- HMS Gurkha (F20)
HMS "Gurkha" (L20/F20) was a Tribal class
destroyer that saw active service in the Norway Campaign in 1940, where she was sunk."Gurkha" served with the
4th Destroyer Flotilla (the first of the two Tribal class flotillas) in theMediterranean where she was involved in exercises and port visits until the outbreak of war. In September 1939, "Gurkha" was one of a group ships assigned to monitor Italian naval activity in theRed Sea . In October, 1939 the flotilla was reassigned to theHome Fleet , on escort duty fromPortland andScapa Flow [cite web
last = Mason
first = Geoffrey B
authorlink =
coauthors =
title = HMS GURKHA - Tribal-class Destroyer
work = SERVICE HISTORIES of ROYAL NAVY WARSHIPS in WORLD WAR 2
publisher =
date = 2002
url = http://www.naval-history.net/xGM-Chrono-10DD-34Tribal-Gurkha1.htm
format =
doi =
accessdate = 27 Sept 2008 ] , and in theHumber Striking Force . She attacked and sank the enemy Germansubmarine "U-53" south of theFaroe Islands on 23 February 1940."Gurkha" was part of a naval force that was attacked by German
Ju-88 andHe-111 bombers as it withdrew from the planned attack on Bergen, during the German invasion of Norway. In an attempt to obtain better firing conditions, "Gurkha" moved away from the mutual protection of the naval force. She then became an easy target for concentrated air attack and soon was stopped and sinking. [cite book
last = Vian
first = Sir Philip
authorlink =
coauthors =
title = Action This Day
publisher = Frederick Muller
date = 1960
location = London
pages = p.37
url =
doi =
id = ] The crew were rescued by the cruiser HMS "Aurora" and "Gurkha" sank in theNorth Sea , south-east of Bergen in Norway on 9 April 1940 with the loss of 15 of her crew, the first British destroyer to be sunk by air attack.References
ee also
*
List of shipwrecks in 1940
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