HMS Cotswold (L54)

HMS Cotswold was a Type I Hunt-class destroyer of the Royal Navy which served in World War II. She was scrapped in 1957.

For other ships with the same name, see HMS Cotswold.
HMS Cotswold, 1941 (IWM)
History
United Kingdom
Name: HMS Cotswold
Ordered: 11 April 1939
Builder: Yarrow Shipbuilders, Scotstoun
Laid down: 11 October 1939
Launched: 18 July 1940
Completed: 16 November 1940
Decommissioned: 1946
Identification: pennant number:L54
Honours and
awards:
  • North Sea 1941–45
  • English Channel 1943
  • Normandy 1944
Fate: Scrapped, 1957
Badge: On a Field per fess wavy Green and Red, in front of two hunting horns in Saltire Gold, a mitre White embellished Red
General characteristics
Class and type: Type I Hunt-class destroyer
Displacement:
  • 1,050 long tons (1,070 t) standard
  • 1,430 long tons (1,450 t) full load
Length: 85.3 m (279 ft 10 in) o/a
Beam: 9.6 m (31 ft 6 in)
Draught: 2.51 m (8 ft 3 in)
Propulsion:
  • 2 Admiralty 3-drum boilers
  • 2 shaft Parsons geared turbines, 19,000 shp (14,000 kW)
Speed:
  • 27 knots (31 mph; 50 km/h)
  • 25.5 kn (29.3 mph; 47.2 km/h) full
Range: 3,600 nmi (6,700 km) at 14 kn (26 km/h)
Complement: 164
Armament:
  • 6 × QF 4-inch (102 mm) Mark XVI guns on twin mounts Mk. XIX
  • 4 × QF 2-pounder (40 mm) Mk VIII AA guns on quad mount MK.VII
  • 2 × 20 mm Oerlikon AA guns on single mounts P Mk. III
  • 110 depth charges, 2 throwers, 3 racks

Service history

Cotswold was ordered on 11 April 1939 under the 1939 War Emergency Build Programme as job number 1836.[1] She was completed in November 1940. She was adopted by the civil community of North Cotswold Urban District in Gloucestershire as part of Warship Week in 1942.

She earned battle honours during the Second World War for the North Sea 1941–1945, where she spent the majority of her service. During 1942 she struck a mine off Ordfordness, and was subsequently repaired in HM Dockyard, Chatham. In June 1944 she formed part of the Naval escort force in support of the Normandy Landings.

Following the war she was transferred to the Reserve Fleet at Portsmouth in June 1946, transferring to Harwich in 1958. She remained there until sold to Thos W Ward for scrap. She arrived at the breakers yard at Grays, Essex on 1 September 1957.[2]

References
  1. Mason, Geoffrey B. (2004). Gordon Smith (ed.). "HMS Cotswold (L 54) – Type I, Hunt-class Escort Destroyer". naval-history.net. Retrieved 4 May 2015.
  2. Critchley, Mike (1982). British Warships Since 1945: Part 3: Destroyers. Liskeard, UK: Maritime Books. p. 29. ISBN 0-9506323-9-2.

Publications
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