HMS Tumult (R11)

For other ships with the same name, see HMS Tumult.

HMS Tumult during the eruption of Mount Vesuvius, 1944
History
United Kingdom
Name	HMS Tumult
Ordered	14 March 1941
Builder	John Brown & Company
Laid down	16 November 1941
Launched	9 November 1942
Commissioned	2 April 1943
Reclassified	Converted to Type 16 frigate 1949-50
Identification	pennant number R11/F121
Honours and awards	Atlantic 1943 Sicily 1943 Salerno 1943 Mediterranean 1943-44 Aegean 1943-44 Adriatic 1944 South France 1944 Atlantic 1944
Fate	Scrapped 25 October 1965
General characteristics
Class and type	T-class destroyer
Displacement	1,710 long tons (1,740 t) (standard) 2,530 long tons (2,570 t) (deep load)
Length	362 ft 9 in (110.6 m) (o/a)
Beam	35 ft 9 in (10.9 m)
Draught	14 ft 6 in (4.4 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	4 × single 4.7-inch (120 mm) Mark XII dual-purpose guns 1 × twin Bofors 40 mm AA guns 4 × twin QF 20 mm Oerlikon AA guns 2 × quadruple 21-inch torpedo tubes 4 × throwers and 2 × racks for 70 depth charges

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

Description

Tumult displaced 1,710 long tons (1,740 t) at standard load and 2,530 long tons (2,570 t) at deep load. She had an overall length of 362 feet 9 inches (110.6 m), a beam of 35 feet 8 inches (10.9 m) and a deep draught of 14 feet 6 inches (4.4 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). Tumult carried a maximum of 615 long tons (625 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 170 officers and ratings.

The ship was armed with four 45-calibre 4.7-inch (120 mm) Mark XII guns in dual-purpose mounts. For anti-aircraft (AA) defence, Tumult had one twin mount for Bofors 40 mm guns and four twin 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.

Second World War

On 29 November 1943 German U-boat U-86 was sunk east of the Azores, in position 40°52'N, 18°54'W, by depth charges from the British destroyers HMS Tumult and HMS Rocket (H92).

Construction and career

In 1946, Tumult was placed into reserve at Portsmouth. She remained in reserve until 1953 when was converted by Grayson Rollo at Birkenhead, into a Type 16 fast anti-submarine frigate, with the new pennant number F121. She emerged from the conversion in 1954. In November 1956 she was part of the 2nd Training Squadron at Portsmouth. Between December 1957 and December 1960 she was part of the Chatham reserve. From December 1960 until October 1965 she was part of the Rosyth reserve.

Following sale for scrap she was taken to Arnott Young at Dalmuir for breaking up, where she arrived on 25 October 1965.

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.
• 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.
• Whitley, M. J. (1988). Destroyers of World War 2. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-87021-326-1.

External links

• Naval-History.net HMS Tumult