D or DEFENDER-Class Fleet Destroyer ordered
from Fairfields at Govan, Glasgow under the 1930
Build Programme. The ship was laid down on 22nd April 1931 and launched on 2nd
June 1932 as the 12th R N ship to carry the name. It was used by a mercantile
which fought against the Armada and previously borne by a Gunboat in 1856,
later renamed MA STARR. Build was completed on 31st January 1933 for a contract
price of £229,378, excluding the Admiralty supplied equipment such as weapons, ammunition and wireless equipment. Before Joining the 1st
Destroyer Flotilla in the Mediterranean the ship carried out trials on the Mark
IX torpedo and arrived in Malta during May 1933. Later that year she spent
about two months on detached service in the Persian Gulf. On return to UK in
August 1934 she refitted at Portsmouth before re-commissioning for service on
the China Station in the 8th Destroyer Flotilla. In September 1935 she
left the China Station for two months during the crisis in Abyssinia and was deployed at Aden for two months and
resumed duty at Hong Kong early in 1936.Before the outbreak of war with Germany
she sailed to take up her war station in the Mediterranean.
B a t t
l e H o n o u r s
ARMADA 1588 - CADIZ 1596 - NORWAY 1940
H e r a l d i
c D a t a
Badge: On a Field Green,
Pan's Pipe Gold and Silver
M o t to
Duris delectat virtus: 'Valour delighteth
in difficulties'
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
August
29th Sailed for Mediterranean.
(Note: 8th Destroyer Flotilla had been redesignated 21st
Destroyer Flotilla in 1939 before the
outbreak of war).
September On passage to Malta.
15th Arrived Aden.
19th Joined Mediterranean Fleet at Alexandria.
October
Deployed for Contraband Control and screening duties in
Mediterranean.
to
November
December Nominated for transfer to Home waters with Flotilla
Passage to UK.
30th Arrived at Portsmouth.
1 94 0
January
Under refit at Portsmouth.
27th Took passage to Scapa Flow on completion of Post Refit trials.
February
7th Rejoined Flotilla in Home Fleet
Deployed in NW Approaches for Fleet screening and anti-submarine
patrol.
March
Home Fleet duties in continuation.
April
Deployed for Fleet screening duties.
8th Sustained weather damage necessitating return for repair.
12th Under repair.,
May
On completion rejoined Home Fleet for support of Norwegian
operations.
1st Deployed as escort for HM Cruisers MANCHESTER and BIRMINGHAM for
during
evacuation of troops from Andalsnes and Molde, with HM Destroyer
DIANA and other Home
Fleet destroyers.
31st Evacuated Scots Guards from Bodo with HM Destroyer ECHO.
(For details of the disastrous operations off Norway see THE
DOOMED EXPEDITION by
J Adams, NARVIK by D Macintyre, CARRIER GLORIOUS by J Winton and
the Naval
Staff History (HMSO - 2001)
June
7th Escorted troop convoy from Norway after evacuation (Operation
ALPHABET).
(Note: This convoy was under threat of attack by German
GNEISENAU and SCHARNHORST
which had intercepted and sunk HM Aircraft Carrier GLORIOUS, HM
Destroyers
ARDENT and ACASTA. See above references.).
21st Taken in hand for refit and exchange of boiler tubes at Rosyth.
July
Under refit.
Nominated for service in Western Approaches.
24th Took passage from Rosyth via English Channel.
29th After leaving Portland detected by German radar at Cherbourg and in
action against aircraft in
position 50.12N 02.17W 20 miles SSW of Portland Bill.
Hit on foc'sle caused major fire and subsequent explosion.
Ship sank with loss of 6 of the ship's company.
(Note: Ship had sailed in daylight in contravention of local
orders and placed herself at
significant risk at a time when there was a crucial shortage of
destroyers due to losses in
Norway and during the evacuation of allied troops from Dunkirk
and France.
P o s t W a r N o t e
This name was carried forward when used for a Fleet Destroyer of the
DARING Class in 1950. She was to have been named DISDAIN but the name was changed to DELIGHT before launch on
21st December 1950. She served on the Active List until scrapped in 1970.
Addendum
CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of
HMS DELIGHT
by Don Kindell
These convoy lists have not been cross-checked with the text above
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Date convoy sailed
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Joined convoy as escort
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Convoy No.
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Left convoy
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Date convoy arrived
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05/02/40
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05/02/40
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ON 010/1
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06/02/40
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08/02/40
|
08/02/40
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08/02/40
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HN 010
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11/02/40
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11/02/40
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13/02/40
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13/02/40
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ON 012/1
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16/02/40
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16/02/40
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16/02/40
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16/02/40
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HN 012
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19/02/40
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19/02/40
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23/02/40
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23/02/40
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ON 015/1
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27/02/40
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27/02/40
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28/02/40
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28/02/40
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HN 015
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01/03/40
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01/03/40
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03/03/40
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03/03/40
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ON 017/1
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07/03/40
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07/03/40
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07/03/40
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07/03/40
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HN 017
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10/03/40
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10/03/40
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13/05/40
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13/05/40
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NP 003
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17/05/40
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17/05/40
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(Note
on Convoys)