HMS Racehorse (H11)

	Racehorse on the River Clyde on completion, December 1942
History
United Kingdom
Name	HMS Racehorse
Builder	John Brown & Company, Clydebank
Launched	1942
Identification	Pennant number H11
Fate	Scrapped 1949
General characteristics
Class and type	R-class destroyer
Displacement	1,705 long tons (1,732 t) (standard); 2,425 long tons (2,464 t) (deep load);
Length	358 ft 3 in (109.2 m) (o/a)
Beam	35 ft 8 in (10.9 m)
Draught	13 ft 6 in (4.1 m) (deep)
Installed power	40,000 shp (30,000 kW); 2 × Admiralty 3-drum boilers ;
Propulsion	2 × shafts; 2 × Parsons geared steam turbines
Speed	36 knots (67 km/h; 41 mph)
Range	4,675 nmi (8,658 km; 5,380 mi) at 20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph)
Sensors and ; processing systems	Radar Type 290 air warning; Radar Type 285 ranging & bearing;
Armament	5 × single QF 4.7-inch (120 mm) Mk.IX guns ; 1 × quadruple QF 2-pdr Mk.VIII AA guns ; 6 × single QF 20 mm Oerlikon AA guns; 2 × quadruple 21-inch torpedo tubes ; 4 × throwers and 2 × racks for 70 depth charges ;

Last updated February 09, 2024

HMS Racehorse was a R-class destroyer built for the Royal Navy during the Second World War.

Description

Racehorse displaced 1,705 long tons (1,732 t) at standard load and 2,425 long tons (2,464 t) at deep load. She had an overall length of 358 feet 3 inches (109.2 m), a beam of 33 feet 8 inches (10.3 m) and a deep draught of 13 feet 6 inches (4.1 m). She was powered by two Parsons geared steam turbines, each driving one propeller shaft, using steam provided by two Admiralty three-drum boilers. The turbines developed a total of 40,000 shaft horsepower (30,000 kW) and gave a maximum speed of 36 knots (67 km/h; 41 mph). Racehorse carried a maximum of 470 long tons (480 t) of fuel oil that gave her a range of 4,675 nautical miles (8,658 km; 5,380 mi) at 20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph). Her complement was 176 officers and ratings.^[1]

The ship was armed with four 45-calibre 4.7-inch (120 mm) Mark IX guns in single mounts. For anti-aircraft (AA) defence, Racehorse had one quadruple mount for QF 2-pdr Mark VIII ("pom-pom") guns and six single 20-millimetre (0.8 in) Oerlikon autocannon. She was fitted with two above-water quadruple mounts for 21-inch (533 mm) torpedoes. Two depth charge rails and four throwers were fitted for which 70 depth charges were provided.^[2]

Construction and career

She was built by John Brown & Company, Clydebank and launched in 1942. She was adopted by the civil community of Greater London during Warship Week in 1942.

The ship served in World War II, taking part in operations Balsam and Livery.^[3] She was placed in reserve in Portsmouth in 1946. Used as a target/trials ship in Gareloch. ^[4]She arrived at Troon for breaking up on 8 December 1949.^[5]

Related Research Articles

HMS Imperial was one of nine I-class destroyers built for the Royal Navy during the 1930s. She was scuttled by HMS Hotspur in 1941 after she had been crippled by Italian bombers.

HMS Inconstant was an I-class destroyer built for the Turkish Navy, but was purchased by the Royal Navy in 1939.

HMS Kandahar (F28) was a K-class destroyer built for the Royal Navy during the 1930s, named after the Afghan city of Kandahar.

HMS Gurkha was a Tribal-class destroyer that saw active service in the Norway Campaign in 1940, where she was sunk.

ORP Orkan, formerly HMS Myrmidon, was an M-class destroyer of the Polish Navy during World War II. Orkan is Polish for "hurricane".

HMS Raider was a R-class destroyer built for the Royal Navy during the Second World War.

HMS Penn was a P-class destroyer built for the Royal Navy during the Second World War.

HMS Bedouin was a Tribal-class destroyer of the British Royal Navy that saw service in World War II.

HMS Tumult was a T-class destroyer built for the Royal Navy during the Second World War.

HNoMS Svenner was a Royal Norwegian Navy destroyer during the Second World War. She was built for the Royal Navy as the S-class destroyer HMS Shark but on completion was lent to the Norwegian Armed Forces in exile. Svenner was sunk off Sword, one of the Allied landing zones in Normandy, at dawn on 6 June 1944 while supporting the British Army Normandy landings. It was the only Allied ship to be sunk by the Kriegsmarine during the morning of the invasion.

HMS Kashmir (F12) was a K-class destroyer built for the Royal Navy during the 1930s, named after the princely state of Kashmir in British India.

HMS Redoubt was an R-class destroyer built for the Royal Navy during the Second World War.

HNLMS Van Galen was a N-class destroyer built for the Royal Navy during the Second World War and transferred to the Royal Netherlands Navy shortly after completion. The Dutch changed the pennant numbers several times G-84, J-3, JT-3, and D-803.

HMS Pathfinder was a P-class destroyer built for the Royal Navy during the Second World War. She was damaged while serving in the Far East, and was scrapped after the end of the war.

HMS Kipling (F91) was a K-class destroyer built for the Royal Navy during the 1930s.

HMS Milne was a M-class destroyer of the Royal Navy which served during World War II. She was equipped as a flotilla leader.

HMS Loyal was a L-class destroyer built for the Royal Navy in the late 1930s, although she was not completed until after World War II had begun.

HMS Cavendish was one of eight C-class destroyers built for the Royal Navy during the Second World War. Commissioned in late 1944, she was built as a flotilla leader with additional accommodation for staff officers. The ship was assigned to the Home Fleet in 1945 after working up where she escorted capital ships of the fleet. Cavendish was sold for scrap in 1967.

HMS Caesar was one of thirty-two C-class destroyers built for the Royal Navy during the Second World War, a member of the eight-ship Ca sub-class. Commissioned in 1944, she was built as a flotilla leader with additional accommodation for staff officers. The ship was assigned to Home Fleet during 1944–1945 and escorted one Arctic convoy as well as the capital ships of the fleet.

HMS Cheviot was one of thirty-two C-class destroyers built for the Royal Navy during the Second World War, a member of the eight-ship Ch sub-class. Completed after the war, she was sold for scrap in 1962.

References

↑ Lenton, p. 174
↑ English, p. 51
↑ Ministry of Defence (Navy); Great Britain (1995). The advance to Japan. War with Japan. Vol. 6, Part 1. H.M. Stationery Office. p. 334. ISBN 9780117728219.
↑ "Family History - Royal Navy and Naval History.Net". naval-history.net. Retrieved 8 February 2024.
↑ Critchley, Mike, "British Warships Since 1945: Part 3: Destroyers", Maritime Books: Liskeard, UK, 1982. ISBN 0-9506323-9-2, page 52

Bibliography

Chesneau, Roger, ed. (1980). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1922–1946. Greenwich, UK: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-146-7.
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 (2001). Obdurate to Daring: British Fleet Destroyers 1941–45. Windsor, UK: World Ship Society. ISBN 978-0-9560769-0-8.
Friedman, Norman (2006). British Destroyers & Frigates: The Second World War and After. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-86176-137-6.
Lenton, H. T. (1998). British & Empire Warships of the Second World War. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-048-7.
Raven, Alan & Roberts, John (1978). War Built Destroyers O to Z Classes. London: Bivouac Books. ISBN 0-85680-010-4.
Rohwer, Jürgen (2005). Chronology of the War at Sea 1939–1945: The Naval History of World War Two (Third Revised ed.). Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-59114-119-2.
Whitley, M. J. (1988). Destroyers of World War 2. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-87021-326-1.

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.

[1] Lenton, p. 174

[2] English, p. 51

[3] Ministry of Defence (Navy); Great Britain (1995). The advance to Japan. War with Japan. Vol. 6, Part 1. H.M. Stationery Office. p. 334. ISBN 9780117728219.

[4] "Family History - Royal Navy and Naval History.Net". naval-history.net. Retrieved 8 February 2024.

[5] Critchley, Mike, "British Warships Since 1945: Part 3: Destroyers", Maritime Books: Liskeard, UK, 1982. ISBN 0-9506323-9-2, page 52

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

History
Racehorse on the River Clyde on completion, December 1942
United Kingdom
Name	HMS Racehorse
Builder	John Brown & Company, Clydebank
Launched	1942
Identification	Pennant number H11
Fate	Scrapped 1949
General characteristics
Class and type	R-class destroyer
Displacement	1,705 long tons (1,732 t) (standard) 2,425 long tons (2,464 t) (deep load)
Length	358 ft 3 in (109.2 m) (o/a)
Beam	35 ft 8 in (10.9 m)
Draught	13 ft 6 in (4.1 m) (deep)
Installed power	40,000 shp (30,000 kW) 2 × Admiralty 3-drum boilers
Propulsion	2 × shafts; 2 × Parsons geared steam turbines
Speed	36 knots (67 km/h; 41 mph)
Range	4,675 nmi (8,658 km; 5,380 mi) at 20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph)
Sensors and processing systems	Radar Type 290 air warning Radar Type 285 ranging & bearing
Armament	5 × single QF 4.7-inch (120 mm) Mk.IX guns 1 × quadruple QF 2-pdr Mk.VIII AA guns 6 × single QF 20 mm Oerlikon AA guns 2 × quadruple 21-inch torpedo tubes 4 × throwers and 2 × racks for 70 depth charges