V and W-class destroyer

• Valentine – built by Cammell Laird & Company, Birkenhead, laid down 8 August 1916, launched 24 March 1917, completed 27 June 1917, damaged by German aircraft, beached and abandoned off Terneuzen 15 May 1940, salvaged 1953 and broken up.
• Valhalla – built by Cammell Laird, laid down 8 August 1916, launched 22 May 1917, completed 31 July 1917, sold for breaking up 17 December 1931.
• Valkyrie – built by William Denny & Brothers Limited, Dumbarton, laid down 25 May 1916, launched 12 March 1917, completed 16 June 1917, sold for breaking up 24 August 1936.
• Valorous – built by Denny, laid down 25 May 1916, launched 5 August 1917, completed 21 August 1917, sold for breaking up 4 March 1947.
• Vampire – built by J. Samuel White & Company, Cowes, laid down 10 October 1916, launched 21 May 1917, completed 22 September 1917, transferred to Royal Australian Navy in October 1933, bombed and sunk by Japanese aircraft in the Bay of Bengal 9 April 1942.

• Vancouver – built by William Beardmore & Company, Dalmuir, laid down 15 March 1917, launched 28 December 1917, completed 9 March 1918. Renamed Vimy on 1 April 1928 to release the name Vancouver for another destroyer acquired by the Royal Canadian Navy. Sold for breaking up 4 March 1947.
• Vanessa – built by Beardmore, laid down 16 May 1917, launched 16 March 1918, completed 27 April 1918. Given pennant number G18. Sold for breaking up 4 March 1947.
• Vanity – built by Beardmore, laid down 28 July 1917, launched 3 May 1918, completed 21 June 1918, sold for breaking up 4 March 1947.
• Vanoc – built by John Brown & Company, Clydebank, laid down 20 September 1916, launched 14 June 1917, completed 15 August 1917, sold for breaking up 26 July 1945, wrecked off Penryn en route to breakers in June 1946, later salved and scrapped at Falmouth.
• Vanquisher – built by John Brown, laid down 27 September 1916, launched 18 August 1917, completed 2 October 1917. Given pennant number D54, sold for breaking up 4 March 1947.
• Vectis – built by J. Samuel White & Company, Cowes, laid down 7 December 1916, launched 4 September 1917, completed 5 December 1917, sold for breaking up 25 August 1936.
• Vega – built by William Doxford & Sons Ltd, Pallion, laid down 11 December 1916, launched 1 September 1917, completed 14 December 1917, sold for breaking up 4 March 1947.
• Vehement – built by William Denny & Brothers Limited, Dumbarton, laid down 1916, launched 6 July 1917, completed 1917, mined and sunk in North Sea 1 August 1918.
• Velox – built by Doxford, laid down January 1917, launched 17 November 1917, completed 1 April 1918, sold for breaking up 18 February 1947.
• Vendetta – built by Fairfield Shipbuilding & Engineering Company, Govan, laid down November 1916, launched 3 September 1917, completed 17 October 1917, transferred to Royal Australian Navy October 1933, scuttled off Sydney 2 July 1948.
• Venetia – built by Fairfield, laid down 2 February 1917, launched 29 October 1917, completed 19 December 1917, mined and sunk in Thames estuary 19 October 1940.
• Venturous – built by Denny, laid down 9 October 1916, launched 21 September 1917, completed 29 November 1917, sold for breaking up 24 August 1936.
• Verdun – built by Hawthorn Leslie & Company, Hebburn, laid down 13 January 1917, launched 21 August 1917, completed 3 November 1917, sold for breaking up March 1946.
• Versatile – built by Hawthorn Leslie, laid down 31 January 1917, launched 21 August 1917, completed 3 November 1917, sold for scrapping 1946
• Verulam – built by Hawthorn Leslie, laid down 1917, launched 3 October 1917, mined and sunk off Seiskari Island in Gulf of Finland on night of 3/4 September 1919.
• Vesper – built by Alexander Stephen & Sons, Linthouse, laid down 7 December 1916, launched 15 December 1917, completed 20 February 1918, sold for breaking up 4 March 1947.
• Vidette – built by Stephen, laid down 1 February 1917, launched 28 February 1918, completed 27 April 1918, sold for breaking up 4 March 1947.
• Vimiera – built by Swan, Hunter & Wigham Richardson, Wallsend, laid down October 1916, launched 22 June 1917, completed 19 September 1917, mined and sunk in Thames estuary 9 January 1942.
• Violent – built by Swan Hunter, launched 1 September 1917, sold for breaking up 8 March 1937.
• Vittoria – built by Swan Hunter, 29 October 1917, torpedoed and sunk by Bolshevik submarine Pantera off Seiskari Island in Gulf of Finland 1 September 1919.
• Vivacious – built by Yarrow & Company, laid down July 1916, launched 13 November 1917, completed 29 December 1917, sold for breaking up 4 March 1947.
• Vivien – built by Yarrow, laid down July 1916, launched 16 February 1918, completed 28 May 1918, sold for breaking up 18 February 1947.
• Vortigern – built by White, laid down 17 January 1917, launched 15 October 1917, completed 25 January 1918, torpedoed and sunk by German E-boat off Cromer 15 March 1942.

• Voyager – built by Alexander Stephen & Sons, Linthouse, laid down 17 May 1917, launched 8 May 1918, completed 24 June 1918, transferred to Royal Australian Navy in October 1933, bombed by Japanese aircraft and beached Timor 23 September 1942.
• Wakeful – built by John Brown & Company, Clydebank, laid down 17 January 1917, launched 6 October 1917, completed 16 November 1917, torpedoed and sunk by German E-boat S30 off Nieuwpoort 29 May 1940.
• Walker – built by William Denny & Brothers Limited, Dumbarton, laid down 26 March 1917, launched 29 November 1917, completed 2 February 1918, sold for breaking up 15 March 1946.
• Walpole – built by William Doxford & Sons Ltd, Pallion, laid down May 1917, launched 12 February 1918, completed 7 August 1918, mined in North Sea 6 January 1945 and written off as constructive total loss, sold for breaking up 8 February 1945.
• Walrus – built by Fairfield Shipbuilding & Engineering Company, Govan, laid down 1917, launched 27 December 1917, completed 8 March 1918, stranded in Scarborough North Bay 12 February 1938 and written off as constructive total loss, sold for breaking up 5 March 1938.
• Warwick – built by Hawthorn Leslie & Company, Hebburn, laid down 10 March 1917, launched 28 December 1917, completed 18 March 1918, torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-413 off Trevose Head 20 February 1944.
• Watchman – built by John Brown, laid down 17 January 1917, launched 2 November 1917, completed 26 January 1918, sold for breaking up 23 July 1945.
• Waterhen – built by Palmers Shipbuilding & Iron Company, Jarrow, laid down July 1917, launched 26 March 1918, completed 17 April 1918, transferred to Royal Australian Navy in October 1933, bombed and sunk off of Libya by German and Italian aircraft 30 June 1941.
• Wessex – built by Hawthorn Leslie, laid down 23 May 1917, launched 12 March 1918, completed 11 May 1918, bombed by German aircraft off Calais 24 May 1940.
• Westcott – built by Denny, laid down 30 March 1917, launched 14 February 1918, completed 12 March 1918, sold for breaking up 8 January 1946. Notable as first vessel to be fitted with the Hedgehog depth charge mortar in August 1941.
• Westminster – built by Scotts Shipbuilding & Engineering Company, Greenock, laid down April 1917, launched 25 February 1917, completed 18 April 1918, sold for breaking up 4 March 1947.
• Whirlwind – built by Swan Hunter & Wigham Richardson, Wallsend laid down May 1917, launched 15 December 1917, completed 15 March 1918, torpedoed by German U-boat U-34 southwest of Ireland, 5 July 1940.
• Whitley (ex-Whitby) – built by Doxford, laid down June 1917, launched 13 April 1918, completed 14 October 1918, bombed by German aircraft and beached off Oostende 19 May 1940.
• Winchelsea – built by J. Samuel White & Company, Cowes, laid down 25 May 1917, launched 15 December 1917, completed 15 March 1918, sold for breaking up 20 March 1945.
• Winchester – built by White, laid down 12 June 1917, launched 1 February 1918, completed 29 April 1918, sold for breaking up 5 March 1946.
• Windsor – built by Scotts, laid down April 1917, launched 21 June 1918, completed 28 August 1918, sold for breaking up 4 March 1947.
• Wolfhound – built by Fairfield, laid down April 1917, launched 14 March 1918, completed 27 April 1918, sold for breaking up 18 February 1948.
• Wrestler – built by Swan Hunter, laid down April 1917, launched 25 February 1918, completed 15 May 1918, mined off Juno Beach 6 June 1944 and written off as constructive total loss, sold for breaking up 20 July 1944.
• Wryneck – built by Palmers, laid down April 1917, launched 13 May 1918, completed 11 November 1918, bombed by German aircraft off Morea, Greece 27 April 1941.
• Wayfarer – ordered from Yarrow but not laid down, order cancelled April 1917.
• Woodpecker – ordered from Yarrow but not laid down, order cancelled April 1917.

• Viceroy, built by John I. Thornycroft & Company Limited, Woolston, laid down 15 December 1916, launched 17 November 1917, completed 5 February 1918, sold for breaking up June 1948.
• Viscount, built by Thornycroft, laid down 20 December 1916, launched 29 December 1917, completed 25 March 1918, sold for breaking up 20 March 1945 but actually broken up in May 1947.
• Wolsey, built by Thornycroft, laid down 28 March 1917, launched 16 March 1918, completed 1 May 1918, sold for breaking up 4 March 1947.
• Woolston, built by Thornycroft, laid down 25 April 1917, launched 27 April 1918, completed 28 June 1918, sold for breaking up 18 February 1947.

• Wishart – built by John I. Thornycroft & Company Limited, Woolston, laid down 18 May 1918, launched 18 July 1919, completed June 1920, sold for breaking up 20 March 1945.
• Witch – built by Thornycroft, laid down 13 June 1918, launched 11 November 1919, completed March 1924, sold for breaking up July 1946.

Fourteen vessels were ordered to this revised design in January 1918 under the 13th War Programme (as well as the two Thornycroft ships to a variant design), of which seven were subsequently cancelled.

• Vansittart – built by William Beardmore & Company, Dalmuir, laid down 1 July 1918, launched 17 April 1919, completed 5 November 1919, sold for scrapping 25 February 1946.
• Vantage – also from Beardmore, renamed Vimy 1918, laid down 16 September 1918, order cancelled 26 November 1918.
• Venomous (ex-Venom) – built by John Brown & Company, Clydebank, laid down 31 May 1918, launched 21 December 1918, completed 24 August 1919, sold for breaking up 4 March 1947.
• Verity – built by John Brown, laid down 17 May 1918, launched 19 March 1919, completed 17 September 1919, sold for breaking up 4 March 1947.
• Volunteer – built by William Denny & Brothers Limited, Dumbarton, laid down 16 April 1918, launched 17 April 1919, completed 7 November 1919, sold for breaking up 4 March 1947.
• Votary – also from Denny, laid down 18 June 1918, order cancelled 12 April 1919.
• Wanderer – built by Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company, Govan, laid down 7 August 1918, launched 1 May 1919, completed 18 September 1919, sold for breaking up 31 January 1946.
• Warren – also from Fairfield, order moved to Chatham Dockyard then cancelled September 1919.
• Welcome – built by Hawthorn Leslie & Company, Hebburn, laid down 9 April 1918, order cancelled 12 April 1919.
• Welfare – also from Hawthorn Leslie, laid down 22 June 1918, order cancelled 12 April 1919.
• Whitehall – built by Swan Hunter and Wigham Richardson, Wallsend, laid down June 1918, launched 11 September 1919, completed by HM Dockyard Chatham 9 July 1924, sold for breaking up October 1945.
• Whitehead – also by Swan Hunter, order cancelled 12 April 1919.
• Wren – built by Yarrow & Company, laid down June 1918, launched 11 November 1919, completed by HM Dockyard Pembroke Dock 27 January 1923, bombed and sunk by German aircraft off of Aldeburgh 27 July 1940.
• Wye – also by Yarrow, laid down January 1918, order cancelled September 1919.

A further thirty-eight vessels were ordered to this design in April 1918 under the 14th War Programme, of which thirty-one were subsequently cancelled and only seven completed. These ships had a thick fore funnel and a thin after funnel.

• Vashon – built by William Beardmore & Company, Dalmuir, order cancelled 26 November 1918.
• Vengeful – also from Beardmore, order cancelled 26 November 1918.
• Veteran – built by John Brown, laid down 30 August 1918, launched 26 April 1919, completed 13 November 1919, torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-404 in Western Atlantic 26 September 1942.
• Vigo – also from John Brown, order cancelled 26 November 1918.
• Vigorous – also from John Brown, renamed Wistful June 1918, order cancelled 26 November 1918.
• Virulent – also from John Brown, order cancelled 26 November 1918.
• Volage – also from John Brown, order cancelled 26 November 1918.
• Volcano – also from John Brown, order cancelled 26 November 1918.
• Wager – built by Denny, laid down 2 August 1918, order cancelled 12 April 1919.
• Wake – also from Denny, laid down 14 October 1918, order cancelled 26 November 1918.
• Waldegrave – also from Denny, order cancelled 26 November 1918.
• Walton – also from Denny, order cancelled 26 November 1918.
• Whitaker – also from Denny, order cancelled 26 November 1918.
• Watson – ordered from Fairfield, order transferred to Devonport Dockyard where laid down 1918, order cancelled September 1919.
• Wave – also from Fairfield, order cancelled 26 November 1918.
• Weazel – also from Fairfield, order cancelled 26 November 1918.
• White Bear – also from Fairfield, order cancelled 26 November 1918.
• Wellesley – built by Hawthorn Leslie, laid down 30 August 1918, order cancelled 26 November 1918.
• Wheeler – built by Scotts, laid down July 1918, order cancelled 12 April 1919.
• Whip – also from Scotts, order cancelled 26 November 1918.
• Whippet – also from Scotts, order cancelled 26 November 1918.
• Whelp – also from Scotts, order transferred to Pembroke Dockyard, order cancelled September 1918.
• Whitshed – built by Swan Hunter, laid down 3 June 1918, launched 31 January 1919, completed 11 July 1919, sold for breaking up 18 February 1947.
• Wild Swan – built by Swan Hunter, laid down July 1918, launched 17 May 1919, completed 14 November 1919, bombed and damaged by German aircraft and collided with a Spanish trawler 100 miles off of France, lost on 17 June 1942.
• Willoughby – also from Swan Hunter, order cancelled 26 November 1918.
• Winter – also from Swan Hunter, order cancelled 26 November 1918.
• Witherington – built by J. Samuel White & Company, laid down 27 September 1918, launched 16 January 1919, completed 10 October 1919, sold for breaking up 20 March 1947, wrecked while en route Charlestown 29 April 1947.
• Wivern – built by White, laid down 19 August 1918, launched 16 April 1919, completed 23 December 1919, sold for breaking up 18 February 1947.
• Wolverine – built by White, laid down 8 October 1918, launched 17 July 1919, completed 27 February 1920, sold for breaking up January 1946.
• Worcester – built by White, laid down 20 December 1918, launched 24 October 1919, completed by HM Dockyard Portsmouth 20 September 1922, mined and damaged in North Sea 23 December 1943, written off as constructive total loss and used as accommodation hulk Yeoman, broken up September 1946.
• Wrangler – ordered from Yarrow, order later transferred to White, laid down 3 February 1919, order cancelled September 1919.
• Werewolf – ordered from Swan Hunter but transferred to White, launched 17 July 1919 but not completed, order cancelled September 1919.
• Westphal – ordered from Swan Hunter but transferred to White, order cancelled 12 April 1919.
• Westward Ho – ordered from Swan Hunter but transferred to White, order cancelled 12 April 1919.
• Yeoman – ordered from Yarrow, order cancelled 12 April 1919.
• Zealous – also from Yarrow, order cancelled 12 April 1919.
• Zebra – also from Yarrow, order cancelled 12 April 1919.
• Zodiac – also from Yarrow, order cancelled 12 April 1919.

The V and W class were designed to support the 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 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 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 20 mm Oerlikon guns amidships, with a further pair in the bridge wings. Type 271 target indication radar was added in its distinctive "lantern" dome on the bridge and Type 291 air warning radar was added at the masthead, with High Frequency Direction Finding (HF/DF) fitted in some ships. The maximum speed of the conversions was around 24.5 kn (45.4 km/h; 28.2 mph).

Converted long-range escorts were:

• Vanessa
• Vanoc
• Vanquisher
• Velox
• Vesper
• Versatile
• Vidette
• Vimy
• Vivacious
• Viscount
• Walker
• Warwick
• Watchman
• Westcott
• Winchelsea
• Wrestler
• Vansittart
• Verity
• Volunteer
• Wanderer
• Whitehall

The WAIR type conversion supplemented the construction of Hunt and Black Swan-class escorts with their emphasis on anti-aircraft capabilities for east coast service (the exact meaning of 'WAIR' has fallen into obscurity; it is often capitalised suggesting an abbreviation or acronym, but it is most likely derived from W-class anti-AIRcraft). The Thornycroft type leader Wallace was also given a WAIR conversion, but as a larger ship she also received a quadruple QF 2 pdr Mark VII mounting.

Converted ships were cleared to the main deck level, leaving only the funnels and after shelter deckhouse. The armament was replaced with four QF 4 inch L/45 Mark XVI guns in two twin mountings HA/LA Mark XIX, shipped on the fore and aft main decks. The armament was controlled by a Mark II(W) rangefinder - director, fitted with Type 285 radar for target ranging as soon as it became available. A new tower bridge, reminiscent of the Hunt class, was built and the metric Radar Type 286 air warning was added at the foremast head, replaced by Type 291 radar as it became available. The armament was completed by a pair of quadruple 0.5 inch Vickers machine guns on a platform amidships, although sometimes single QF 2 pdr Mark VIII were carried in lieu. These guns were generally sided, but a number of ships had them arranged en echelon to allow cross-deck fire. These light weapons proved to be generally ineffective and were replaced by the 20 mm Oerlikon gun as it became available, although other ships took priority and the older weapons were carried well into 1942 in some cases. Two racks and throwers for depth charges were carried aft, principally for self-defence purposes, although Viceroy sank U-1274 off the east coast of Scotland on 16 April 1945.

Ships were allocated new L-series (escort) pennant numbers upon re-commissioning:

• Valentine (L69)
• Valorous (L00)
• Vega (L41)
• Verdun (L93)
• Vimiera (L29)
• Vivien (L33)
• Viceroy (L21)
• Westminster (L40)
• Whitley (L23)
• Winchester (L55)
• Wolfhound (L56)
• Wolsey (L02)
• Woolston (L49)
• Wryneck (L04)

The remaining V and W class were not given either of the former conversions as they were either early war losses, had the valuable BL 4.7 inch main gun or had the modified boiler arrangements of the Thornycroft and Admiralty modified designs with the small room aft. This latter feature proved unsuitable for the long-range escort conversion. Thus, these ships were known as Short-range escorts.

The conversion was generally limited to adding more role-specific armaments and new technology as it became available. Additions were made piecemeal, and ships were often lost with only some, or even none, of the following modifications. In common with most elderly destroyers allocated to escort duties in World War II, the after bank of torpedo tubes was removed early in the war and replaced with a single QF 12 pdr A/A gun. They also landed 'Y' gun to receive additional space for depth charge gear and stowage. Generally, two 20 mm Oerlikons were added in the bridge wings and (when available) replaced the old 2 pounder guns amidships, 'A' gun was replaced by a Hedgehog weapon and Radar Type 271 target indication was added on the bridge, with Type 286 or 291 air warning fitted at the masthead as and when available. Walpole, Windsor, Witshed and Wivern received an army-pattern semi-automatic twin QF 6 pounder 10 cwt gun in 'A' position for East Coast anti-E boat work.

HMS Wolverine (Admiralty Modified W class) as modified into a "short range escort". She retains both boiler rooms and funnels, but has "Y" gun replaced by depth charges, the after torpedo tubes replaced by a 12 pdr anti-aircraft gun, centimetric Radar Type 271 has been added on the bridge and (not visible) "A" gun has been replaced by a hedgehog weapon.

The following vessels were short range escorts (one vessel was allocated a new pennant number in the L – escort – series):

• Venomous
• Vortigern
• Walpole
• Windsor (L94)
• Veteran
• Whitshed
• Wild Swan
• Wishart
• Witch
• Witherington
• Wivern
• Wolverine

The remainder of the class were unaltered as all (except Worcester) were war losses during 1940 (one vessel was allocated a new pennant number in the L – escort – series):

• Venetia
• Wakeful (L91)
• Wessex
• Whirlwind
• Worcester
• Wren

There remained also the quartet in the Royal Australian Navy – Vampire, Vendetta, Voyager and Waterhen – which simply had the aft bank of torpedo tubes replaced by a 12pdr A/A gun, and had 2 or 4 x 20mm A/A and 4 x .5in A/A guns added.