HMS Eridge

HMS Eridge (L68) was a Type II Hunt-class destroyer of the Royal Navy. She was ordered on 4 September 1939 under the 1939 War Emergency Programme and built by Swan Hunter at Wallsend. Eridge was laid down on 21 November 1939, launched on 20 August 1940, and commissioned on 28 February 1941.

== Design and construction == The Hunts were meant to fill the Royal Navy's need for a large number of small destroyer-type vessels capable of both convoy escort and operations with the fleet. The Type II Hunts differed from the earlier ships in having increased beam in order to improve stability and carry the ships' originally intended armament. Eridge was one of 17 Hunts ordered on 4 September 1939 as part of the 1939 War Emergency Programme. As a Type II Hunt-class destroyer, Eridge was 264 feet 3 inches (80.54 m) long between perpendiculars and 280 feet (85.34 m) overall. The ship's beam was 31 feet 6 inches (9.60 m) and draught 7 feet 9 inches (2.36 m). Displacement was 1,050 long tons (1,070 t) standard and 1,490 long tons (1,510 t) under full load. Two Admiralty boilers raising steam at 300 pounds per square inch (2,100 kPa) and 620 °F (327 °C) fed Parsons single-reduction geared steam turbines that drove two propeller shafts, generating 19,000 shaft horsepower (14,000 kW) at 380 rpm. This gave a speed of 27 knots (50 km/h; 31 mph). The ship's main gun armament was six 4 inch (102 mm) QF Mk XVI dual purpose (anti-ship and anti-aircraft) guns in three twin mounts, with one mount forward and two aft. Additional close-in anti-aircraft armament was provided by a quadruple 2-pounder "pom-pom" mount and two single Oerlikon 20 mm cannon mounted in the bridge wings. Power-operated twin 20 mm Oerlikon mounts replaced the single Oerlikons during the war. Up to 110 depth charges could be carried. The ship had a complement of 168 officers and men. Eridge was laid down by Swan Hunter at Wallsend on 21 November 1939, as Yard number 1581, launched on 20 August 1940, and completed on 28 February 1941, and was the first Type II Hunt to complete. Eridge was named after a Sussex fox hunt, was the second ship of that name to serve with the Royal Navy.

== Service history == After working up with the Home Fleet, Eridge was deployed in early 1941 to the Mediterranean theatre, escorting convoys between Gibraltar, Malta and Alexandria. She took part in convoy MG1 during Operation Vigorous in June 1942, and supported several operations against Axis supply lines in North Africa. On 19 March 1942, while operating off the Libyan coast, Eridge assisted HMS Heythrop, which had been torpedoed by U-652. She took the damaged destroyer in tow under heavy air attack. On 29 May 1942, Eridge, together with Hero and Hurworth engaged and sank the German submarine German submarine U-568 north-east of Tobruk. In July 1942 she took part in shore bombardments near Mersa Matruh, targeting Axis coastal positions.

Loss

At 04:15 on 29 August 1942, Eridge and the destroyers Croome and Hursley began shelling enemy positions near El Daba, while on station in the Nile Delta, at 31°07′N 28°26′E. At 05:00, Eridge was struck by a 450 mm torpedo fired by the Italian motor torpedo boat MTSM-228. The explosion caused serious structural damage, killed five crew members and permanently disabled the ship. Damage to the starboard side flooded machinery spaces, leaving the turbines and condenser beyond repair. Despite the severity of the hit, the ship remained afloat. She was towed to Alexandria by Aldenham and declared a constructive total loss due to irreparable damage to her turbines, condenser and hull. Efforts to repair Eridge were abandoned, and she was subsequently decommissioned and scrapped.

== Fate == Eridge remained at Alexandria as a base and accommodation ship for the rest of the war. She was sold for scrapping in October 1946.

Notes

References

== Bibliography == Colledge, J. J.; Warlow, Ben (2006) [1969]. Ships of the Royal Navy: The Complete Record of All Fighting Ships of the Royal Navy from the 15th Century to the Present (3rd Rev ed.). London: Chatham Publishing. ISBN 978-1-86176-281-8. OCLC 67375475. English, John (1987). The Hunts: A history of the design, development and careers of the 86 destroyers of this class built for the Royal and Allied Navies during World War II. World Ship Society. ISBN 0-905617-44-4. Friedman, Norman (2008). British Destroyers and Frigates: The Second World War and After. Barnsley, UK: Seaforth Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84832-015-4. Gardiner, Robert; Chesneau, Roger, eds. (1980). Conway's All The World's Fighting Ships 1922–1946. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-146-7. Lenton, H. T. (1970). Navies of the Second World War: British Fleet & Escort Destroyers Volume Two. London: Macdonald & Co. ISBN 0-356-03122-5. Manning, T. D.; Walker, C. F. (1959). British Warship Names. London: Putnam. Whitley, M. J. (2000). Destroyers of World War Two: An International Encyclopedia. London: Cassell & Co. ISBN 1-85409-521-8.

== Further reading == Gregory-Smith, Frank (2008). Red Tobruk: Memoirs of a World War II Destroyer Commander. Pen & Sword Maritime. ISBN 978-1-84415-862-1.

External links

HMS Eridge (L 68) Captain Frank Gregory-Smith - Daily Telegraph obituary