In all, eighty-six "Hunt" class destroyers were built in four phases between 1939 and 1941, the very first vessel -- H.M.S. Atherstone -- being launched in December 1939 and commissioned early the next year. As usual with most classes of warships, especially one of this extreme size, the Admiralty spread the orders around every suitable yard in the country and that for Ledbury went to Thornycroft's at Woolston, Southampton. One of the smaller of the selected yards, Thornycroft's had not built any of the first group, the "Atherstone" type, but received orders for two of the boats in the second group, the so-called "Blankney's". These were identical to Group 1, except for a slight increase in beam from 29 to 31½ feet, with an overall length of 280 feet and a displacement tonnage of 1,025 (1,490 fully loaded). Carrying a main armament of 6-4in. guns mounted in three pairs, anti-aircraft protection consisted of two 40mm. guns and 4-2pdrs. whilst four depth-charge throwers took care of anti-submarine precautions. Propulsion was provided by 19,000shp. Parsons' geared turbines which gave a maximum speed of 29 knots and a cruising range of 3,600 miles at 14 knots.

Laid down in 1940, launched on 27th September 1941 and completed in 1942, H.M.S. Ledbury saw her first real action on the ill-fated Arctic convoy PQ.17 that July. The convoy of 36 ships was attacked relentlessly by both aircraft and U-boats with the result that only 11 merchantmen reached their destination safely and 100,000 tons of vital war supplies were lost in those ships that were sunk. The following month Ledbury found herself on an equally hazardous run and one which was to become just as notorious as PQ.17, namely the Malta relief convoy known as 'Operation Pedestal'. Apart from the loss of 9 of its 14 merchantmen, this convoy also lost more than its fair share of warships starting with the aircraft carrier Eagle on 11th August and eventually including two cruisers and a destroyer. Ledbury was fortunate to get through relatively unscathed and the following year took part in the landings on Sicily in July ('Operation Husky') and at Salerno in September ('Operation Avalanche'). In action continually until the end of the War, she remained in peacetime commission longer than most of her class and was finally scrapped in 1958.