View source for G and H-class destroyer

{{short description|Ship class}}
{{For|the proposed 1944 G-class of Royal Navy destroyers|G-class destroyer (1944)}}
{{Good article}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2017}}
{{Use British English|date=January 2017}}
{|{{Infobox ship begin|sclass=2}}
{{Infobox ship image
|Ship image=File:HMS Hasty.jpg
|Ship caption=[[HMS Hasty (H24)|HMS ''Hasty'']] in 1936
}}
{{Infobox ship class overview
|Builders=
|Operators=* {{navy|United Kingdom}}
* {{navy|Greece|royalnavy|name=Royal Hellenic Navy}}
* {{naval|Brazil}}
* {{navy|Argentina}}
* {{navy|Poland}}
* {{naval|Canada|1911}}
* {{navy|Dominican Republic}}
* {{navy|Netherlands}} 
|Class before={{sclass2|E and F|destroyer|4}}
|Class after={{sclass2|I|destroyer|4}}
|Subclasses=G, H, ''Havant''
|Built range=1934–1940
|In commission range=1936–1964
|Total ships completed=24
|Total ships lost=17
|Total ships scrapped=7
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
|Hide header=
|Header caption=(G- and H-class as built)
|Ship displacement=*{{convert|1340|-|1350|LT|t|lk=on}} ([[Standard displacement|standard]])
* {{convert|1854|-|1860|LT|t}} ([[deep load]])
|Ship length={{convert|323|ft|m|1|abbr=on}} ([[o/a]])
|Ship beam={{convert|33|ft|m|1|abbr=on}} 
|Ship draught={{convert|12|ft|6|in|m|1|abbr=on}} 
|Ship power=*3 [[Admiralty 3-drum boiler]]s
* {{cvt|34000|shp|lk=on}}
|Ship propulsion=2 shafts; 2 geared [[steam turbine]]s
|Ship speed={{convert|35.5|kn|lk=in}}
|Ship range={{convert|5530|nmi|lk=in|abbr=on}} at {{convert|15|kn}}
|Ship complement=137 (peacetime), 146 (wartime)
|Ship sensors=[[Sonar#History|ASDIC]]
|Ship armament=*4 × single [[4.7 inch QF Mark IX|4.7 in (120&nbsp;mm) guns]]
* 2 × quadruple [[Vickers .50 machine gun|{{cvt|0.5|in|mm|1}} AA machine guns]]
* 2 × quadruple [[British 21-inch torpedo|21 in (533&nbsp;mm)]] [[torpedo tubes]]
* 1 × [[depth charge]] rack, 2 × throwers, 20 × depth charges 
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
|Hide header=
|Header caption= (''Havant'' class, where different)
|Ship armament=*3 × single [[4.7 inch QF Mark IX|4.7 in (120&nbsp;mm) guns]]
* Up to 110 depth charges
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
|Hide header=
|Header caption= (''Grenville'' & ''Hardy'', where different)
|Ship displacement=*{{convert|1445|-|1465|LT|t}} (standard)
* {{convert|1953|-|2033|LT|t}} (deep load)
|Ship length={{convert|330|-|337|ft|m|1|abbr=on}} (o/a) 
|Ship beam={{convert|33.75|-|34|ft|m|1|abbr=on}} 
|Ship power={{convert|38000|shp|abbr=on}}
|Ship complement= 175
|Ship armament=5 × single [[4.7 inch QF Mark IX|4.7 in (120&nbsp;mm) guns]]
}}
|}

The '''G- and H-class destroyers''' were a group of 18 [[destroyer]]s built for the [[Royal Navy]] during the 1930s. Six additional ships being built for the [[Brazilian Navy]] when World War II began in 1939 were purchased by the British and named the ''Havant'' class. The design was a major export success with other ships built for the [[Argentine Navy|Argentine]] and [[Royal Hellenic Navy|Royal Hellenic Navies]]. They were assigned to the [[Mediterranean Fleet]] upon completion and enforced the [[Non-intervention in the Spanish Civil War|Non-Intervention Agreement]] during the [[Spanish Civil War]] of 1936–1939.

Most ships were recalled home or were sent to the [[North Atlantic]] from October to November 1939, after it became clear that [[Kingdom of Italy#Fascist regime (1922–1943)|Fascist Italy]] was not going to intervene in World War II. Then they began to escort convoys and patrol for German [[submarine]]s and [[commerce raider]]s. Two ships were lost to German [[naval mine|mines]] in the first six months of the war. Three more were lost during the [[Norwegian Campaign]], one in combat with a German cruiser and two during the [[First Battle of Narvik]] in April 1940. The [[Battle of France]] was the next test for the destroyers from May to June, with many of the Gs and ''Havant''s participating in the [[evacuation of Dunkirk]] and the subsequent evacuations of Allied troops from western France. Three ships were sunk, two by bombs and the other by torpedoes. Most of the H-class ships were sent to the Mediterranean in May in case Mussolini decided to attack France and the majority of the surviving Gs were sent to [[Force H]] at Gibraltar in July. Two of them, {{HMS|Griffin|H31|2}} and {{HMS|Greyhound|H05|2}}, participated in the [[Battle of Dakar]], before being assigned to the Mediterranean Fleet with their [[sister ship]]s. By the end of the year, the ships participated in several battles with the [[Royal Italian Navy]], losing two to Italian mines and torpedoes, while sinking two Italian submarines. The ''Havant''s spent most of the war in the North Atlantic on convoy escort duties, losing half their number to German submarines, while helping to sink six in exchange by the end of the war.

The G- and H-class ships of the Mediterranean Fleet escorted numerous [[Malta convoy]]s, participated in the [[Battle of Cape Matapan]] in March 1941 and covered the [[Battle of Greece|evacuation of troops from Greece and Crete]] from May to June, losing two to German bombers and another so badly damaged that she was later written off. By the end of the year, they had sunk three submarines, two Italian and one German. Three Hs participated in the Second Battle of Sirte in March 1942, during which one was damaged. Further damaged by aerial attacks, she was ordered to [[Gibraltar]] and [[Ship grounding|ran aground]] in transit and had to be destroyed. Another was torpedoed and lost during [[Operation Vigorous]] in June. The ships sank two more submarines during 1942 and three destroyers began conversion to [[escort destroyer]]s late that year and early in 1943. Two of the four surviving Gs and Hs were transferred to the [[Royal Canadian Navy]] (RCN) while under conversion. All of the surviving ships joined their ''Havant'' half-sisters on escort duty in the North Atlantic in 1943.

One ship was sent to the Mediterranean in 1944 while three others were transferred to the UK in preparation for [[Operation Overlord]]. Between them they sank five German submarines in 1944 with another in 1945. Worn-out and obsolete, the survivors were either [[ship breaking|broken up]] for scrap or sold off after the war.

==Design and description (G and H classes) ==
The G class were ordered as part of the 1933 Naval Construction Programme, the H class following in 1934. These ships were based on the preceding [[E and F-class destroyer|F class]], but the elimination of cruising turbines and the development of more compact machinery allowed their dimensions and [[displacement (ship)|displacement]] to be slightly reduced. The H class were repeats of the G's with some minor differences. All of the destroyers were fitted with [[Sonar#History|ASDIC]] (sonar) and the ability to use the Two-Speed Destroyer Sweep (TSDS) [[minesweeper (ship)|minesweeping gear]].<ref>English, pp. 75, 88, 102</ref>

The G- and H-class destroyers displaced {{convert|1340|-|1350|LT|t|lk=on}} at [[Displacement (ship)|standard]] load and {{convert|1854|-|1860|LT|t}} at [[deep load]]. The ships had an [[length overall|overall length]] of {{convert|323|ft|m|1}}, a [[beam (nautical)|beam]] of {{convert|33|ft|m|1}} and a [[draft (hull)|draught]] of {{convert|12|ft|6|in|m|1}}.<ref name="l59">Lenton, pp. 159–160</ref> Their peacetime complement was 137 officers and [[naval rating|ratings]], which was intended to increase to 146 in wartime. The ships were at their [[ship stability|stability]] limit as built and the [[Director of Naval Construction]] believed that no additions in top weight should be made without an equal amount of weight being removed.<ref>English, pp. 89–90</ref>

They were powered by two [[Parsons Marine Steam Turbine Company|Parsons]] geared [[steam turbine]]s, each driving one [[propeller shaft]], using steam provided by three [[Admiralty 3-drum boiler]]s that operated at a pressure of {{convert|300|psi|kPa kg/cm2|0|abbr=on|lk=on}} and a temperature of {{convert|620|°F}}. {{HMS|Hyperion|H97|2}} was fitted with one [[Johnson boiler]] in her aft boiler room. The turbines developed a total of {{convert|34000|shp|lk=on}} and gave a maximum speed of {{convert|35.5|kn|lk=in}}. The destroyers carried a maximum of {{convert|450|-|475|LT|t}} of [[fuel oil]] that gave them a range of {{convert|5500|nmi|lk=in}} at {{convert|15|kn}}.<ref name="l59"/>

All of the ships had the same main armament, four [[List of British ordnance terms#QF|quick-firing (QF)]] [[4.7 inch QF Mark IX & XII|{{convert|4.7|in|mm|adj=on}} Mark IX]] guns in single mounts, designated 'A', 'B', 'X', and 'Y' from front to rear. The guns had a maximum elevation of 40°; the G class achieved this with a lowered section of the deck around the mount, the "well", that allowed the [[breech-loading weapon|breech]] of the gun to be lowered below deck height, but the new gun mount used in the H class was designed to reach that elevation without the necessity for the clumsy "wells".<ref name="Whitley, pp. 109–10">Whitley, pp. 109–110</ref> They fired a {{convert|50|lb|kg|adj=on}} shell at a [[muzzle velocity]] of {{convert|2650|ft/s|m/s|abbr=on}} to a range of {{convert|16970|yd|m}}.<ref>Campbell 1985, p. 48</ref> {{HMS|Hereward|H93|2}} served as the [[testbed]] for the twin 4.7-inch gun mount used for the {{sclass2|Tribal|destroyer (1936)|5}} and the [[J-, K- and N-class destroyer|J, K and N]] classes that temporarily replaced 'B' gun. For [[Anti-aircraft warfare|anti-aircraft]] (AA) defence, they had two quadruple mounts for the [[Vickers .50 machine gun|QF 0.5-inch Vickers Mk III]] machine gun on platforms between the [[funnel (ship)|funnel]]s. The G- and H-class ships were fitted with two quadruple mounts for [[British 21-inch torpedo|21-inch (533&nbsp;mm)]] [[torpedo tube]]s, although {{HMS|Glowworm|H92|2}} trialled the new quintuple mount. The ships were also equipped with two throwers and one rack for 20 [[depth charge]]s.<ref name=l1>Lenton, pp. 159–161</ref>

The main guns were controlled by an [[Admiralty Fire Control Clock]] Mk I that used data derived from the manually operated [[List of British ordnance terms#DCT|director-control tower]] and the separate [[Rangefinding telemeter|rangefinder]] situated above the [[bridge (nautical)|bridge]]. They had no capability for anti-aircraft fire and the anti-aircraft guns were aimed solely by eye.<ref>Campbell 1985, pp. 14–15; Hodges & Friedman, pp. 12, 17</ref> {{HMS|Hero|H99|2}} and ''Hereward'' saw the introduction of a new style of bridge that would become standard on all Royal Navy fleet destroyers from the {{sclass2|I|destroyer|4}} through to the {{sclass2|Battle|destroyer|4}} of 1944. This was necessary as ''Hereward'' was fitted with a prototype twin-gun mounting that had a [[trunnion]] height {{convert|13|in|cm|1}} higher than the previous weapons, therefore it was necessary to raise the [[Pilothouse|wheelhouse]] to allow the [[helmsman]] to see over the top. Raising the wheelhouse meant it had to be placed in front of, rather than underneath, the bridge, and it was given angled sides, resulting in a characteristic wedge shape with a sloping roof.<ref>Friedman, p. 224</ref>

===Wartime modifications===
Beginning in May 1940, the after bank of torpedo tubes was removed and replaced with a [[QF 12 pounder 12 cwt naval gun|QF 12-pounder Mk V anti-aircraft gun]], the after mast and funnel being cut down to improve the gun's field of fire. Four to eight [[Oerlikon 20 mm cannon|QF 20&nbsp;mm Oerlikon]] [[Autocannon|cannon]]s were added to the surviving ships, usually replacing the .50-calibre machine gun mounts between the funnels. One pair of these was added to the bridge wings and the other pair was mounted [[wikt:abreast|abreast]] the [[searchlight]] platform.<ref name=l1/> Early in the war, depth charge stowage increased to 44.<ref>Friedman, pp. 236–237</ref> By 1943, only four ships were still afloat and all had the 'Y' gun on the [[Deck (ship)|quarterdeck]] removed to allow for additional depth charge stowage and two additional depth charge throwers. The 12-pounder was removed to allow for the installation of a [[Huff-Duff]] [[radio direction finder]] on a short [[mainmast]] and for more depth charges. All of the survivors, except {{HMS|Garland|H37|2}}, had 'A' or 'B' gun replaced by a [[Hedgehog (weapon)|Hedgehog]] anti-submarine [[spigot mortar]], and their director-control tower and rangefinder above the bridge removed in exchange for a [[Type 271 radar|Type 271]] target-indication [[radar]]. 'A' gun was later replaced in {{HMS|Hotspur|H01|2}} while ''Hero'' had exchanged 'B' gun for a Hedgehog and a twin-gun mount for [[QF 6 pounder Hotchkiss|QF six-pounder]] [[Hotchkiss gun]]s for use against U-boats at very close range. A [[Type 286 radar|Type 286]] short-range, surface-search radar, adapted from the [[Royal Air Force]]'s ASV radar, was also added. The early models, however, could only scan directly forward and had to be aimed by turning the entire ship.<ref name=l1/>

===Flotilla leaders===
[[File:HMS Hardy 1936.jpg|thumb|''Hardy'', 1936]]
As per the E and F class, the [[flotilla leader]]s were built to an enlarged design, incorporating a fifth 4.7-inch gun in 'Q' position, between the funnels and were based on the F-class leader, {{HMS|Faulknor|H62|2}}.<ref name=w7>Whitley, p. 107</ref> ''Grenville'' was shorter and heavier than ''Hardy'' as she used compact [[Yarrow boiler|Yarrow-type side fired boilers]] while ''Hardy'' was slightly beamier. They displaced {{convert|1445|-|1465|LT|t}} at standard load and {{convert|1953|-|2033|LT|t}} at deep load.<ref name="l59"/> The ships had an overall length of {{convert|330|-|337|ft|m|1}},<ref name=w7/> a beam of {{convert|33.75|-|34|ft|m|1}}<ref>Friedman, pp. 224, 299</ref> and a draught of {{convert|12|ft|6|in|m|1}}. The ships carried a total of 175 personnel which included the staff of the [[Captain (D)]], commanding officer of the flotilla.<ref>Whitley, pp. 97, 107</ref> Their turbines were {{convert|2000|shp|abbr=on}} more powerful than the [[private ship]]s, which made them {{convert|0.5|kn}} faster; their propulsion machinery was otherwise identical. Both ships were early wartime losses and consequently received no modifications.<ref name=l1/>

==''Havant'' class==
The ''Havant''s were laid down in 1938 for Brazil and requisitioned on 5 September 1939. They were optimized for anti-submarine work and were completed without 'Y' gun and were equipped with eight throwers and three racks for a total of 110 depth charges. Unlike their [[sister ship|half-sisters]], they were fitted with a combined rangefinder-director above the bridge. Wartime modifications were similar to the other G- and H-class ships as a 12-pounder AA gun replaced the aft torpedo tubes, 20&nbsp;mm Oerlikons were added on the bridge wings and a Type 286 radar was installed. Later modifications replaced the .50-calibre machine guns with a pair of Oerlikons, a Type 271 radar was added that replaced the rangefinder-director, a Hedgehog was substituted for 'A' gun, the 12-pounder removed for more depth charge stowage, and a HF/DF mast was installed aft.<ref name=l63>Lenton, p. 163</ref>

==Ships==
===Royal Navy===
====G class====
[[File:HMSGarlandFL 008921.jpg|thumb|Aerial view of ''Garland'' at low speed]]
{|class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
|+ Construction data
|-
! scope="col"|Ship
! scope="col"|Builder <ref name=e90>English, p. 90</ref>
! scope="col"|[[Laid down]]<ref name=l59/>
! scope="col"|[[Ceremonial ship launching|Launched]]<ref name=e90/>
! scope="col"|Completed <ref name=l59/>
! scope="col"|Fate
|-
!scope="row"|{{HMS|Gallant|H59|2}}
|[[Alexander Stephen and Sons]], [[Linthouse]]
|15 September 1934 
|26 September 1935 
|25 February 1936
| Wrecked by German bombers, declared a constructive total loss, 20 January 1941<ref name=w7/> 
|-
!scope="row"|{{HMS|Garland|H37|2}}
|rowspan=2|[[Fairfield Shipbuilding & Engineering Company]], [[Govan]]
|22 August 1934 
|24 October 1935 
|3 March 1936
|Sold to the [[Royal Dutch Navy]], 14 November 1947 and converted into a training ship, scrapped, 1964
|-
!scope="row"|{{HMS|Gipsy|H63|2}}
|4 September 1934
|7 November 1935
|22 February 1936
|Sunk by a mine, 21 November 1939<ref>English, p. 95</ref>
|-
!scope="row"|{{HMS|Glowworm|H92|2}}
|rowspan=2|[[John I. Thornycroft & Company]], [[Woolston, Hampshire|Woolston]] 
|15 August 1934
|22 July 1935
|22 January 1936
|Sunk by the German [[heavy cruiser]] {{ship|German cruiser|Admiral Hipper||2}}, 8 April 1940<ref>English, p. 97</ref>
|-
!scope="row"|{{HMS|Grafton|H89|2}}
|30 August 1934 
|18 September 1935 
|20 March 1936
|Sunk by the {{GS|U-62|1939|6}}, 29 May 1940<ref>English, p. 98</ref>
|-
!scope="row"|{{HMS|Grenade|H86|2}}
|Alexander Stephen and Sons, Linthouse
|3 October 1934
|12 November 1935
|28 March 1936
|Sunk by German aircraft, 29 May 1940<ref>English, p. 99</ref>
|-
!scope="row"|{{HMS|Grenville|H03|2}}<br/>(Flotilla leader)
|[[Yarrow & Company]], [[Scotstoun]]
|29 September 1934 
| rowspan="3" |15 August 1935
|1 July 1936
| Sunk by a mine, 19 January 1940<ref name=w7/>
|-
!scope="row"|{{HMS|Greyhound|H05|2}}
|rowspan=2|[[Vickers Armstrongs]], [[Barrow-in-Furness]]
| rowspan="2" |20 September 1934
|1 February 1936
|Sunk by German aircraft, 22 May 1941<ref>English, p. 100</ref>
|-
!scope="row"|{{HMS|Griffin|H31|2}}
|6 March 1936
|Transferred to the RCN, 1 March 1943; scrapped, August 1946<ref>English, p. 101</ref> 
|}

====H class====
{|class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
|+ Construction data
|-
! scope="col"|Ship
! scope="col"|Builder<ref name=e02>English, p. 102</ref>
! scope="col"|Laid down<ref name=l61>Lenton, p. 161</ref>
! scope="col"|Launched<ref name=e02/>
! scope="col"|Completed<ref name=l61/>
! scope="col"|Fate
|-
!scope="row"|{{HMS|Hardy|H87|2}}<br/>(Flotilla leader)
|[[Cammell Laird & Company]], [[Birkenhead]]
|30 May 1935 
|7 April 1936 
|11 December 1936
| Sunk by German destroyers, 10 April 1940<ref name=w7/>
|-
!scope="row"|{{HMS|Hasty|1936|2}}
|rowspan=2|[[William Denny & Brothers]], [[Dumbarton]]
|15 April 1935
|5 May 1936
|11 November 1936
|Sunk by German [[E-boat]], 15 June 1942<ref>English, p. 105</ref>
|-
!scope="row"|{{HMS|Havock|1936|2}}
|15 May 1935 
|7 July 1936 
|16 January 1937
|Ran aground and wrecked, 6 April 1942<ref>English, p. 106</ref> 
|-
!scope="row"|{{HMS|Hereward|1936|2}}
|rowspan=2|Vickers Armstrongs, [[Walker, Newcastle upon Tyne|Walker]]
| rowspan="2" |28 February 1935
| rowspan="2" |10 March 1936
|9 December 1936
| Sunk by German aircraft, 28 May 1941<ref>English, p. 107</ref>
|-
!scope="row"|{{HMS|Hero|H99|2}}
|21 October 1936
|Transferred to the RCN, 15 November 1943, and sold for scrap, 1946<ref>English, p. 109</ref>
|-
!scope="row"|{{HMS|Hostile|H55|2}}
|rowspan=2|[[Scotts Shipbuilding & Engineering Company]], [[Greenock]]
| rowspan="2" |27 February 1935
|24 January 1936
|10 September 1936
|Crippled by a mine and scuttled, 23 August 1940<ref>English, p. 110</ref>
|-
!scope="row"|{{HMS|Hotspur|H01|2}}
|23 March 1936
|29 December 1936
|Sold to the [[Dominican Navy]], 23 November 1948, and scrapped 1972<ref name=ss2/>
|-
!scope="row"|{{HMS|Hunter|H35|2}}
|rowspan=2|[[Swan Hunter]], [[Wallsend]]
| rowspan="2" |27 March 1935
|25 February 1936 
|30 September 1936
|Sunk by German destroyers, 10 April 1940<ref name=e13>English, p. 113</ref>
|-
!scope="row"|{{HMS|Hyperion|H97|2}}
|8 April 1936 
|3 December 1936
| Crippled by a mine and scuttled, 22 December 1940<ref name=e13/> 
|}

[[File:HMS Hesperus WWII IWM A 7101.jpg|thumb|''Hesperus'' wearing [[dazzle camouflage]] showing the angular bridge front that was fitted to ''Hero'', ''Hereward'', and the ex-Brazilian ships]]

====''Havant'' class====
These six ships were ordered by the [[Brazilian Navy]], but on the outbreak of World War II, they were requisitioned by the Royal Navy. They are usually included with the H class.
{{clear}}
{|class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
|+ Construction data
|-
! scope="col"|Ship
! scope="col"|Builder<ref name=p0>Campbell 1980, p. 40</ref>
! scope="col"|Laid down<ref>English, p. 127</ref>
! scope="col"|Launched<ref name=p0/>
! scope="col"|Completed<ref name=l63/>
! scope="col"|Fate
|-
!scope="row"|{{HMS|Harvester|H19|2}} ({{nowrap|ex-''Handy''}}, {{nowrap|ex-''Jurua''}})
|Vickers Armstrongs, Barrow
|3 June 1938
|29 September 1939
|23 May 1940
|Sunk by the {{GS|U-432||6}}, 11 March 1943<ref>English, p. 128</ref>
|-
!scope="row"|{{HMS|Havant|H32|2}} ({{nowrap|ex-''Javary''}})
|rowspan=2|[[J. Samuel White]], [[Cowes]]
|30 March 1938
|17 July 1939
|19 December 1939
|Crippled by German aircraft and scuttled, 1 June 1940<ref>English, p. 129</ref>
|-
!scope="row"|{{HMS|Havelock|H88|2}} ({{nowrap|ex-''Jutahy''}})
|31 May 1938
|16 October 1939
| 10 February 1940
|Scrapped, 31 October 1946<ref>English, p. 130</ref>
|-
!scope="row"|{{HMS|Hesperus|H57|2}} ({{nowrap|ex-''Hearty''}}, {{nowrap|ex-''Juruena''}})
|rowspan=2|John I. Thornycroft & Company, Woolston
|6 July 1938
|1 August 1939
|22 January 1940
|Scrapped, 15 May 1947<ref>English, p. 131</ref>
|-
!scope="row"|{{HMS|Highlander|H44|2}} ({{nowrap|ex-''Jaguaribe''}})
|28 September 1938
|19 October 1939 
|18 March 1940
|Scrapped, 27 May 1946<ref name=e34/>
|-
!scope="row"|{{HMS|Hurricane|H06|2}} ({{nowrap|ex-''Japura''}})
|Vickers Armstrongs, Barrow
|3 June 1938
|29 September 1939
|21 June 1940
|Crippled by the {{GS|U-415||6}}, 24 December 1943, and scuttled 25 December 1943<ref name=e34>English, p. 134</ref>
|}

===Argentine Navy===
Seven ships were built for the [[Argentine Navy]] as the {{sclass|Buenos Aires|destroyer|4}}, they were delivered in 1938. They were built by Vickers Armstrongs (Barrow), Cammell Laird and [[John Brown & Company]] ([[Clydebank]]). One ship was lost after a collision in 1941, but the remaining ships were in service until broken up in the early 1970s.<ref>Whitley, p. 16</ref>

===Brazilian Navy===
[[Brazil]] ordered six ''Jurua''-class ships from Britain in 1938. These ships were purchased by Britain on the outbreak of war in 1939 and are described above. The Brazilians decided to produce indigenous destroyers, the {{sclass|Acre|destroyer|4}}, at the Ilha das Cobras shipyard, [[Rio de Janeiro]]. The design was based on the H-class plans supplied by Britain, but with guns and machinery supplied by the [[United States]]. Although laid down in 1940, the ships were not completed until 1949–1951.<ref>Friedman, p. 227</ref>

===Royal Hellenic Navy===
Two ships, modified versions of the G class, were built for the Greek [[Royal Hellenic Navy]] (RHN) by Yarrow in the late 1930s. The ships were fitted with German-made [[12.7 cm SK C/34 naval gun|{{convert|127|mm|0|adj=on}} guns]] and [[3.7 cm SK C/30|{{convert|37|mm|1|adj=on}} AA guns]]. The number of torpedo tubes was reduced by two on these ships to compensate for the additional topweight. The installation of the armament was carried out in Greece as the Germans refused to ship the weapons to Britain.<ref>Whitley, p. 155</ref> {{ship|Greek destroyer|Vasilefs Georgios|D14|2}}, named after King [[George I of Greece|George I]], served with the RHN during the [[Greco-Italian War]]. Damaged by German aircraft, the ship managed to reach the [[Salamis Island|Salamis]] Navy Yard and was put in [[dry dock]] for repairs, where after further damage during German air attacks, she was finally scuttled to prevent capture. The Germans raised and repaired her and she was commissioned into the [[Kriegsmarine]] as ''Hermes'' (ZG3) on 21 March 1942. ''Hermes'' was heavily damaged off [[Cape Bon]], Tunisia, on 30 April 1943 and scuttled on 7 May 1943. {{ship|Greek destroyer|Vasilissa Olga|D15|2}}, named after Queen [[Olga Queen of Greece|Olga]], served with the RHN during the Greco-Italian War. Along with other ships, she escaped to [[Alexandria]] in May 1941 and joined the Allied forces. She was lost to German aircraft while anchored in [[Lakki Bay]], [[Leros]], on 26 September 1943.<ref name=c5>Roberts, p. 405</ref>

==Service==
[[File:HMS Gallant (H59) IWM FL 22249.jpg|thumb|''Gallant'' at sea, 28 April 1938]]
''Grenville'' and the G class spent the bulk of their time before the start of World War II assigned to the [[1st Destroyer Flotilla]] (DF) in the [[Mediterranean Fleet (United Kingdom)|Mediterranean Fleet]], where they made a number of neutrality patrols during the Spanish Civil War of 1936–1939. With the exception of ''Garland'' which was under repair at [[Malta]] after a premature explosion of her depth charges, they returned home in October–November after it became clear that the Italians would not enter the war. ''Hardy'' and the H-class ships were assigned to the 2nd Destroyer Flotilla and joined the Gs in the Mediterranean after commissioning for similar duties.<ref name=e4>English, pp. 90–100, 103–113</ref>

After a few weeks assigned to [[Western Approaches Command]], the 1st DF was assigned to the [[Nore Command]] at [[Harwich]], although some of the ships were transferred to the [[22nd Destroyer Flotilla]], where they were tasked for escort and patrol duty. ''Gipsy'' was sunk on 21 November after she struck a mine, as did ''Grenville'' on 19 January 1940. Unlike the 1st DF, the Second was transferred to [[Force K]] in [[Freetown]] in West Africa, to help search for German commerce raiders. Some ships were later transferred to Bermuda and the West Indies for escort work and patrolling. They returned to the UK in January and spent several months refitting.<ref name=e4/>

After commissioning, ''Handy'' and ''Hearty'' were renamed ''Harvester'' and ''Hesperus'', respectively, to avoid confusion with ''Hardy''. The ''Havant''-class destroyers initially formed the [[9th Destroyer Flotilla]] assigned to Western Approaches Command for anti-submarine patrols and escort duty. The German [[Operation Weserübung|invasion of Norway]] caused ''Havant'', ''Hesperus'', and ''Havelock'' to be detached to reinforce the Home Fleet during the [[Norwegian Campaign]].<ref>English, pp. 129–130</ref>

''Garland'', ''Grafton'', ''Gallant'', ''Hasty'' and ''Hereward'' were either under repair or refitting during the early stages of the Norwegian Campaign and did not participate in the [[Battles of Narvik]] in April. The remaining ships were assigned to the Home Fleet by this time. ''Glowworm'' was separated from the [[battlecruiser]] {{HMS|Renown|1916|2}} in a heavy storm on 8 April and encountered the German [[heavy cruiser]] {{ship|German cruiser|Admiral Hipper||2}} and several destroyers. The British destroyer could not disengage and was sunk after [[naval ram|ramming]] ''Admiral Hipper''. ''Hardy'', ''Havock'', ''Hostile'', ''Hotspur'' and ''Hunter'' participated in the First Battle of Narvik on 10 April. They sank two German destroyers in exchange for the loss of ''Hardy'' and ''Hunter'', while ''Hotspur'' was badly damaged.<ref>Whitley, pp. 108, 110</ref> That same day, ''Hero'' sank the {{GS|U-50|1939|6}} off the Norwegian coast and was the only G- or H-class destroyer to participate in the Second Battle of Narvik three days later. ''Griffin'' and ''Hasty'' helped to cover the evacuation of Allied troops from [[Namsos (town)|Namsos]] and [[Åndalsnes]] at the end of the month.<ref name=e4/> ''Havelock'' escorted the transports conducting [[Operation Alphabet|the evacuation]] of [[Narvik (town)|Narvik]] in June.<ref>Rohwer, p. 25</ref> ''Garland'' was loaned to the Polish Navy in May after her repairs were finished and she remained in the Mediterranean, escorting convoys between Malta and [[Alexandria, Egypt]], until she was transferred to the Western Approaches Command in September.<ref name=e3>English, p. 93</ref>

In mid-May, the 2nd DF was transferred to the Mediterranean with ''Hostile'', ''Hyperion'', ''Hero'', ''Hereward'', ''Havock'', and ''Hasty'' assigned.<ref name=e4/> Later that month, many of the remaining G and ''Havant''-class ships participated in [[Operation Dynamo]]. ''Grafton'' was torpedoed by {{GS|U-62|1939|2}} on 29 May whilst rescuing survivors from the torpedoed destroyer {{HMS|Wakeful|H88|2}} and had to be scuttled by the destroyer {{HMS|Ivanhoe|D16|2}}. Later that day, ''Grenade'' blew up after being set on fire by German bombs; three days later, on 1 June, ''Havant'' was scuttled after being attacked by German bombers. ''Gallant'' and ''Greyhound'' were damaged while evacuating troops from Dunkirk. ''Harvester'' helped to evacuate more troops from [[Saint-Valery-en-Caux]] in [[Operation Cycle]] and, together with ''Griffin'', ''Highlander'', and ''Havelock'', she participated in [[Operation Aerial]], the evacuation of Allied troops from [[Saint-Nazaire]] and [[St. Jean de Luz]].<ref>Winser, pp. 16–19, 28, 38, 53</ref>

Most of the ships of the 2nd DF participated in the inconclusive [[Battle of Calabria]] on 7–8 July. Almost two weeks later, ''Hasty'', ''Hero'', ''Hyperion'' and ''Havock'' were escorting the Australian [[light cruiser]] {{HMAS|Sydney|D48|2}} when they encountered two Italian light cruisers, sinking one of them in the [[Battle of Cape Spada]].<ref>Rohwer, pp. 32–33</ref> The ships escorted convoys and the ships of the Mediterranean Fleet for the rest of the year, although ''Hostile'' was sunk when she struck an Italian mine on 23 August and ''Hyperion'' was sunk by the {{ship|Italian submarine|Serpente}} on 22 December.<ref name="Whitley, pp. 109–10"/> ''Hotspur'' was assigned to the [[13th Destroyer Flotilla]], supporting [[Force H]] at Gibraltar in July; she was joined by ''Gallant'', ''Greyhound'', and ''Griffin'' shortly afterwards.<ref>English, pp. 92, 100–01, 110</ref> The latter two ships escorted Force H during the [[Battle of Dakar]] in September against the [[Vichy French]] forces there. ''Havock'' and ''Hasty'' sank the {{ship|Italian submarine|Berillo}} on 2 October off the coast of [[Cyrenica]]<ref>Rohwer, pp. 42–43</ref> while ''Gallant'', ''Griffin'' and ''Hotspur'' sank the {{ship|Italian submarine|Lafolè}} on 18 October. ''Gallant'', ''Greyhound'', ''Griffin'', now assigned to the [[14th Destroyer Flotilla]] of the Mediterranean Fleet, together with ''Hero'' and ''Hereward'', participated in the inconclusive [[Battle of Cape Spartivento]] on 27 November.<ref>English, pp. 92, 100–101, 107–108</ref>

[[File:HMS Highlander(H44).jpg|thumb|Aerial view of ''Highlander'' at sea, 31 May 1942]]
The 9th DF returned to the Western Approaches Command (WAC) from July to September, before they were briefly transferred to [[Portsmouth Command]] for several weeks, in response to the possible invasion ([[Operation Sea Lion]]). They returned to the WAC before the end of the month and ''Harvester'' and ''Highlander'' sank {{GS|U-32|1937|2}} on 30 October. In November 1940, the 9th DF was re-designated as the 9th Escort Group. The ''Havant''s remained on escort duty until they began lengthy refits during 1941.<ref>English, pp. 127–134</ref>

''Gallant'', ''Greyhound'' and ''Griffin'' were covering a convoy to Malta on 10 January when the former struck a mine that blew off her bow. ''Griffin'' rescued her crew and the ship was towed to Malta. Repairs were estimated to take until June 1942, but she was declared a constructive total loss and stripped of equipment after she had to be [[Beaching (nautical)|beached]] during an aerial attack on 5 April 1942.<ref name=e2>English, p. 92</ref> On 19 January, ''Greyhound'' sank the {{ship|Italian submarine|Neghelli}} after the latter torpedoed one of the ships in the convoy that ''Greyhound'' was escorting. Two months later, she sank the {{ship|Italian submarine|Anfitre}} on 6 March. ''Greyhound'', ''Griffin'', ''Hotspur'', ''Hasty'', ''Havock'' and ''Hereward'' participated in the [[Battle of Cape Matapan]] on 27–28 March.<ref>Rohwer, pp. 56, 62, 66</ref> ''Greyhound'' was sunk by German [[dive bomber]]s two months later, on 22 May, off Crete;<ref name=e2/> ''Hereward'' suffered a similar fate a week later.<ref>Whitley, p. 110</ref> ''Hotspur'', ''Havock'', ''Hero'', and ''Hasty'' also participated in the evacuations of Greece and Crete in May. The latter three ships then supported Allied forces during the [[Syria–Lebanon Campaign]] in June. All four of the H-class ships, joined by ''Griffin'', began escorting convoys from Alexandria to [[Tobruk]] in July, as well as occasional convoys to Malta, and continued to do so for most of the rest of the year. ''Hasty'' and ''Hotspur'' sank {{GS|U-79|1941|2}} on 23 December while returning from Tobruk.<ref>English, pp. 104–110</ref>

''Garland'' and the five surviving ''Havant''s spent most of the year on convoy escort duties in the Atlantic<ref>English, pp. 93, 127–134</ref> aside from brief diversions such as [[Operation Tiger (1941)|Operation Tiger]], a Mediterranean convoy in May that ''Harvester'', ''Havelock'', and ''Hesperus'' escorted,<ref>Rohwer, p. 72</ref> and ''Garland''{{'}}s participation in the [[Operation Gauntlet|Spitzbergen Raid]] in July.<ref name=e3/> ''Hurricane'' was badly damaged by a German bomb in May that took the rest of the year to repair.<ref name="e34"/>

''Hesperus'' was transferred to Force H in December 1941 for anti-submarine defence of the [[Strait of Gibraltar]] and sank {{GS|U-93|1940|2}} by ramming on 15 January 1942. In March 1942, the ''Havant''-class destroyers were designated group leaders of the [[Mid-Ocean Escort Force]] through the winter of 1942–1943.<ref>Dickens, pp. 181, 183, 186–187</ref> ''Garland'' was assigned to the escort force for [[Convoy PQ 16]] to [[Murmansk]] in May, during which she was damaged by a German bomber. After repairs, she rejoined her half-sisters in the North Atlantic. On 26 December, ''Hesperus'' sank {{GS|U-357||2}} by ramming.<ref>English, pp. 93, 131</ref>

''Griffin'' and ''Hotspur'' were transferred to the [[Eastern Fleet]] in February 1942. ''Havock'', ''Hasty'', and ''Hero'' participated in the [[Second Battle of Sirte]] on 22 March during which the former was damaged. While under repair at Malta, she was further damaged and was then ordered to Gibraltar for repairs in a safer environment.<ref>English, pp. 101, 105–106, 109–110</ref> Whilst in transit, she [[Ship grounding|ran aground]] off the Tunisian coast during the night of 5/6 April due to a navigational error and had to be destroyed to prevent her capture.<ref>Evans, pp. 118–121</ref> Together with the destroyers {{HMS|Eridge|L68|2}} and {{HMS|Hurworth|L28|2}}, ''Hero'' sank {{GS|U-568||2}} on 28 May.<ref>Rohwer, p. 166</ref> To reinforce the escorts for [[Operation Vigorous]], a convoy from Alexandria to Malta in June, ''Griffin'' and ''Hotspur'' were temporarily recalled to join their sisters. During the mission, ''Hasty'' was torpedoed by a German [[E-boat]] and had to be scuttled by ''Hotspur'' on 15 June. On 30 October, ''Hero'' shared the credit for sinking {{GS|U-559||2}} with five other destroyers and a [[Vickers Wellesley]] bomber of [[No. 42 Squadron RAF]]. ''Griffin'' arrived home that same month to begin her conversion into an [[escort destroyer]]. ''Garland'' remained in the North Atlantic until December 1943 when she began escorting convoys between Freetown and Gibraltar.<ref>English, pp. 94, 101, 109–111</ref>

''Hotspur'' and ''Hero'' were sent home and converted into escort destroyers in early 1943. ''Griffin'' and ''Hero'' were transferred to the Royal Canadian Navy in March and November 1943 and renamed ''Ottawa'' and ''Chaudière'', respectively. ''Hotspur'' began escort duties in the WAC after her conversion was completed that lasted until October 1944.<ref>English, pp. 101, 109, 111</ref> While escorting [[Convoy HX 228]], ''Harvester'' rammed {{GS|U-444||2}} on 10 March, but was disabled in the process, so the [[French corvette Aconit|French corvette ''Aconit'']] finished off the submarine. The following day, ''Harvester'' was sunk by {{GS|U-432||2}} which was in turn sunk by ''Aconit''.<ref>Evans, pp. 149–153</ref> ''Hesperus'' sank {{GS|U-191||2}} on 23 April and {{GS|U-186||2}} on 12 May. ''Hesperus'' continued to escort convoys in the North Atlantic until January 1945 when she was transferred to the UK.<ref>Dickens, pp. 190–192</ref> ''Highlander'' and ''Hurricane'' also remained on convoy duties, although the latter ship was torpedoed by {{GS|U-415||2}} on 24 December and had to be scuttled by {{HMS|Watchman|D26|2}} the next day.<ref>English, pp. 132, 134</ref>

[[File:HMS Harvester (H19).jpg|thumb|''Harvester'' in 1942, with a Hedgehog in lieu of 'A' gun and a Type 271 radar above the bridge]]
''Garland'' was transferred to the Mediterranean in April 1944 and sank {{GS|U-407||2}} on 19 September. She began a lengthy refit in November and had barely finished [[Glossary of nautical terms (M-Z)#W|working up]] when the war ended. ''Havelock'', ''Ottawa'' and ''Chaudière'' were escorting convoys in the North Atlantic until they were transferred to the UK in preparation for Operation Overlord in May 1944.<ref>English, pp. 94, 101, 130</ref> ''Chaudière'' and the escorts of [[Convoy HX 280]] sank {{GS|U-744||2}} on 6 March.<ref>Rohwer, p. 308</ref> ''Ottawa'' sank three German submarines in 1944, {{GS|U-678||2}} with the [[corvette]] {{HMS|Statice|K281|2}} on 6 July, {{GS|U-621||2}} with ''Chaudière'' on 16 August and {{GS|U-984||2}}, also with ''Chaudière'', two days later.<ref>English, p. 101, 109</ref>

''Ottawa'', ''Chaudière'' and ''Hotspur'' also had lengthy overhauls that began in late 1944; the latter's was completed in March 1945 and she then patrolled the [[Irish Sea]] until the end of the war while ''Ottawa'' returned to the North Atlantic when her refit was finished in February. ''Chaudière''{{'}}s, however, was still not completed by the end of the war. ''Highlander'' struck a small iceberg on 15 April that crushed the underwater portion of her bow and was under repair for the next three months.<ref>English, pp. 109, 111, 132–134</ref> ''Havelock'' and ''Hesperus'', assisted by aircraft from [[No. 201 Squadron RAF]], sank {{GS|U-242||2}} in the [[North Channel (Great Britain and Ireland)|Irish Channel]] on 30 April.<ref>Dickson, pp. 193–194</ref>

===Postwar===
The surviving ships were essentially obsolete and worn-out when the war ended in May. ''Ottawa'' made several voyages ferrying Canadian troops  back home before she was paid off in October. The ship was sold for scrap in 1946, but was not actually broken up until 1950. ''Chaudière'' was in the worst shape of any of the Canadian destroyers and was paid off in August, although she was not scrapped until 1950 like her sister. ''Garland'' transported food and other supplies to Dutch and Belgian towns immediately after the end of the war and was part of the Home Fleet until she was reduced to reserve in August 1946. She was purchased by the Royal Netherlands Navy in November 1947, renamed ''Marnix'', and became a [[training ship]] until 1964. ''Hotspur'' remained in service until 1948 when she was sold to the [[Dominican Republic]] and renamed ''Trujillo''. Renamed ''Duarte'' in 1962,<ref>English, pp. 94, 101, 109, 111–112</ref> the ship was sold for scrap in 1972.<ref name=ss2>Scheina & Smigielski, p. 82</ref> ''Havelock'' and ''Hesperus'' escorted the Norwegian government-in-exile back to Norway in May and then served as a target ship before being broken up in late 1946 and 1947, respectively. Like her sisters, ''Highlander'' served as a target ship after her repairs were completed and was scrapped beginning in May 1947.<ref>English, pp. 130–131, 134</ref>

==Notes==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==References==
{{Commons category|G and H class destroyer|G- and H-class destroyer}}
*{{cite book|last=Campbell|first=John|title=Naval Weapons of World War II|year=1985|publisher=Naval Institute Press|location=Annapolis, Maryland|isbn=0-87021-459-4}}
*{{cite book|title=Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1922–1946|editor1-last=Chesneau |editor1-first=Roger |publisher=Mayflower Books|location=New York|year=1980|isbn=0-8317-0303-2 |chapter=Great Britain |last1=Campbell |first1=N. J. M.|pages=2–85}}
* {{cite book| title=HMS ''Hesperus'' |last=Dickens|first=Peter|location=Windsor, UK |publisher=Profile Publications |year=1972|oclc=33077697}}
* {{cite book |last1=Douglas |first1=W. A. B.|last2=Sarty |first2=Roger |author3=Michael Whitby |author4=Robert H. Caldwell |author5=William Johnston |author6=William G. P. Rawling |title=No Higher Purpose|series=The Official Operational History of the Royal Canadian Navy in the Second World War, 1939–1943 |volume=2 |others=Part 1 |year=2002|publisher=Vanwell |location=St. Catharines, Ontario |isbn=1-55125-061-6|name-list-style=amp}}
* {{cite book|last=English|first=John|title=Amazon to Ivanhoe: British Standard Destroyers of the 1930s |year=1993|publisher=World Ship Society|location=Kendal, England|isbn=0-905617-64-9}}
* {{cite book|last=Evans|first=Arthur S.|title=Destroyer Down: An Account of HM Destroyer Losses 1939–1945 |publisher=Pen & Sword Maritime|location=Barnsley, UK|year=2010|isbn=978-1-84884-270-0|url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/destroyerdownacc0000evan}}
* {{cite book|last=Friedman|first=Norman|title=British Destroyers From Earliest Days to the Second World War |publisher=Naval Institute Press|location=Annapolis, Maryland|year=2009|isbn=978-1-59114-081-8|author-link=Norman Friedman}}
*{{cite book |last1=Hodges |first1=Peter |last2=Friedman |first2=Norman |title=Destroyer Weapons of World War 2 |year=1979 |publisher=Conway Maritime Press |location= London|isbn=0-87021-929-4|name-list-style=amp}}
* {{cite book|last=Lenton|first=H. T.|title=British & Empire Warships of the Second World War|publisher=Naval Institute Press|location=Annapolis, Maryland|year=1998|isbn=1-55750-048-7|author-link=Henry Trevor Lenton}}
*{{cite book|title=Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1922–1946|editor1-last=Chesneau |editor1-first=Roger |publisher=Mayflower Books|location=New York|year=1980|isbn=0-8317-0303-2 |chapter=Greece |last1=Roberts |first1=John |pages=404–406}}
* {{cite book|last=Rohwer|first=Jürgen|title=Chronology of the War at Sea 1939–1945: The Naval History of World War Two|publisher=Naval Institute Press|location=Annapolis, Maryland|year=2005|edition=Third Revised|isbn=1-59114-119-2 |author-link=Jürgen Rohwer}}
* {{cite book|editor1-last=Chumbley|editor1-first=Stephen|title=Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1947-1995 |year=1995 |publisher=Naval Institute Press|location=Annapolis, Maryland|isbn=1-55750-132-7|author1-last=Scheina |author1-first=Robert L.|author2-first=Adam|author2-last=Smigielski|chapter=Dominican Republic|name-list-style=amp}}
* {{cite book|last=Whitley|first=M. J.|title=Destroyers of World War Two: An International Encyclopedia|publisher=Naval Institute Press|year=1988|isbn=0-87021-326-1|location=Annapolis, Maryland|author-link=Michael J. Whitley}}
* {{cite book|last=Winser|first=John de D.|title=B.E.F. Ships Before, At and After Dunkirk|publisher=World Ship Society |location=Gravesend, UK|date=1999|isbn=0-905617-91-6}}

{{G and H class destroyer}}
{{Interwar standard destroyer}}
{{WWII British ships}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:G And H Class Destroyer}}
[[Category:Destroyer classes]]
[[Category:G and H-class destroyers| ]]
[[Category:Battle of the Atlantic]]
[[Category:North Atlantic convoys of World War II]]
[[Category:Ship classes of the Royal Navy]]