Comments by "doveton sturdee" (@dovetonsturdee7033) on "Hunt Class - Guide 130" video.

  1. A cunning plan to re-arm HMS Victory with 24 Montgolfier Balloons has recently been discovered in the National Archives at Kew.
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  2. Hunts were involved in the sinking of 21 boats.
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  3. Hunts were not intended as Atlantic escorts, but were used extensively as East Coast escorts, in the Mediterranean, and on Russian convoys. Many of those allocated to East Coast convoys had a 2 pounder pom-pom fitted right forward in the bows for use against E-boats.
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  4. The vast majority of British merchantmen of the period would struggle to maintain 10 knots at best. Refrigerated cargo ships were faster, often capable of 15 knots or more, which is why such vessels were used on fleet action convoys such as 'Pedestal.'
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  5. Originally, they were known as 'fast escort vessels.' The name change to 'escort destroyer' came later. At 25 knots, they were really too slow for fleet operations, but were often pressed into use. The problems of trying to keep a Hunt in company with fleet destroyers feature prominently in Roger Hill's autobiography, ' Destroyer Captain.' Hill was captain of HMS Ledbury during PQ17, and Pedestal, and his ship was one of the three destroyers which managed to get Ohio to Malta. The others were Penn (a fleet) and Bramham (a Hunt.)
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  6. HMS Torrin was based on the K class leader HMS Kelly, just as Noel Coward based the captain on his friend Mountbatten.
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  7. It is a two pounder pom pom. Most East Coast escorts were fitted with them for use against S Boats.
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