HMS Quorn was a destroyer of the Royal Navy, built in 1940 and sunk off the Normandy coast on 3 August 1944. The class were named after British fox and stag hunts, in this case, the Quorn Hunt, which was originally based in Quorn Leicestershire.

Quorn was built by J. Samuel White and Co. at Cowes, Isle of Wight. A Type 1 Hunt-class destroyer, she was launched on 27 March 1940 and completed on 21 September 1940 with the pennant number L66. She was adopted by the civil community of Rushden, Northamptonshire, as part of Warship Week in 1942.

Service history

1941

Quorn joined the 21st Destroyer Flotilla at Harwich. The flotilla undertook convoy protection, anti-shipping and patrol duties. Quorn stayed with the flotilla for the whole of her commission. In April Quorn was superficially damaged by two delay-action bombs, that exploded from her port quarter.

In August whilst on passage from Harwich to Chatham, Quorn set off a mine off her port bow. She was repaired at Chatham Dockyard, that was completed in September. Those that survived the initial attack spent up to eight hours in the water before being rescued, and many of these died. One hundred and thirty of her crew were lost.

References

Publications

  • Colledge, J. J. & Warlow, Ben: Ships of the Royal Navy - The Complete Record of all Fighting Ships of the Royal Navy from the 15th Century to the Present. Newbury, UK: Casemate, 2010.
  • English, John: 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. Cumbria: World Ship Society, 1987.
  • Whitley, M. J.: Destroyers of World War Two – An International Encyclopedia: Arms and Armour, 1988.
  • HMS Quorn at Uboat.net