Battle-class destroyer

The Battle class was a group of fleet destroyers designed for the British Royal Navy during the Second World War, with two further ships completed for the Royal Australian Navy. They were conceived after heavy destroyer losses to German and Japanese air attack in 1941 and 1942 and were planned as dedicated anti-aircraft ships with high-angle 4.5-inch guns, a new fire-control director with radar, and stabilisers, as well as a replacement for the ageing Tribal class. Orders for the first sixteen were placed in 1942, and the ships were named for famous land and sea battles instead of following the usual alphabetical flotilla pattern. Fairfield's yard at Govan received orders for Camperdown and Finisterre in April 1942 and for Cadiz, St James and Vigo in August 1942, and later work on further ships of the class. Equipment delays meant most were completed after the war, and most of the planned group was cancelled.