HMS ''Eridge'' was a
destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast, maneuverable, long-endurance warship intended to escort
larger vessels in a fleet, convoy, or carrier battle group and defend them against a wide range of general threats. They were conceived i ...
of the
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King of the United Kingdom, King. Although warships were used by Kingdom ...
. She was launched in 1940 and served during the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
.
Service history
On 29 August 1942, ''Eridge'' assisted the destroyers and in sinking the German submarine . At 04:15 on 29 August 1942, she began shelling Axis positions off
El Daba,
Egypt
Egypt ( , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the Northeast Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to northe ...
, at , together with the destroyers and . At 05:00, she was permanently disabled by a 450mm torpedo fired by the
Italian
Italian(s) may refer to:
* Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries
** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom
** Italian language, a Romance languag ...
motor torpedo boat ''MTSM-228''. The attack caused five fatalities on board ''Eridge''.
She was towed to
Alexandria
Alexandria ( ; ) is the List of cities and towns in Egypt#Largest cities, second largest city in Egypt and the List of coastal settlements of the Mediterranean Sea, largest city on the Mediterranean coast. It lies at the western edge of the Nile ...
by the destroyer , where ''Eridge'' was declared a
constructive total loss
Marine insurance covers the physical loss or damage of ships, cargo, terminals, and any transport by which the property is transferred, acquired, or held between the points of origin and the final destination. Cargo insurance a sub-branch of mari ...
due to structural damage to the hull and damage beyond repair to the main turbines, condenser, gearing and intermediate shaft. The destroyer was used as a base ship ''in situ'' for the rest of the war and sold for scrapping in October 1946.
References
Publications
*
* English, John (1987). 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. England: World Ship Society. .
Further reading
*
External links
*
HMS ''Eridge'' (L 68)- Daily Telegraph obituary
Hunt-class destroyers of the Royal Navy
Ships built by Swan Hunter
Ships built on the River Tyne
1940 ships
World War II destroyers of the United Kingdom
Maritime incidents in August 1942
{{UK-destroyer-stub