- Source: HMS Eridge (L68)
HMS Eridge was a Hunt-class destroyer of the Royal Navy. She was launched in 1940 and served during the Second World War.
Service history
On 29 August 1942, Eridge assisted the destroyers Hero and Hurworth in sinking the German submarine U-568. At 04:15 on 29 August 1942, she began shelling Axis positions off El Daba, Egypt, at 31°7′N 28°26′E, together with the destroyers Croome and Hursley. At 05:00, she was permanently disabled by a 450mm torpedo fired by the Italian motor torpedo boat MTSM-228. The attack caused five fatalities on board Eridge.
She was towed to Alexandria by the destroyer Aldenham, where Eridge was declared a constructive total loss 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
Colledge, J. J.; Warlow, Ben (2006) [1969]. Ships of the Royal Navy: The Complete Record of all Fighting Ships of the Royal Navy (Rev. ed.). London: Chatham Publishing. ISBN 978-1-86176-281-8.
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. ISBN 0-905617-44-4.
Further reading
Gregory-Smith, Frank (2008). Red Tobruk: Memoirs of a World War II Destroyer Commander. Pen & Sword Maritime. ISBN 978-1-84415-862-1.
External links
HMS Eridge (L 68)
Captain Frank Gregory-Smith - Daily Telegraph obituary
