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 inch (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,^{[citation needed]} which served in the Mediterranean. While there, Barfleur picked up survivors from a Handley Page Hastings aircraft 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]

References

^ Souvenir Programme, Coronation Review of the Fleet, Spithead, 15th June 1953, HMSO, Gale and Polden
^ 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.
Hodges, Peter (1971). Battle Class Destroyers. London: Almark Publishing. ISBN 0-85524-012-1.