D or DEFENDER-Class Fleet Destroyer ordered
from John I Thornycroft at Woolston,
Southampton in the 1930 Programme. The ship was laid
down on 18th June 1931 and launched on 7th April 1932. She was the 5th RN ship
to carry the name, introduced in 1801 and previously used by a destroyer sold
in 1912. Build was completed on 25th November 1932 for a contract price of
£225,536 excluding the Admiralty supplied equipment such as guns, ammunition
and communications equipment. She joined the 1st Destroyer Flotilla in the
Mediterranean early the next year. The ship re-commissioned in April 1934 after
refit at Sheerness.. In December 1934 she sailed to join the 8th Destroyer
Flotilla on the China Station and served there until the outbreak of war. Her
captain until arrival at Singapore was the renowned Lord Louis Mountbatten.
B a t t
l e H o n o u r s
None
H e r a l d i
c D a t a
Badge: On a Field
Black, an arm and a hand in a cresset of fire all Proper.
M o t t
o
Splendide audax : 'Finely daring’
D e t a i
l s o f W a r
S e r v i c e
(for more ship information,
go
to
Naval History Homepage
and type name in Site Search)
1 9 3 9
September
3rd Passage to join Fleet at Alexandria with HM Destroyers DUNCAN,
DIANA and DAINTY.
26th Detached on arrival at Aden for patrol and contraband control in
Red Sea.
October
Deployed at Aden.
November
Passage to Malta to join Flotilla.
25th Taken in hand for docking and repair in Malta
(Note: The condition of many ships of Flotilla had been found
unsatisfactory on
arrival in the
Mediterranean.
HMS DECOY and HMS DUNCAN were also taken
in hand after joining the
Mediterranean Fleet).
December
Nominated for service in 3rd Destroyer Flotilla Home Fleet.
20th On completion prepared for passage.
1 9 4 0
January
Passage to Belfast as escort for rms DUNNOTAR CASTLE from Gibraltar.
7th Arrived in Clyde and took passage to Portsmouth.
(Note: This was her first arrival in UK since leaving for China
in 1930.)
10th Under repair at Portsmouth.
25th On completion took passage via Irish Sea to join Flotilla in Scapa
Flow.
February
10th Joined Flotilla at Scapa Flow.
Deployed for escort of convoys to and from Norway.
18th During escort of Convoy HN12 from Norway torpedoed by U23 and sank
very quickly
in position 58.39N 01.10W after being hit in stern and
capsizing.
There were only 15 survivors, five of whom were rescued by HM
Submarine THISTLE
which had witnessed attack. 157 of ship's company were lost.
U29 was commanded by Kretschmer who later was responsible for
sinking many ships
during Atlantic convoy attacks during 1941.
P o s t W a r
N o t e
This name was carried forward in August 1949 when given to a Fleet
Destroyer launched at Wallsend by Swan Hunter. She served at home and abroad until scrapped in 1971.
Addendum
CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of
HMS
DARING
by Don Kindell
These convoy lists have not been cross-checked with the text above
|
|
|
|
|
Date convoy sailed
|
Joined convoy as escort
|
Convoy No.
|
Left convoy
|
Date convoy arrived
|
|
|
|
|
|
30/01/40
|
05/02/40
|
TC 003
|
07/02/40
|
07/02/40
|
16/02/40
|
16/02/40
|
HN 012
|
18/02/40
|
19/02/40
|
|
|
|
|
|
(Note
on Convoys)