HMS Savage (G20)

HMS ''Savage'' was an S-class destroyer of the Royal Navy launched on 24 September 1942. The vessel was adopted by the town of Burton upon Trent. ''Savage'' differed from the rest of the class in being fitted with a new gun, with a twin mounting for the QF Mk III gun forward and two single QF Mk IV guns aft. The twin mount was taken from spares for the aircraft carrier . Initially serving as part of the destroyer escort screen for capital ships, ''Savage'' joined Operation Camera off the Norwegian coast, an unsuccessful diversionary expedition to distract the enemy from the invasion of Sicily, and escorted from Gibraltar to Scapa Flow. However, for the majority of the ship's career, ''Savage'' escorted convoys to the Soviet Union. In December 1943, the destroyer took part in the Battle of the North Cape which saw the destruction of the . After the war, ''Savage'' was refitted as gunnery training ship. The ship was decommissioned and, on 11 April 1962, sold to be broken up.

Design and development

The British Admiralty ordered the eight destroyers of the S class on 9 January 1941 as the 5th Emergency Flotilla. The S class were War Emergency Programme destroyers, intended for general duties, including use as anti-submarine escort, and were to be suitable for mass-production. They were based on the hull and machinery of the pre-war J-class destroyers, but with a lighter armament in order to speed production. ''Savage'' was the second ship purchased in the flotilla and differed from the rest of the class in armament.

The S class were long overall, at the waterline and between perpendiculars, with a beam of and a draught of mean and full load. Displacement was standard and full load. Two Admiralty 3-drum water-tube boilers supplied steam at and to two sets of Parsons single-reduction geared steam turbines, which drove two propeller shafts. The machinery was rated at which gave a maximum speed of and at full load. The vessel carried of oil, giving a range of at .

The Admiralty had designs for a new gun to be installed in twin and single turrets, the former for the upcoming Battle-class destroyers and the latter for the Z-class and C-class destroyers. ''Savage'' was equipped with a twin QF Mk III gun mounted forward and two single QF Mk IV guns mounted aft, replacing the single QF Mark XII guns of her sisters.

To expedite completion still further, the twin mount was modified from a spare made for the aircraft carrier . Due to a shortage of Hazemeyer gun mounts, the Bofors 40 mm gun was also not deployed and anti-aircraft defence was restricted to Oerlikon 20 mm cannons. However, one additional twin and two single mounts were provided, bringing the total to twelve. Two quadruple mounts for 21-inch (533 mm) torpedoes were fitted, while the ship had an depth charge outfit of four depth charge mortars and two racks, with a total of between 70 and 130 charges carried.

The destroyer was fitted with a Type 272 surface warning radar and a high-frequency direction finding (HF/DF) aerial on the ship's lattice foremast, together with a Type 291 air warning radar on a tripod mast aft. The ships' crew consisted of 179 officers and ratings.

Construction and career

''Savage'' was laid down by R&W Hawthorn, Leslie & Co, Hebburn, Newcastle upon Tyne, on 7 December 1941 and was launched on 24 September 1942. The destroyer was completed on 8 June 1943, and assigned the pennant number G20. Following a successful Warship Week campaign held in March 1942, she was adopted by the town of Burton upon Trent. The ship's badge was On a Field White a savage affronte holding a club Proper.

Wartime service

After completion, ''Savage'' joined the aircraft carrier and the battleships , , , and in Operation Camera, a diversionary manoeuvre off the Norwegian coast to distract German forces from the Allied invasion of Sicily. The diversion was not successful as it was not detected by German aircraft. Subsequently, on 25 July, ''Savage'' escorted the aircraft carriers ''Illustrious'' and on Operation Governor, an offensive sweep off Norway. On 11 August, she joined the fleet escorting them to Gibraltar in support of the Allied invasion of Italy, and on 13 October escorted from Gibraltar to Scapa Flow.

For the majority of her wartime career, ''Savage'' supported Arctic convoys.

At the end of the war, on 12 May 1945, ''Savage'' escorted the 1st Cruiser Squadron led by that returned Crown Prince Olav to Norway.

Battle of the North Cape

Convoy JW 55B left Loch Ewe on 20 December 1943 and was expected to reach Bear Island on Christmas Day about the same time as Convoy RA 55A which had departed Kola two days later. ''Savage'' formed part of the destroyer screen for Force 2, the covering force led by ''Duke of York''.

Early on 26 December the Admiralty signalled that the was at sea. ''Savage'' and the rest of heavy force intercepted the German vessel as she was heading away after unsuccessfully attacking the convoy. The combination of torpedo attacks from the cruisers and and radar-directed gunfire from ''Duke of York'' and the cruisers crippled ''Scharnhorst''. However, the battleship was able to make temporary repairs and attempted to escape. ''Duke of York'' fired star shells which illuminated the warship and the four destroyers in the screen, , ''Savage'', , and the Norwegian , attacked with torpedoes. ''Savage'' launched eight at a range of and, together with rest of the flotilla, scored at least three hits. The battle then continued until ''Duke of York'' ceased firing and ''Scharnhorst'' sank at 19:45.

Post war service

HMS ''Savage'' was refitted and redeployed as a Gunnery Firing Ship at Portsmouth after September 1945. Reduced to Reserve status at Chatham in 1948, the ship was recommissioned for trials using new designs of shafts and propellers in 1950. Although refitted and modernised, ''Savage'' was never actively deployed. The destroyer was placed on the Disposal List in 1960 and arrived at Cashmore in Newport to be broken up on 11 April 1962.

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Savage (G20))
S and T-class destroyers
Ships built on the River Tyne
1942 ships
World War II destroyers of the United Kingdom