dwg
Posts: 319
Joined: 1/22/2008 Status: offline
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I checked DKB's 'Atlantic Escorts', nothing on the Flower upgrades, though a note that a bunch of them acquired ancient 6 Pdr Hotchkiss mountings on the bridge wings late war in order to bring surfaced subs under fire more rapidly. There were a couple of intriguing proposals for the Captain Class (i.e. ex-US DEs) listed: a) Trade the 3x1x3"/50 for 3x1x4.7" (this is an early proposal, reading between the lines, possibly because the Captains were seriously deficient in metacentric height causing roll problems) b) Trade the 3x1x3"/50 and Hedgehog for 2x2x4"(A+X), 1x1x3"/50(B) and a Twin Squid, with Type 144 and 147 Asdic, light AA fit 6x2x20mm, 4x1x20mm c) AA variant, 3x5", Mk 50 Director, 3x2x40mm, 4x1x20mm, 12 depth charges (total, not launchers), Type 128 Asdic (I'm not clear if the 5" fit means this is a US proposal, we'd had problems getting 5" off the USN in the past - that was the reason there were no ISTR repeats of HMS Delhi) d)3 TE ships were converted for coastal forces control, one is Sawney, with a 2pdr bowchaser and additional 20mm e)3 GMT ships were converted as headquarters ships LSH(S) for Overlord, which I guess would be an AGC in AE terms. according to wiki "aft 3" gun and all the depth charge gear removed, and the superstructure extended, to provide accommodations for extra Staff Officers...additional radios ... many additional aerials. Four more Oerlikons were fitted bringing the total to 16, and a number of radar sets fitted (Type 271 centimetric target identification and Type 291 air warning, and the associated Types 242 and 253 IFF sets).The complement was reduced to 141, but with a headquarters staff of 64" Wiki identifies the ships so fitted as Dacres, Kingsmill and Lawford f) 5 were due to be fitted as fighter direction ships - effectively radar pickets in US terms g) 5 including Hotham, were converted as floating power stations - not sure AE has an equivalent for this ;)
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