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Wednesday 25 January 2017

British destroyer HMS Duchess sunk after collision according to the Dutch newspaper Nieuwsblad van Friesland dated 15 December 1939

Barham of the Queen Elizabetth-class

An item referred to a statement of the British department of navy reporting that after a collision the British destroyer HMS Duchess sunk. She was a destroyer of the Defender-class built under the 1930 program. Displacement 1.375 tons. Standard crew numbered 145 men. Just one officer and 22 men were saved. The other warship (2) involved in the collision was not damaged.(1)

Notes
1. Part of the D-class. Building ordered on 2 February 1931, laid down by palmers Shipbuilding and Iron Company, Jarrow, England on 12 June 1921, launched on 19 July 1932, commissioned on 24 January 133 and sunk on 12 December 1939 in collision with the British battleship HMS Barham. She capsized and with the depth charges exploding were 124 members of her crew killed. Displacement of 1,397 (standard)-1.920 (deep load) tons. The Barham
2. Part of the Queen Elizabeth-classs consisting of the Queen Elizabeth, Malaya, Warspite, Valiant, Barham, Malaya and the in 1914 cancelled Agincourt. Preceded by the Iron Duke-class and succeeded by the Revenge-class. Pennant 04. Laid down at John Brown, Clydebank, Scotland on 24 February 1913, launched on 31 October 1914, commissioned on 19 October 1915, modernized 1921-1922, November 1924-January 1925, begin 1928 and January 1931-January 1934 and sunk in the Mediterranean after leaving Alexandria, Egypt on the 24th taking with her 862 men after she was torpedoed by the German submarine U-311 on 25 November 1941. Building costs 2.470.113 pond sterling. Displacement 33.110 (normal)-33.794 (deep load) tons.