Limbourne was one of seven Type III Hunt-class destroyers ordered for the Royal Navy on 4 July 1940, as part of the 1940 War Emergency Programme.[3] The Hunt class was meant to fill the Royal Navy's need for a large number of small destroyer-type vessels capable of both convoy escort and operations with the fleet. The Type III Hunts differed from the previous Type II ships in replacing a twin 4-inch gun mount by two torpedo tubes to improve their ability to operate as destroyers.[4][5]
The Type III Hunts were 264 feet 3 inches (80.54 m) long between perpendiculars and 280 feet (85.34 m) overall, with a beam of 31 feet 6 inches (9.60 m) and draught 7 feet 9 inches (2.36 m). Displacement was 1,050 long tons (1,070 t) standard and 1,490 long tons (1,510 t) under full load. Two Admiralty boilers raising steam at 300 pounds per square inch (2,100 kPa) and 620 °F (327 °C) fed Parsons single-reduction geared steam turbines that drove two propeller shafts, generating 19,000 shaft horsepower (14,000 kW) at 380 rpm. This gave a design maximum speed of 27 knots (50 km/h; 31 mph).[6] 345 long tons (351 t) of oil fuel were carried, giving a range of 3,700 nautical miles (6,900 km; 4,300 mi) at 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph).[7]
In January and February 1943 Limbourne escorted convoys between the UK and Gibraltar, while in March, the ship was under repair at Portsmouth, with a propeller being replaced.[1][10] Following the completion of these repairs, Limbourne was deployed on escort and anti-submarine patrol duties in the Western Approaches and the Bay of Biscay, together with operations against German convoys in the English Channel.[1][10] On the night of 3/4 October 1943, Limbourne, together with Talybont, Wensleydale and the destroyers Grenville and Ulster, was on patrol off the coast of Brittany when they encountered five German torpedo boats (T22, T23, T25, T26 and T27). In the resulting exchange of fire, Limbourne was hit by a German shell and sustained slight damage.[10][11][12]
On 23 October Limbourne was sailing with the light cruiser HMS Charybdis and five other destroyers, when they were engaged by a number of large German Type 39 torpedo boats.[1][2] Both ships were hit by torpedoes. T22 scored a hit on Limbourne exploding the forward magazine. 40 crewmembers of Limbourne were killed. Attempts were made to tow her back to port, for repairs.[13] The tow attempts had to be abandoned, and she was scuttled.
In 2011 the BBC News reported that "The incident was used as an illustration of what not to do by the Royal Navy tactical school."[14] They reported that the Royal Navy ships were sunk by a smaller but better trained German force.
^ ab"HMS Charybdis and HMS Limbourne". The Royal Court of Guernsey. Retrieved 11 August 2019. HMS Charybdis and HMS Limbourne were sunk as a result of enemy action at sea on 23 October 1943 taking part in 'Operation Tunnel' off the north coast of Brittany near Les Sept Isles which lie south of the Channel islands.
^"HMS Limbourne survivor thanks Guernsey". BBC News. 3 October 2011. Retrieved 11 August 2019. The disaster struck on Operation Tunnel when, due to errors made ashore and afloat, the British task force was outmanoeuvred by a smaller but better trained enemy force.
References
Barnett, Corelli (2000). Engage The Enemy More Closely. London: Penguin. ISBN0-141-39008-5.
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. World Ship Society. ISBN0-905617-44-4.
Gardiner, Robert; Chesneau, Roger, eds. (1980). Conway's All The World's Fighting Ships 1922–1946. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN0-85177-146-7.
Kemp, Paul (1999). The Admiralty Regrets: British Warship Losses of the 20th Century. Stroud, UK: Sutton Publishing. ISBN0-7509-1567-6.
Lenton, H.T. (1970). Navies of the Second World War: British Fleet & Escort Destroyers Volume Two. London: Macdonald & Co. ISBN0-356-03122-5.
Rohwer, Jürgen; Hümmelchen, Gerhard (1992). Chronology of the War at Sea 1939–1945. London: Greenhill Books. ISBN1-85367-117-7.
Roskill, S. W. (1960). The War at Sea 1939–1945: Volume III: The Offensive: Part I: 1st June 1943–31st May 1945. History of the Second World War: United Kingdom Military Series. London: Her Majesty's Stationery Office.
Whitley, M. J. (2000). Destroyers of World War Two: An International Encyclopedia. London: Cassell & Co. ISBN1-85409-521-8.
Further reading
Whitby, Michael (2022). "The Challenges of Operation 'Tunnel', September 1943 — April 1944". In Jordan, John (ed.). Warship 2022. Oxford: Osprey Publishing. pp. 29–46. ISBN978-1-4728-4781-2.