V and W Class Destroyer - Conversions For The Second World War - WAIR

WAIR

The WAIR type conversion supplemented the construction of Hunt and Black Swan class escorts with their emphasis on anti-aircraft capabilities for east coast service (the exact meaning of 'WAIR' has fallen into obscurity, it is often capitalised suggesting an abbreviation or acronym, but it is most likely derived from W-class anti-AIRcraft). The Thornycroft type leader Wallace was also given a WAIR conversion, but this larger ship also received a quadruple QF 2 pdr Mark VII mounting.

Converted ships were cleared to the main deck level, leaving only the funnels and after shelter deckhouse. The armament was replaced with four QF 4 inch L/45 Mark XVI guns in two twin mountings HA/LA Mark XIX, shipped on the fore and aft shelter decks. The armament was controlled by a Mark II(W) rangefinder - director, fitted with Radar Type 285 for target ranging as soon as it became available. A new tower bridge, reminiscent of the Hunt class, was built and the metric Radar Type 286 air warning was added at the foremast head, replaced by Type 291 as it became available. The armament was completed by a pair of quadruple 0.5 inch Vickers machine guns on a platform amidships, although sometimes single QF 2 pdr Mark VIII were carried in lieu. These guns were generally sided, but a number of ships had them arranged en echelon to allow cross-deck fire. These light weapons proved to be generally ineffective and were replaced by the 20 mm Oerlikon gun as it became available, although other ships took priority and the older weapons were carried well into 1942 in some cases. Two racks and throwers for depth charges were carried aft. Although this was mainly for self-defence purposes, Viceroy sank U-1274 off the east coast of Scotland on 16 April 1945.

Ships were allocated new L-series (escort) pennant numbers upon re-commissioning:

• Valentine (L69)
• Valorous (L00)
• Vanity (L38)
• Vega (L40)
• Verdun (L93)
• Vimiera (L29)
• Vivien (L33)
• Viceroy (L21)
• Westminster (L40)
• Whitley (L23)
• Winchester (L55)
• Wolfhound (L56)
• Wolsey (L02)
• Woolston (L49)
• Wryneck (L04)