HMS Duchess (H64)

HMS Duchess ( H64 ) was a destroyer of the D- class of the Royal Navy in World War II.

The ship was launched on 19 July 1932 as part of a class of eight destroyers in Palmers Shipbuilding and Iron Company, Jarrow from the stack. Put into service, it was on 24 January 1933.

Along with her ​​sister ships HMS Duchess made ​​the 1st Destroyer Flotilla, which was initially assigned to the Mediterranean Fleet. Shortly before the Second World War, the ships were stationed in Hong Kong. They were then however ordered back into the Mediterranean.

Before the year was given HMS Duchess with the sister ships HMS HMS Dainty Diana and the task of escorting the battleship HMS Barham of Malta in domestic waters. In the north channel at the level of the Mull of Kintyre all ships arrived despite heavy fog due to the U-boat threat zigzag courses. Here, the travel paths of the destroyer and the battleship crossed. On 13 December 1939, the battleship therefore rammed the destroyer, which sank immediately with 137 crew members ( at position 55 ° 19 'N, 6 ° 6' W55.316666666667 - 6.1). There were only 23 survivors.