Berkeley displaced roughly 1,000 tons standard and had two Admiralty three-drum boilers and Parsons turbines for about 27.5 knots at normal displacement. Her Type I fit included twin 4-inch mounts, a quad two-pounder, Oerlikons, and 40 depth charges with throwers and a rack. Completed on 6 June 1940, she immediately joined Operation Aerial, the evacuation from western France. This often-overlooked operation was as important as Dunkirk and had less support available from the Royal Air Force. The example shows why familiar machinery and weapons mattered when a newly completed escort had to enter operations almost at once.
Chapter · 10:10-13:50
HMS Berkeley and the Type I fit
HMS Berkeley illustrates the compact Type I Hunt: fast enough for escort work, armed with 4-inch guns and depth charges, and ready for service in under a year.