HMS Zambesi (R66)
{{short description|Destroyer of the Royal Navy}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2017}}
{{Use British English|date=March 2017}}
| {{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image |Ship image=File:HMS Zambesi 1944 IWM FL 9776.jpg |Ship caption=HMS Zambesi under tow on the River Mersey, 19 July 1944 }} {{Infobox ship career |Hide header= |Ship country={{nowrap|United Kingdom}} |Ship flag={{shipboxflag|United Kingdom|naval}} |Ship name=HMS Zambesi |Ship namesake=Zambesi |Ship ordered=12 February 1942 |Ship awarded= |Ship builder=Cammell Laird, Birkenhead |Ship laid down=21 December 1942 |Ship launched=21 November 1943 |Ship christened= |Ship acquired= |Ship commissioned=18 July 1944 |Ship recommissioned= |Ship decommissioned= |Ship in service= |Ship out of service= |Ship renamed= |Ship reclassified= |Ship refit= |Ship captured= |Ship struck= |Ship reinstated= |Ship motto= |Ship nickname= |Ship honours=-Norway 1944 - Arctic 1945 |Ship identification=Pennant number: R66 later changed to D66 |Ship fate=Arrived John Cashmore Ltd, Newport for breaking up 12 February 1959 |Ship homeport= |Ship badge=On a Field Barry wavy, a crocodile }} {{Infobox ship characteristics |Hide header= |Header caption= |Ship displacement=1,710 tons |Ship length={{convert|362|ft|9|in|m|abbr=on}} |Ship beam={{convert|35|ft|8|in|m|abbr=on}} |Ship draught={{convert|10|ft|m|abbr=on}} |Ship draft= |Ship propulsion=Twin steam turbines |Ship speed={{convert|37|kn|km/h}} maximum |Ship range= |Ship endurance= |Ship boats= |Ship capacity= |Ship complement=185 |Ship time to activate= |Ship sensors= |Ship EW= |Ship armament=*4 × QF 4.5-inch Mk I – V naval gun
|Ship armour= |Ship aircraft= |Ship notes= }} |
HMS Zambesi was a Z-class destroyer. She has been the only Royal Navy warship to bear that name. She was launched on 21 December 1942 at the Cammell Laird shipyard at Birkenhead and commissioned on 18 July 1944. She was 'adopted' by the civil community of Bromley, as part of Warship Week in 1942.
Second World War
After a period of working up with ships of the Home Fleet at Scapa Flow she joined the 2nd Destroyer Flotilla, Home Fleet for screening duty and patrol on the North Western Approaches, including operations against the {{ship|German battleship|Tirpitz||2|up=yes}}. She escorted a number of Arctic convoys, and other operations in the North Sea and off the coast of Scandinavia. As the war reached its end Zambesi was deployed with the Home Fleet to support operations to re-occupy countries previously under German occupation, and this included guardship duties.
Postwar
After the end of the war Zambesi joined the 4th Destroyer Flotilla in which she served until 1947 when she was paid-off and was reduced to reserve status in the Plymouth Reserve Fleet. She remained in reserve until 1950, though received a refit at Gibraltar in 1948. In 1951 she was a target ship for the 3rd Submarine Flotilla, based at Rothesay. Between 1953 and 1954 she was given a refit at Penarth, before being held at reserve at Cardiff until 1959.{{cite book|last=Critchley |first=Mike |title=British Warships Since 1945: Part 3: Destroyers |publisher=Maritime Books |location=Liskeard, UK |date=1982 |isbn=0-9506323-9-2 |pages=82}}
Decommissioning and disposal
In 1959 Zambesi was placed on the Sale List and she was sold to Thos. W. Ward for breaking-up. On 12 February 1959 she arrived in tow at their yard at Briton Ferry, Wales.
Zambesi{{'}}s bell was presented to St Cuthbert's Church in Portsmouth in 1959, where it still survives.{{cite web |url=http://www.stcuthbertwithstaidan.org.uk/section770590_300006.html |title=The Bell from HMS Zambesi |publisher=The Parish of St. Cuthbert with St. Aidan |accessdate=20 May 2015 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150104183730/http://www.stcuthbertwithstaidan.org.uk/section770590_300006.html |archivedate=4 January 2015 |df=dmy-all }}
References
{{reflist}}
Publications
- {{Cite Colledge2006}}
- {{cite book |last=Marriott |first=Leo |title=Royal Navy Destroyers Since 1945 |publisher=Ian Allan Ltd |date=1989 |isbn=0-7110-1817-0 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/royalnavydestroy0000marr }}
- {{cite book|last1=Raven|first1=Alan|last2=Roberts|first2=John|title=War Built Destroyers O to Z Classes|publisher=Bivouac Books|location=London|year=1978|isbn=0-85680-010-4}}
- {{cite book|last=Whitley|first=M. J.|title=Destroyers of World War 2|publisher=Naval Institute Press|year=1988|isbn=0-87021-326-1|location=Annapolis, Maryland}}
External links
- [http://www.naval-history.net/xGM-Chrono-10DD-65Z-HMS_Zambesi.htm HMS Zambesi{{'}}s career]
{{W and Z class destroyers}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Zambesi (R66)}}
Category:W and Z-class destroyers