:HMS Havant (H32)
{{Short description|British H-class destroyer}}
{{other ships|HMS Havant}}
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{{Infobox ship image |Ship image=HMS Havant (H32).jpg |Ship caption=HMS Havant }} {{Infobox ship career |Hide header= |Ship country=Brazil |Ship flag={{shipboxflag|Brazil|1889}} |Ship name=Javary |Ship ordered=8 December 1937 |Ship awarded= |Ship builder=J. Samuel White, Cowes |Ship laid down=30 March 1938 |Ship launched=17 July 1939 |Ship fate=Purchased by the United Kingdom, 5 September 1939 }} {{Infobox ship career |Hide header=title |Ship country=United Kingdom |Ship flag={{shipboxflag|United Kingdom|naval}} |Ship class= |Ship name=HMS Havant |Ship acquired=5 September 1939 |Ship commissioned=19 December 1939 |Ship identification=Pennant number H32 |Ship fate=Scuttled, 1 June 1940 }} {{Infobox ship characteristics |Hide header= |Header caption=as built |Ship class=Brazilian H-class destroyer |Ship displacement=*{{convert|1350|LT|t}} (standard)
|Ship length={{convert|323|ft|m|1|abbr=on}} |Ship beam={{convert|33|ft|m|1|abbr=on}} |Ship draught={{convert|12|ft|5|in|m|1|abbr=on}} |Ship power={{convert|34000|shp|lk=in|abbr=on}} |Ship propulsion=*2 shafts
|Ship speed={{convert|36|kn|lk=in}} |Ship range={{convert|5530|nmi|lk=in|abbr=on}} at {{convert|15|kn}} |Ship complement=145 |Ship sensors=ASDIC |Ship armament=*3 × 1 – QF 4.7-inch (120 mm) Mk IX guns
|Ship notes= }} |
HMS Havant was an H-class destroyer originally ordered by the Brazilian Navy with the name Javary in the late 1930s, but was bought by the Royal Navy after the beginning of World War II in September 1939. The ship was initially assigned to escort duties in the Western Approaches, but was transferred to the Home Fleet when the Norwegian Campaign began in April 1940. She was only peripherally involved in the campaign as she escorted ships carrying troops that occupied Iceland and the Faeroe Islands as well as convoys to Narvik. Havant was evacuating troops from Dunkirk when she was badly damaged by Junkers Ju 87 Stuka dive bombers on 1 June and had to be scuttled.
Description
Havant displaced {{convert|1350|LT|t}} at standard load and {{convert|1883|LT|t}} at deep load. The ship had an overall length of {{convert|323|ft|m|1}}, a beam of {{convert|33|ft|m|1}} and a draught of {{convert|12|ft|5|in|m|1}}. She was powered by Parsons geared steam turbines, driving two shafts, which developed a total of {{convert|34000|shp|lk=in}} and gave a maximum speed of {{convert|36|kn|lk=in}}. Steam for the turbines was provided by three Admiralty 3-drum water-tube boilers. Havant carried a maximum of {{convert|470|LT|t}} of fuel oil that gave her a range of {{convert|5530|nmi|lk=in}} at {{convert|15|kn}}. The ship's complement was 145 officers and men.Whitley, p. 109
The ship was designed for four 45-calibre 4.7-inch Mk IX guns in single mounts, designated 'A', 'B', 'X', and 'Y' from front to rear, but 'Y' gun was removed to compensate for the additional depth charges added. For anti-aircraft (AA) defence, Havant had two quadruple Mark I mounts for the 0.5 inch Vickers Mark III machine gun. She was fitted with two above-water quadruple torpedo tube mounts for British 21 inch torpedo torpedoes. One depth charge rail and two throwers were originally fitted, but this was increased to 3 sets of rails and eight throwers while fitting-out. The ship's load of depth charges was increased from 20 to 110 as well.English, p. 141Friedman, p. 226
Service
{{other ships|Brazilian ship Javary}}
Javary was ordered by Brazil on 8 December 1937 from J. Samuel White, Cowes. The ship was laid down on 30 March 1938 and launched on 17 July 1939. She was purchased by the British on 5 September and renamed HMS Havant. The ship was commissioned on 19 December and arrived at Portland Harbour on 8 January 1940 to begin working up. She made one unsuccessful anti-submarine sweep 4–9 February with the destroyers {{HMS|Ardent|H41|2}} and {{HMS|Whitshed|D77|2}} after she was assigned to the 9th Destroyer Flotilla of the Western Approaches Command at Plymouth. Havant had degaussing equipment fitted and minor repairs were made through March.English, pp. 127, 129
The ship was en route to Greenock to escort a convoy to Gibraltar on 7 April when she was transferred to the Home Fleet as a result of the impending German invasion of Norway. Along with her sister {{HMS|Hesperus|H57|2}}, Havant escorted the heavy cruiser {{HMS|Suffolk|55|2}} on 13 April as the latter ship carried a detachment of Royal Marines to occupy the Faeroe Islands. The ship then escorted convoys to Narvik until 7 May. A week later she escorted the ocean liners {{RMS|Lancastria||2}} and {{RMS|Franconia|1922|2}} as they carried troops to occupy Iceland.English, p. 129
Havant joined the Dunkirk evacuation on 29 May and rescued over 2,300 men by 1 June. That morning she had embarked 500 troops and then went alongside the destroyer {{HMS|Ivanhoe|D16|2}}, which had been disabled by German dive bombers earlier that morning. The ship loaded all of the troops and wounded from Ivanhoe and sailed for Dover under heavy air attack. Shortly afterwards, Stukas hit HavantDildy, p. 74 with two bombs in her engine room and another exploded beneath her hull. Eight crewmen were killed and 25 were wounded in the attack. At least 25 soldiers were also killed. She was severely damaged and had to be scuttled by the minesweeper {{HMS|Saltash|J62|6}} after an attempt to tow her failed.
Notes
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References
- {{cite book|last=Dildy|first=Douglas C.|title=Dunkirk 1940: Operation Dynamo|publisher=Osprey Publishing|location=Oxford, England|year=2010|series=Campaign|volume=219|isbn=978-1-84603-457-2}}
- {{cite book|last=English|first=John|title=Amazon to Ivanhoe: British Standard Destroyers of the 1930s|year=1993|publisher=World Ship Society|location=Kendal, England|isbn=0-905617-64-9}}
- {{cite book|last=Friedman|first=Norman|title=British Destroyers From Earliest Days to the Second World War|publisher=Naval Institute Press|location=Annapolis, Maryland|year=2009|isbn=978-1-59114-081-8}}
- {{cite book|last=Whitley|first=M. J.|title=Destroyers of World War Two: An International Encyclopedia|publisher=Naval Institute Press|year=1988|isbn=0-87021-326-1|location=Annapolis, Maryland}}
- {{cite book|last=Winser|first=John de D.|title=B.E.F. Ships Before, At and After Dunkirk|publisher=World Ship Society|location=Gravesend, Kent|year=1999|isbn=0-905617-91-6}}
{{G and H class destroyer}}
{{June 1940 shipwrecks}}
{{coord|51|08|00|N|2|15|49|E|source:kolossus-fiwiki|display=title}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Havant (H32)}}
Category:Jurua-class destroyers
Category:Ships built on the Isle of Wight
Category:G and H-class destroyers of the Royal Navy
Category:World War II destroyers of the United Kingdom
Category:Maritime incidents in June 1940
Category:World War II shipwrecks in the North Sea