Speculation: Daring-Class Destroyers

Fellow captains!

I know many of you are still a bit salty with the lack of the Royal Navy in this game. So I thought a RN ship was in order for this speculation post. Seeing as I usually pick the big ships like carriers and battleships, I figured that a destroyer would be a good choice to get into this week. This ship is the Daring-Class Royal Navy Destroyer. Considered the last true gun destroyer of the Royal Navy, they also were the largest and most heavily armed. In 1943, a total of 20 were ordered split 16 to 4 for the RN and RAN respectively, yet none were laid down before the end of WWII.

Her armament was a direct response to the lessons learned during WWII by the RN. She was fitted with 6 x QF 4.5-inch Mk I – V naval guns in 3 twin turrets. Secondary armament consisted of 6×2 40mm Bofors in 3 twin mounts, and 2 x Pentad(5 tube) 21″ torpedo launchers. Her main guns were quite fast firing, averging 16 rounds per minute per barrel (96 total rounds per minute). Originally, all of her 40mm guns were STAAG or stabilized tachymetric anti-aircraft gun guided by a Type 262 Radar which allowed for multiple target tracking and engagement.

As she is the final all gun destroyer designed by the RN, she is a very likely fit for Tier X. However, she does have some glaring issues when compared to other Tier X destroyers. First, she has a extremely small AAA suite when compared to the USN Gearing-Class. By comparison, the Daring’s 6 40mm Bofors is only half that of the 12 40mm on the Gearing. Not to mention, the Gearing also carries 11 × 20 mm Oerlikon cannons as well. The Shimakaze is armed very similarly with AA armament. This isn’t a bad thing mostly as most destroyers disable their AA to hide from planes and spotting. Most destroyers have the maneuverability and speed to out turn and disengage quickly. The Daring-Class might not. He maximum speed was only 30.5 knots. This is due to her fairly low 54,000shp and her very heavy 3,820 ton combat load. She is considerably heavier than her counterparts, and has a lower rated power plant.

As far as a straight comparison, she is quite weaker than her US and IJN counterparts (let alone the OP ruskies), and she will need some serious tweaks in order to be competitive. However, I feel that there is no other currently viable alternative for a Tier X destroyer that exists (which hasn’t stopped WG in the past cough russian bias cough).