V and W destroyers as a wartime reserve

HMS Walker belonged to the V and W classes, late-war destroyers developed from Royal Navy experience in 1914-1916. At roughly 1,100 tons, the family combined four-inch guns, 21-inch torpedoes, and enough capability for fleet duties or independent operations. Walker was one of 21 Admiralty W-class ships within a family that also included leaders, Thornycroft variants, modified designs, and Australian vessels. Of a planned 107 ships, 67 were completed; the shortfall later helped justify new flotillas in the late 1920s. Walker was laid down on 26 March 1917, launched on 29 November 1917, and completed and commissioned on 12 February 1918.