The Battle class was an attempt by the Royal Navy to return to the concept of a full-sized fleet destroyer, with operations in the Pacific primarily in mind (hence their increased range). As such, they are successors to the pre-war Tribal class rather than the War Emergency utility destroyers that formed the bulk of wartime construction. Armament consisted of a pair of twin 4.5-in QF Mk. III guns. While similar to those on the final batches of War Emergency ships, the twin turrets were capable of 80 degree elevation making them even more effective as dual-purpose weapons. Anti-aircraft aircraft was substantially improved with four twin Bofors and an assortment of 20-mm guns and 2-pdr pompoms. A full set of eight torpedo tubes were added but given their role as fleet destroyers rather than escorts, only 60 depth charges were carried. These were later replaced by Squid ASW mortar launchers. The Battle class was built in three groups. The first was completed in its entirety but only half of the planned 16 ships of the second group were completed. These had an extra 4.5-in gun in a single mount (with only 55 degree elevation), as well as an extra pair of torpedo tubes and heavier anti-aircraft weaponry. A third and final group was cancelled shortly after World War II although two ships were built in Australia. Despite being considerably more powerful than any other British wartime destroyer class, most were placed in reserve years after World War II although all were brought back into service in the 1950s until scrapped in the 1960-70s. One ship was transferred to Iran and two to Pakistan of which one was sunk in combat (the only loss from this class).

Only one of the ships, HMS Barfleur was completed in time to serve in World War II, as part of the British Pacific Fleet, although it was joined in the Far East by some of its sister ships after VJ Day. Aside from that, their combat records were relatively modest although half of the ships were in action during the 1956 Suez Crisis. The most notorious inicent was the loss of HMS Hogue in a collision with the Indian light cruiser INS Mysore in 1959 after which it was declared a total loss. Additionally, the Pakistani Khaibar (formerly HMS Cadiz) was lost by SS-N-2 Styx missiles fired by Indian missile boats during the 1971 Indo-Pakistani War.