1960 HMS DEVONSHIRE. The lead ship of the County class of eight large guided-
missile destroyers constructed for the Royal Navy during the 1960s.
THE COUNTY CLASS
At almost 7000 tons full load displacement, the County-class destroyers were
twice the size of any other vessel of that type in British service, and were very much closer in nature to some American ships the Belknaps, for example classed as cruisers. HMS Devonshire (D02) was the first of the class. She was constructed at Cammel Lairds yard in Birkenhead. She was laid down on 9 March 1959, launched on 10 June 1960 and completed on 15 November 1962. She was sunk as a target on 17 July 1984.
ARMAMENT AND EQUIPMENT
The County-class were composite ships, the last British destroyers to have multiple gun armament (four 4 (117mm) Mk 6 guns in twin turrets in the forward A and B positions) but with Seaslug and Seacat surface to air missiles as their main AA armament (though both Seaslug and Seacat also had a limited anti-ship capability). They were the first British warships equipped to carry a helicopter, but the facilities for it were both cumbersome and cramped, and also the first to have COSAG (combination of steam and gas) machinery. There was a plan to convert Devonshire to carry six Lynx helicopters, and to sell her in this form to Egypt, but it came to nothing, and she was expended as a target instead.
TECHNICAL DATA
Type: Guided-missile destroyer
Machinery: 2-shaft COSAG; twin geared steam turbines plus 4 G6 gas turbines delivering 30,000shp + 30,000shp
Dimensions (overall): Length, 158.9m (521.5ft); beam, 16.4m (54ft)
Displacement: 6200t standard; 6800t deep load
Draught: 6.2m (20.5(t)
Complement: 440-471
Speed: 30 knots (55.5km/h)
