HMS Duncan (D99)
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| HMS Duncan (D99) | |
|---|---|
| Ship caption | HMS Duncan in 1943 |
| Ship country | United Kingdom |
| Ship flag | United Kingdom, naval |
| Ship name | HMS Duncan |
| Ship ordered | 2 February 1931 |
| Ship builder | Portsmouth Dockyard |
| Ship laid down | 25 September 1931 |
| Ship launched | 7 July 1932 |
| Ship commissioned | 5 April 1933 |
| Ship identification | Pennant number D99 |
| Ship fate | Broken up, 1949 |
| Ship class | D, destroyer, 4 |
| Ship displacement | 1,400 long tons (1,422 t) (standard) |
| Ship length | 329 ft (100.3 m) (o/a) |
| Ship beam | 33 ft (10.1 m) |
| Ship draught | 12 ft 6 in (3.8 m) |
| Ship propulsion | 2 × Parsons geared steam turbines, 36,000 shp (27,000 kW) |
| Ship speed | 36 knots (67 km/h; 41 mph) |
| Ship range | 5,870 nmi (10,870 km; 6,760 mi) at 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph) |
| Ship complement | 145 |
| Ship armament | 4 × 4.7 in (120 mm) guns (4×1), 1 × 3 in (76 mm) AA gun, 2 × 2-pdr (40 mm) AA guns (2×1), 8 × 21 in (533 mm) torpedo tubes (2×4) |
HMS Duncan (D99) was a D-class destroyer that served with the Royal Navy during the Second World War. Launched in 1932 from Portsmouth Dockyard, she was the lead ship of her flotilla and saw extensive service in the Atlantic and Mediterranean theatres. The destroyer was named after Admiral Adam Duncan, the victor of the Battle of Camperdown.
Design and description
The Duncan was a prototype leader for the D-class destroyers, designed to accommodate the staff of a destroyer flotilla commander. Her design was based on the preceding C-class but with a lengthened hull to improve sea-keeping. Propulsion was provided by two Parsons geared steam turbines, fed by three Admiralty 3-drum boilers, which gave a top speed of 36 knots. Primary armament consisted of four 4.7-inch guns in single mounts, supplemented by anti-aircraft weapons and eight 21-inch torpedo tubes in two quadruple mounts.
Construction and career
Ordered on 2 February 1931 under the 1930 Naval Programme, Duncan was laid down at Portsmouth Dockyard on 25 September 1931. She was launched on 7 July 1932 and commissioned on 5 April 1933, initially joining the Mediterranean Fleet. During the Abyssinian Crisis of 1935–36, she was part of a British naval force concentrated in the region. In 1939, she was assigned to the Home Fleet at Scapa Flow and underwent a brief refit at Devonport.
World War II service
At the outbreak of the Second World War, Duncan was leader of the 3rd Destroyer Flotilla with the Home Fleet, involved in Northern Patrol duties and convoy escort in the Western Approaches. In early 1940, she supported Allied operations during the Norwegian Campaign, including the Second Battle of Narvik. Transferred to the Mediterranean Fleet in 1941, she escorted vital Malta convoys such as Operation Substance and Operation Halberd, engaging Italian forces and Luftwaffe aircraft. She later served with Force H based at Gibraltar and supported the Allied invasion of Sicily in 1943. For much of 1944, she was deployed in the Atlantic Ocean on anti-submarine duties with the 10th Escort Group.
Post-war service and fate
Following VE-Day, Duncan was placed in reserve at Devonport. She was used as an accommodation ship and for training duties. In 1949, the aged destroyer was sold to BISCO for scrapping. She arrived at the breaker's yard of Thos. W. Ward in Barrow-in-Furness on 18 July 1949 to be dismantled.
Commanding officers
Notable commanding officers included Lieutenant Commander A. N. Rowell (1939–1940), who commanded during the early war patrols, and Commander A. D. H. Jay (1941–1943), who led the ship through the intense Mediterranean convoy battles. From 1943 until 1945, she was commanded by Lieutenant Commander A. C. W. Donkey, who oversaw her Atlantic escort duties.
Category:D-class destroyers (1932) of the Royal Navy Category:Ships built in Portsmouth Category:World War II destroyers of the United Kingdom Category:1932 ships