HMS Comet (H00)

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For other ships with the same name, see HMS Comet and HMCS Restigouche.

Restigouche in original configuration with four 4.7-inch guns, tall second funnel and AA gun between the funnels
History
United Kingdom
NameComet
Ordered15 July 1930
Builder
Portsmouth Dockyard
Laid down12 September 1930
Launched30 September 1931
Completed2 June 1932
IdentificationPennant number: H00
MottoFollow the Light
FateTransferred to the Royal Canadian Navy and renamed Restigouche, 11 June 1938
BadgeOn a Field Black, a Comet Silver
Canada
NameRestigouche
NamesakeRestigouche River
Commissioned11 June 1938
Decommissioned6 October 1945
IdentificationPennant number: H00
Honours and
awards		Atlantic 1939–45, North Sea 1940, Mediterranean 1943, Normandy 1944, Biscay 1944
FateScrapped, 1946
General characteristics as built
Class and typeC-class destroyer
Displacement
  • 1,375 long tons (1,397 t) (standard)
  • 1,865 long tons (1,895 t) (deep)
Length329 ft (100.3 m) o/a
Beam33 ft (10.1 m)
Draught12 ft 6 in (3.8 m)
Installed power36,000 shp (27,000 kW)
Propulsion
Speed36 knots (67 km/h; 41 mph)
Range5,500 nmi (10,200 km; 6,300 mi) at 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph)
Complement145
Armament

HMS Comet was a

invasion of Normandy, and was employed as a troop transport after VE Day for returning Canadian servicemen, before being decommissioned in late 1945. Restigouche was sold for scrap
in 1946.

Design and construction

Comet displaced 1,375 long tons (1,397 t) at

deep load. The ship had an overall length of 329 feet (100.3 m), a beam of 33 feet (10.1 m) and a draught of 12 feet 6 inches (3.8 m). She was powered by Parsons geared steam turbines, driving two shafts, which developed a total of 36,000 shaft horsepower (27,000 kW) and gave a maximum speed of 36 knots (67 km/h; 41 mph). Steam for the turbines was provided by three Admiralty 3-drum water-tube boilers. Comet carried a maximum of 473 long tons (481 t) of fuel oil that gave her a range of 5,500 nautical miles (10,200 km; 6,300 mi) at 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph). The ship's complement was 145 officers and men.[1]

The ship mounted four 45-

21-inch torpedoes.[2] Three depth-charge chutes were fitted, each with a capacity of two depth charges. After World War II began this was increased to 33 depth charges, delivered by one or two rails and two throwers.[3]

The ship was ordered on 15 July 1930 from

Portsmouth Dockyard under the 1929 Programme. Comet was laid down on 12 September 1930, launched on 30 September 1931,[4] as the 14th ship to carry the name,[5] and completed on 2 June 1932.[4]

Service history

After

Italian invasion of Abyssinia, Comet was sent in August 1935 to the Red Sea with the other ships of the 2nd Flotilla to monitor Italian warship movements until March 1936.[6]

Comet returned to the UK in April 1936 and refitted at

Nationalist cruiser Almirante Cervera.[7] The ship was briefly placed in reserve in late 1936 while discussions were held about transferring her to the Royal Canadian Navy. Two of her sisters were chosen instead and Comet was recommissioned for service with the Mediterranean Fleet as plane guard for the aircraft carrier Glorious on 29 December.[6]

In April 1937 she returned to Portsmouth with Glorious, and on 20 May the ship participated in the

ASDIC.[8]

Transfer to the Royal Canadian Navy

Restigouche showing her early war modifications, including shortened aft funnel, 12-pounder AA gun in lieu of the rear torpedo mount, and 'Y' gun replaced by additional depth charge storage.

On 11 June she was commissioned by the RCN and renamed Restigouche, although her refit was not completed until 20 August. Restigouche was assigned to the Canadian Pacific Coast and arrived at

1st Canadian Infantry Division to the UK on 10 December.[9] Restigouche was ordered to Plymouth on 24 May 1940 and arrived there on 31 May. Upon arrival, the ship's rear torpedo tube mount was removed and replaced by a 12-pounder AA gun and the 2-pounders were exchanged for quadruple Mark I mounts for the QF 0.5-inch Vickers Mark III machine gun.[10]

On 9 June, Restigouche was ordered to

German Army in south-western France (Operation Aerial). On 25 June 1940, Restigouche, her sister HMCS Fraser, and the light cruiser HMS Calcutta were returning from St. Jean de Luz when Fraser was rammed by Calcutta in the Gironde estuary at night. Struck forward of the bridge by the cruiser's bow, Fraser was cut in half, although the rear part of the ship did not immediately sink. All but 47 of the ship's crew and evacuees were rescued by Restigouche and other nearby ships.[11] The rear portion had to be sunk by Restigouche.[12]

Lieutenant-Commander Desmond W. Piers, Commanding Officer, on the bridge of the destroyer HMCS Restigouche, which is escorting convoy SC-107 at sea, 21 April 1944

The ship was transferred to the

rangefinder above the bridge had been removed by this time in exchange for a Type 271 target indication radar.[15]

Other changes made during the war (exactly when these occurred is unknown) included the replacement of 'A' gun by a

QF 6 pounder Hotchkiss guns were fitted on the wings of her bridge to deal with U-boats at short ranges.[16] 'Y' gun was also removed to allow her depth charge stowage to be increased to at least 60 depth charges.[17]

Restigouche picking up U-boat survivors, September 1944.

Restigouche was assigned to the

Mid-Ocean Escort Force when her refit was finished and served with various escort groups. In April 1943 she was permanently assigned to Escort Group C4, and on 10 April she rescued 23 survivors from the Dutch cargo ship Blitar.[18] Between August and December she was refitted, and thereafter she remained with C4 until she was transferred to 12th Escort Group in early 1944 for anti-submarine operations in the Western Approaches
.

In June–July 1944, Restigouche patrolled in the

minesweepers on 12 August, without sinking any.[19] The ship was sent to Canada for a lengthy refit later in the month. After working up in Bermuda, she arrived at Halifax on 14 February 1945 and began escorting local convoys. This lasted until the end of the war in May, after which the ship was used to transfer returning troops from Newfoundland to mainland Canada until she was paid off on 5 October. Restigouche was sold for scrap in 1946.[13]

Ship's bell

The Christening Bells Project at Canadian Forces Base Esquimalt Naval and Military Museum includes information about the baptism of babies in the ship's bell. The bell is currently held by the Royal Canadian Legion, Lantzville, British Columbia.[20]

Trans-Atlantic convoys escorted

Convoy Escort Group Dates From To
SC 34 15–18 June 1941[21] Newfoundland Iceland
SC 50 25–31 Oct 1941[21] Newfoundland Iceland
ON 32
 6–13 Nov 1941[22] Iceland Newfoundland
SC 56 24 Nov-12 Dec 1941[21] Newfoundland Iceland
ON 44
 12–14 Dec 1941[22] Iceland Newfoundland
ON 76
 16–28 March 1942[22] Northern Ireland Newfoundland
SC 78 9–21 April 1942[21] Newfoundland Northern Ireland
ON 102
MOEF group A3
 12–21 June 1942[22] Northern Ireland Newfoundland
SC 101
MOEF group C4
 23 Sept-3 Oct 1942[21] Newfoundland Northern Ireland
ON 137
 MOEF group C4 12–22 Oct 1942[22] Northern Ireland Newfoundland
Convoy SC 107 MOEF group C4 30 Oct-10 Nov 1942[21] Newfoundland Northern Ireland
ON 147
 MOEF group C4 18–28 Nov 1942[22] Northern Ireland Newfoundland
SC 112 MOEF group C4 11–25 Dec 1942[21] Newfoundland Northern Ireland
ON 158
 MOEF group C4 5–17 Jan 1943[22] Northern Ireland Newfoundland
HX 224 MOEF group C4 27 Jan-4 Feb 1943[23] Newfoundland Northern Ireland
KMF 10B MOEF group C4 2–9 March 1943[22] Firth of Clyde Mediterranean Sea
MKF 10B MOEF group C4 10–17 March 1943[22] Mediterranean Sea Firth of Clyde
ON 177
 MOEF group C4 7–17 April 1943[22] Northern Ireland Newfoundland
HX 235 MOEF group C4 24 April-3 May 1943[23] Newfoundland Northern Ireland
ONS 8
 MOEF group C4 18–29 May 1943[22] Northern Ireland Newfoundland
SC 133 MOEF group C4 8–19 June 1943[21] Newfoundland Northern Ireland
ONS 12
 4–15 July 1943[22] Northern Ireland Newfoundland
SC 137 23 July-3 Aug 1943[21] Newfoundland Northern Ireland
ON 220
 16–28 Jan 1944[22] Northern Ireland Newfoundland
HX 279 17–28 Feb 1944[23] Newfoundland Northern Ireland
ONS 30
 2–10 March 1944[22] Northern Ireland Newfoundland
HX 283 19–28 March 1944[23] Newfoundland Northern Ireland

Notes

  1. ^ "cwt" is the abbreviation for hundredweight, 30 cwt referring to the weight of the gun.

Footnotes

  1. ^ Whitley, p. 26
  2. ^ Lenton, p. 154
  3. ^ Friedman, pp. 209, 236, 298–99
  4. ^ a b English, p. 45
  5. ^ Colledge, p. 75
  6. ^ a b c d e English, p. 46
  7. ^ "Evening Post". 11 August 1936. Retrieved 28 August 2011.
  8. ^ Brown, p. 164
  9. ^ Douglas, p. 68
  10. ^ English, pp. 46–47
  11. ^ Douglas, pp. 97–101
  12. ^ Winser, p. 51
  13. ^ a b c d English, p. 47
  14. ^ Douglas, pp. 195–97
  15. ^ Douglas, p. 617
  16. ^ Lenton, pp. 154–55
  17. ^ Friedman, p. 237
  18. ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Blitar". Ships hit by U-boats. Retrieved 8 March 2021.
  19. ^ Rohwer, pp. 340, 347
  20. ^ "The Christening Bells Project". Canadian Forces Base Esquimalt Naval and Military Museum. Archived from the original on 27 September 2011. Retrieved 29 August 2011.
  21. ^ a b c d e f g h i "SC convoys". Andrew Hague Convoy Database. Retrieved 19 June 2011.
  22. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n "ON convoys". Andrew Hague Convoy Database. Retrieved 19 June 2011.
  23. ^ a b c d "HX convoys". Andrew Hague Convoy Database. Retrieved 19 June 2011.

References

External links

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