HMS Calpe

HMS Calpe was a Royal Navy Type II Hunt-class destroyer that served with distinction during the Second World War. Named after the Rock of Gibraltar, she was built by John I. Thornycroft & Company and commissioned in late 1941. The vessel is best remembered for her role in the Dieppe Raid of 1942, where she served as the headquarters ship for the Royal Marines and endured significant enemy fire.

History

HMS Calpe was ordered as part of the 1939 War Emergency Programme and constructed at the Woolston, Hampshire yard of John I. Thornycroft & Company. Her name continues a long-standing Royal Navy tradition of naming ships after prominent geographical features, in this case the classical name for the Rock of Gibraltar. Following her commissioning, she was assigned to the Home Fleet and quickly saw action in the demanding theatre of the English Channel.

Design and description

As a Type II Hunt-class destroyer, Calpe was designed primarily for anti-aircraft and anti-submarine warfare escort duties. The class was a response to the need for a smaller, more economical destroyer than the larger fleet destroyers. Her main armament consisted of six QF 4 inch Mk XVI naval gun mounted in three twin turrets, which provided a high rate of fire against both surface and aerial targets. For close-range air defence, she carried a quadruple 2-pounder "pom-pom" mount and Oerlikon 20 mm cannons. Anti-submarine capability came from a stern rack and throwers for depth charges, and she was also fitted with two 21-inch torpedo tubes. Propulsion was provided by Parsons geared turbines fed by Admiralty 3-drum boilers, giving her a top speed of 27 knots.

Service history

After working up, Calpe was assigned to the 16th Destroyer Flotilla at Portsmouth. Her most significant action came on 19 August 1942, when she served as the headquarters and command ship for Naval Force Commander John Hughes-Hallett during the Dieppe Raid. Throughout the operation, she remained off the main assault beach, Dieppe, coordinating communications and rescue efforts while under continuous fire from German coastal batteries like those at Beresford and Hess. Calpe rescued hundreds of survivors from the water, including many from the destroyed HMS *Berkeley*, and her bridge was struck by shellfire, wounding several personnel including the Combined Operations observer, Lord Louis Mountbatten's aide-de-camp. Following Dieppe, she served on convoy escort duties in the North Atlantic and supported the Normandy landings in June 1944. Post-war, she was placed in reserve before being sold for scrap in 1958.

Battle honours

For her service in the Second World War, HMS Calpe was awarded the following battle honours, which are displayed on a plaque and perpetuated in the Royal Navy: * Dieppe 1942 * Atlantic 1943-44 * Normandy 1944

Commanding officers

From her commissioning to the end of the war, HMS Calpe had the following commanding officers: * Lt Cdr J. B. Palmer, Royal Navy (December 1941 – October 1942) * Lt Cdr H. Kirkwood, Royal Navy (October 1942 – December 1943) * Lt Cdr T. F. H. March, Royal Navy (December 1943 – August 1945) These officers led the ship through her most critical engagements, including the intense action at Dieppe.

Category:Hunt-class destroyers