HMS Aisne (D22)

History
United Kingdom
Name:	HMS Aisne
Ordered:	1943
Builder:	Vickers-Armstrongs
Laid down:	26 August 1943
Launched:	12 May 1945
Commissioned:	20 March 1947
Decommissioned:	1968
Fate:	Broken up 1970
General characteristics
Class & type:	Battle class destroyer
Displacement:	2,480 tons standard
Length:	379 ft (116 m)
Beam:	40 ft 6 in (12.34 m)
Draught:	12 ft 8 in (3.86 m) mean 17 ft 6 in (5.33 m) maximum
Propulsion:	Oil fired, two three-drum boilers, Parsons geared turbines, twin screws, 50,000 hp (37 MW)
Speed:	35.75 knots (66.21 km/h)
Complement:	268
Armament:	Originally: 5 × 4.5-inch (114 mm) gun 8 × Bofors 40 mm guns 10 × 21-inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes 2 × Squid mortar Later: Sea Cat missiles
Service record
Part of:	4th Destroyer Squadron 7th Destroyer Squadron 23rd Escort Squadron 30th Escort Squadron

HMS Aisne (D22) was a 1943 or later Battle-class fleet destroyer of the Royal Navy. She was named after one of the Battles of the Aisne, though she may indeed have been named in honour of all three battles that took place there.

Aisne was built by Vickers-Armstrongs on the Tyne. She was launched on 12 May 1945, the first warship since VE Day, and commissioned on 20 March 1947.

Service History

Aisne joined the Home Fleet upon commission, but in 1950 she was temporarily laid-up. The following year, Aisne joined the 4th Destroyer Squadron, where she would subsequently have spells with the Home and Mediterranean Fleets. In 1953, Aisne took part in the Fleet Review at Spithead to celebrate the Coronation of HM Queen Elizabeth II. Aisne was positioned in the middle of her sister-ships HMS Corunna and HMS Barrosa.^[1]

In 1954, Aisne, as part of the 4th Destroyer Squadron, deployed to the Mediterranean, remaining there until 1955. In 1959, Aisne began a conversion to a Radar Picket, in effect extending the service life of Aisne, as well as those of the other converted ships, for just a little while longer than the rest of the class. The conversion gave her new radar, as well as the SeaCat missile system and new AA weaponry.

In 1962, Aisne joined the 7th Destroyer Squadron, and the following year joined the 23rd Escort Squadron, and subsequently the 30th Escort Squadron, deployed to the Mediterranean in 1964, before deploying to join the Far East Fleet. In 1967, Aisne deployed to the West Indies remaining there until the following year. In that same year, 1968, Aisne was decommissioned, and was then scrapped at Inverkeithing in 1970.^[2]

Commanding officers

From	To	Captain
1948	1949	Commander W A Juniper DSO DSC RN
1953	1953	Commander J R G Trechman RN
1959	1962	Under conversion
1965	1966	Commander A Gray RN
1966	1967	Commander W Gueterbock RN

References

1. Souvenir Programme, Coronation Review of the Fleet, Spithead, 15th June 1953, HMSO, Gale and Polden
2. Critchley, Mike, "British Warships Since 1945: Part 3: Destroyers", Maritime Books: Liskeard, UK, 1982. ISBN 0-9506323-9-2, page 115-6

Publications

• 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.