class destroyer built royal_navy mid-1930s spanish civil war ship spent spanish waters enforcing arms blockade imposed britain france sides conflict transferred mediterranean_fleet shortly beginning world war british isles escort shipping local waters march transferred home_fleet time participate opening stages april encountered german destroyers transporting troops invade norway destroyers attempted calling help heavy cruiser admiral hipper heavily damaged admiral hipper attempted torpedo german ship ships collided broke bow sank shortly description 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 carried maximum long tons fuel oil gave range nautical miles knots mph ship complement officers men peacetime ship mounted calibre inch mark guns single mounts anti aircraft defence quadruple mark mounts inch vickers machine gun test ship new torpedo tube mounts inch torpedoes depth charge rail throwers fitted depth charges originally carried increased shortly war began operational history early career ordered yards hampshire march construction programme laid august launched july completed january total cost excluding government furnished equipment like armament commissioning assigned 1st destroyer flotilla mediterranean_fleet patrolled spanish waters spanish civil war enforcing refit portsmouth june ship returned 1st destroyer flotilla mediterranean brief refit returned portsmouth longer overhaul june july escorted ocean liner malta alexandria september escorted light cruiser voyage later month night exercises collided sister grenade forced alexandria temporary repairs received permanent repairs malta june alexandria world war began september october flotilla transferred sailed october sisters arrived plymouth october deployed south western approaches carried convoy escort duties anti submarine patrols november transferred 22nd based north_sea patrol escort duties february hit swedish ship fog whilst anchor outer suffered significant structural damage repair commercial dockyard hull late march completion repairs transferred 1st destroyer flotilla home fleet rejoining flotilla base scapa_flow march april escort battlecruiser renown sisters hero ships covered operation norwegian waters april detached task force search man lost overboard final battle morning april way rejoin renown encountered german destroyers heavy fog destroyers german naval detachment led heavy cruiser admiral hipper way land troops trondheim german invasion norway operation opened fire german destroyers attempted signalling help request soon answered admiral hipper spotted hipper initially difficulty distinguishing opened fire minutes later range metres main guns hit hipper fourth started making smoke turned smoke attempt break visual contact hipper cruiser radar directed guns affected smoke destroyer emerged smoke range short cruiser guns fire radio room bridge forward inch gun destroyed received additional hits engine room captain day cabin finally mast crashed caused short circuit causing ship start lieutenant commander fired torpedoes mounting range metres missed captain kept hipper bow pointed battle minimize risk torpedoes destroyer fell smoke screen buy time second torpedo mount working followed smoke finish fire rest torpedoes ships close hipper emerged smoke ordered hard turn starboard reduce range possibly ram destroyer hipper slow answer helm struck cruiser anchor collision broke bow rest ship hipper open holes hull destroying forward starboard torpedo mounting german sailor knocked overboard collision hipper took tonnes long tons water leaks isolated seriously damaged fire drifted clear boilers exploded taking crew admiral hipper order rescue man overboard survivors german sailor found british sailors recovered later died wounds senior surviving officer told helm emergency rudder manned ships collided destroyer turn hipper probably accidental german accounts mention torpedoes fired british accounts fired confirmed photographic evidence taken collision showing torpedo tubes drowned longer hang rope whilst pulled cruiser posthumously awarded victoria_cross recipient second world war award justified recommendation wrote british authorities red_cross giving statement courage shown engaging superior ship close battle awarded awards end war
HMS Glowworm (H92)