HMS Croome (L62)
{{short description|Destroyer of the Royal Navy}}
{{other ships|HMS Croome}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2017}}
{{Use British English|date=August 2017}}
| {{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image |Ship image=HMS Croome (L62).jpg |Ship caption=Croome underway during World War II }} {{Infobox ship career |Hide header= |Ship country=United Kingdom |Ship flag={{shipboxflag|United Kingdom|naval}} |Ship name=HMS Croome |Ship namesake= |Ship owner= |Ship operator= |Ship registry= |Ship route= |Ship ordered= |Ship awarded= |Ship builder=Alexander Stephen and Sons |Ship original cost= |Ship yard number= |Ship way number= |Ship laid down=7 June 1940 |Ship launched=30 January 1941 |Ship sponsor= |Ship christened= |Ship completed= |Ship acquired= |Ship commissioned=29 June 1941 |Ship recommissioned= |Ship decommissioned= |Ship maiden voyage= |Ship in service= |Ship out of service= |Ship renamed= |Ship reclassified= |Ship refit= |Ship struck= |Ship reinstated= |Ship homeport= |Ship identification=Pennant number: L62 |Ship motto= |Ship nickname= |Ship honours= |Ship honors= |Ship captured= |Ship fate=Scrapped at Briton Ferry, Wales on 13 August 1957. |Ship notes= |Ship badge= }} {{Infobox ship characteristics |Hide header= |Header caption= |Ship type= |Ship tonnage= |Ship class=Type II Hunt-class destroyer |Ship displacement=*{{convert|1050|LT|t}} standard
|Ship length= {{convert|85.3|m|ftin|abbr=on}} o/a |Ship beam= {{convert|9.6|m|ftin|abbr=on}} |Ship height= |Ship draught= {{convert|2.51|m|ftin|abbr=on}} |Ship power= |Ship propulsion=*2 Admiralty 3-drum boilers
|Ship speed=*{{convert|27|kn|mph km/h|lk=in}}
|Ship range= {{convert|3600|nmi|km|abbr=on|lk=in}} at {{convert|14|kn|km/h|abbr=on}} |Ship endurance= |Ship boats= |Ship capacity= |Ship troops= |Ship complement=164 |Ship crew= |Ship time to activate= |Ship sensors= |Ship EW= |Ship armament=*6 × QF 4 inch Mk XVI naval gun on twin mounts Mk. XIX
|Ship armour= |Ship aircraft= |Ship aircraft facilities= |Ship notes= }} |
HMS Croome was a Type II Hunt-class destroyer of the Royal Navy. She served in the Second World War, spending much of the time in the Mediterranean, operating from the ports at Gibraltar and Alexandria.
Service history
=Sinking of ''Baracca''=
On 8 September 1941 Croome was escorting Convoy OG 75, en route from Liverpool to Gibraltar. While conducting a forward sweep Croome spotted the {{ship|Italian submarine|Maggiore Baracca||6}} on the surface at 8,500 yards. Baracca dived as Croome turned towards her at full speed. After two depth-charge attacks, Baracca surfaced astern of Croome, which opened fire with all guns as she went about. The Italian submarine returned fire with her main gun but the shots went wide, the gun deck was then cleared by Croome{{'}}s Lewis guns. As Croome approached, the Italians began to abandon ship. Croome rammed Baracca just abaft the conning tower. The submarine sank immediately by the stern and exploded underwater. After picking up survivors, Croome headed for Gibraltar while the crew shored-up the flooded forward compartments, damaged by the ramming. A DSO, a DSC and two DSMs were awarded for the action. 28 Italians were killed.{{Cite web |url=http://www.regiamarina.net/subs/submarines/baracca/baracca_sinking_us.htm |title=Sinking of the Baracca |access-date=10 April 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081203192157/http://www.regiamarina.net/subs/submarines/baracca/baracca_sinking_us.htm |archive-date=3 December 2008 |url-status=dead }}
=Sinking of ''U-127'' and ''U-581''=
On 15 December 1941 Croome and the destroyers {{HMS|Gurkha|G63|2}}, {{HMS|Foxhound|H69|2}} and {{HMAS|Nestor|G02|6}} were detached from Force H to run a sweep ahead of convoy HG 76. Nestor found and sank the {{GS|U-127|1941|6}} with all hands.
On 2 February 1942 Croome, the destroyers {{HMS|Westcott|D47|2}} and {{HMS|Exmoor|L61|2}} and a corvette were sent to escort the damaged troopship {{MV|Llangibby Castle||2}}, which had taken refuge from attack by two U-boats in the neutral port of Horta, in the Azores. They made contact with {{GS|U-581||2}} by asdic in the channel outside Horta and attacked her with depth charges. The U-boat was eventually forced to surface, where she was fired on by Croome and Westcott. Westcott rammed U-581 and the whole crew were able to escape before she sank. However, Westcott ran back through the survivors in the water and dropped another depth charge, resulting in four deaths and a number of casualties.
=Malta convoys=
Between 5 and 9 March 1942 Croome, with the rest of Force H, escorted the old aircraft carriers {{HMS|Eagle|1918|2}} and {{HMS|Argus|I49|2}} which were ferrying 15 Spitfire fighters from Gibraltar to Malta.
Between 12 and 16 June 1942 Croome was one of 27 destroyers and eight cruisers escorting 11 merchant ships to re-supply Malta from Alexandria. Codenamed Operation Vigorous, the convoy was forced to turn back because of a sortie by the Italian battle-fleet from Taranto and heavy air attacks.
On 4 August 1942 Croome, {{HMS|Sikh|F82|2}}, {{HMS|Tetcott|L99|2}} and {{HMS|Zulu|F18|2}} attacked {{GS|U-372||2}}, which had been spotted by an RAF Wellington bomber near Haifa, Palestine. The U-boat was forced to the surface with depth charges and sank shortly afterwards. The whole crew was captured.[http://uboat.net/allies/warships/ship/4646.html HMS Croome at Uboat.net]
Between 13 and 14 September 1942, Croome, {{HMS|Hursley|L84|2}}, Zulu and Sikh took part in a night bombardment of Tobruk. Zulu was hit by shore batteries and then bombed by enemy aircraft. Croome went alongside to take off survivors and Zulu was taken in tow by Hursley, but capsized and sank {{convert|100|mi|km}} from Alexandria after further air attack.[http://www.bbc.co.uk/ww2peopleswar/stories/07/a2705807.shtml 'The Peoples' War at bbc.co.uk]
Postwar and fate
Croome survived the war and in October 1945 returned to Devonport from the Mediterranean. She was then paid off into reserve.Critchley, Mike, "British Warships Since 1945: Part 3: Destroyers", Maritime Books: Liskeard, UK, 1982. {{ISBN|0-9506323-9-2}}, page 34 She was almost sold to the Royal Danish Navy in 1954, but other sister-ships were bought instead. Croome was finally sold for scrap to Thos. W. Ward and arrived at Briton Ferry, Wales for breaking up on 13 August 1957.
References
{{Reflist}}
Publications
- {{Cite Colledge2006}}
- 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}}.
{{Hunt class destroyer|type2}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Croome (L62)}}