HMS ''Hardy'' was a
V-class 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 ...
that saw service 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 ...
.
History
''Hardy'' was built by
John Brown & Company
John Brown and Company of Clydebank was a Scottish Naval architecture, marine engineering and shipbuilding firm. It built many notable and world-famous ships including , , , , , and ''Queen Elizabeth 2 (ship), Queen Elizabeth 2''.
At its heig ...
, Clydebank, laid down on 14 May 1942, launched 18 March 1943, and completed 14 August 1943.
While escorting
Convoy JW 56A during the Second World War, ''Hardy'' was
torpedo
A modern torpedo is an underwater ranged weapon launched above or below the water surface, self-propelled towards a target, with an explosive warhead designed to detonate either on contact with or in proximity to the target. Historically, such ...
ed and damaged in the
Arctic Ocean
The Arctic Ocean is the smallest and shallowest of the world's five oceanic divisions. It spans an area of approximately and is the coldest of the world's oceans. The International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) recognizes it as an ocean, ...
at by the
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany, the country of the Germans and German things
**Germania (Roman era)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...
submarine
A submarine (often shortened to sub) is a watercraft capable of independent operation underwater. (It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability.) The term "submarine" is also sometimes used historically or infor ...
on 30 January 1944 with the loss of 35 crew members. The British destroyers and rescued her survivors and sank her. HMS Virago sustained damage to her bow while in contact with Hardy which was later repaired by Russian workers while at the convoy destination in Murmansk.
[IWM oral history Pratt, James William]
Notes
References
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*
*
See also
*
Arctic convoys of World War II
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 ...
External links
''Hardy'' at naval-history.net*https://racmp.co.uk/veterans/herbert-sydney-roberts/
*https://racmp.co.uk/veterans/frederick-pearce/
U and V-class destroyers of the Royal Navy
World War II destroyers of the United Kingdom
1943 ships
Maritime incidents in January 1944
Scuttled vessels of the United Kingdom
World War II shipwrecks in the Arctic Ocean
Ships sunk by German submarines in World War II
{{UK-destroyer-stub