HMS Eglinton (L87)

HMS Eglinton (L87) was a Type I Hunt-class destroyer of the Royal Navy built by Vickers-Armstrongs on the River Tyne, and launched on 28 December 1939. She was adopted by the town of Alton, Hampshire, as part of the Warship Week campaign in 1942.

For other ships with the same name, see HMS Eglinton.

HMS Eglinton, c1942
History
United Kingdom
Name: HMS Eglinton
Ordered: 21 March 1939
Builder: Vickers-Armstrongs, River Tyne
Yard number: Admiralty Job No.J4091
Laid down: 8 June 1939
Launched: 28 December 1939
Completed: 28 August 1940
Identification: pennant number: L87
Honours and
awards:
  • Atlantic 1940
  • English Channel 1940–44
  • North Sea 1941–44
  • Normandy 1944
Fate: Scrapped in May 1956
Badge: On a Field Red, two hunting horns in saltire and three annulets interlaced Gold
General characteristics
Class and type: Type I Hunt-class destroyer
Displacement:
  • 1,000 long tons (1,000 t) standard
  • 1,340 long tons (1,360 t) full load
Length: 85 m (278 ft 10 in) o/a
Beam: 8.8 m (28 ft 10 in)
Draught: 3.27 m (10 ft 9 in)
Propulsion:
Speed:
  • 27.5 knots (31.6 mph; 50.9 km/h)
  • 26 kn (30 mph; 48 km/h) full
Range:
  • 3,500 nmi (6,500 km) at 15 kn (28 km/h)
  • 1,000 nmi (1,900 km) at 26 kn (48 km/h)
Complement: 146
Armament:
  • 4 × QF 4-inch (102 mm) Mark XVI guns on twin mounts Mk. XIX
  • 4 × QF 2-pounder (40 mm) Mk VIII AA guns on quad mount MK.VII
  • 2 × 20-mm Oerlikon AA guns on single mounts P Mk. III
  • 40 depth charges, 2 throwers, 1 rack

Service history

Eglinton served with the 16th Destroyer Flotilla at Harwich for the whole of her wartime service. She was involved in two actions with German S-Boats whilst escorting East coast convoys. She also was part of the support force for the Normandy landings.[1]

After August 1945 she was decommissioned and placed in reserve at Harwich.[2] On 24 June 1955 she was designated as a trials ship for exercise 'Sleeping Beauty' designed to test the state of ships held in reserve, and the time taken to bring them forward for service in the active fleet. She was sold for scrapping and arrived for scrapping at Blyth by Hughes Bolckow on 28 May 1956.

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References
  1. English, John (1987). The Hunts. Cumbria: World Ship Society. ISBN 0-905617-44-4.
  2. Critchley, Mike, "British Warships Since 1945: Part 3: Destroyers", Maritime Books: Liskeard, UK, 1982. ISBN 0-9506323-9-2, page 24

Publications



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