HMS Havelock (H88)

Havelock 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. Havelock carried a maximum of {{convert|470|LT|t}} of fuel oil, giving her a range of {{convert|5530|nmi|lk=in}} at {{convert|15|kn}}.Whitley, p. 109 The ship's complement was 152 officers and ratings.Lenton, p. 163

The vessel 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, Havelock 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 three 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

Havelock was completed without a director-control tower (DCT) so the three remaining 4.7-inch low-angle guns fired in local control using ranges provided by a rangefinder. She was fitted with an ASDIC set to detect submarines by reflections from sound waves beamed into the water.Brown, p. 164

Havelock was fitted with a HF/DF radio direction finder before completion and she had her rear torpedo tubes replaced by a 12-pounder AA gun by October 1940.Friedman, pp. 241, 247 The ship's short-range AA armament was later augmented by two Oerlikon 20 mm guns on the wings of the ship's bridge and the .50-calibre machine gun mounts were replaced by a pair of Oerlikons. It is uncertain if the ship's director-control tower was installed before a Type 271 target indication radar was installed above the bridge. At some point, the ship was converted to an escort destroyer. 'A' gun was replaced by a Hedgehog anti-submarine spigot mortar and additional depth charge stowage replaced the 12-pounder high-angle gun. A Type 286 short-range surface search radar was fitted and the HF/DF installation was moved to a pole mainmast.

Jutahy was ordered by Brazil on 8 December 1937 from J. Samuel White, Cowes. The ship was laid down on 31 May 1938 and was purchased by the British on 5 September 1939 after the beginning of the Second World War and renamed HMS Havelock. She was launched on 16 October and commissioned on 10 February 1940. After working up, the ship was assigned to the 9th Destroyer Flotilla of the Western Approaches Command.English, p. 129 Havelock was detached to Home Fleet during the Norwegian Campaign and supported the Allied landings on 12–13 May at Bjerkvik during the Battle of Narvik. During the initial stages of this battle, she mounted a French mortar battery on her forecastle.Haarr, pp. 246, 248, 250 She continued to provide fire support during the battle for the rest of the month. During the nights of 30 and 31 May, the ship helped to evacuate troops from Bodø to Harstad and Borkenes to await further evacuation. Havelock was one of the ships that escorted the troop ships evacuating the troops from the Narvik area on 7 and 8 June.Haarr, pp. 266, 269, 300, 312 She was commanded by Capt. E. Barry Stevens, DSC.

Later in June, the ship rejoined the 9th Destroyer Flotilla and spent most of the next two years escorting convoys. Late in 1940 the Flotilla was redesignated as the 9th Escort Group. Havelock was attached to Force H in Gibraltar to reinforce the escort during Operations Tiger in May 1941. The ship returned to the Western Approaches command afterwards as her anti-aircraft capability was believed by Admiral James Somerville to be too weak for operations in the Mediterranean.English, pp. 129–30

In March 1942, Havelock became flotilla leader of Escort Group B-5 team of the Mid-Ocean Escort Force and continued to escort convoys in the North Atlantic until early 1944. From 28 December to 14 January 1943, the escort group defended Convoy TM 1, a group of nine oil tankers sailing from Trinidad to Gibraltar. The convoy was attacked by several U-boat wolfpacks en route and lost seven of its ships despite the best efforts of its escort. Havelock only managed to damage {{GS|U-436||2}} with depth charges whilst escorting this convoy. Havelock and her consorts escorted Convoy SC 122 through the largest convoy battle of the war some two months later. In mid-1943, the escort group was deployed to the Bay of Biscay to attack U-boats in cooperation with the Royal Air Force (RAF) as they left their bases on the French Atlantic coast.Rohwer, pp. 220–21, 238–39, 256–57 In late September – early October, the group escorted ships carrying No. 247 Group RAF to the Azores to begin setting up airbases there.English, p. 130

In early 1944, Havelock was transferred to the 14th Escort Group which was given the task of protecting the convoys supporting Operation Overlord, the impending invasion of Western Europe, in British coastal waters, captained by Earl H. Thomas. Together with the destroyers {{HMS|Fame|H78|2}} and {{HMS|Inconstant|H49|2}}, the ship sank {{GS|U-767||2}} on 18 June.Rohwer, p. 333 She was refitted in Liverpool from July to September and rejoined the group upon completion. Havelock was under repair again in February–April 1945, but they were completed by 30 April when the ship, together with her sister {{HMS|Hesperus|H57|2}}, attacked the wreck of {{GS|U-246||2}} northwest of the island of Anglesey thinking that it was {{GS|U-242||2}} which had been spotted by a Short Sunderland flying boat earlier that day.Rohwer, p. 406{{cite web|url=http://uboat.net/boats/u242.htm|title=U-242|publisher=Uboat.net|access-date=12 December 2011}}

Two weeks later, Havelock and the 14th Escort Group escorted a group of surrendered German U-boats from Loch Alsh to Lough Foyle. On 27 May, the ship, together with Hesperus, escorted the exiled Norwegian government back to Oslo and remained there until 1 June. Later that month, she began service as an aircraft target, a role that lasted for the next year. The ship was approved for scrapping on 18 February 1946 and was placed in Category C reserve on 2 August. Havelock was sold on 31 October and scrapped at Inverkeithing.English, pp. 130–31

{{reflist}}

• {{cite book|last=Brown|first=David K.|title=Atlantic Escorts: Ships, Weapons & Tactics in World War II|publisher=Naval Institute Press|location=Annapolis, Maryland|date=2007|isbn=978-1-59114-012-2}}
• {{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=Haarr|first=Geirr H.|title=The Battle for Norway: April-June 1940|year=2010|publisher=Naval Institute Press|location=Annapolis, MD|isbn=978-1-59114-051-1}}
• {{cite book|last=Lenton|first=H. T.|title=British & Empire Warships of the Second World War|publisher=Naval Institute Press|location=Annapolis, Maryland|date=1998|isbn=1-55750-048-7}}
• {{cite book|last=Rohwer|first=Jürgen|title=Chronology of the War at Sea 1939–1945: The Naval History of World War Two|publisher=Naval Institute Press|location=Annapolis, Maryland|year=2005|edition=Third Revised|isbn=1-59114-119-2}}
• {{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}}

{{G and H class destroyer}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Havelock (H88)}}

Category:Jurua-class destroyers

Category:Ships built on the Isle of Wight

Category:1939 ships

Category:G and H-class destroyers of the Royal Navy

Category:World War II destroyers of the United Kingdom