- HMS Delight (H38)
HMS "Delight" was a D class
destroyer of theRoyal Navy . She served in theSecond World War , operating mostly in Home waters, before becoming an early war loss after being sunk in an air attack in 1940. The wreck is protected under theProtection of Military Remains Act 1986 [ [http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2008/uksi_20080950_en_1 Designation under the Protection of Military Remains Act 1986] by SI2008/950,Office of Public Sector Information ,The National Archives . Retrieved2008-07-17 .]Construction and commissioning
"Delight" was ordered under the 1930 Naval Estimates and was laid down at the yards of the
Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company ,Govan ,Scotstoun on22 April 1931. She was launched on 2 June 1932 and commissioned on30 January 1933, at a total cost of £229,378, excluding equipment supplied by theAdmiralty , such as weapons, ammunition and wireless equipment.Career
Pre-war
She was initially assigned to the 1st Destroyer Flotilla in the
Mediterranean , but before joining it, she was used to carry out trials on the Mark IXtorpedo . She eventually arrived inMalta during May 1933. She spent the rest of the year based at Malta, except for a period of two months on detached service in thePersian Gulf . "Delight" returned to the UK in August 1934 and underwent a refit atPortsmouth before being re-commissioned for service with the 8th Destroyer Flotilla on theChina Station . She departed the Station in September 1935 for two months during the crisis in Abyssinia and was then deployed atAden for another two months. She returned to duty atHong Kong early in 1936. As war with Germany loomed, she was assigned to the Mediterranean, and departed Hong Kong for her war station on29 August 1939. She arrived atAlexandria on19 September and joined the Mediterranean Fleet.Wartime
"Delight" was initially deployed throughout August and November to intercept contraband being shipped across the Mediterranean, and also screened large fleet units. Her Mediterranean career did not last long however, and she returned to the UK in December, arriving at Portsmouth on
30 December . She underwent an initial refit before sailing toScapa Flow at the end of January to rejoin her Flotilla with theHome Fleet . They were then deployed in the North Western Approaches to carry out anti-submarine patrols and fleet screening duties. These duties lasted into mid April, when on8 April she was damaged in heavy weather and forced to return to port for repairs. These were completed by1 May , in time for her to join the Home Fleet's actions in support of theNorwegian Campaign . She escorted HMS "Manchester" and HMS "Birmingham" as they evacuated troops fromÅndalsnes andMolde . On31 May "Delight" and HMS "Echo" evacuated units of theScots Guards fromBodø . On7 June she escorted a troop convoy from Norway as part ofOperation Alphabet , the evacuation ofNarvik . Having spent a long period in the harsh environment of theNorth Sea , she was taken in hand for a refit and exchange of her boiler tubes atRosyth on21 June .inking
These repairs lasted until July, after which "Delight" sailed from Rosyth, through the
English Channel . She stopped at Portland on the way, departing there on29 July . She was sailing in daylight, in contravention of local orders and placing herself at significant risk. After she had left the harbour, she was detected by Germanradar atCherbourg , which directed German aircraft to attack the destroyer, by now some 20 miles offPortland Bill . She attempted to fight them off, but was hit by a bomb on herfo'c'sle , which caused a major fire and a subsequent explosion. She finally sank in Portland harbour early the next morning, having lost six of her company in the attack.She currently lies at a depth of approximately 55 metres, broken in half and upside down. Shell cases used to litter the seabed around her, but most have now been recovered. It is possible for divers to access the forward section. As the wreck is designated as a "protected place" under the
Protection of Military Remains Act 1986 it is illegal to enter the wreck without a license or to interfere with the wreck or debris field in any way.References
*Colledge
External links
* [http://uboat.net/allies/warships/ship/4370.html HMS Delight at Uboat.net]
* [http://www.naval-history.net/xGM-Chrono-10DD-19D-Delight.htm HMS Delight's career]
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