V and W-class destroyer

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HMS Veteran, an Admiralty modified W ship, a model at the Glasgow Museum of Transport
Class overview
Name	V and W
Operators	Royal Navy  Royal Australian Navy
Preceded by	S class Parker class
Succeeded by	Thornycroft type destroyer leader Ambuscade and Amazon
Subclasses	Admiralty V-class leader Admiralty V class Admiralty W class Thornycroft V and W class Thornycroft modified W class Admiralty modified W class
Built	1916–1924
In service	1917–1945
Planned	107
Completed	67
Cancelled	40
General characteristics (see below)
Type	Destroyer

The V and W class was an amalgam of six similar classes of destroyer built for the Royal Navy under the 9th, 10th, 13th and 14th of fourteen War Emergency Programmes during the First World War and generally treated as one class. For their time they were among the most powerful and advanced ships of their type in the world, and set the trend for future British designs.

They arrived in time to see service in the First World War. During the interwar period these ships formed the backbone of the Royal Navy's destroyer flotillas until gradually replaced by new construction; by the mid-1930s most had been displaced to the reserve fleet. Most ships survived to make an extensive contribution to the Second World War effort, in the vital role of convoy escort, freeing up more modern ships for fleet action.