The W and Z class was a class of sixteen destroyers of the Royal Navy launched in 1943–1944. They were constructed as two flotillas, with names beginning with "W-" and "Z-", respectively, although, like the preceding , two of the flotilla leaders were named after historical naval figures (as had been Royal Navy practice during the inter-war years). They were known as the 9th and 10th Emergency Flotilla, respectively and served as fleet and convoy escorts in World War II. None were lost during World War II but INS Eilat (originally HMS Zealous) was sunk during the Israel-Egypt conflict in October 1967 by Egyptian missile boats while the El Qaher (originally HMS Myngs) of the Egyptian Navy was sunk at Berenice, Egypt on 16 May 1970 by Israeli Air Force aircraft during the War of Attrition.

Design Repeats of the preceding U and V-class destroyers, with modified director structures. The Z class were armed with 4.5 inch guns.March, p.419.

Ships

W class + Construction data for W-class destroyers Ship Shipyard Launched Fate/notes John Brown, Clydebank8 May 1943Flotilla leader. Sold to Yugoslavia 1956. After refit served as Kotor. Scrapped 1971 1 November 1943Sold to Yugoslavia 1956, served as Pula after refit. Scrapped 1971. Fairfields of Glasgow 30 June 1943 converted to Type 15 anti submarine frigate, later a training ship, scrapped 1971 2 September 1943Transferred to South Africa, 1950 as Jan van Riebeeck Scrapped 1978. Hawthorn Leslie 3 June 1943Transferred to South Africa, 1953 as Simon van der Stel. Scrapped Durban 1976. 30 August 1943 converted to Type 15 A/S frigate, lost while used as target 1974 Vickers-Armstrong, Barrow29 September 1943Broken up in March 1967 at Inverkeithing. 30 December 1943Transferred to South Africa, 1957 as Vrystaat. Sunk as target 1976.

Z class + Construction data for Z-class destroyers Ship Shipyard Launched Fate/notes Vickers-Armstrong, Tyneside 31 May 1943Flotilla leader completed June 1944. Transferred to Egypt, 1955 as El Qaher. Sunk in 1970 by Israel aircraft 15 July 1943Broken up July 1958 at Dunston. Cammell Laird, Birkenhead12 November 1943Broken up December 1959 at Briton Ferry. 28 February 1944Transferred to Israel 1955 as Eilat, sunk 1967 by an Egyptian missile boat. William Denny and Brothers, Dumbarton8 March 1944Broken up February 1959 at Newport. 5 June 1944Refitted 1950. Transferred to Egypt, 1955 as El Fateh Modernised in UK 1963–1964. John I. Thornycroft, Woolston14 October 1943Refitted 1945. Sold in 1969 and broken up 1970 11 March 1944Transferred to Israel, 1955 as Yaffo. Taken out of service in 1972

See also The V and W-class destroyers: World War I destroyer class. Type 15 frigate: postwar full conversion of Wartime Emergency Programme destroyers into first-rate fast anti-submarine frigates

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