Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 4:04:17-4:06:03

World War II escorts worth saving as museum ships

Preserved cruisers and escorts could show wartime service and the design choices separating Tribals from cheaper destroyers.

County Class CruisersDestroyersFlower Class CorvettesMuseum ShipsRiver Class FrigatesRoyal NavyTown Class Light Cruisers (1936)Tribal Class Destroyers (1936)World War II
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Question

Which unpreserved World War II ship other than a capital ship should have survived as a museum?

Short answer

Suggestions include Tribal-, J-, K-, and N-class destroyers, another Town or County cruiser, and a Flower-class corvette or River-class frigate in Britain.

Notes

The nominations include Tribal-class destroyers such as Eskimo, Ashanti, and Tartar. Another Town-class cruiser with more continuous wartime service, or a County-class cruiser, would supplement Belfast, whose long period out of service helped preserve her condition. The absence of Flower-class corvettes and River-class frigates in Britain is another regretted gap. A surviving J-, K-, or N-class destroyer would allow a direct comparison with the Tribals and their more expensive design.