British Destroyers 1939-45: Pre-war classes

The Royal Navy entered World War II with a large but eclectic fleet of destroyers. Some of these were veterans of World War I, fit only for escort duties. Most, though, had been built during the interwar period and were regarded as both reliable and versatile. Yet danger lurked across the seas as new destroyers being built in Germany, Italy, and Japan were larger and better armored.

So, until the new, larger Tribal-class destroyers could enter service, these vessels would have to hold the li...