1943 BATTLE-Class Fleet Destroyer ordered with ships of the 1st and 2nd Flotillas in 1942
from JS Write at Cowes but later transferred to Cammell
Laird at Birkenhead because of air-raid damage at the
Cowes shipyard. The ship was laid down on 6th January 1943 as Yard No 1124 and
was launched on 24th April 1944 as the 3rd RN ship to carry this name. It was
introduced in 1811 for a 3rd Rate which was converted to a screw ship and had
last been used for a 1900 cruiser torpedoed by U9 on 22nd September 1914 in the
North Sea. Build completion date was 24th July 1945. To commemorate the
the second phase of the
battle of Barfleur in 1692 when the remnant of the
French Fleet was destroyed in the Bay of La Hogue.
B a t t
le H o n o u
r s
BALTIC 1854-55 - HELIGOLAND 1914
H e r a l d i
c D a t a
Badge: On a Field
Blue, a Chess Rook within a chaplet of laurel
Gold.
(Note: This is derived from the arms
of Admiral Sir George Rooke.)
S u m m a r y o f
S e r v i c e
(for more ship information,
go
to
Naval History Homepage
and type name in Site Search)
1 9 4 5
July Commissioned
for contractor's trials.
24th Build completion and commenced
Acceptance Trials.
Accepted into Service with British Pacific Fleet.
August On
completion of trials and storing prepared for foreign service and took passage
to
Mediterranean.
September Passage
to join British Pacific Fleet after work-up in
Mediterranean.
October
Joined 19th Destroyer Flotilla at Hong Kong
to
Flotilla comprised sister BATTLE Class BARFLEUR, ARMADA, CAMPERDOWN,
December TRAFALGAR and LAGOS.
(Note: HMS SOLEBAY and HMS
FINISTERRE did not join and remained in Home waters.
1 9 4 6
Far East Station deployment with Flotilla in continuation.
1 9 4 7
Passage to UK with Flotilla to reduce to
Reserve status. Paid off and destored.
Laid up in Reserve.
1 9 4 8 t o 1 9 5 6
Laid up in Reserve.
Pennant Number for visual signalling purposes changed to D74
Nominated for modernisation.
1 9 5 7
Under refit for further service.
May Commissioned for General Service (Home/ Mediterranean) with
HM Destroyers SOLEBAY
and LAGOS.
Deployed in 1st Destroyer Squadron
June
Worked-up with ships of Squadron. in Home Waters.
July
Squadron deployment.
to
December
1 9 5 8
January
Prepared for deployment with Squadron in Far East.
to
March
Passage to Indian Ocean.
(Note: This was first deployment of BATTLE Class in Far East since
1947)
May
Deployed with Squadron for Far East Fleet exercises and visits
programme.
to
December
1 9 5 9
January Deployed with Squadron for
Far East Fleet exercises and visits
programme.
to
July
August
Took part in multinational CENTO Exercise JET 59 in Indian Ocean.
25th Involved in collision with Indian
cruiser INS MYSORE during night exercise.
Sustained major structural damage.
September At
Singapore for hull survey to assess extent of damage.
to Declared Constructive
Total Loss as beyond economic repair.
December
F i n a l P h a s e
HMS HOGUE remained at Singapore and was placed on the Disposal
List. The ship was sold for breaking-up locally on 1st March 1962.
Addendum
DAMAGE TO HMS HOGUE FOLLOWING
COLLISION WITH INS MYSORE
by
Tom Henderson
Tom was onboard HMS Hogue on her last voyage, and remembers that the ships
with her for these night exercises included sister-ships LAGOS and SOLEBAY.
Following are three photographs he took of the damage, the first one showing the
approximate outline of where her bow should be which he added in pencil for his
wife: