HMS Cockade (R34)

History
United Kingdom
Name:	HMS Cockade
Builder:	Yarrow Shipbuilders
Laid down:	11 March 1943
Launched:	1 March 1944
Commissioned:	29 September 1945
Decommissioned:	1958
Identification:	Pennant number: R34 later changed to D34
Status:	Arrived at Cashmore, Newport July 1964 for breaking
General characteristics
Class & type:	C-class destroyer
Displacement:	1,885 tons (1,915 tonnes) 2,545 tons full (2,585 tonnes)
Length:	362.75 ft (110.57 m) o/a
Beam:	35.75 ft (10.90 m)
Draught:	11.75 ft (3.58 m)
Propulsion:	2 Admiralty 3-drum boilers, Parsons single-reduction geared steam turbines, 40,000 shp (29.8 MW), 2 shafts
Speed:	36 knots (67 km/h) / 32 knots (59 km/h) full
Range:	4,675 nmi (8,658 km) at 20 knots (37 km/h) 1,400 nmi (2,600 km) at 32 knots (59 km/h)
Complement:	186
Sensors and processing systems:	Radar Type 275 fire control on director Mk.VI
Armament:	4 × QF 4.5 in (114 mm) L/45 guns Mark IV on mounts CP Mk.V 2 × Bofors 40 mm L/60 guns on twin mount "Hazemeyer" Mk.IV 4 × anti-aircraft mountings; Single Bofors 40 mm Mk.III Single QF 2 - pdr Mk.VIII Mk.XVI Single Oerlikon 20 mm P Mk.III Twin Oerlikon 20 mm Mk.V 8 (2x4) tubes for 21-inch (533 mm) torpedoes Mk.IX 4 throwers and 2 racks for 96 depth charges

HMS Cockade was a C-class destroyer of the Royal Navy. A cockade is a knot of ribbons, or other circular- or oval-shaped symbol of distinctive colours which is usually worn on a hat. So far she has been the only ship of the Royal Navy to bear the name.

Cockade was launched on 1 March 1944 and commissioned on 29 September 1945.

Service

Cockade at Sasebo, Japan, in July 1950.

Cockade (right) in 1951, with HMAS Warramunga (left) and HMCS Nootka (centre)

Cockade commissioned too late to see service in the Second World War. After the war she was allocated the pennant number D34. Her first Commanding Officer was Lt Cdr Terence Desmond Herrick, DSC RN. She served in the post-war Royal Navy, initially sailing to the Far East, exercising off Hong Kong in 1946. She subsequently saw service in the Korean War, acting as escorts for the Royal Navy aircraft carriers and providing shore bombardment capability.^[1] Whilst there she also visited Singapore and Japan. She also took part in the Malayan Emergency as part of the 8th Destroyer Squadron. In 1957 she was serving again at Hong Kong.

Decommissioning and disposal

Cockade returned to Plymouth from the Far East in 1958 and decommissioned for the last time. The destroyer was laid up at Devonport in reserve pending disposal. Following her decommissioning Cockade was sold in September 1964 to John Cashmore Ltd for breaking up at Newport, Wales.^[2]

References

1. Marriott, Leo (1983). Royal Navy Frigates 1945-1983. Ian Allen Ltd. pp. 65–6.
2. Critchley, Mike (1982). British Warships Since 1945: Part 3: Destroyers. Liskeard, UK: Maritime Books. p. 100. ISBN 0-9506323-9-2.

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.
• Marriott, Leo (1989). Royal Navy Destroyers Since 1945. Ian Allen Ltd. ISBN 0-7110-1817-0.