Editing V and W-class destroyer (section)

===Long-range escort===
[[File:Velox.jpg|thumb|right|HMS ''Velox'' in 1944 after conversion to a long range escort (LRE).]]
The V and W class were designed to support the [[British Grand Fleet|Grand Fleet]] in its actions in the North Sea, for which they were required to make fairly short, high speed dashes. Thus, they were unsuitable for the [[Mid-Ocean Escort Force]] role to which they found themselves allocated in the Second World War, where speeds over 20 knots were of limited value (as [[Sonar|ASDIC]] rapidly lost efficiency) and endurance was desirable over firepower.

To remedy such shortcomings, a number of V and W class were modified into '''long-range escorts''' to suit them to this sort of warfare. The small, single-unit boiler room was struck and the resulting space divided into fuel tanks (lower) and accommodation (upper). Not only did this both lower fuel consumption and increase bunkerage, but it provided much needed space for ballooning wartime crews. 'A' and 'Y' guns were landed and replaced with a [[Hedgehog (weapon)|Hedgehog]] [[Anti-submarine weapon|ahead-throwing weapon]] and [[depth charge]] stowage and launchers, respectively. The torpedo tubes were replaced with a QF 12 pdr anti-aircraft gun and platforms for a pair of [[Oerlikon 20 mm cannon|20 mm Oerlikon]] guns amidships, with a further pair in the bridge wings. [[Type 271 radar|Type 271]] target indication radar was added in its distinctive "lantern" dome on the bridge and [[Type 291 radar|Type 291]] air warning radar was added at the masthead, with [[Huff-Duff|High Frequency Direction Finding]] (HF/DF) fitted in some ships. The maximum speed of the conversions was around {{convert|24.5|kn|abbr=on}}.

Converted long-range escorts were (in order of date):
{{div col|colwidth=20em}}
* Vimy (Jan – April 1941)
* Viscount (Jul – Nov 1941)
* Vanessa (Sep 1941 – Jun 1942)
* Winchelsea (Feb – Mar 1942)
* Whitehall (Jun – Jul 1942)
* Volunteer (Aug – Dec 1942)
* Vidette (Oct – Dec 1942)
* Vanquisher (Nov 1942 – Mar 1943)
* Wrestler (Jan – Apr 1943)
* Westcott (Jan – Jun 1943)
* Vesper (Jan – Jul 1943)
* Walker (Feb – Apr 1943)
* Warwick (Feb – Apr 1943)
* Wanderer (Feb – Apr 1943)
* Vansittart (Feb – May 1943)
* Versatile (Feb – Aug 1943)
* Watchman (May – Jul 1943)
* Verity (May – Sep 1943)
* Vanoc (May – Oct 1943)
* Velox (Jan – Apr 1944){{div col end}}