Recognition Guide Warships of the Second World War
Royal Navy — Destroyer R71

HMS Constance (R71)

C-class destroyer (1943) destroyer

Displacement
1,885 long tons (1,915 t)
Length
110.57 m (362.8 ft)
Beam
10.9 m (35.8 ft)
Speed
36 knots (66.7 km/h, 41.4 mph)
Complement
186
Main gun
114 mm (4.5 in)

Service

  1. Royal Navy as HMS Constance6 June 1945 — 8 March 195688 days of the war
C-class destroyer (1943) destroyer Particulars
Name
HMS Constance
Pennant / hull number
R71
Builder
Vickers-Armstrongs
Ordered
12 September 1942
Laid down
11 March 1943
Launched
22 June 1944
Commissioned
6 June 1945
Fate
Arrived for scrapping at Inverkeithing on 8 March 1956 (1956)
Status
Unknown

Specifications

Displacement, standard
1,885 long tons (1,915 t)
Length
110.57 m (362.8 ft) OA
Beam
10.9 m (35.8 ft)
Draught
3.58 m (11.7 ft)
Speed
36 knots (66.7 km/h, 41.4 mph)
Range
4,675 nmi (8,658 km)
Complement
186
Main gun
114 mm (4.5 in)

HMS Constance was a C-class destroyer (1943) destroyer, operated by the Royal Navy. She carried the pennant number R71. Vickers-Armstrongs laid her keel on 11 March 1943. She entered service on 6 June 1945, having been launched on 22 June 1944.

She was one of 40 ships of her class. The class followed the W and Z-class destroyer and was succeeded by the Weapon-class destroyer.

Displacement was 1,885 long tons. She measured 110.6 m (363 ft) long with a beam of 10.9 m (36 ft). Her designed speed was 36 knots, and she carried a complement of 186. Her main battery was of 114 mm (4.5 in) calibre.

She was in commission for 88 days of the Second World War.

Written from the harvested record. Every figure above is sourced; the wording is this site's own.

Armament and machinery

Armament and machinery
Propulsion
  • 2 Admiralty 3-drum boilers
  • Parsons single-reduction geared steam turbines
  • 40,000 shp (29.8 MW), 2 shafts
Armament
  • 4 × QF 4.5 in L/45 guns Mark IV on mounts CP Mk.V
  • 2 × Bofors 40 mm L/60 guns on twin mount "Hazemeyer" Mk.IV
  • 4 × anti-aircraft mountings
  • Single Bofors 40 mm Mk.III
  • Single QF 2 - pdr Mk.VIII Mk.XVI
  • Single Oerlikon 20 mm P Mk.III
  • Twin Oerlikon 20 mm Mk.V
  • 8 (2x4) tubes for 21 inch (533 mm) torpedoes Mk.IX
  • 4 throwers and 2 racks for 96 depth charges

Sister ships

15 more in the class

Sources