Brief History – County Class Destroyers
General – The “County” Class were large destroyers produced in 2 batches between 1962 and 1970. They were designed to accommodate the Sea Slug surface to air missile. A variety of other weapon systems were also fitted including Sea Cat missiles. The Batch 2 vessels later had their second 4.5in turret removed and replaced with four Exocet missile launchers. They carried a single Westland Wessex helicopter. A total of eight were built.
Specification – displacement 6800 tons; length 521ft; beam 54; draught 20.5ft; propulsion 2 steam turbines (30,000 shp), 4 Rolls Royce Olympus gas turbines (30,000 shp), 2 shafts, 30knots.
Armament – Originally designed to accommodate the Sea Slug surface to air missile aft, they had two twin 4.5in.turrets forward. The batch 2 vessels were later converted to accommodate four Exocet launchers in lieu ‘B’ turret. Air defence was augmented by Sea Cat missiles, and two 20mm Oerlikon guns were later fitted. A Westland Wessex helicopter was carried. Also a variety of radar and sonar equipment.
HMS Devonshire – D02 (Batch 1) Built by Cammell Laird (Birkenhead), she was launched in 1960 and commissioned two years later. Lead ship of the class. She was involved in patrol duties both in the Caribbean and the Persian Gulf, but saw no conflict. She was decommissioned in 1974 and laid up in Portsmouth. Used as a target for Sea Eagle trials, she was sunk shortly after by torpedo on 17th July 1984.
HMS Antrim – D18 (Batch 2) Built by Upper Clyde Shipbuilders, she was launched on 19th October 1967, & commissioned on 14th July 1970. She served in the Falklands war, was hit by a 1000lb bomb that did not explode, and was flagship of the force sent to recover South Georgia. She was decommissioned in 1984 and sold to Chile later that year. Renamed Almirante Cochrane, she later had the Sea Slug system removed and the helicopter deck extended aft. Decommissioned again in 2006, she was towed to China for scrap in 2010.
Further Information - available on the web from a variety of sources.
