HMS Escapade
 Escapade during World War II | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 United Kingdom
| |
| Name: | HMS Escapade |
| Ordered: | 1 November 1932 |
| Builder: | Scotts Shipbuilding and Engineering Company, Greenock |
| Cost: | £249,987 |
| Laid down: | 30 March 1933 |
| Launched: | 30 January 1934 |
| Completed: | 30 August 1934 |
| Decommissioned: | 1946 |
| Motto: |
|
| Honours and awards: |
|
| Fate: | Sold for scrapping, 17 May 1947 |
| Badge: | On a Field Green a white Horse, saltant |
| General characteristics | |
| Class & type: | E-class destroyer |
| Displacement: | |
| Length: | 329 ft (100.3 m) o/a |
| Beam: | 33 ft 3 in (10.13 m) |
| Draught: | 12 ft 6 in (3.81 m) (deep) |
| Installed power: |
|
| Propulsion: | 2 × shafts; 2 × Parsons geared steam turbines |
| Speed: | 35.5 knots (65.7 km/h; 40.9 mph) |
| Range: | 6,350 nmi (11,760 km; 7,310 mi) at 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph) |
| Complement: | 145 |
| Sensors and processing systems: | ASDIC |
| Armament: |
|
HMS Escapade was an E-class destroyer of the British Royal Navy in commission from 1934 until 1946, that saw service before and during World War II, seeing service on Russian, Malta and Atlantic convoys.[1]
Description
The E-class ships were slightly improved versions of the preceding D class. They displaced 1,405 long tons (1,428 t) at standard load and 1,940 long tons (1,970 t) at deep load. The ships had an overall length of 329 feet (100.3 m), a beam of 33 feet 3 inches (10.1 m) and a draught of 12 feet 6 inches (3.8 m). They were powered by two Parsons geared steam turbines, each driving one propeller shaft, using steam provided by three Admiralty three-drum boilers. The turbines developed a total of 36,000 shaft horsepower (27,000 kW) and gave a maximum speed of 35.5 knots (65.7 km/h; 40.9 mph). Escapade carried a maximum of 470 long tons (480 t) of fuel oil that gave her a range of 6,350 nautical miles (11,760 km; 7,310 mi) at 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph). The ships' complement was 145 officers and ratings.[2]
The ships mounted four 45-calibre 4.7-inch (120 mm) Mark IX guns in single mounts. For anti-aircraft (AA) defence, they had two quadruple Mark I mounts for the 0.5 inch Vickers Mark III machine gun. The E class was fitted with two above-water quadruple torpedo tube mounts for 21-inch (533 mm) torpedoes.[3] One depth charge rack and two throwers were fitted; 20 depth charges were originally carried, but this increased to 35 shortly after the war began.[4]
Construction and career
 Damage to Escapade during World War II |
The ship was ordered on 1 November 1932 from Scotts at Greenock under the 1931 Build Programme. She was laid down on 30 March 1933, along with her sister ship Escort, launched on 30 January 1934, and completed on 30 August 1934 for a cost of £249,987, excluding equipment such as weapons, ammunition and communications outfits that were supplied by the Admiralty.[1]
References
Bibliography
- English, John (1993). Amazon to Ivanhoe: British Standard Destroyers of the 1930s. Kendal, England: World Ship Society. ISBN 0-905617-64-9.
- Friedman, Norman (2009). British Destroyers From Earliest Days to the Second World War. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 978-1-59114-081-8.
- Lenton, H. T. (1998). British & Empire Warships of the Second World War. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-048-7.
- Rohwer, Jürgen (2005). Chronology of the War at Sea 1939–1945: The Naval History of World War Two (Third Revised ed.). Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-59114-119-2.
- Whitley, M. J. (1988). Destroyers of World War Two: An International Encyclopedia. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-87021-326-1.
External links
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
.svg.png){kind=small}
