History
United Kingdom
Name	Easton
Ordered	28 July 1940
Builder	J Samuel White,Cowes
Laid down	25 March 1941
Launched	11 July 1942
Commissioned	7 December 1942
Identification	Pennant number: L09
Fate	Scrapped January 1953
General characteristics
Class & type	Type III Hunt-classdestroyer
Displacement	1,050 long tons (1,067 t) standard, 1,490 long tons (1,514 t) full load
Length	264 ft 3 in (80.54 m)pp, 280 ft (85.34 m)oa
Beam	31 ft 6 in (9.60 m)
Draught	7 ft 9 in (2.36 m)
Propulsion	2 Admiralty 3-drum boilers 2 shaftParsonsgeared turbines, 19,000 shp (14,000 kW)
Speed	27knots (50 km/h; 31 mph)
Range	3,700 nmi (6,900 km; 4,300 mi) at 14 knots (26 km/h; 16 mph)
Complement	168
Armament	4 ×QF 4 in Mark XVI guns on twin mounts Mk. XIX 4 ×QF 2 pdr Mk. VIII (1 × quad mount) 3 ×20 mm Oerlikons 2 ×21 in (533 mm) torpedotubes 70depth charges, 4 throwers, 2 racks

HMSEaston was a Type IIIHunt-class destroyer of the BritishRoyal Navy.Easton was built by the shipbuilderJ Samuel White in 1941–1942, beinglaunched on 11 July 1942 and completed on 7 December 1942.

Easton spent most of theSecond World War in theMediterranean Sea, where she took part in the sinking of two submarines, before returning to Britain in 1945. The ship's post-war service was limited, and after a period being used as ahulk, was scrapped in 1953.

HMSEaston was ordered for theRoyal Navy from the shipbuilderJ Samuel White on 28 July 1940, one of sixHunt-class destroyers (fourType III and two Type IV) ordered as part of the 1940 War Emergency Programme on that date.^[1] The Hunt class was 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 III Hunts differed from the previous Type II ships in replacing a twin 4-inch gun mount by two torpedo tubes to improve their ability to operate as destroyers.^[2][3]

Easton was 264 feet 3 inches (80.54 m) longbetween perpendiculars and 280 feet (85.34 m)overall. The ship'sbeam was 31 feet 6 inches (9.60 m) anddraught 7 feet 9 inches (2.36 m). Displacement was 1,050long tons (1,067 t)standard and 1,490 long tons (1,514 t) under full load. TwoAdmiralty boilers raising steam at 300 pounds per square inch (2,100 kPa) and 620 °F (327 °C) fedParsons single-reduction gearedsteam 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).^[4] 345 long tons (351 t) of oil fuel were carried, giving a range of 3,700 nautical miles (6,900 km; 4,300 mi) at 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph).^[5]

Main gun armament was four4 inch (102 mm) QF Mk XVI dual purpose (anti-ship and anti-aircraft) guns in two twin mounts, with a quadruple2-pounder "pom-pom" and threeOerlikon 20 mm cannon providing close-in anti-aircraft fire.^[6][7] Two 21 inch (530 mm) torpedo tubes were fitted in a single twin mount, while twodepth charge chutes, four depth charge throwers and 70 depth charges comprised the ship's anti-submarine armament.Type 291 andType 285 radar was fitted, as was Type 128sonar.^[6][8]

Easton waslaid down at White'sCowes,Isle of Wight shipyard on 25 March 1941, waslaunched on 11 July 1942 and completed on 7 December 1942.^[1]

After workup atScapa Flow during January 1943,Easton was ordered to join theMediterranean Fleet, joining the22nd Destroyer Flotilla, based atAlexandria inEgypt, being used for escort and patrol duties.^[9]

On 17 February 1943,Easton and sister shipWheatland sank theItalian submarine Asteria offBougie inAlgeria.^[9][10] On 10 July 1943,the Allies invaded Sicily, withEaston escorting convoys carrying invasion forces to Sicily.^[11][12] On 22 August 1943,Easton was part of the escort for convoy MKF22 when she detected a submarine offPantelleria, and carried out two depth charge attacks against the submarine, and called up the Greek-manned destroyerPindos, which carried out a third depth charge attack. The submarine,U-458, was forced to the surface by these attacks, and then hit by gunfire by the two destroyers before being rammed byEaston. The impact sankU-458, with eight of the submarine's crew killed and the remaining 43 rescued.Easton's bow and propeller shafts were badly damaged, however, andEaston had to be towed into Malta byPindos.^[9][13][14]

After temporary repairs at Malta,Easton underwent permanent repairs atGibraltar, these continuing until 18 September 1944. She then joined the 59th Destroyer Division, and shelled Greek communist forces nearPiraeus between 5 and 9 December 1944 during theearly stages of the Greek Civil War.^[9] In 1945,Easton was recalled to British waters, joining the21st Destroyer Flotilla based atSheerness in March.^[9]

Easton was refitted atSouthampton from May to August 1945, after which she was reduced to the reserve. She returned to active service with thePortsmouth-based3rd Escort Flotilla in 1946, but spent much of the time under repair, and returned to reserve atHarwich in November 1947. A refit at Sheerness started on 8 August 1947, but was abandoned on 2 September owing to the poor condition of the ship which dated back to the collision damage received when sinkingU-458 in 1943.^[9] After stripping of useful equipment, the ship was laid up atRosyth and used as a traininghulk for apprentices.Easton was scrapped by Metal Industries at their Rosyth yard in January 1953.^[9][15]

• Blair, Clay (2000).Hitler's U-Boat War: The Hunted 1942–1945. New York: Modern Library.ISBN 0-679-64033-9.
• Critchley, Mike (1982).British Warships Since 1945: Part 3: Destroyers. Liskeard, UK: Maritime Books.ISBN 0-9506323-9-2.
• 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.
• 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.
• Kemp, Paul (1997).U-Boats Destroyed: German Submarine Losses in the World Wars. London: Arms & Armour Press.ISBN 1-85409-321-5.
• Lenton, H. T. (1970).Navies of the Second World War: British Fleet & Escort Destroyers Volume Two. London: Macdonald & Co.ISBN 0-356-03122-5.
• Rohwer, Jürgen; Hümmelchen, Gerhard (1992).Chronology of the War at Sea 1939–1945. London: Greenhill Books.ISBN 1-85367-117-7.
• Whitley, M. J. (2000).Destroyers of World War Two: An International Encyclopedia. London: Cassell & Co.ISBN 1-85409-521-8.
• Winser, John de S. (2002).British Invasion Fleets: The Mediterranean and beyond 1942–1945. Gravesend, UK: World Ship Society.ISBN 0-9543310-0-1.

• Hunt-class destroyers of the Royal Navy
• World War II destroyers of the United Kingdom
• Ships built on the Isle of Wight
• 1942 ships

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