HMS Ambuscade (D38)
HMS Ambuscade
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Class overview | |
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Preceded by | Admiralty Modified W class |
Succeeded by | A- and B class |
History | |
United Kingdom | |
Name | HMS Ambuscade |
Ordered | 12 June 1924[1] |
Builder | Yarrow |
Laid down | 8 December 1924 |
Launched | 15 January 1926 |
Commissioned | 9 April 1927 |
Identification | Pennant number: D38 |
Fate | Broken up in 1947 |
General characteristics [2] | |
Type | Destroyer |
Displacement | |
Length |
|
Beam | 31 ft (9.45 m) |
Draught | 8 ft 6 in (2.59 m) |
Propulsion |
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Speed | 37 kn (69 km/h; 43 mph) |
Range | 3,310 nmi (6,130 km; 3,810 mi) at 15 kn (28 km/h; 17 mph) |
Complement | 138 |
Armament |
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HMS Ambuscade was a British
She was launched at Yarrow on 15 January 1926, served in World War II, and was broken up at Troon in 1946.
Design and construction
In November 1923, the
The winning designs were those from Yarrow and Thornycroft, and orders for one ship each placed in June 1924.[5] Yarrow's design, which became HMS Ambuscade, was smaller and lighter (307 feet (93.57 m) long (pp) and 1,585 long tons (1,610 t) full load displacement) than Thornycroft's Amazon (311 feet 9 inches (95.02 m) pp long and 1,812 long tons (1,841 t) full load).[2] The ship was fitted with Yarrow's distinctive inward sloping stern, which Yarrow claimed increased the ship's speed by up to 1 knot (1.9 km/h; 1.2 mph) compared to a conventional V-shaped stern.[6]
In order to provide the increased fuel economy required by the specification, Ambuscade was fitted three 4-drum Yarrow boilers with air pre-heating, working at a pressure of 290 pounds per square inch (2,000 kPa) and 200 °F (111 °C) of superheat. These fed geared steam turbines and drove two propeller shafts. The machinery was rated at 35,500 shaft horsepower (26,500 kW).[2][7][8]
The main gun armament of Ambuscade consisted of four
The ship's armament went through a number of changes during the Second World War. By April 1941, the aft triple torpedo-tube mount was replaced by a 3-inch (76 mm) anti-aircraft gun.[2][12] Further changes included the addition of two Oerlikon 20 mm cannon,[13] the removal of two 4.7 inch guns ("A"- and "Y"-mount), replacement of the ships rangefinder and director with radar, fitting of the Hedgehog anti-submarine mortar and a heavier depth charge outfit.[2] The ship's Hedgehog mount and remaining torpedo tubes were removed when the ship was fitted with two Squid launchers in May 1943.[2][14]
Ambuscade was laid down at Yarrow's Glasgow shipyard on 8 December 1924 and was launched on 14 January 1926.[1] During speed trials on 2 March 1927, Ambuscade reached an average speed of 36.88 knots (68.30 km/h; 42.44 mph).[15] She was commissioned on 9 April 1927.[1]
Service
Following commissioning, Ambuscade (with the
In June 1932, Ambuscade was taken out of reserve and joined the Home Fleet, serving in Irish waters. In December 1932, Ambuscade was deployed as a Tender to HMS Vernon, the torpedo school, being used for training and trials.[17][19] Ambuscade continued this duty until February 1937, when the poor condition of the ship's turbines resulted in a refit at Portsmouth, with the turbines requiring replacement.[17][19]
Ambuscade's refit continued until May 1940,[a] while when she re-entered service with the Sixteenth Destroyer Flotilla based at Harwich, receiving a new pennant number, I38. On 10 June, Ambuscade took part in the attempt to evacuate troops of the 51st (Highland) Division from Saint-Valery-en-Caux (Operation Cycle). Ambuscade was damaged by German shell fire while embarking troops, and on the journey back to Portsmouth, she took the destroyer HMS Boadicea in tow after the latter was badly damaged by German dive bombers.[17][21] Following repair, Ambuscade rejoined her Flotilla, carrying out anti-invasion patrols and convoy escort operations in July and August 1940, before transferring to the Twelfth Destroyer Flotilla based at Greenock in September, but recurrence of the ship's turbine problems resulted in more repairs from September to November 1940.[17][19]
Ambuscade then rejoined her Flotilla, by then based at Iceland for convoy escort duties. Further mechanical problems, this time with the ship's
In late 1942, Ambuscade became a trials ship for anti-submarine weapons and sensors,
Ambuscade was used for shock trials during 1946, and was sold for scrapping in November that year, being broken up by West of Scotland Shipbreaking Company at Troon from March 1947.[2][23]
Export variant
Ambuscade served as the basis for the design by Yarrow of the
Notes
- Motor Torpedo Boats, which would have involved completely rearming the ship.[20]
Citations
- ^ a b c English 1993, p. 100.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Whitley 2000, p. 96.
- ^ Friedman 2009, pp. 188–190.
- ^ English 1993, pp. 7–8.
- ^ English 1993, p. 9.
- ^ Friedman 2009, pp. 180, 190.
- ^ Friedman 2009, p. 180.
- ^ Gardiner and Chesneau 1980, p. 37.
- ^ Friedman 2009, pp. 180–181, 298.
- ^ DiGiulian, Tony (12 February 2012). "4.7"/45 (12 cm) BL Mark I 4.7"/45 (12 cm) BL Mark II". navweapons.com. Retrieved 2 January 2014.
- ^ Friedman 2009, p. 298.
- ^ Friedman 2009, p. 241.
- ^ Friedman 2009, p. 243.
- ^ a b Brown 2007, pp. 115, 119–120.
- ^ English 1993, p. 10.
- ^ Friedman 2009, p. 314.
- ^ English 1993, pp. 10–12.
- ^ a b c d e English 1993, p. 12.
- ^ Friedman 2009, pp. 231, 233.
- ^ English 1993, pp. 12, 34.
- ^ English 1993, pp. 12–13.
- ^ a b English 1993, p. 13.
- ^ Aniversario No.26 del ARC “Antioquia” Archived 1 November 2018 at the Wayback Machine, Armada Nacional República de Colombia. 16 April 2010. Retrieved 9 August 2014.
References
- Brown, D.K. (2007). Atlantic Escorts: Ships, Weapons & Tactics in World War II. Barnsley, UK: Seaforth Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84415-702-0.
- ISBN 978-1-86176-281-8.
- English, John (1993). Amazon to Ivanhoe: British Standard Destroyers of the 1930s. Kendal, UK: World Ship Society. ISBN 0-905617-64-9.
- Friedman, Norman (2009). British Destroyers: From Earliest Days to the Second World War. Barnsley, UK: Seaforth Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84832-049-9.
- Gardiner, Robert; Chesneau, Roger (1980). Conway's All The World's Fighting Ships 1922–1946. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-146-7.
- Hodges, Peter; Friedman, Norman (1979). Destroyer Weapons of World War 2. Greenwich: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 978-0-85177-137-3.
- Lenton, H. T. (1998). British & Empire Warships of the Second World War. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-048-7.
- Rohwer, Jürgen (2005). Chronology of the War at Sea 1939–1945: The Naval History of World War Two (Third Revised ed.). Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-59114-119-2.
- ISBN 1-85409-521-8.
- Winser, John de S. (1999). B.E.F. Ships Before, At and After Dunkirk. Gravesend, Kent: World Ship Society. ISBN 0-905617-91-6.