Halcyon Class Ships
Specifications

HMS Salamander being launched at J S White, Cowes -  24th March 1936
 

List of Halcyon Class ships in order of date of commissioning
Ship	No.*	Commissioned	Built by (Engine builder in brackets)	Sunk, scrapped etc
Halcyon	J42	18 Apr 1934	J Brown, Clydebank (J Brown)	19 Apr 1950
Skipjack	J38	03 May 1934	J Brown, Clydebank (J Brown)	01 Jun 1940  Sunk
Harrier	J71	09 Nov 1934	Thornycroft at Woolston (Thornycroft)	06 Jun 1950
Hussar	J82	16 Jan 1935	Thornycroft at Woolston (Thornycroft)	27 Aug 1944  Sunk
Speedwell	J87	30 Sep 1935	Hamilton, Port Glasgow (Beardmore, Dalmuir)	11 May 1954
Niger	J73	04 Jun 1936	J S White at Cowes (White)	06 July 1942 Sunk
Salamander	J86	18 Jul 1936	J S White at Cowes (White)	7 May 1947 Damaged Aug 44
Hebe	J24	23 Oct 1937	HM Dockyard Devonport (White, Cowes)	22 Nov 1943 Sunk
Hazard	J02	24 Nov 1937	Gray, West Hartlepool (Central Marine Eng Wks, W Hartlepool)	May 1949
Sharpshooter (Shackleton)	J68**	17 Dec 1937	HM Dockyard Devonport (White, Cowes)	Nov 1965
Gleaner	J83	30 Mar 1938	Gray, West Hartlepool (Central Marine Eng Wks, W Hartlepool)	May 1950
Gossamer	J63	31 Mar 1938	Hamilton, Port Glasgow ( A. Stephen & Sons Linthouse)	24 Jun 1942 Sunk
Leda	J93	19 May 1938	HM Dockyard Devonport (Richardson Westgarth, W Hartlepool)	20 Sep 1942 Sunk
Seagull	J85**	30 May 1938	HM Dockyard Devonport (Richardson Westgarth, W Hartlepool)	May 1956
Jason	J99	09 Jun 1938	Ailsa, Troon (Thornycroft, Woolston)	1950
Franklin	J84**	17 Aug 1938	Ailsa, Troon (Thornycroft, Woolston)	1956
Scott	J79**	23 Feb 1939	Caledon, Dundee (Parsons, Wallsend)	July 1965
Speedy	J17	07 Apr 1939	Hamilton, Port Glasgow (White, Cowes)	1957
Bramble	J11	22 Jun 1939	HM Dockyard Devonport (Barclay Curle, Whiteinch)	31 Dec 1942 Sunk
Sphinx	J69	27 Jul 1939	Hamilton, Port Glasgow (White, Cowes)	3 Feb 1940 Sunk
Britomart	J22	24 Aug 1939	HM Dockyard Devonport (Barclay Curle, Whiteinch)	27 Aug 1944 Sunk

*Note: Pennant number prefixes changed from 'N' to 'J' in 1940.

**Note: Pennants from 1948 were:   Franklin A304,  Scott A308, Seagull A309, Sharpshooter/Shackleton A310.

Article Source: British and Empire Warships of World War 2, H T Lenton

Origins of Design (See also 'Trials 1936')

Although the original intention of the sloop replacement programme was to provide a dual purpose escort/minesweeper it was soon appreciated that the escort sloop would continue to increase in size, and would so prove an uneconomic minesweeper design. Also, sloops were being provided in too small numbers for any to be spared for minesweeping. Consequently, a separate minesweeper replacement programme was initiated in 1931 so that some economy could be effected in unit size, as a minesweeping sloop did not need the armament or radius of action of the escort sloop.

By the nature of its work the minesweeper had to be as small as possible to secure handiness and a shallow draught, and it was so hampered while engaged in sweeping that there was little point in providing other than a basic defensive armament. For protection, the minesweeper relied on cover provided by other warships and/or aircraft. The policy when attacked was not to slip the sweep, but to keep sweeping as long as possible depending on the effectiveness of the surface and/or air cover provided.

As a result the Halcyon was some 20ft shorter and displaced some 175 tons less than the contemporary Grimsby, mounted a 4in AA forward and a 4in LA aft (it should have been two AA guns but a shortage of AA mountings resulted in an old destroyer LA being substituted for the after gun), and provided a thoroughly satisfactory vessel. 

The First Group had reciprocating engines as conservative opinion regarded this as the most suitable machinery in view of the frequent changes of speed, but the following second group all received turbines with no loss of efficiency. The Second Group of Niger and Salamander had straightforward vertical triple expansion and the Third Group had geared turbines. The latter group also shipped the after gun on an HA mounting, and had a multiple machine gun added abaft the funnel. This was the dual-purpose concept in reverse, as stripped of sweeping gear and fitted with depth charges in lieu they could be utilised for escort work, and were so employed frequently during the war.

Gleaner, Franklin, Jason and Scott were completed as surveying vessels, and the Sharpshooter and Seagull were converted to this role after the war. Jason and Gleaner reverted to minesweepers/escort vessels on the outbreak of war. Franklin and Scott retained the surveying chartroom aft; and so only mounted a 12 pounder AA gun forward. The Seagull was the first all-welded vessel built for the Royal Navy. 

Early in the war some units used for escort work - such as the Britomart and Seagull - had multiple machine guns added on each side of the bridge, the rangefinder replaced by a HA DCT, the multiple machine guns amidships were taken out, and two 20mm AA (2x1) were added on the quarter deck. War modifications, however were otherwise mainly limited to the addition of two 20mm AA (2x1) guns on the bridge wings, SW.271 RDF replaced the rangefinder on the bridge, the multiple machine gun - where fitted- was taken out together with the mainmast, and in some units the after 4in AA gun was also replaced by two 20mm AA (2x1) guns. 

Note: Although originally classified as Sloops, the term was dropped in 1937 and new vessels were classified as either escorts, patrol vessels or minesweepers. 

Source: http://gb-navy-ww2.narod.ru/HTM-MS-halcyon.html

Halcyon Design not adopted in Canada ...Ideally, the RCN wanted to use Halcyon-class sloops as its primary auxiliary vessel. Built for the RN in the late 1930s, these vessels were suitable for local patrols, anti-submarine work and bringing the defended port system up to proper strength. However, the sloop was a naval design, built to naval standards, and the most recent ones were outfitted with steam turbine engines. Its specifications for scantlings and steel, higher standards of watertight subdivision, duplication and separation of vital command and communications systems, and the like, were all designed to absorb some level of damage and keep functioning. Unfortunately, no yard in Canada had yet developed expertise in building to naval standards, and no Canadian firm built marine turbine engines. And so the auxiliary vessel problem was solved by adopting a new British design called a 'whale catcher,' plans for which had been obtained by the National Research Council during a technical mission in July 1939. Although the corvette, as the whale catcher was soon dubbed, did not fit into the RCN's proper expansion plans, it had several crucial characteristics in the hectic summer days of 1939. First, it was suitable as an auxiliary vessel for the defended ports. Second, the corvette had all the same basic features as the Halcyon-class-about 245 feet in length, 850 tons, steam-reciprocating engines with a top speed of 16-17 knots. In fact, the RN abandoned construction of the Halcyon in 1939 in favour of the corvette, which could be built cheaply and in large numbers.... http://www.legionmagazine.com/features/canadianmilitaryhistory/07-05.asp

 

FIRST GROUP
Name	Pennant	Builder	Laid Down	Launched	Completed
HALCYON	J42	John Brown (Clydebank)	27 Mar. 1933	20 Dec. 1933	18 Apr. 1934
HARRIER	J71	Thornycroft (Woolston)	11 Jul 1933	17 Apr. 1934	9 Nov. 1934
HUSSAR	J82	Thornycroft (Woolston)	10 Aug. 1933	27 Aug. 1934	16 Jan. 1935
SKIPJACK	J38	John Brown (Clydebank)	4 Apr. 1933	18 Jan. 1934	3 May 1934
SPEEDWELL	J87	Hamilton (Beardmore)	20 Jun. 1934	21 Mar. 1935	30 Sep. 1935

Dimensions
Standard Displacement	815 tons	Length	245' 9"
Full Displacement	1370 tons	Beam	33' 6"
Load	555 tons	Draught	9'

Performance & Propulsion
Endurance	7000nm @ 10 knots, 4200 nm@ 15 knots	Speed	17 knots
Propulsion	2 x Admiralty 3drum boilers, 2 x compound reciprocating engines driving 2 shafts @ 2000 hp

Armament & Complement
Complement	80 (peace time)
Armaments
As completed	Gun 1 x 1 x 4" HA 1 x 1 x 4" LA 1 x 1 x 2pdr pompom 8 x 1 x .303" machineguns
1939	Gun 2 x 1 x 4" AA 1 x 4 x 0.5" MG AA 4 x 1 x .303" machine guns
April 1942	Gun 2 x 1 x 4" AA 2 x 4 x 0.5" MG AA 2 x 1 x .303" machine guns
April 1943	Gun 1 x 1 x 4" AA 2 x 1 or 2 x 20mm AA 2 x 1 x .303" machine guns
October 1944	Gun 1 x 1 x 4" AA 4 x 2 x 20mm AA 4 x 1 x 20mm AA Speedwell 2 x 1 x .303" machine guns
A/S
Anti Submarine 4 x depth-charge throwers 2 x depth-charge rails

 

SECOND GROUP
Name	Pennant	Builder	Laid Down	Launched	Completed
NIGER	J73	JS White, Cowes	1 Apr. 1935	29 Jan. 1936	4 Jun. 1936
SALAMANDER	J86	JS White, Cowes	18 Apr. 1935	24 Mar. 1936	18 Jul. 1936

Dimensions
Standard Displacement	815 tons	Length	241' 6"
Full Displacement	1330 tons	Beam	33' 6"
Load	515 tons	Draught	9'

Performance & Propulsion
Endurance	7000nm @ 10 knots, 4200 nm@ 15 knots	Speed	17 knots
Propulsion	2 x Admiralty 3drum boilers, 2 x triple-expansion reciprocating engines driving 2 shafts @ 2000 hp

Armament & Complement
Complement	80 (peace time)
Armament
As completed	Gun 2 x 1 x 4" LA 1 x 4 x 0.5" MG AA 8 x 1 x .303" machine guns
1939	Gun 2 x 1 x 4" AA 1 x 4 x 0.5" MG AA 4 x 1 x .303" machine guns
April 1942	Gun 1 x 1 x 4" AA 4 x 1 x 20mm 2 x 1 x .303" machine guns
All
Anti Submarine 4 x depthcharge throwers 2 x depthcharge rails

 
Extract from Ships Particulars Record for HMS Gleaner, William Gray, Hartlepool
http://portcities.hartlepool.gov.uk/index.php

THIRD GROUP
Name	Pennant	Builder	Laid Down	Launched	Completed
GLEANER	J83	Grays (Central Marine)	17 Jun. 1936	10 Jun. 1937	30 Mar. 1938
HAZARD	J02	Grays (Central Marine)	27 May 1936	26 Feb. 1937	24 Nov. 1937
HEBE	J24	HM Dockyard Devonport (White)	27 Apr. 1936	28 Oct. 1936	23 Oct. 1937
SHARPSHOOTER	J68**	HM Dockyard Devonport (White)	8 Jun. 1936	10 Dec. 1936	17 Dec. 1937
FRANKLIN	J84**	Ailsa: Thornycroft (Southampton)	17 Dec. 1936	22 Dec. 1937	17 Aug. 1938
JASON	J99	Ailsa: Thornycroft (Southampton)	12 Dec. 1936	6 Oct. 1937	9 Jun. 1938
GOSSAMER	J63	Hamilton: A. Stephen & Sons (Glasgow, Scotland)	2 Nov. 1936	5 Oct. 1937	31 Mar. 1938
LEDA	J93	HM Dockyard Devonport (Richardson Westgarth)	16 Nov. 1936	8 Jun. 1937	19 May 1938
SEAGULL	J85**	HM Dockyard Devonport (Westgarth)	15 Feb. 1937	28 Oct. 1937	30 May 1938
BRAMBLE	J11	HM Dockyard Devonport (Barclay Curle)	22 Nov. 1937	12 Jul. 1938	22 Jun. 1939
BRITOMART	J22	HM Dockyard Devonport (Barclay Curle)	1 Jan. 1938	23 Aug. 1938	24 Aug. 1939
SCOTT	J79**	Caledon (Parsons)	30 Aug. 1937	23 Aug. 1938	23 Feb. 1939
SPEEDY	J17	Hamilton (White)	1 Dec. 1937	24 Nov. 1938	7 Apr. 1939
SPHINX	J69	Hamilton (White)	17 Jan. 1938	7 Feb. 1939	27 Jul. 1939

Dimensions
Standard Displacement	875 tons	Length	245' 9"
Full Displacement	1350 tons	Beam	33' 6"
Load	475 tons	Draught	9'

Performance & Propulsion
Endurance	6000nm @ 10 knots, 4800 nm@ 15 knots	Speed	17 knots
Propulsion	2 x Admiralty 3-drum boilers, 2 x geared turbines driving 2 shafts @ 2000 hp

Armament & Complement
Complement	80 (peace time)
Armament
As completed	Gun 2 x 1 x 4" AA 1 x 4 x 0.5" MG AA 4 x 1 x .303" machine guns
1941	Gun 2 x 1 x 4" AA 2 x 4 x 0.5" MG AA 4 x 1 x .303" machine guns
April 1943	Gun 1 x 1 x 4" AA 4 x 1 x 20 mm AA 2 x 1 x .303" machine guns
April 1945	Gun 1 x 1 x 4" AA 2 x 2 x 20mm AA 2 x 1 x 20mm AA
All
Anti Submarine 4 x depthcharge throwers 2 x depthcharge rails

For details of the camouflage paint colours used, go to http://www.jpsmodell.de/main_e.htm