HMS Barfleur (D80)

History
United Kingdom
Name:	HMS Barfleur
Builder:	Swan Hunter, Tyne and Wear, United Kingdom
Laid down:	28 October 1942
Launched:	1 November 1943
Commissioned:	14 September 1944
Identification:	Pennant number D80
Fate:	Broken up 1966
General characteristics
Class and type:	Battle-class destroyer
Displacement:	2,325 tons standard 3,430 tons full load
Length:	379 ft (116 m)
Beam:	40 ft (12 m)
Draught:	15.3 ft (4.7 m)
Propulsion:	2 steam turbines, 2 shafts, 2 boilers, 50,000 shp (37 MW)
Speed:	35.75 knots (66.21 km/h; 41.14 mph)
Range:	4,400 nmi (8,100 km; 5,100 mi) at 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph)
Complement:	268
Armament:	2 × dual 4.5-inch (114 mm) gun 1 × single 4-inch (102 mm) gun 14 × Bofors 40 mm gun 10 × 21 in (533 mm) torpedo tubes 1 × Squid mortar
Service record
Part of:	British Pacific Fleet 1944-45 19th Destroyer Flotilla 3rd Destroyer Flotilla
Operations:	Second World War Operation Musketeer (1956)

HMS Barfleur was a Battle-class destroyer of the Royal Navy (RN). She was named after the Battle of Barfleur, which involved an Anglo-Dutch Fleet against the French in 1692.

Barfleur was built by Swan Hunter & Wigham Richardson Limited on the Tyne. She was launched on 1 November 1943 and commissioned on 14 September 1944.

Second World War Service

Barfleur was the only ship of the class to see action during the Second World War. She joined the British Pacific Fleet upon commission, seeing action during the campaign against Japan.

She was present in Tokyo Bay when the Japanese signed the official surrender on the deck of the US battleship USS Missouri on 2 September 1945.

Post War Service

In 1946, Barfleur deployed to the Far East along with the rest of the 19th Destroyer Flotilla, performing a variety of duties, including visiting many ports on 'fly-the-flag' visits. Barfleur returned to the United Kingdom with the rest of her flotilla in 1947, and was subsequently placed in Reserve.

In 1953, Barfleur took part in the Fleet Review at Spithead in celebration of the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. Barfleur was positioned in the middle of the destroyers St. Kitts and Crossbow.^[1]

Barfleur also became Captain (D) of the 3rd Destroyer Flotilla, which served in the Mediterranean. While there, Barfleur picked-up survivors from a Handley Page Hastings that had crashed in the region. Upon the completion of her task, Barfleur returned the aeroplane's crew to Malta. In 1954, Barfleur moved back home but was returned to the Mediterranean the following year.

The destroyer was involved in the Suez War in 1956, taking part in the Allied landings in early November. Barfleur returned home later in the year for the last time to join the Home Fleet.

In 1958, Barfleur was put in Reserve before being placed on the disposal list and broken up at Dalmuir in 1966.^[2]

Commanding officers

From	To	Captain
1944	1945	Commander M S Townsend OBE DSO DSC RN
1949	1949	In reserve
1953	1953	Commander K C Grieve RN
1958	1958

References

1. Souvenir Programme, Coronation Review of the Fleet, Spithead, 15th June 1953, HMSO, Gale and Polden
2. Critchley, Mike (1982). British Warships Since 1945: Part 3: Destroyers. Liskeard, UK: Maritime Books. pp. 106–7. ISBN 0-9506323-9-2.

Publications

• Alston,J.R. Lieut R.N. (no date) (no publisher).H.M.S.BARFLUER Pacific Commission 1944-1946
• Colledge, J. J.; Warlow, Ben (2006) [1969]. Ships of the Royal Navy: The Complete Record of all Fighting Ships of the Royal Navy (Rev. ed.). London: Chatham Publishing. ISBN 978-1-86176-281-8. OCLC 67375475.
• Hodges, Peter (1971). Battle Class Destroyers. London: Almark Publishing. ISBN 0-85524-012-1.

External links

• The Battle class destroyers