B-Class Fleet Destroyer ordered from Hawthorn Leslie, Newcastle on 4th March 1929 under the 1928 Programme and laid down on 29th July 1929. She was launched on 29th May 1930 as the 12th RN ship to bear the name, introduced in 1779 for a 36 Gun French ship taken as Prize It was last used by a 1911 cruiser sold in 1921. Build completion date was 14th February 1931 for a contract price of £225,195 excluding items supplied by the Admiralty such as weapons and communications outfits. The ship was deployed in the Mediterranean till 1935 and later in the Home Fleet. In 1938 whilst on detached duty at Gibraltar during the Spanish civil war she came under attack by five Nationalist aircraft but was not hit by any of the bombs. In 1939 she was deployed as Emergency Destroyer for Nore Command and based at Sheerness,

 

B a t t l e   H o n o u r s

 

COPENHAGEN 1801 - CURACOA 1804 - SOUTH AFRICA 1901 - JUTLAND 1916

 

H e r a l d i c   D a t a

Badge: On a Field  White. a lion rampant holding a sword and wreath all Properr.

 

M o t t o

Dum spiro spero: 'While I breathe I hope'

 

 

D e t a i l s   o f   W a r   S e r v i c e

 

(for more ship information, go to Naval History Homepage and type name in Site Search)

 

 

1 9 3 9

 

September

                                Joined 19th Destroyer Flotilla at Dover for escort duties including covering passage of ships

                                taking troops of BEF to French ports.

 

October                  Channel and North Sea convoy defence in continuation.

 

November

                11th        Escorted HM Minelaying Cruiser ADVENTURE with HM Destroyer BASILISK for passage

                                from Humber to Portsmouth.

                13th        Stood by HMS ADVENTURE after she was mined near the Tongue Lightship in Thames

                                estuary.

                                Ship also detonated another magnetic mine which caused major structural damage aft and

                                disabled with significant flooding.

                                Taken in tow by tug FABIA but but during passage to Sheerness the ship capsized in position

                                one mile north of Spit Buoy (51.29N 01.3

                                One rating was killed and 12 others injured,.

                                (Note: HMS BLANCHE was the first British Destroyer to be lost by enemy action in WW2.

                                The mines which were responsible had been laid early the same night by German

                                destroyers KARL GALSTER, HANS LUDEMAN, HERMAN KUNNE and

                                WILHELM HEIDKAMP)

 

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Addendum

 

CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of HMS BLANCHE

by Don Kindell

 

no escort information is available