[1] The Hunts were meant to fill the Royal Navy's need for a large number of small destroyer-type vessels capable of both convoy escort and operations with the fleet.

[3] Zetland was laid down at Yarrow's Scotstoun, Glasgow shipyard on 2 October 1940, was launched on 15 January 1942 and completed on 7 May 1942.

[6][8] During the Second World War, Zetland saw service in the Atlantic (1942–43), Malta Convoys (1942), north Africa (1942–43), Mediterranean (1943–44), Aegean (1944), Adriatic (1944) and Operation Dragoon, the landings in southern France in 1944.

An ammunition ship was hit and exploded, spreading her cargo of mustard gas over the harbour and town.

Zetland was near-missed by a German bomb, and subject to blast and fragment damage from the explosion of two nearby merchant ships.

[13][14][15] There were so many mustard gas casualties that, on arrival in Taranto, the ships had to ask for assistance to enter the harbour as all navigating officers had their vision impaired by this chemical weapon.