The design of the Tribal class destroyers had been criticised on the grounds that they were too large and too gun orientated. A smaller ship with a dual purpose armament and a full outfit of torpedoes was called for, but in 1935, when the design was being formulated, no true DP gun was available and twin 4.7" mountings were in short supply. It was therefore decided to adopt a design featuring two banks of torpedo tubes and four single 4.7" guns, with the possibility of these being replaced by twin mountings as they became available. The quest for an effective torpedo carrier led to the additional requirement of a low silhouette with a single funnel, which in turn called for a two boiler configuration rather than the three boiler arrangement which had been standard up to then. By 1936, the idea of single gun mountings was deemed unacceptable and it was decided to adopt the twin 4.7" mounts from new, but to reduce the number of mountings to three by deleting Y mount. This allowed a shorter quarter deck and released accommodation space, which meant that the flotilla leaders could utilise the same hull as the rest of the class. Another departure from previous practice was the adoption of longitudinal framing for the first time since 1914. These vessels became the J, K & N classes of destroyers commissioned between 1939 and 1942. Of the 24 ships, 11 were sunk and another 2 became constructive total losses during the war.

HMS Kashmir was launched on 4th April 1939, being commissioned on 26th October. The K class formed the 5th Flotilla, originally intended for the Mediterranean, but the outbreak of war led to them being retained with the Home Fleet in 1939. In November, Kashmir, Kingston and Icarus sunk U35, before the class became involved in the Norwegian campaign in 1940. By April of that year, all seven surviving K's were in the Mediterranean and were committed to the evacuation of Crete in May, where Kashmir was sunk by the Stukas of I/St.G.2 on the 22nd.

Displacement: 1,690 tons standard, 2,330 tons deep load.

Dimensions (feet): 339’ 6" pp, 356' 6" oa x 35' 8"' x 9'.

Machinery: 2 shaft Parsons geared turbines. 2 Admiralty boilers. 40,000 shp, giving 36 knots.

Armament: 6 x 4.7" Mk XII (3 x 2); 4 x 2 pdr pom-pom (1 x 4 Mk VII); 8 x 0.5" M.G.'s (2 x 4); 10 x 21" torpedo tubes (2 x 5).

Complement: 183.

This kit portrays Kashmir as first commissioned. For super detailing purposes we recommend the plan of the ship published by David MacGregor Plans (available of course from White Ensign Models!). Further information is available in "Destroyers of World War Two", by M. J. Whitley, published by Arms & Armour Press