The G- and H-class destroyers were a group of 18
destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast, manoeuvrable, long-endurance warship intended to escort
larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against powerful short range attackers. They were originally developed in ...
s built for the
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against F ...
during the 1930s. Six additional ships being built for the
Brazilian Navy
)
, colors= Blue and white
, colors_label= Colors
, march= "Cisne Branco" ( en, "White Swan") (same name as training ship ''Cisne Branco''
, mascot=
, equipment= 1 multipurpose aircraft carrier7 submarines6 frigates2 corvettes4 amphibious warf ...
when World War II began in 1939 were purchased by the British and named the ''Havant'' class. The design was a major export success with other ships built for the
Argentine
Argentines (mistakenly translated Argentineans in the past; in Spanish (masculine) or (feminine)) are people identified with the country of Argentina. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Argentines, s ...
and
Royal Hellenic Navies. They were assigned to the
Mediterranean Fleet
The British Mediterranean Fleet, also known as the Mediterranean Station, was a formation of the Royal Navy. The Fleet was one of the most prestigious commands in the navy for the majority of its history, defending the vital sea link between t ...
upon completion and enforced the
Non-Intervention Agreement during the
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil War ( es, Guerra Civil Española)) or The Revolution ( es, La Revolución, link=no) among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War ( es, Cuarta Guerra Carlista, link=no) among Carlists, and The Rebellion ( es, La Rebelión, lin ...
of 1936–1939.
Most ships were recalled home or were sent to the
North Atlantic
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the "Old World" of Africa, Europe and ...
from October–November 1939, after it became clear that
Fascist Italy was not going to intervene in World War II. Then they began to escort convoys and patrol for German
submarine
A submarine (or sub) is a watercraft capable of independent operation underwater. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability. The term is also sometimes used historically or colloquially to refer to remotely op ...
s and
commerce raider
Commerce raiding (french: guerre de course, "war of the chase"; german: Handelskrieg, "trade war") is a form of naval warfare used to destroy or disrupt logistics of the enemy on the open sea by attacking its merchant shipping, rather than enga ...
s. Two ships were lost to German
mines in the first six months of the war. Three more were lost during the
Norwegian Campaign, one in combat with a German cruiser and two during the
First Battle of Narvik
The Battles of Narvik were fought from 9 April to 8 June 1940, as a naval battle in the Ofotfjord and as a land battle in the mountains surrounding the north Norwegian town of Narvik, as part of the Norwegian Campaign of the Second World War.
...
in April 1940. The
Battle of France
The Battle of France (french: bataille de France) (10 May – 25 June 1940), also known as the Western Campaign ('), the French Campaign (german: Frankreichfeldzug, ) and the Fall of France, was the Nazi Germany, German invasion of French Third Rep ...
was the next test for the destroyers from May–June, with many of the Gs and ''Havant''s participating in the
evacuation of Dunkirk
The Dunkirk evacuation, codenamed Operation Dynamo and also known as the Miracle of Dunkirk, or just Dunkirk, was the evacuation of more than 338,000 Allied soldiers during the Second World War from the beaches and harbour of Dunkirk, in the ...
and the subsequent evacuations of Allied troops from western France. Three ships were sunk, two by bombs and the other to torpedoes. Most of the H-class ships were sent to the Mediterranean in May in case Mussolini decided to attack France and the majority of the surviving Gs were sent to
Force H
Force H was a British naval formation during the Second World War. It was formed in 1940, to replace French naval power in the western Mediterranean removed by the French armistice with Nazi Germany. The force occupied an odd place within the ...
at Gibraltar in July. Two of them, and , participated in the
Battle of Dakar
The Battle of Dakar, also known as Operation Menace, was an unsuccessful attempt in September 1940 by the Allies to capture the strategic port of Dakar in French West Africa (modern-day Senegal). It was hoped that the success of the operation cou ...
, before being assigned to the Mediterranean Fleet with their
sister ship
A sister ship is a ship of the same class or of virtually identical design to another ship. Such vessels share a nearly identical hull and superstructure layout, similar size, and roughly comparable features and equipment. They often share a ...
s. By the end of the year, the ships participated in several battles with the
Royal Italian Navy
The ''Regia Marina'' (; ) was the navy of the Kingdom of Italy (''Regno d'Italia'') from 1861 to 1946. In 1946, with the birth of the Italian Republic (''Repubblica Italiana''), the ''Regia Marina'' changed its name to '' Marina Militare'' (" ...
, losing two to Italian mines and torpedoes, while sinking two Italian submarines. The ''Havant''s spent most of the war in the North Atlantic on convoy escort duties, losing half their number to German submarines, while helping to sink six in exchange by the end of the war.
The G- and H-class ships of the Mediterranean Fleet escorted numerous
Malta convoy
The Malta convoys were Allied supply convoys of the Second World War. The convoys took place during the Siege of Malta in the Mediterranean Theatre. Malta was a base from which British sea and air forces could attack ships carrying supplies ...
s, participated in the
Battle of Cape Matapan
The Battle of Cape Matapan ( el, Ναυμαχία του Ταινάρου) was a naval battle during the Second World War between the Allies, represented by the navies of the United Kingdom and Australia, and the Royal Italian navy, from 27 t ...
in March 1941 and covered the
evacuation of troops from Greece and Crete from May–June, losing two to German bombers and another so badly damaged that she was later written off. By the end of the year, they had sunk three submarines, two Italian and one German. Three Hs participated in the Second Battle of Sirte in March 1942, during which one was damaged. Further damaged by aerial attacks, she was ordered to
Gibraltar
)
, anthem = " God Save the King"
, song = " Gibraltar Anthem"
, image_map = Gibraltar location in Europe.svg
, map_alt = Location of Gibraltar in Europe
, map_caption = United Kingdom shown in pale green
, mapsize =
, image_map2 = Gib ...
and
ran aground in transit and had to be destroyed. Another was torpedoed and lost during
Operation Vigorous
Operation Vigorous (known in Italy as 1942, "the Battle of mid-June 1942") was a British operation during the Second World War, to escort supply convoy MW11 from the eastern Mediterranean to Malta, which took place from 11 to 16 June 1942. Vigor ...
in June. The ships sank two more submarines during 1942 and three destroyers began conversion to
escort destroyer
An escort destroyer with United States Navy hull classification symbol DDE was a destroyer (DD) modified for and assigned to a fleet escort role after World War II. These destroyers retained their original hull numbers. Later, in March 1950, t ...
s late that year and early in 1943. Two of the four surviving Gs and Hs were transferred to the
Royal Canadian Navy
The Royal Canadian Navy (RCN; french: Marine royale canadienne, ''MRC'') is the Navy, naval force of Canada. The RCN is one of three environmental commands within the Canadian Armed Forces. As of 2021, the RCN operates 12 frigates, four attack s ...
(RCN) while under conversion. All of the surviving ships joined their ''Havant'' half-sisters on escort duty in the North Atlantic in 1943.
One ship was sent to the Mediterranean in 1944 while three others were transferred to the UK in preparation for
Operation Overlord
Operation Overlord was the codename for the Battle of Normandy, the Allies of World War II, Allied operation that launched the successful invasion of German-occupied Western Front (World War II), Western Europe during World War II. The operat ...
. Between them they sank five German submarines in 1944 with another in 1945. Worn-out and obsolete, the survivors were either
broken up
Ship-breaking (also known as ship recycling, ship demolition, ship dismantling, or ship cracking) is a type of ship disposal involving the breaking up of ships for either a source of Interchangeable parts, parts, which can be sold for re-use, ...
for scrap or sold off after the war.
Design and description (G and H classes)
The G class were ordered as part of the 1933 Naval Construction Programme, the H class following in 1934. These ships were based on the preceding
F class, but the elimination of cruising turbines and the development of more compact machinery allowed their dimensions and
displacement
Displacement may refer to:
Physical sciences
Mathematics and Physics
*Displacement (geometry), is the difference between the final and initial position of a point trajectory (for instance, the center of mass of a moving object). The actual path ...
to be slightly reduced. The H class were repeats of the G's with some minor differences. All of the destroyers were fitted with
ASDIC
Sonar (sound navigation and ranging or sonic navigation and ranging) is a technique that uses sound propagation (usually underwater, as in submarine navigation) to navigate, measure distances (ranging), communicate with or detect objects on or ...
(sonar) and the ability to use the Two-Speed Destroyer Sweep (TSDS)
minesweeping gear.
The G- and H-class destroyers displaced at
standard Standard may refer to:
Symbols
* Colours, standards and guidons, kinds of military signs
* Standard (emblem), a type of a large symbol or emblem used for identification
Norms, conventions or requirements
* Standard (metrology), an object th ...
load and at
deep load
The displacement or displacement tonnage of a ship is its weight. As the term indicates, it is measured indirectly, using Archimedes' principle, by first calculating the volume of water displaced by the ship, then converting that value into wei ...
. The ships had an
overall length
The overall length (OAL) of an ammunition cartridge is a measurement from the base of the brass shell casing to the tip of the bullet, seated into the brass casing. Cartridge overall length, or "COL", is important to safe functioning of reloads i ...
of , a
beam
Beam may refer to:
Streams of particles or energy
*Light beam, or beam of light, a directional projection of light energy
**Laser beam
*Particle beam, a stream of charged or neutral particles
**Charged particle beam, a spatially localized grou ...
of and a
draught of .
[Lenton, pp. 159–160] Their peacetime complement was 137 officers and
ratings, which was intended to increase to 146 in wartime. The ships were at their
stability
Stability may refer to:
Mathematics
*Stability theory, the study of the stability of solutions to differential equations and dynamical systems
** Asymptotic stability
** Linear stability
** Lyapunov stability
** Orbital stability
** Structural sta ...
limit as built and the
Director of Naval Construction
The Director of Naval Construction (DNC) also known as the Department of the Director of Naval Construction and Directorate of Naval Construction and originally known as the Chief Constructor of the Navy was a senior principal civil officer resp ...
believed that no additions in top weight should be made without an equal amount of weight being removed.
They were powered by two
Parsons
Parsons may refer to:
Places
In the United States:
* Parsons, Kansas, a city
* Parsons, Missouri, an unincorporated community
* Parsons, Tennessee, a city
* Parsons, West Virginia, a town
* Camp Parsons, a Boy Scout camp in the state of Washingt ...
geared
steam turbine
A steam turbine is a machine that extracts thermal energy from pressurized steam and uses it to do mechanical work on a rotating output shaft. Its modern manifestation was invented by Charles Parsons in 1884. Fabrication of a modern steam turbin ...
s, each driving one
propeller shaft
A drive shaft, driveshaft, driving shaft, tailshaft (Australian English), propeller shaft (prop shaft), or Cardan shaft (after Girolamo Cardano) is a component for transmitting mechanical power and torque and rotation, usually used to connect ...
, using steam provided by three
Admiralty 3-drum boilers that operated at a pressure of and a temperature of . was fitted with one
Johnson boiler The Johnson boiler is a water-tube boiler used for ship propulsion.
The Johnson design was developed by the British engineer J. Johnson in the late 1920s. A patent was granted in 1931, and one of these boilers was installed in the . This was a time ...
in her aft boiler room. The turbines developed a total of and gave a maximum speed of . The destroyers carried a maximum of of
fuel oil
Fuel oil is any of various fractions obtained from the distillation of petroleum (crude oil). Such oils include distillates (the lighter fractions) and residues (the heavier fractions). Fuel oils include heavy fuel oil, marine fuel oil (MFO), bun ...
that gave them a range of at .
All of the ships had the same main armament, four
quick-firing (QF) Mark IX guns in single mounts, designated 'A', 'B', 'X', and 'Y' from front to rear. The guns had a maximum elevation of 40°; the G class achieved this with a lowered section of the deck around the mount, the "well", that allowed the
breech
Breech may refer to:
* Breech (firearms), the opening at the rear of a gun barrel where the cartridge is inserted in a breech-loading weapon
* breech, the lower part of a pulley block
* breech, the penetration of a boiler where exhaust gases leav ...
of the gun to be lowered below deck height, but the new gun mount used in the H class was designed to reach that elevation without the necessity for the clumsy "wells".
[Whitley, pp. 109–110] They fired a shell at a
muzzle velocity of to a range of . served as the
testbed
A testbed (also spelled test bed) is a platform for conducting rigorous, transparent, and replicable testing of scientific theories, computational tools, and new technologies.
The term is used across many disciplines to describe experimental rese ...
for the twin 4.7-inch gun mount used for the and the
J, K and N classes that temporarily replaced 'B' gun. For
anti-aircraft
Anti-aircraft warfare, counter-air or air defence forces is the battlespace response to aerial warfare, defined by NATO as "all measures designed to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of hostile air action".AAP-6 It includes surface based, ...
(AA) defence, they had two quadruple mounts for the
QF 0.5-inch Vickers Mk III machine gun on platforms between the
funnel
A funnel is a tube or pipe that is wide at the top and narrow at the bottom, used for guiding liquid or powder into a small opening.
Funnels are usually made of stainless steel, aluminium, glass, or plastic. The material used in its construct ...
s. The G- and H-class ships were fitted with two quadruple mounts for
21-inch (533 mm) torpedo tube
A torpedo tube is a cylindrical device for launching torpedoes.
There are two main types of torpedo tube: underwater tubes fitted to submarines and some surface ships, and deck-mounted units (also referred to as torpedo launchers) installed aboa ...
s, although trialled the new quintuple mount. The ships were also equipped with two throwers and one rack for 20
depth charge
A depth charge is an anti-submarine warfare (ASW) weapon. It is intended to destroy a submarine by being dropped into the water nearby and detonating, subjecting the target to a powerful and destructive Shock factor, hydraulic shock. Most depth ...
s.
[Lenton, pp. 159–161]
The main guns were controlled by an
Admiralty Fire Control Clock Admiralty Fire Control Table in the transmitting station of .The Admiralty Fire Control Table (A.F.C.T.) was an electromechanical analogue computer fire-control system that calculated the correct elevation and deflection of the main armament of a ...
Mk I that used data derived from the manually-operated
director-control tower and the separate
rangefinder
A rangefinder (also rangefinding telemeter, depending on the context) is a device used to measure distances to remote objects. Originally optical devices used in surveying, they soon found applications in other fields, such as photography an ...
situated above the
bridge
A bridge is a structure built to span a physical obstacle (such as a body of water, valley, road, or rail) without blocking the way underneath. It is constructed for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle, which is usually somethi ...
. They had no capability for anti-aircraft fire and the anti-aircraft guns were aimed solely by eye. and ''Hereward'' saw the introduction of a new style of bridge that would become standard on all Royal Navy fleet destroyers from the through to the of 1944. This was necessary as ''Hereward'' was fitted with a prototype twin-gun mounting that had a
trunnion
A trunnion (from Old French "''trognon''", trunk) is a cylindrical protrusion used as a mounting or pivoting point. First associated with cannons, they are an important military development.
Alternatively, a trunnion is a shaft that positions a ...
height higher than the previous weapons, therefore it was necessary to raise the
wheelhouse to allow the
helmsman
A helmsman or helm (sometimes driver) is a person who steering, steers a ship, sailboat, submarine, other type of maritime vessel, or spacecraft. The rank and seniority of the helmsman may vary: on small vessels such as fishing vessels and yacht ...
to see over the top. Raising the wheelhouse meant it had to be placed in front of, rather than underneath, the bridge, and it was given angled sides, resulting in a characteristic wedge shape with a sloping roof.
Wartime modifications
Beginning in May 1940, the after bank of torpedo tubes was removed and replaced with a
QF 12-pounder Mk V anti-aircraft gun, the after mast and funnel being cut down to improve the gun's field of fire. Four to eight
QF 20 mm Oerlikon cannon
A cannon is a large- caliber gun classified as a type of artillery, which usually launches a projectile using explosive chemical propellant. Gunpowder ("black powder") was the primary propellant before the invention of smokeless powder ...
s were added to the surviving ships, usually replacing the .50-calibre machine gun mounts between the funnels. One pair of these was added to the bridge wings and the other pair was mounted
abreast the
searchlight
A searchlight (or spotlight) is an apparatus that combines an extremely bright source (traditionally a carbon arc lamp) with a mirrored parabolic reflector to project a powerful beam of light of approximately parallel rays in a particular direc ...
platform.
[ Early in the war, depth charge stowage increased to 44. By 1943, only four ships were still afloat and all had the 'Y' gun on the ]quarterdeck
The quarterdeck is a raised deck behind the main mast of a sailing ship. Traditionally it was where the captain commanded his vessel and where the ship's colours were kept. This led to its use as the main ceremonial and reception area on bo ...
removed to allow for additional depth charge stowage and two additional depth charge throwers. The 12-pounder was removed to allow for the installation of a Huff-Duff
High-frequency direction finding, usually known by its abbreviation HF/DF or nickname huff-duff, is a type of radio direction finder (RDF) introduced in World War II. High frequency (HF) refers to a radio band that can effectively communicate ov ...
radio direction finder
Direction finding (DF), or radio direction finding (RDF), isin accordance with International Telecommunication Union (ITU)defined as radio location that uses the reception of radio waves to determine the direction in which a radio station ...
on a short mainmast
The mast of a sailing vessel is a tall spar, or arrangement of spars, erected more or less vertically on the centre-line of a ship or boat. Its purposes include carrying sails, spars, and derricks, and giving necessary height to a navigation ligh ...
and for more depth charges. All of the survivors, except , had 'A' or 'B' gun replaced by a Hedgehog
A hedgehog is a spiny mammal of the subfamily Erinaceinae, in the eulipotyphlan family Erinaceidae. There are seventeen species of hedgehog in five genera found throughout parts of Europe, Asia, and Africa, and in New Zealand by introducti ...
anti-submarine spigot mortar
A mortar is usually a simple, lightweight, man-portable, muzzle-loaded weapon, consisting of a smooth-bore (although some models use a rifled barrel) metal tube fixed to a base plate (to spread out the recoil) with a lightweight bipod mount and ...
, and their director-control tower and rangefinder above the bridge removed in exchange for a Type 271 target-indication radar
Radar is a detection system that uses radio waves to determine the distance (''ranging''), angle, and radial velocity of objects relative to the site. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, w ...
. 'A' gun was later replaced in while ''Hero'' had exchanged 'B' gun for a Hedgehog and a twin-gun mount for QF six-pounder Hotchkiss gun
The Hotchkiss gun can refer to different products of the Hotchkiss arms company starting in the late 19th century. It usually refers to the 1.65-inch (42 mm) light mountain gun; there were also a navy (47 mm) and a 3-inch (76&nbs ...
s for use against U-boats at very close range. A Type 286 short-range, surface-search radar, adapted from the Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and ...
's ASV radar, was also added. The early models, however, could only scan directly forward and had to be aimed by turning the entire ship.[
]
Flotilla leaders
As per the E and F class, the flotilla leader
A flotilla leader was a warship of late 19th century and early 20th century navies suitable for commanding a flotilla of destroyers or other small warships, typically a small cruiser or a large destroyer (known as a destroyer leader). The flotil ...
s were built to an enlarged design, incorporating a fifth 4.7-inch gun in 'Q' position, between the funnels and were based on the F-class leader, .[Whitley, p. 107] ''Grenville'' was shorter and heavier than ''Hardy'' as she used compact Yarrow-type side fired boilers while ''Hardy'' was slightly beamier. They displaced at standard load and at deep load. The ships had an overall length of ,[ a beam of and a draught of . The ships carried a total of 175 personnel which included the staff of the Captain (D), commanding officer of the flotilla. Their turbines were more powerful than the ]private ship
Private ship is a term used in the Royal Navy to describe that status of a commissioned warship in active service that is not currently serving as the flagship of a flag officer (i.e., an admiral or commodore
Commodore may refer to:
Ranks
* C ...
s, which made them faster; their propulsion machinery was otherwise identical. Both ships were early wartime losses and consequently received no modifications.[
]
''Havant'' class
The ''Havant''s were laid down in 1938 for Brazil and requisitioned on 5 September 1939. They were optimized for anti-submarine work and were completed without 'Y' gun and were equipped with eight throwers and three racks for a total of 110 depth charges. Unlike their half-sisters
A sibling is a relative that shares at least one parent with the subject. A male sibling is a brother and a female sibling is a sister. A person with no siblings is an only child.
While some circumstances can cause siblings to be raised separat ...
, they were fitted with a combined rangefinder-director above the bridge. Wartime modifications were similar to the other G- and H-class ships as a 12-pounder AA gun replaced the aft torpedo tubes, 20 mm Oerlikons were added on the bridge wings and a Type 286 radar was installed. Later modifications replaced the .50-calibre machine guns with a pair of Oerlikons, a Type 271 radar was added that replaced the rangefinder-director, a Hedgehog was substituted for 'A' gun, the 12-pounder removed for more depth charge stowage, and a HF/DF mast was installed aft.[Lenton, p. 163]
Ships
Royal Navy
G class
H class
''Havant'' class
These six ships were ordered by the Brazilian Navy
)
, colors= Blue and white
, colors_label= Colors
, march= "Cisne Branco" ( en, "White Swan") (same name as training ship ''Cisne Branco''
, mascot=
, equipment= 1 multipurpose aircraft carrier7 submarines6 frigates2 corvettes4 amphibious warf ...
, but on the outbreak of World War II, they were requisitioned by the Royal Navy. They are usually included with the H class.
Argentine Navy
Seven ships were built for the Argentine Navy
The Argentine Navy (ARA; es, Armada de la República Argentina). This forms the basis for the navy's ship prefix "ARA". is the navy of Argentina. It is one of the three branches of the Armed Forces of the Argentine Republic, together with the ...
as the , they were delivered in 1938. They were built by Vickers Armstrongs (Barrow), Cammell Laird and John Brown & Company
John Brown and Company of Clydebank was a Scottish Naval architecture, marine engineering and shipbuilding firm. It built many notable and world-famous ships including , , , , , and the ''Queen Elizabeth 2 (ship), Queen Elizabeth 2''.
At its ...
(Clydebank
Clydebank ( gd, Bruach Chluaidh) is a town in West Dunbartonshire, Scotland. Situated on the north bank of the River Clyde, it borders the village of Old Kilpatrick (with Bowling, West Dunbartonshire, Bowling and Milton, West Dunbartonshire, Mil ...
). One ship was lost after a collision in 1941, but the remaining ships were in service until broken up in the early 1970s.
Brazilian Navy
Brazil
Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
ordered six ''Jurua''-class ships from Britain in 1938. These ships were purchased by Britain on the outbreak of war in 1939 and are described above. The Brazilians decided to produce indigenous destroyers, the , at the Ilha das Cobras shipyard, Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro ( , , ; literally 'River of January'), or simply Rio, is the capital of the state of the same name, Brazil's third-most populous state, and the second-most populous city in Brazil, after São Paulo. Listed by the GaWC as a b ...
. The design was based on the H-class plans supplied by Britain, but with guns and machinery supplied by the United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
. Although laid down in 1940, the ships were not completed until 1949–1951.
Royal Hellenic Navy
Two ships, modified versions of the G class, were built for the Greek Royal Hellenic Navy
The Hellenic Navy (HN; el, Πολεμικό Ναυτικό, Polemikó Naftikó, War Navy, abbreviated ΠΝ) is the Navy, naval force of Greece, part of the Hellenic Armed Forces. The modern Greek navy historically hails from the naval forces of ...
(RHN) by Yarrow in the late 1930s. The ships were fitted with German-made guns and AA guns. The number of torpedo tubes was reduced by two on these ships to compensate for the additional topweight. The installation of the armament was carried out in Greece as the Germans refused to ship the weapons to Britain. , named after King George I George I or 1 may refer to:
People
* Patriarch George I of Alexandria (fl. 621–631)
* George I of Constantinople (d. 686)
* George I of Antioch (d. 790)
* George I of Abkhazia (ruled 872/3–878/9)
* George I of Georgia (d. 1027)
* Yuri Dolgor ...
, served with the RHN during the Greco-Italian War
The Greco-Italian War (Greek language, Greek: Ελληνοϊταλικός Πόλεμος, ''Ellinoïtalikós Pólemos''), also called the Italo-Greek War, Italian Campaign in Greece, and the War of '40 in Greece, took place between the kingdom ...
. Damaged by German aircraft, the ship managed to reach the Salamis Navy Yard and was put in dry dock
A dry dock (sometimes drydock or dry-dock) is a narrow basin or vessel that can be flooded to allow a load to be floated in, then drained to allow that load to come to rest on a dry platform. Dry docks are used for the construction, maintenance, ...
for repairs, where after further damage during German air attacks, she was finally scuttled to prevent capture. The Germans raised and repaired her and she was commissioned into the Kriegsmarine
The (, ) was the navy of Germany from 1935 to 1945. It superseded the Imperial German Navy of the German Empire (1871–1918) and the inter-war (1919–1935) of the Weimar Republic. The was one of three official branches, along with the a ...
as ''Hermes'' (ZG3) on 21 March 1942. ''Hermes'' was heavily damaged off Cape Bon, Tunisia, on 30 April 1943 and scuttled on 7 May 1943. , named after Queen Olga, served with the RHN during the Greco-Italian War. Along with other ships, she escaped to Alexandria
Alexandria ( or ; ar, ٱلْإِسْكَنْدَرِيَّةُ ; grc-gre, Αλεξάνδρεια, Alexándria) is the second largest city in Egypt, and the largest city on the Mediterranean coast. Founded in by Alexander the Great, Alexandria ...
in May 1941 and joined the Allied forces. She was lost to German aircraft while anchored in Lakki Bay, Leros
Leros ( el, Λέρος) is a Greek island and municipality in the Dodecanese in the southern Aegean Sea. It lies (171 nautical miles) from Athens's port of Piraeus, from which it can be reached by an 9-hour ferry ride or by a 45-minute flight fr ...
, on 26 September 1943.[Roberts, p. 405]
Service
''Grenville'' and the G class spent the bulk of their time before the start of World War II assigned to the 1st Destroyer Flotilla (DF) in the Mediterranean Fleet
The British Mediterranean Fleet, also known as the Mediterranean Station, was a formation of the Royal Navy. The Fleet was one of the most prestigious commands in the navy for the majority of its history, defending the vital sea link between t ...
, where they made a number of neutrality patrols during the Spanish Civil War of 1936–1939. With the exception of ''Garland'' which was under repair at Malta
Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies ...
after a premature explosion of her depth charges, they returned home in October–November after it became clear that the Italians would not enter the war. ''Hardy'' and the H-class ships were assigned to the 2nd Destroyer Flotilla and joined the Gs in the Mediterranean after commissioning for similar duties.[English, pp. 90–100, 103–113]
After a few weeks assigned to Western Approaches Command
Commander-in-Chief, Western Approaches was the commander of a major operational command of the Royal Navy during World War II. The admiral commanding, and his forces, sometimes informally known as 'Western Approaches Command,' were responsibl ...
, the 1st DF was assigned to the Nore Command
The Commander-in-Chief, The Nore, was an operational commander of the Royal Navy. His subordinate units, establishments, and staff were sometimes informally known as the Nore Station or Nore Command. The Nore is a sandbank at the mouth of the Th ...
at Harwich
Harwich is a town in Essex, England, and one of the Haven ports on the North Sea coast. It is in the Tendring district. Nearby places include Felixstowe to the north-east, Ipswich to the north-west, Colchester to the south-west and Clacton-on- ...
, although some of the ships were transferred to the 22nd Destroyer Flotilla, where they were tasked for escort and patrol duty. ''Gipsy'' was sunk on 21 November after she struck a mine, as did ''Grenville'' on 19 January 1940. Unlike the 1st DF, the Second was transferred to Force K
Force K was the name given to three British Royal Navy groups of ships during the Second World War. The first Force K operated from West Africa in 1939, to intercept commerce raiders. The second Force K was formed in October 1941 at Malta, to op ...
in Freetown
Freetown is the capital and largest city of Sierra Leone. It is a major port city on the Atlantic Ocean and is located in the Western Area of the country. Freetown is Sierra Leone's major urban, economic, financial, cultural, educational and p ...
in West Africa, to help search for German commerce raiders. Some ships were later transferred to Bermuda and the West Indies for escort work and patrolling. They returned to the UK in January and spent several months refitting.[
After commissioning, ''Handy'' and ''Hearty'' were renamed ''Harvester'' and ''Hesperus'', respectively, to avoid confusion with ''Hardy''. The ''Havant''-class destroyers initially formed the ]9th Destroyer Flotilla
The 9th Destroyer Flotilla, or Ninth Destroyer Flotilla, was a military formation of the British Royal Navy from January 1913 to December 1925 and again in January to July 1940.
History
Established in January 1913 when it was assigned to the Pa ...
assigned to Western Approaches Command for anti-submarine patrols and escort duty. The German invasion of Norway
Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and t ...
caused ''Havant'', ''Hesperus'', and ''Havelock'' to be detached to reinforce the Home Fleet during the Norwegian Campaign.
''Garland'', ''Grafton'', ''Gallant'', ''Hasty'' and ''Hereward'' were either under repair or refitting during the early stages of the Norwegian Campaign and did not participate in the Battles of Narvik
The Battles of Narvik were fought from 9 April to 8 June 1940, as a naval battle in the Ofotfjord and as a land battle in the mountains surrounding the north Norwegian town of Narvik, as part of the Norwegian Campaign of the Second World War.
...
in April. The remaining ships were assigned to the Home Fleet by this time. ''Glowworm'' was separated from the battlecruiser
The battlecruiser (also written as battle cruiser or battle-cruiser) was a type of capital ship of the first half of the 20th century. These were similar in displacement, armament and cost to battleships, but differed in form and balance of attr ...
in a heavy storm on 8 April and encountered the German heavy cruiser
The heavy cruiser was a type of cruiser, a naval warship designed for long range and high speed, armed generally with naval guns of roughly 203 mm (8 inches) in caliber, whose design parameters were dictated by the Washington Naval Tr ...
and several destroyers. The British destroyer could not disengage and was sunk after ramming
In warfare, ramming is a technique used in air, sea, and land combat. The term originated from battering ram, a siege weapon used to bring down fortifications by hitting it with the force of the ram's momentum, and ultimately from male sheep. Thus, ...
''Admiral Hipper''. ''Hardy'', ''Havock'', ''Hostile'', ''Hotspur'' and ''Hunter'' participated in the First Battle of Narvik on 10 April. They sank two German destroyers in exchange for the loss of ''Hardy'' and ''Hunter'', while ''Hotspur'' was badly damaged. That same day, ''Hero'' sank the off the Norwegian coast and was the only G- or H-class destroyer to participate in the Second Battle of Narvik three days later. ''Griffin'' and ''Hasty'' helped to cover the evacuation of Allied troops from Namsos
( sma, Nåavmesjenjaelmie) is a municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. It is part of the Namdalen region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Namsos. Some of the villages in the municipality include Bangsund, Kl ...
and Åndalsnes
is a town in Rauma Municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. Åndalsnes is in the administrative center of Rauma Municipality. It is located along the Isfjorden, at the mouth of the river Rauma, at the north end of the Romsdalen valley. ...
at the end of the month.[ ''Havelock'' escorted the transports conducting the evacuation of ]Narvik
( se, Áhkanjárga) is the third-largest municipality in Nordland county, Norway, by population. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Narvik. Some of the notable villages in the municipality include Ankenesstranda, Ball ...
in June. ''Garland'' was loaned to the Polish Navy in May after her repairs were finished and she remained in the Mediterranean, escorting convoys between Malta and Alexandria, Egypt
Alexandria ( or ; ar, ٱلْإِسْكَنْدَرِيَّةُ ; grc-gre, Αλεξάνδρεια, Alexándria) is the second largest city in Egypt, and the largest city on the Mediterranean coast. Founded in by Alexander the Great, Alexandria ...
, until she was transferred to the Western Approaches Command in September.[English, p. 93]
In mid-May, the 2nd DF was transferred to the Mediterranean with ''Hostile'', ''Hyperion'', ''Hero'', ''Hereward'', ''Havock'', and ''Hasty'' assigned.[ Later that month, many of the remaining G and ''Havant''-class ships participated in ]Operation Dynamo
Operation or Operations may refer to:
Arts, entertainment and media
* ''Operation'' (game), a battery-operated board game that challenges dexterity
* Operation (music), a term used in musical set theory
* ''Operations'' (magazine), Multi-Man ...
. ''Grafton'' was torpedoed by on 29 May whilst rescuing survivors from the torpedoed destroyer and had to be scuttled by the destroyer . Later that day, ''Grenade'' blew up after being set on fire by German bombs; three days later, on 1 June, ''Havant'' was scuttled after being attacked by German bombers. ''Gallant'' and ''Greyhound'' were damaged while evacuating troops from Dunkirk. ''Harvester'' helped to evacuate more troops from Saint-Valery-en-Caux
Saint-Valery-en-Caux (, literally ''Saint-Valery in Caux'') is a commune in the Seine-Maritime department in the Normandy region in northern France.
The addition of an acute accent on the "e" (Valéry) is incorrect.
Geography
The town is locat ...
in Operation Cycle and, together with ''Griffin'', ''Highlander'', and ''Havelock'', she participated in Operation Aerial
Operation Aerial was the evacuation of Allied forces and civilians from ports in western France from 15 to 25 June 1940 during the Second World War. The evacuation followed the Allied military collapse in the Battle of France against Nazi Germ ...
, the evacuation of Allied troops from Saint-Nazaire
Saint-Nazaire (; ; Gallo: ''Saint-Nazère/Saint-Nazaer'') is a commune in the Loire-Atlantique department in western France, in traditional Brittany.
The town has a major harbour on the right bank of the Loire estuary, near the Atlantic Ocean ...
and St. Jean de Luz.
Most of the ships of the 2nd DF participated in the inconclusive Battle of Calabria
The Battle of Calabria, known to the Italian Navy as the Battle of Punta Stilo, was a naval battle during the Battle of the Mediterranean in the Second World War. Ships of the Italian '' Regia Marina'' were opposed by vessels of the British R ...
on 7–8 July. Almost two weeks later, ''Hasty'', ''Hero'', ''Hyperion'' and ''Havock'' were escorting the Australian light cruiser
A light cruiser is a type of small or medium-sized warship. The term is a shortening of the phrase "light armored cruiser", describing a small ship that carried armor in the same way as an armored cruiser: a protective belt and deck. Prior to thi ...
when they encountered two Italian light cruisers, sinking one of them in the Battle of Cape Spada. The ships escorted convoys and the ships of the Mediterranean Fleet for the rest of the year, although ''Hostile'' was sunk when she struck an Italian mine on 23 August and ''Hyperion'' was sunk by the on 22 December. ''Hotspur'' was assigned to the 13th Destroyer Flotilla, supporting Force H
Force H was a British naval formation during the Second World War. It was formed in 1940, to replace French naval power in the western Mediterranean removed by the French armistice with Nazi Germany. The force occupied an odd place within the ...
at Gibraltar in July; she was joined by ''Gallant'', ''Greyhound'', and ''Griffin'' shortly afterwards. The latter two ships escorted Force H during the Battle of Dakar
The Battle of Dakar, also known as Operation Menace, was an unsuccessful attempt in September 1940 by the Allies to capture the strategic port of Dakar in French West Africa (modern-day Senegal). It was hoped that the success of the operation cou ...
in September against the Vichy French
Vichy France (french: Régime de Vichy; 10 July 1940 – 9 August 1944), officially the French State ('), was the fascist French state headed by Marshal Philippe Pétain during World War II. Officially independent, but with half of its terr ...
forces there. ''Havock'' and ''Hasty'' sank the on 2 October off the coast of Cyrenica
Cyrenaica ( ) or Kyrenaika ( ar, برقة, Barqah, grc-koi, Κυρηναϊκή παρχίαKurēnaïkḗ parkhíā}, after the city of Cyrene), is the eastern region of Libya. Cyrenaica includes all of the eastern part of Libya between ...
while ''Gallant'', ''Griffin'' and ''Hotspur'' sank the on 18 October. ''Gallant'', ''Greyhound'', ''Griffin'', now assigned to the 14th Destroyer Flotilla
The14th Destroyer Flotilla, or Fourteenth Destroyer Flotilla, was a naval formation of the British Royal Navy from April 1916 to 11 February 1919 and again from 1 June 1940 to January 1944.
History World War One
The flotilla was first establishe ...
of the Mediterranean Fleet, together with ''Hero'' and ''Hereward'', participated in the inconclusive Battle of Cape Spartivento
The Battle of Cape Spartivento, known as the Battle of Cape Teulada in Italy, was a naval battle during the Battle of the Mediterranean in the Second World War, fought between naval forces of the Royal Navy and the Italian ''Regia Marina'' on 27 ...
on 27 November.
The 9th DF returned to the Western Approaches Command (WAC) from July to September, before they were briefly transferred to Portsmouth Command for several weeks, in response to the possible invasion (Operation Sea Lion
Operation Sea Lion, also written as Operation Sealion (german: Unternehmen Seelöwe), was Nazi Germany's code name for the plan for an invasion of the United Kingdom during the Battle of Britain in the Second World War. Following the Battle o ...
). They returned to the WAC before the end of the month and ''Harvester'' and ''Highlander'' sank on 30 October. In November 1940, the 9th DF was re-designated as the 9th Escort Group. The ''Havant''s remained on escort duty until they began lengthy refits during 1941.
''Gallant'', ''Greyhound'' and ''Griffin'' were covering a convoy to Malta on 10 January when the former struck a mine that blew off her bow. ''Griffin'' rescued her crew and the ship was towed to Malta. Repairs were estimated to take until June 1942, but she was declared a constructive total loss and stripped of equipment after she had to be beached during an aerial attack on 5 April 1942.[English, p. 92] On 19 January, ''Greyhound'' sank the after the latter torpedoed one of the ships in the convoy that ''Greyhound'' was escorting. Two months later, she sank the on 6 March. ''Greyhound'', ''Griffin'', ''Hotspur'', ''Hasty'', ''Havock'' and ''Hereward'' participated in the Battle of Cape Matapan
The Battle of Cape Matapan ( el, Ναυμαχία του Ταινάρου) was a naval battle during the Second World War between the Allies, represented by the navies of the United Kingdom and Australia, and the Royal Italian navy, from 27 t ...
on 27–28 March. ''Greyhound'' was sunk by German dive bomber
A dive bomber is a bomber aircraft that dives directly at its targets in order to provide greater accuracy for the bomb it drops. Diving towards the target simplifies the bomb's trajectory and allows the pilot to keep visual contact througho ...
s two months later, on 22 May, off Crete;[ ''Hereward'' suffered a similar fate a week later. ''Hotspur'', ''Havock'', ''Hero'', and ''Hasty'' also participated in the evacuations of Greece and Crete in May. The latter three ships then supported Allied forces during the ]Syria–Lebanon Campaign
The Syria–Lebanon campaign, also known as Operation Exporter, was the Allied invasion of Syria and Lebanon (then controlled by Vichy France) in June and July 1941, during the Second World War. The French had ceded autonomy to Syria in Septemb ...
in June. All four of the H-class ships, joined by ''Griffin'', began escorting convoys from Alexandria to Tobruk
Tobruk or Tobruck (; grc, Ἀντίπυργος, ''Antipyrgos''; la, Antipyrgus; it, Tobruch; ar, طبرق, Tubruq ''Ṭubruq''; also transliterated as ''Tobruch'' and ''Tubruk'') is a port city on Libya's eastern Mediterranean coast, near ...
in July, as well as occasional convoys to Malta, and continued to do so for most of the rest of the year. ''Hasty'' and ''Hotspur'' sank on 23 December while returning from Tobruk.
''Garland'' and the five surviving ''Havant''s spent most of the year on convoy escort duties in the Atlantic aside from brief diversions such as Operation Tiger, a Mediterranean convoy in May that ''Harvester'', ''Havelock'', and ''Hesperus'' escorted, and ''Garland''s participation in the Spitzbergen Raid in July.[ ''Hurricane'' was badly damaged by a German bomb in May that took the rest of the year to repair.]
''Hesperus'' was transferred to Force H in December 1941 for anti-submarine defence of the Strait of Gibraltar
The Strait of Gibraltar ( ar, مضيق جبل طارق, Maḍīq Jabal Ṭāriq; es, Estrecho de Gibraltar, Archaic: Pillars of Hercules), also known as the Straits of Gibraltar, is a narrow strait that connects the Atlantic Ocean to the Medi ...
and sank by ramming on 15 January 1942. In March 1942, the ''Havant''-class destroyers were designated group leaders of the Mid-Ocean Escort Force
Mid-Ocean Escort Force (MOEF) referred to the organisation of anti-submarine escorts for World War II trade convoys between Canada and Newfoundland, and the British Isles. The allocation of United States, British, and Canadian escorts to these c ...
through the winter of 1942–1943. ''Garland'' was assigned to the escort force for Convoy PQ 16
Convoy PQ 16 (21–30 May 1942) was an Arctic convoy of British, United States and Allied ships from Iceland to Murmansk and Archangelsk in the Soviet Union during the Second World War. The convoy was the largest yet and was provided with a co ...
to Murmansk
Murmansk (Russian: ''Мурманск'' lit. "Norwegian coast"; Finnish: ''Murmansk'', sometimes ''Muurmanski'', previously ''Muurmanni''; Norwegian: ''Norskekysten;'' Northern Sámi: ''Murmánska;'' Kildin Sámi: ''Мурман ланнҍ'') i ...
in May, during which she was damaged by a German bomber. After repairs, she rejoined her half-sisters in the North Atlantic. On 26 December, ''Hesperus'' sank by ramming.
''Griffin'' and ''Hotspur'' were transferred to the Eastern Fleet
Eastern may refer to:
Transportation
*China Eastern Airlines, a current Chinese airline based in Shanghai
* Eastern Air, former name of Zambia Skyways
*Eastern Air Lines, a defunct American airline that operated from 1926 to 1991
*Eastern Air L ...
in February 1942. ''Havock'', ''Hasty'', and ''Hero'' participated in the Second Battle of Sirte
The Second Battle of Sirte (on 22 March 1942) was a naval engagement in the Mediterranean Sea, north of the Gulf of Sidra and southeast of Malta, during the Second World War. The escorting warships of a British convoy to Malta held off a much ...
on 22 March during which the former was damaged. While under repair at Malta, she was further damaged and was then ordered to Gibraltar for repairs in a safer environment. Whilst in transit, she ran aground off the Tunisian coast during the night of 5/6 April due to a navigational error and had to be destroyed to prevent her capture. Together with the destroyers and , ''Hero'' sank on 28 May. To reinforce the escorts for Operation Vigorous
Operation Vigorous (known in Italy as 1942, "the Battle of mid-June 1942") was a British operation during the Second World War, to escort supply convoy MW11 from the eastern Mediterranean to Malta, which took place from 11 to 16 June 1942. Vigor ...
, a convoy from Alexandria to Malta in June, ''Griffin'' and ''Hotspur'' were temporarily recalled to join their sisters. During the mission, ''Hasty'' was torpedoed by a German E-boat
E-boat was the Western Allies' designation for the fast attack craft (German: ''Schnellboot'', or ''S-Boot'', meaning "fast boat") of the Kriegsmarine during World War II; ''E-boat'' could refer to a patrol craft from an armed motorboat to a lar ...
and had to be scuttled by ''Hotspur'' on 15 June. On 30 October, ''Hero'' shared the credit for sinking with five other destroyers and a Vickers Wellesley
The Vickers Wellesley was a medium bomber that was designed and produced by the British aircraft manufacturer Vickers-Armstrongs at Brooklands near Weybridge, Surrey. It was one of two aircraft to be named after Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of We ...
bomber of No. 42 Squadron RAF
Number 42 Squadron was a squadron of the Royal Air Force. It served during the First World War as an army co-operation squadron and during the Second World War in various roles. Between 1992 and 2010, it was the Operational Conversion Unit (OC ...
. ''Griffin'' arrived home that same month to begin her conversion into an escort destroyer
An escort destroyer with United States Navy hull classification symbol DDE was a destroyer (DD) modified for and assigned to a fleet escort role after World War II. These destroyers retained their original hull numbers. Later, in March 1950, t ...
. ''Garland'' remained in the North Atlantic until December 1943 when she began escorting convoys between Freetown and Gibraltar.
''Hotspur'' and ''Hero'' were sent home and converted into escort destroyers in early 1943. ''Griffin'' and ''Hero'' were transferred to the Royal Canadian Navy in March and November 1943 and renamed ''Ottawa'' and ''Chaudière'', respectively. ''Hotspur'' began escort duties in the WAC after her conversion was completed that lasted until October 1944. While escorting Convoy HX 228
HX 228 was a North Atlantic convoy of the HX series which ran during the Battle of the Atlantic in World War II. It was one of a series of four convoy battles that occurred during the crisis month of March 1943 and is notable for the loss of ...
, ''Harvester'' rammed on 10 March, but was disabled in the process, so the French corvette ''Aconit'' finished off the submarine. The following day, ''Harvester'' was sunk by which was in turn sunk by ''Aconit''. ''Hesperus'' sank on 23 April and on 12 May. ''Hesperus'' continued to escort convoys in the North Atlantic until January 1945 when she was transferred to the UK. ''Highlander'' and ''Hurricane'' also remained on convoy duties, although the latter ship was torpedoed by on 24 December and had to be scuttled by the next day.
''Garland'' was transferred to the Mediterranean in April 1944 and sank on 19 September. She began a lengthy refit in November and had barely finished working up when the war ended. ''Havelock'', ''Ottawa'' and ''Chaudière'' were escorting convoys in the North Atlantic until they were transferred to the UK in preparation for Operation Overlord in May 1944. ''Chaudière'' and the escorts of Convoy HX 280 sank on 6 March. ''Ottawa'' sank three German submarines in 1944, with the corvette
A corvette is a small warship. It is traditionally the smallest class of vessel considered to be a proper (or " rated") warship. The warship class above the corvette is that of the frigate, while the class below was historically that of the slo ...
on 6 July, with ''Chaudière'' on 16 August and , also with ''Chaudière'', two days later.
''Ottawa'', ''Chaudière'' and ''Hotspur'' also had lengthy overhauls that began in late 1944; the latter's was completed in March 1945 and she then patrolled the Irish Sea
The Irish Sea or , gv, Y Keayn Yernagh, sco, Erse Sie, gd, Muir Èireann , Ulster-Scots: ''Airish Sea'', cy, Môr Iwerddon . is an extensive body of water that separates the islands of Ireland and Great Britain. It is linked to the Ce ...
until the end of the war while ''Ottawa'' returned to the North Atlantic when her refit was finished in February. ''Chaudière''s, however, was still not completed by the end of the war. ''Highlander'' struck a small iceberg on 15 April that crushed the underwater portion of her bow and was under repair for the next three months. ''Havelock'' and ''Hesperus'', assisted by aircraft from No. 201 Squadron RAF
Number 201 Squadron is a squadron of the Royal Air Force. It currently operates the Boeing Poseidon MRA1 from RAF Lossiemouth, Moray.
It is the only squadron affiliated with Guernsey, in the Channel Islands. This affiliation started in 1935 ...
, sank in the Irish Channel on 30 April.
Postwar
The surviving ships were essentially obsolete and worn-out when the war ended in May. ''Ottawa'' made several voyages ferrying Canadian troops back home before she was paid off in October. The ship was sold for scrap in 1946, but was not actually broken up until 1950. ''Chaudière'' was in the worst shape of any of the Canadian destroyers and was paid off in August, although she was not scrapped until 1950 like her sister. ''Garland'' transported food and other supplies to Dutch and Belgian towns immediately after the end of the war and was part of the Home Fleet until she was reduced to reserve in August 1946. She was purchased by the Royal Netherlands Navy in November 1947, renamed ''Marnix'', and became a training ship
A training ship is a ship used to train students as sailors. The term is mostly used to describe ships employed by navies to train future officers. Essentially there are two types: those used for training at sea and old hulks used to house classr ...
until 1964. ''Hotspur'' remained in service until 1948 when she was sold to the Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic ( ; es, República Dominicana, ) is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean region. It occupies the eastern five-eighths of the island, which it shares wit ...
and renamed ''Trujillo''. Renamed ''Duarte'' in 1962, the ship was sold for scrap in 1972.[Scheina & Smigielski, p. 82] ''Havelock'' and ''Hesperus'' escorted the Norwegian government-in-exile back to Norway in May and then served as a target ship before being broken up in late 1946 and 1947, respectively. Like her sisters, ''Highlander'' served as a target ship after her repairs were completed and was scrapped beginning in May 1947.[English, pp. 130–131, 134]
Notes
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{{DEFAULTSORT:G And H Class Destroyer
Destroyer classes
Battle of the Atlantic
North Atlantic convoys of World War II
Ship classes of the Royal Navy