 HMSQuorn underway in 1940 (IWM) | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 United Kingdom | |
| Name | HMSQuorn |
| Builder | J. Samuel White and Co. atCowes,Isle of Wight |
| Laid down | 22 August 1939 |
| Launched | 27 March 1940 |
| Commissioned | 21 September 1940 |
| Identification | Pennant number: L66 |
| Honours and awards |
|
| Fate | Sunk 3 August 1944 off theNormandy coast |
| Badge | On a Field Red, a lion's gamb erased holding a hunting horn Gold. |
| General characteristics | |
| Class & type | Hunt-classdestroyer |
| Displacement |
|
| Length | 85 m (278 ft 10 in)o/a |
| Beam | 8.8 m (28 ft 10 in) |
| Draught | 3.27 m (10 ft 9 in) |
| Propulsion |
|
| Speed |
|
| Range |
|
| Complement | 146 |
| Armament |
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HMSQuorn was aHunt-classdestroyer of theRoyal Navy, built in 1940 and sunk off theNormandy coast on 3 August 1944. The class were named after Britishfox and stag hunts, in this case, theQuorn Hunt, which was originally based in QuornLeicestershire.[1]
Quorn was built byJ. Samuel White and Co. atCowes,Isle of Wight. A Type 1 Hunt-class destroyer, she was launched on 27 March 1940 and completed on 21 September 1940 with the pennant number L66.[2] She was adopted by the civil community of Rushden, Northamptonshire, as part ofWarship Week in 1942.
Quorn joined the21st Destroyer Flotilla atHarwich. The flotilla undertook convoy protection, anti-shipping andpatrol duties.Quorn stayed with the flotilla for the whole of her commission. In AprilQuorn was superficially damaged by twodelay-action bombs, that exploded 20 metres (66 ft) from her port quarter.[3]
In August whilst on passage from Harwich toChatham,Quorn set off amine 40 metres (130 ft) off her port bow. She was repaired atChatham Dockyard, that was completed in September.[3]
In AprilQuorn hit another mine that blew a 9 by 15 feet (2.7 m × 4.6 m) hole in the port side of the ship. Two of ship's company were killed and one injured. Her No 1 boiler room was flooded and major structural damage sustained. She was towed to Harwich and then toSheerness where repairs took 4 months to complete.
On 13 OctoberQuorn was one of the five destroyers that intercepted the Germanauxiliary cruiserKomet in theEnglish Channel.Komet was sunk and twoM-class minesweepers were heavily damaged and set on fire. An hour later a second patrolling force of the same operation engaged a group of escort vessels, sinking anR boat, (minesweeper) and damaging atorpedo boat.
North Sea convoy protection duties with the 21st Destroyer Flotilla.
In JuneQuorn was an escort for convoys of personnel duringOperation Neptune, the naval part ofOperation Overlord, theNormandy Landings. On 3 August, she was hit and sunk by ahuman torpedo piloted byOberfernschreibmeisterHerbert Berrer of theKriegsmarine during an attack on the British assault area by a force ofE-boats,Linse explosive motorboats, human torpedoes and low flying aircraft.[4] Those that survived the initial attack spent up to eight hours in the water before being rescued, and many of these died. One hundred and thirty of her crew were lost.[5]
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