hms hms class destroyer built royal_navy early 1930s flotilla leader saw service home_fleet world war ship deployments spanish waters spanish civil war enforcing arms blockade imposed britain france sides conflict transferred renamed world war served convoy escort battle atlantic sinking german submarine anti submarine patrols invasion normandy employed troop transport day returning canadian servicemen decommissioned sold scrap ran aground towed breakers broken design construction 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 yarrow water tube boilers carried maximum long tons fuel oil gave range nautical miles knots mph ship complement officers men ship mounted calibre inch mark guns single mounts designated rear anti aircraft defence single inch cwt gun funnels millimetre pounder guns mounted aft end forecastle deck inch gun removed pounders relocated funnels fitted water quadruple torpedo tube mounts inch torpedoes depth charge fitted capacity depth charges world war began increased depth charges delivered rails throwers changes armament war dates roughly assigned replacement ship rear torpedo tube mount pounder gun pounders exchanged quadruple mark mounts inch machine gun later gun removed allow depth charge increased depth charges gun later removed pounder place increased depth charge capacity later changes included fitting split mortar gun exchanging quadruple calibre vickers machine guns mounted funnels guns addition guns platform ship director control tower rangefinder bridge removed exchange type target indication radar type short range surface search radar added radio direction short mainmast ship ordered july programme laid october launched september 2nd ship carry completed built flotilla leader displaced long tons rest class carried extra personnel personnel formed staff captain flotilla service assigned 2nd destroyer flotilla home_fleet commissioning ship briefly mounted experimental inch gun mount evaluation purposes time replaced standard inch gun based rest visited mediterranean january march returning home ship given refit devonport ended january shortly participated home_fleet tour west_indies ended march ship visited scandinavian ports remainder year participated king george july following italian invasion sent august red_sea ships 2nd flotilla monitor italian warship movements april given brief refit devonport lasted june return stages spanish civil war late ship evacuated british nationals different spanish ports december began thorough refit devonport lasted april returned spanish waters intercept shipping carrying goods spain protect british ships march ship destroyer rescued survivors nationalist heavy cruiser sunk republican destroyers refitted chatham june number port visits scandinavia following month transferred remained war began september wartime service transfer ship transferred 18th destroyer flotilla based escorted shipping conducted anti submarine patrols purchased war began canadian government agreed allow british retain royal_navy compensate loss auxiliary anti submarine vessels time british ready turn ship repair collision hand delayed october renamed arrived halifax nova scotia november ship fitting steam heating necessary operate canadian winter transferred caribbean exchange destroyer arrived kingston jamaica december assigned north_america highlight ship service caribbean capture german blockade runner passage islands hispaniola puerto_rico night march initially intercepted light cruiser crew disabled steering gear set ship fire took burning ship tow prevent entering waters neutral dominican_republic cruiser sprayed water fire ships swapped roles morning destroyer crew aboard help boarding party fight fire cruiser towed freighter kingston arrived halifax march refit completion refit ship escorted local convoys halifax january transferred assigned 10th based rescued survivors february damaged collision april repairs completed transferred newfoundland june reinforce escort forces early august sister american destroyer escorted battleship prince wales prime minister winston_churchill met president time whilst escorting early august type radar spotted heavy fog august destroyer closed contact briefly spotted submarine twice losing fog submarine reappeared crossing destroyer bow range yards ships opened fire range close inch guns engage calibre machine guns shot submarine deck conning tower kept germans manning millimetre deck gun millimetre gun manned firing gun punched holes destroyer plating set petrol tanks deck disabled gun claimed canadian casualty engagement ordinary kenneth watson destroyer unable ram rear inch gun hit conning tower killing entire bridge crew caliber machine guns able silence gun caused senior surviving officer order submarine dive meant hold straight course able advantage rammed conning tower whilst diving caused electric motors fail damaged propellers led water entering submarine result ordered ballast tanks blown submarine abandoned destroyer rammed resurfaced dropped pattern depth charges set detonate shallow depth hit time inch shell submarine finally sank number survivors rescued british corvette ship head home repairs taking water waterline required nearly months repairs halifax assigned escort group completed december whilst route dropped shallow pattern depth charges submarine contact badly damaged stern march ship repaired liverpool march july assigned continued escort work april began refit nova scotia completion july assigned following month 12th including engaged german august sinking remained british waters rest war ship damaged collision february repair early march returned canada june briefly troop transport boiler room fire july effectively ended career paid august placed disposal list whilst tow breakers baltimore ran aground near attempts failed left eventually broken place convoys escorted
HMS Kempenfelt (I18)