flotilla leader class destroyers built royal_navy mid-1930s spanish civil war ship spent considerable time spanish waters enforcing arms blockade imposed britain france sides conflict hardy transferred sierra october hunt german commerce raiders returning united_kingdom early ship flagship 2nd destroyer flotilla assigned home_fleet norwegian campaign hardy participated sank german destroyer british ships withdrawing discovered german destroyers badly damaged hardy run aground stop sinking ship lifted rising tide eventually capsized description hardy displaced long tons standard load long tons deep load ship overall length feet beam feet draught feet inches powered parsons geared steam turbines driving shafts developed total shaft horsepower gave maximum speed knots mph steam turbines provided admiralty drum water tube boilers hardy carried maximum long tons fuel oil gave range nautical miles knots mph ship complement officers men ship mounted calibre inch mark guns single mounts anti aircraft defence hardy quadruple mark mounts inch vickers machine gun fitted water quadruple torpedo tube mounts inch torpedoes depth charge rail throwers fitted depth charges carried originally increased shortly war began service hardy laid company launched april commissioned december excluding government furnished equipment like armament ship cost ship assigned 2nd destroyer flotilla mediterranean_fleet commissioning hardy patrolled spanish waters spanish civil war enforcing policies destroyer struck hardy stood case hunter needed assistance hardy port bombed spanish republican air force damaged end spanish civil war began refit june july ship malta world war began september october hardy pennant transferred sierra hunt german commerce raiders ship half sisters hms hostile battlecruiser aircraft carrier light cruiser hms neptune december rio_de_janeiro brazil proceeding estuary case damaged german pocket battleship admiral attempted escape taken refuge losing given brief overhaul devonport january february transferred scotland convoy escort duties ship rejoined 2nd destroyer flotilla home fleet scapa_flow march flagship april hardy rest 2nd destroyer flotilla escorted destroyer 20th destroyer flotilla sailed implement operation lay mines prevent shipment swedish iron ore germany mines laid early morning april germans began invasion destroyers joined battlecruiser escorts admiralty ordered captain attack german shipping norway april following morning hardy led half sisters surprise dawn attack harbour torpedo hardy blew stern german flagship killed german flotilla commander commodore sank day hit merchant ship stern second torpedoes fired german destroyers missed badly damaged ore docks captain led attack harbour later morning inflicted little additional damage poor visibility british destroyers completed second attack engaged german destroyers british destroyers attempted withdraw west pursued german ships additional german destroyers crossed british ships quickly knocked hardy forward guns hits ship bridge superstructure set fire mortally wounded captain killed wounded officers bridge captain secretary badly wounded took command hits disabled boilers ordered run aground lieutenant present bridge assumed command ordered ship abandoned crew delayed torpedo fired german ship gun fired ammunition captain brought ashore died hour head wounds men managed ashore seriously wounded captain posthumously awarded victoria_cross hardy lifted beach high tide drifted head capsized shallow waters wreck visible late
HMS Hardy (1936)