HMS ''Ambuscade'' was a British

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by Kingdom of England, English and Kingdom of Scotland, Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were foug ...

destroyer which served in the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

. She and her

Thornycroft Thornycroft was an English vehicle manufacturer which built coaches, buses, and trucks from 1896 until 1977. History In 1896, naval engineer John Isaac Thornycroft formed the Thornycroft Steam Carriage and Van Company which built its fir ...

competitor, , were prototypes designed to exploit advances in construction and machinery since

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

and formed the basis of Royal Navy destroyer evolution up to the of 1936. She was launched at

Yarrow ''Achillea millefolium'', commonly known as yarrow () or common yarrow, is a flowering plant in the family Asteraceae. Other common names include old man's pepper, devil's nettle, sanguinary, milfoil, soldier's woundwort, and thousand seal. The ...

on 15 January 1926, served in

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

, and was broken up at

Troon Troon is a town in South Ayrshire, situated on the west coast of Ayrshire in Scotland, about north of Ayr and northwest of Glasgow Prestwick Airport. Troon has a port with freight services and a yacht marina. Up until January 2016, P&O opera ...

in 1946.

Design and construction

In November 1923, the Admiralty issued a request to the major British shipyards specialising in destroyers for designs for the first destroyers to be built for the Royal Navy since the end of the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fig ...

. The ships were required to carry a similar armament to that of the preceding war-built W-class destroyers (i.e. four 4.7 in (120 mm) guns and six 21 in (533 mm) torpedo tubes) but to have a longer range, at least at cruising speed. A speed of at least was required, and the ships were to be no more than long between perpendiculars (pp).Friedman 2009, pp. 188–190.English 1993, pp. 7–8. The winning designs were those from

and

, and orders for one ship each placed in June 1924.English 1993, p. 9. Yarrow's design, which became HMS ''Ambuscade'', was smaller and lighter ( long (pp) and

full load displacement The displacement or displacement tonnage of a ship is its weight. As the term indicates, it is measured indirectly, using Archimedes' principle, by first calculating the volume of water displaced by the ship, then converting that value into w ...

) than Thornycroft's ( pp long and full load).Whitley 2000, p. 96. The ship was fitted with Yarrow's distinctive inward sloping

stern The stern is the back or aft-most part of a ship or boat, technically defined as the area built up over the sternpost, extending upwards from the counter rail to the taffrail. The stern lies opposite the bow, the foremost part of a ship. Ori ...

, which Yarrow claimed increased the ship's speed by up to compared to a conventional V-shaped stern.Friedman 2009, pp. 180, 190. In order to provide the increased fuel economy required by the specification, ''Ambuscade'' was fitted three 4-drum Yarrow boilers with air pre-heating, working at a pressure of and 200 °F (111 °C) of superheat. These fed geared

steam turbine A steam turbine is a machine that extracts thermal energy from pressurized steam and uses it to do mechanical work on a rotating output shaft. Its modern manifestation was invented by Charles Parsons in 1884. Fabrication of a modern steam turb ...

s and drove two propeller shafts. The machinery was rated at .Friedman 2009, p. 180.Gardiner and Chesneau 1980, p. 37. The main gun armament of ''Ambuscade'' consisted of four 4.7 inch BL Mk I guns. These guns fired a shell to a range of at a rate of about 5–6 rounds per gun per minute, with 190 shells carried per gun. (Later destroyers were fitted with QF guns firing cased charges and giving a higher rate of fire).Friedman 2009, pp. 180–181, 298. Anti-aircraft armament consisted of two

2-pounder pom-pom The 2-pounder gun, officially the QF 2-pounder ( QF denoting "quick firing") and universally known as the pom-pom, was a British autocannon, used as an anti-aircraft gun by the Royal Navy.British military of the period traditionally denoted ...

s (with 100 rounds per gun) and four Lewis guns. Torpedo armament consisted of the required six 21 inch torpedo tubes, in two triple mounts.Friedman 2009, p. 298. The ship's armament went a number of changes during the Second World War. By April 1941, the aft triple torpedo-tube mount was replaced by a 3-inch (76 mm) anti-aircraft gun.Friedman 2009, p. 241. Further changes included the addition of two

Oerlikon 20 mm cannon The Oerlikon 20 mm cannon is a series of autocannons, based on an original German Becker Type M2 20 mm cannon design that appeared very early in World War I. It was widely produced by Oerlikon Contraves and others, with various models emp ...

,Friedman 2009, p. 243. the removal of two 4.7 inch guns ("A"- and "Y"-mount), replacement of the ships rangefinder and director with

radar Radar is a detection system that uses radio waves to determine the distance ('' ranging''), angle, and radial velocity of objects relative to the site. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, w ...

, fitting of the

Hedgehog A hedgehog is a spiny mammal of the subfamily Erinaceinae, in the eulipotyphlan family Erinaceidae. There are seventeen species of hedgehog in five genera found throughout parts of Europe, Asia, and Africa, and in New Zealand by introduct ...

anti-submarine mortar and a heavier

depth charge A depth charge is an anti-submarine warfare (ASW) weapon. It is intended to destroy a submarine by being dropped into the water nearby and detonating, subjecting the target to a powerful and destructive hydraulic shock. Most depth charges use ...

outfit. The ship's Hedgehog mount and remaining torpedo tubes were removed when the ship was fitted with two

Squid True squid are molluscs with an elongated soft body, large eyes, eight arms, and two tentacles in the superorder Decapodiformes, though many other molluscs within the broader Neocoleoidea are also called squid despite not strictly fitting ...

launchers in May 1943. ''Ambuscade'' was laid down at Yarrow's Glasgow shipyard on 8 December 1924 and was launched on 14 January 1926.English 1993, p. 100. During speed trials on 2 March 1927, ''Ambuscade'' reached an average speed of .English 1993, p. 10. She was commissioned on 9 April 1927.

Service

Following commissioning, ''Ambuscade'' (with the

pennant number In the Royal Navy and other navies of Europe and the Commonwealth of Nations, ships are identified by pennant number (an internationalisation of ''pendant number'', which it was called before 1948). Historically, naval ships flew a flag that iden ...

D38)Friedman 2009, p. 314. joined the Atlantic Fleet for trials, undergoing repair and modifications at

Chatham Dockyard Chatham Dockyard was a Royal Navy Dockyard located on the River Medway in Kent. Established in Chatham in the mid-16th century, the dockyard subsequently expanded into neighbouring Gillingham (at its most extensive, in the early 20th centur ...

between September and November that year, before returning to normal duties. Between April and August 1928, ''Ambuscade'' and ''Amazon'' were sent on a cruise to South America and the West Indies to evaluate the ships and their machinery in tropical conditions. Both ships encountered problems with high temperatures in their engine rooms, while ''Ambuscade'' also suffered from vibration and had a shorter range than specified. In general, ''Amazon''s machinery was considered more successful than that of ''Ambuscade''.English 1993, pp. 10–12. Following her return to the UK, ''Ambuscade'' joined the

Third Destroyer Flotilla The British 3rd Destroyer Flotilla, also styled as Third Destroyer Flotilla, was a naval formation of the Royal Navy from 1909 to 1939 and again from 1945 to 1951. History In 1907 the Channel Fleet had a large Channel Flotilla of destroyers in Fe ...

of the

Mediterranean Fleet The British Mediterranean Fleet, also known as the Mediterranean Station, was a formation of the Royal Navy. The Fleet was one of the most prestigious commands in the navy for the majority of its history, defending the vital sea link between t ...

. In August 1929, she was hit by a practice torpedo, damaging her propellers and starboard propeller shaft, requiring repair at

Malta Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies ...

until October that year. In January 1930, ''Ambuscade'' transferred to the

Fourth Destroyer Flotilla The British 4th Destroyer Flotilla , or Fourth Destroyer Flotilla, was a naval formation of the Royal Navy from August 1909 to July 1951. History In 1907 the Home Fleet had a large formation of destroyers called the Home Fleet Flotilla of destro ...

, also part of the Mediterranean Fleet. In August, ''Ambuscade'' went to Malta for repair again, this time due to problems with the ship's turbines. The repairs continued until March 1931, when ''Ambuscade'' returned to the UK and went into reserve at

Sheerness Sheerness () is a town and civil parish beside the mouth of the River Medway on the north-west corner of the Isle of Sheppey in north Kent, England. With a population of 11,938, it is the second largest town on the island after the nearby tow ...

.English 1993, p. 12. In June 1932, ''Ambuscade'' was taken out of reserve and joined the

Home Fleet The Home Fleet was a fleet of the Royal Navy that operated from the United Kingdom's territorial waters from 1902 with intervals until 1967. In 1967, it was merged with the Mediterranean Fleet creating the new Western Fleet. Before the Fi ...

, serving in Irish waters. In December 1932, ''Ambuscade'' was deployed as a Tender to , the torpedo school, being used for training and trials. ''Ambuscade'' continued this duty until February 1937, when the poor condition of the ship's turbines resulted in a refit at

Portsmouth Portsmouth ( ) is a port and city status in the United Kingdom, city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. The city of Portsmouth has been a Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority since 1 April 1997 and is admi ...

, with the turbines requiring replacement. ''Ambuscade''s refit continued until May 1940, while when she re-entered service with the Sixteenth Destroyer Flotilla based at

Harwich Harwich is a town in Essex, England, and one of the Haven ports on the North Sea coast. It is in the Tendring district. Nearby places include Felixstowe to the north-east, Ipswich to the north-west, Colchester to the south-west and Clacton- ...

, receiving a new pennant number, I38. On 10 June, ''Ambuscade'' took part in the attempt to evacuate troops of the

51st (Highland) Division The 51st (Highland) Division was an infantry division of the British Army that fought on the Western Front in France during the First World War from 1915 to 1918. The division was raised in 1908, upon the creation of the Territorial Force, as ...

from

Saint-Valery-en-Caux Saint-Valery-en-Caux (, literally ''Saint-Valery in Caux'') is a commune in the Seine-Maritime department in the Normandy region in northern France. The addition of an acute accent on the "e" (Valéry) is incorrect. Geography The town is locate ...

(

Operation Cycle Operation Cycle is the name of the evacuation of Allied troops from Le Havre, in the Pays de Caux of Upper Normandy from 1940, towards the end of the Battle of France, during the Second World War. The operation was preceded by the better kn ...

). ''Ambuscade'' was damaged by German shell fire while embarking troops, and on the journey back to

, she took the destroyer in tow after the latter was badly damaged by German dive bombers.English 1993, pp. 12, 34. Following repair, ''Ambuscade'' rejoined her Flotilla, carrying out anti-invasion patrols and convoy escort operations in July and August 1940, before transferring to the Twelfth Destroyer Flotilla based at

Greenock Greenock (; sco, Greenock; gd, Grianaig, ) is a town and administrative centre in the Inverclyde council area in Scotland, United Kingdom and a former burgh within the historic county of Renfrewshire, located in the west central Lowlands of ...

in September, but recurrence of the ship's turbine problems resulted in more repairs from September to November 1940. ''Ambuscade'' then rejoined her Flotilla, by then based at Iceland for convoy escort duties. Further mechanical problems, this time with the ship's

condensers __NOTOC__ Condenser may refer to: Heat transfer * Condenser (heat transfer), a device or unit used to condense vapor into liquid. Specific types include: ** HVAC air coils ** Condenser (laboratory), a range of laboratory glassware used to remove ...

forced more repair at Portsmouth between October 1941 and January 1942. In March 1942, ''Ambuscade'' formed part of the

Arctic convoy The Arctic convoys of World War II were oceangoing convoys which sailed from the United Kingdom, Iceland, and North America to northern ports in the Soviet Union – primarily Arkhangelsk (Archangel) and Murmansk in Russia. There were 78 convoys ...

PQ 14 on its leg from Scotland to Iceland, and for the return convoy QP 9. By this time, it was clear that ''Ambuscade''s re-occurring mechanical problems meant that the ship was not fit for convoy escort duties, and ''Ambuscade'' was assigned target duties.English 1993, pp. 12–13. In late 1942, ''Ambuscade'' became a trials ship for anti-submarine weapons and sensors, being fitted with the experimental '

Parsnip The parsnip (''Pastinaca sativa'') is a root vegetable closely related to carrot and parsley, all belonging to the flowering plant family Apiaceae. It is a biennial plant usually grown as an annual. Its long taproot has cream-colored skin ...

anti-submarine mortar Anti-submarine mortars are artillery pieces deployed on ships for the purpose of sinking submarines by a direct hit with a small explosive charge. They are often larger versions of the mortar used by infantry and fire a projectile in relatively ...

in an attempt to provide a more capable ahead-firing anti-submarine weapon than '

'. 'Parsnip' was not a success, and in May 1943, ''Ambuscade'' was fitted with the prototype installation of the '

' anti-submarine mortar and its associated depth-finding Type 147

sonar Sonar (sound navigation and ranging or sonic navigation and ranging) is a technique that uses sound propagation (usually underwater, as in submarine navigation) to navigate, measure distances ( ranging), communicate with or detect objects on ...

. Trials of Squid were successful, and the weapon was widely fitted in new construction Royal Navy escorts.Brown 2007, pp. 115, 119–120. ''Ambuscade'' continued in use as a trials and training platform until the end of the war in Europe, then going into reserve.English 1993, p. 13. ''Ambuscade'' was used for shock trials during 1946, and was sold for scrapping in November that year, being broken up by West of Scotland Shipbreaking Company at

from March 1947.

Export variant

''Ambuscade'' served as the basis for the design by Yarrow of the s which served the

Portuguese Navy The Portuguese Navy ( pt, Marinha Portuguesa, also known as ''Marinha de Guerra Portuguesa'' or as ''Armada Portuguesa'') is the naval branch of the Portuguese Armed Forces which, in cooperation and integrated with the other branches of the Por ...

(''Marinha Portuguesa'') from 1933 to 1967. Five vessels were ordered by Portugal in 1932. The first two, NRP ''Douro'' and ''Tejo'', which were laid down on 9 June 1932, were sold to the

Colombian Navy ) , colors= , march= ''"Viva Colombia, soy marinero"'' , mascot= , battles= Battle of Lake Maracaibo Thousand Days War (Civil war) Colombia-Peru War World War II Korean War Colombian Armed Conflict Operation Atalanta , notable_commanders= José ...

before their 1933 completion. This was in response to the Colombia–Peru War. Renamed and ''Caldas'' respectively, they served the Colombians as the .''Aniversario No.26 del ARC “Antioquia”''
, Armada Nacional República de Colombia. 16 April 2010. Retrieved 9 August 2014. Two further ships were ordered by the Portuguese Navy to replace them. Two of the ships were built at Yarrow's shipyard in

Clydebank Clydebank ( gd, Bruach Chluaidh) is a town in West Dunbartonshire, Scotland. Situated on the north bank of the River Clyde, it borders the village of Old Kilpatrick (with Bowling and Milton beyond) to the west, and the Yoker and Drumchapel areas ...

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to th ...

, and the remainder in Lisbon with Yarrow machinery.

Notes

Citations

References

* * * * * * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Ambuscade (D38) Destroyers of the Royal Navy Ships built on the River Clyde 1926 ships World War II destroyers of the United Kingdom