D or DEFENDER-Class Fleet Destroyer ordered from Fairfields at Govan, Glasgow under the 1930 Build Programme. The ship was laid down on 22nd April 1931 and launched on 2nd June 1932 as the 12th R N ship to carry the name. It was used by a mercantile which fought against the Armada and previously borne by a Gunboat in 1856, later renamed MA STARR. Build was completed on 31st January 1933 for a contract price of £229,378, excluding the Admiralty supplied equipment such as weapons, ammunition and wireless equipment. Before Joining the 1st Destroyer Flotilla in the Mediterranean the ship carried out trials on the Mark IX torpedo and arrived in Malta during May 1933. Later that year she spent about two months on detached service in the Persian Gulf. On return to UK in August 1934 she refitted at Portsmouth before re-commissioning for service on the China Station in the 8th Destroyer Flotilla. In September 1935 she left the China Station for two months during the crisis in Abyssinia and was deployed at Aden for two months and resumed duty at Hong Kong early in 1936.Before the outbreak of war with Germany she sailed to take up her war station in the Mediterranean.

 

B a t t l e   H o n o u r s

 

ARMADA 1588 - CADIZ 1596 - NORWAY 1940

 

H e r a l d i c   D a t a

Badge: On a Field Green, Pan's Pipe Gold and Silver

 

M o t to

Duris delectat virtus:  'Valour delighteth in difficulties'

 

 

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

 

August

                29th         Sailed for Mediterranean.

                                (Note: 8th Destroyer Flotilla had been redesignated 21st Destroyer Flotilla in 1939 before the

                                outbreak of war).

 

September               On passage to Malta.

                15th         Arrived Aden.

                19th         Joined Mediterranean Fleet at Alexandria.

 

October                   Deployed for Contraband Control and screening duties in Mediterranean.

to

November

 

December               Nominated for transfer to Home waters with Flotilla

                                Passage to UK.

                30th         Arrived at Portsmouth.

 

1 94 0

 

January                   Under refit at Portsmouth.

                27th         Took passage to Scapa Flow on completion of Post Refit trials.

 

February

                7th           Rejoined Flotilla in Home Fleet

                                Deployed in NW Approaches for Fleet screening and anti-submarine patrol.

 

March                     Home Fleet duties in continuation.

 

April                       Deployed for Fleet screening duties.

                8th           Sustained weather damage necessitating return for repair.

                12th         Under repair.,

 

May                        On completion rejoined Home Fleet for support of Norwegian operations.

                1st           Deployed as escort for HM Cruisers MANCHESTER and BIRMINGHAM for during

                                evacuation of troops from Andalsnes and Molde, with HM Destroyer DIANA and other Home

                                Fleet destroyers.

                31st         Evacuated Scots Guards from Bodo with HM Destroyer ECHO.

                                (For details of the disastrous operations off Norway see THE DOOMED EXPEDITION by

                                J Adams, NARVIK by D Macintyre, CARRIER GLORIOUS by J Winton and the Naval

                                Staff History (HMSO - 2001)

 

 June

                7th           Escorted troop convoy from Norway after evacuation (Operation ALPHABET).

                                (Note: This convoy was under threat of attack by German GNEISENAU and SCHARNHORST

                                which had intercepted and sunk HM Aircraft Carrier GLORIOUS, HM Destroyers

                                ARDENT and ACASTA. See above references.).

                21st         Taken in hand for refit and exchange of boiler tubes at Rosyth.

 

July                         Under refit.

                                Nominated for service in Western Approaches.

                24th         Took passage from Rosyth via English Channel.

                29th         After leaving Portland detected by German radar at Cherbourg and in action against aircraft in

                                position 50.12N 02.17W 20 miles SSW of Portland Bill.

                                Hit on foc'sle caused major fire and subsequent explosion.

                                Ship sank with loss of 6 of the ship's company.

                                (Note: Ship had sailed in daylight in contravention of local orders and placed herself at

                                significant risk at a time when there was a crucial shortage of destroyers due to losses in

                                Norway and during the evacuation of allied troops from Dunkirk and France.

  

P o s t   W a r   N o t e

 

This name was carried forward when used for a Fleet Destroyer of the DARING Class in 1950. She was to have been named DISDAIN but the name was changed to DELIGHT before launch on 21st December 1950. She served  on the Active List until scrapped in 1970.

 

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Addendum

 

CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of HMS DELIGHT

by Don Kindell

 

These convoy lists have not been cross-checked with the text above

(Note on Convoys)