hms escort hms escort class destroyer built royal_navy early 1930s assigned home fleet completion ship attached mediterranean_fleet crisis spanish civil war spent considerable time spanish waters enforcing arms blockade imposed britain france sides conflict escort assigned convoy escort anti submarine patrol duties western approaches world war began september ship escorted ships home_fleet tow sister hms eclipse ship badly damaged german air attack escort assigned force late june participated attack early july torpedoed days later italian submarine towed days gibraltar description class ships slightly improved versions preceding class displaced long tons standard load long tons deep load ships overall length feet beam feet inches draught feet inches powered parsons geared steam turbines driving propeller shaft steam provided admiralty drum boilers turbines developed total shaft horsepower gave maximum speed knots mph escort carried maximum long tons fuel oil gave range nautical miles knots mph ships complement officers ratings ships mounted calibre inch mark guns single mounts anti aircraft defence quadruple mark mounts inch vickers machine gun class fitted water quadruple torpedo tube mounts inch torpedoes depth charge rail throwers fitted depth charges originally carried increased shortly war began service escort ordered scotland november construction programme laid march launched march commissioned october total cost excluding government furnished equipment like armament commissioning ship assigned 5th destroyer flotilla home fleet aside brief deployment west indies january march refitted march april escort attached mediterranean_fleet september march crisis struck lock required seven weeks repairs completed september ship patrolled spanish waters spanish civil war enforcing march returned united_kingdom escort tender light cruiser return recommissioned august assigned 12th destroyer flotilla september escort sister hms rescued odd survivors ocean liner torpedoed german submarine ship assigned convoy escort anti submarine duties transferred december similar duties north_sea escort refitted january february resumed duties destroyers hms sank german submarine february german vessel spotted submarine hms miles east began early april escort transferred home_fleet screening capital ships sortied north_sea looking german ship april sister eclipse damaged air attack april escort towed ship escorted aircraft carriers april aircraft attacked german targets norway accompanied glorious ship returned scapa_flow refuel aircraft april ship slightly damaged collision polish ocean liner escort based scapa_flow home_fleet june sailed gibraltar join uncertain rear set torpedo tubes replaced inch pounder gun time arrived july joined force attacking ships french_navy day operation planned air attack italian airfields escort torpedoed italian submarine july attack cancelled lack surprise torpedo blew hole feet wide boiler rooms killed members crew later morning
HMS Escort (H66)