class destroyers built royal_navy early 1930s assigned home fleet completion ship attached mediterranean_fleet crisis weeks start world war september helped sink german submarine participated second battle sent gibraltar formed force participated attack french ships escorting aircraft carriers force flew aircraft malta covering convoys reinforcing island late time ship helped sink german submarine converted escort destroyer midway war assigned escort convoys russia year half north_atlantic ship helped sink german submarine transferred english channel protect convoys normandy landings assisted sinking german submarine returning north_atlantic months ship repair half reduced reserve november scrapped early description class ships repeats 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 carried maximum long tons fuel oil gave range nautical miles knots mph ships complement officers ratings ships mounted inch mark guns single mounts designated sequence rear anti aircraft defence quadruple mark mounts inch vickers machine gun class fitted water quadruple torpedo tube mounts inch torpedoes depth charge rack throwers fitted depth charges originally carried increased shortly war began wartime modifications rear torpedo tubes replaced pounder gun returned england october april june converted escort destroyer type short range surface search radar fitted type target indication radar installed bridge replacing director control tower rangefinder ship received radio direction mounted pole mainmast short range armament augmented guns calibre machine guns replaced pair split mortar installed abreast gun total depth charges meant gun pounder removed compensate weight ship carried depth charges construction career built shipyard naval programme ship laid launched june eleventh ship carry completed april ship cost pounds excluding admiralty supplied equipment armaments communications sets initially assigned 6th destroyer flotilla home_fleet sent reinforce mediterranean_fleet sister ships crisis june remained february deployed gibraltar september october spanish civil war ship returned home spent years 6th flotilla renumbered 8th destroyer flotilla april months start world war remained assigned june escorting larger ships fleet pair fishing sunk submarine start world war september 6th 8th ordered sweep area september following day sisters sank german submarine resumed normal escort duties february helped tow damaged tanker port torpedoed months later escorted battleship second battle april engaged german destroyers lightly damaged escorted badly damaged destroyer temporary repairs battle days later screen battleship battlecruiser renown sailed scapa_flow refuel early june ship escorting battlecruiser cruisers searched german commerce raiders iceland recalled norwegian waters june germans launched attack allied convoys evacuating norway germans returned base time ships arrived force late june 8th ordered gibraltar form escorts days later participated attack french ships stationed operation planned air attack italian airfields destroyer escort torpedoed italian submarine july attack cancelled lack surprise torpedo blew large hole ship british tried salvage despite efforts later morning flotilla leader took survivors month later escorts force operation hurry mission fly fighter aircraft malta conduct august september convoy carrying troops intended capture french days later attacked driven french defences early october escorted troop convoy sierra french returned gibraltar escorted aircraft carriers operations coat white november november light cruiser intercepted french blockade runner escorted gibraltar ship escorted force malta later month participated inconclusive november early january screened force operation excess rescued crew shot italian bomber january later month temporarily relieved escorts convoy bound egypt stayed convoy arriving january detached force reinforce long ordered escort battleship malaya route gibraltar march german battleships spotted convoy admiral declines attack malaya spotted report caused attacks boats sank ships convoy force days later following month escort screen destroyers battleship light cruisers fiji gloucester joining mediterranean_fleet included supply convoy taking tanks egypt transfer warships mediterranean_fleet sisters speed destroyer sweep gear rigged allow serve fast route malta despite merchant ship sunk mines damaged later month participated mission carriers furious flew fighters malta force ordered join escort convoy north_atlantic battle denmark directed search german battleship heavy cruiser heavy seas increased fuel consumption escorts forced return gibraltar refuel later day rejoining capital ships force tracked sunk early june destroyer participated aircraft delivery missions returning gibraltar refuel covering convoy west gibraltar participated sinking sisters june late june screened furious flew fighters malta operation railway july malta supply convoy rescued survivors sister fearless attacked italian torpedo bombers sank wrecked burning ship torpedoes week later screened capital ships force covered malta convoy operation style months participated operation malta convoy escorted furious trips fly aircraft return october destroyer briefly assigned rejoining home_fleet flow november began lengthy refit work lasted april russian convoys mid april close cover convoy april joined escort returning convoy days later light cruiser edinburgh torpedoed sister detached escort crippled cruiser edinburgh escorts attacked german destroyers fired torpedoes simultaneously hit shells disabled guns hit boiler room temporarily disabled propulsion machinery crewmen killed including captain wounded temporarily disabled germans torpedo edinburgh breaking engagement rescue crew crippled british destroyers took survivors cruiser scuttled cruiser torpedo heading temporary repairs sailed destroyers escorts light cruiser trinidad damaged escorting convoy day ships came heavy air attack trinidad damaged set fire took wounded survivors trinidad sunk arrived scapa_flow immediately took passage shipyard repairs lasted october month rejoined 8th resumed escorting convoys russia april ship refitted june later service june joined 1st atlantic convoy duty march escorting destroyer frigate corvette owen sound sank german submarine ship remained convoy duty north_atlantic transferred english channel support normandy landings months august destroyers sank day engaged drove boats destroyers defending channel coastal convoy october ship transferred 14th convoy defence december arrived liverpool repairs returning service joining paid august reduced reserve november turned january disposal arrived broken scrap february limited
HMS Forester (H74)