Hastings class sloop
Encyclopedia
The Hastings class, also known as the Folkestone class, was a class of sloop
which were built for the Royal Navy
and the Royal Indian Navy
in the interwar period. In total five ships were built, and went on to see service in the Second World War.
and utilised features developed from the lessons learnt from the convoy escorts of the First World War. They were fitted out as fleet minesweepers
, but were intended to be multifunctional vessels. Features included a high, sustained forecastle to improve operations in high seas, and they were fitted with turbine machinery to improve performance. This turned out to be a drawback as the
turbine machinery could not be mass produced and the design was superseded by the Second World War in favour of classes that could be quickly brought into service.
s, this number later being increased to 80. One, was lost during the war after being torpedoed by . The remaining Royal Navy ships were decommissioned after the war and had all been scrapped by 1949. The sole Indian ship, was later involved in the Royal Indian Navy Mutiny
, and was subsequently transferred to the Pakistan Navy
in 1948 on its formation, and was renamed Karsaz. She was broken up in 1951.
Sloop-of-war
In the 18th and most of the 19th centuries, a sloop-of-war was a warship with a single gun deck that carried up to eighteen guns. As the rating system covered all vessels with 20 guns and above, this meant that the term sloop-of-war actually encompassed all the unrated combat vessels including the...
which were built for the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
and the Royal Indian Navy
Royal Indian Navy
The Royal Indian Navy was the naval force of British India. Along with the Presidency armies and the later British Indian Army it comprised the Armed Forces of British India....
in the interwar period. In total five ships were built, and went on to see service in the Second World War.
Design
The Hastings were a follow on of the previous Bridgewater classBridgewater class sloop
The Bridgewater class sloop was a class composed of two ships built for the Royal Navy, and . The ships were part of the Royal Navy's 1927 Build Programme as replacements for the .-Design:...
and utilised features developed from the lessons learnt from the convoy escorts of the First World War. They were fitted out as fleet minesweepers
Minesweeper (ship)
A minesweeper is a small naval warship designed to counter the threat posed by naval mines. Minesweepers generally detect then neutralize mines in advance of other naval operations.-History:...
, but were intended to be multifunctional vessels. Features included a high, sustained forecastle to improve operations in high seas, and they were fitted with turbine machinery to improve performance. This turned out to be a drawback as the
turbine machinery could not be mass produced and the design was superseded by the Second World War in favour of classes that could be quickly brought into service.
Service
Five ships were built in total, four for the Royal Navy and one for the Royal Indian Navy. They were launched in 1930 and all saw service in the Second World War. was disarmed before the outbreak and was rearmed with a 4 inches (10.2 cm) high angle anti-aircraft gun, a 12 pdr gun and 15 depth chargeDepth charge
A depth charge is an anti-submarine warfare weapon intended to destroy or cripple a target submarine by the shock of exploding near it. Most use explosives and a fuze set to go off at a preselected depth in the ocean. Depth charges can be dropped by either surface ships, patrol aircraft, or from...
s, this number later being increased to 80. One, was lost during the war after being torpedoed by . The remaining Royal Navy ships were decommissioned after the war and had all been scrapped by 1949. The sole Indian ship, was later involved in the Royal Indian Navy Mutiny
The Royal Indian Navy Mutiny
The Royal Indian Navy mutiny encompasses a total strike and subsequent mutiny by Indian sailors of the Royal Indian Navy on board ship and shore establishments at Bombay harbour on 18 February 1946...
, and was subsequently transferred to the Pakistan Navy
Pakistan Navy
The Pakistan Navy is the naval warfare/service branch of the Pakistan Armed Forces. Pakistan's Navy is responsible for Pakistan's coastline along the Arabian Sea and the defense of important civilian harbors and military bases...
in 1948 on its formation, and was renamed Karsaz. She was broken up in 1951.