HMS Quorn (L66)

Template:Use dmy dates Template:Use British English Template:Infobox ship HMS Quorn was a Template:Sclass2 destroyer of the Royal Navy, built in 1940 and sunk off the Normandy coast on 3 August 1944. The class were named after British fox and stag hunts, in this case, the Quorn Hunt, which was originally based in Quorn Leicestershire.<ref>The 'Hunt' class destroyer at WW2Today.com</ref>

Quorn was built by J. Samuel White and Co. at Cowes, Isle of Wight. A Type 1 Hunt-class destroyer, she was launched on 27 March 1940 and completed on 21 September 1940 with the pennant number L66.<ref name=nh>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> She was adopted by the civil community of Rushden, Northamptonshire, as part of Warship Week in 1942.

Service history

1941

Quorn joined the 21st Destroyer Flotilla at Harwich. The flotilla undertook convoy protection, anti-shipping and patrol duties. Quorn stayed with the flotilla for the whole of her commission. In April Quorn was superficially damaged by two delay-action bombs, that exploded Template:Convert from her port quarter.<ref name="auto">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

In August whilst on passage from Harwich to Chatham, Quorn set off a mine Template:Convert off her port bow. She was repaired at Chatham Dockyard, that was completed in September.<ref name="auto"/>

1942

In April Quorn hit another mine that blew a Template:Convert hole in the port side of the ship. Two of ship's company were killed and one injured. Her No 1 boiler room was flooded and major structural damage sustained. She was towed to Harwich and then to Sheerness where repairs took 4 months to complete.

On 13 October Quorn was one of the five destroyers that intercepted the German auxiliary cruiser Template:Ship in the English Channel. Komet was sunk and two M-class minesweepers were heavily damaged and set on fire. An hour later a second patrolling force of the same operation engaged a group of escort vessels, sinking an R boat, (minesweeper) and damaging a torpedo boat.

1943

North Sea convoy protection duties with the 21st Destroyer Flotilla.

1944

In June Quorn was an escort for convoys of personnel during Operation Neptune, the naval part of Operation Overlord, the Normandy Landings. On 3 August, she was hit and sunk by a human torpedo piloted by {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} Herbert Berrer of the {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} during an attack on the British assault area by a force of E-boats, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} explosive motorboats, human torpedoes and low flying aircraft.<ref>Brown, p. 116</ref> Those that survived the initial attack spent up to eight hours in the water before being rescued, and many of these died. One hundred and thirty of her crew were lost.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Publications

• Colledge, J. J. & Warlow, Ben: Ships of the Royal Navy - The Complete Record of all Fighting Ships of the Royal Navy from the 15th Century to the Present. Newbury, UK: Casemate, 2010. Template:ISBN
• English, John: The Hunts - A history of the design, development and careers of the 86 destroyers of this class built for the Royal and Allied Navies during World War II. Cumbria: World Ship Society, 1987. Template:ISBN
• Template:Cite book
• Whitley, M. J.: Destroyers of World War Two – An International Encyclopedia: Arms and Armour, 1988. Template:ISBN

External links

• HMS Quorn at Uboat.net