen and Sons, Linthouse, launched 26 March 1936, sold for scrapping 1947
* "Puffin" — also built by Stephen, launched 5 May 1936, rammed and damaged by German midget submarine in North Sea 26 March 1945 and written off as constructive total loss, sold for scrapping 1947

"Kittiwake" group

* "Kittiwake" — built by John I. Thornycroft and Company, Woolston, launched 30 November 1936, sold into mercantile service 1946 as "Tuch Shing"
* "Sheldrake" — also built by Thornycroft, launched 28 January 1937, sold into mercantile service 1946 as "Tuch Loon"
* "Widgeon" — built by Yarrow and Company, Scotstoun, launched 2 February 1938, sold for scrapping 1947

"Shearwater" group

* "Guillemot" — built by J. Samuel White and Company, Cowes, launched 6 July 1939, sold for scrapping 1950
* "Pintail" — also built by White, launched 18 August 1939, mined in Humber estuary 10 June 1941
* "Shearwater" also built by White, launched 18 April 1939, sold for scrapping 1947

Bibliography

* "British and Empire Warships of the Second World War", H T Lenton, Greenhill Books, ISBN 1-85367-277-7
* "Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships, 1922-1946", Ed. Robert Gardiner, Naval Institute Press, ISBN 0-87021-913-8