HMS Consort (R76) explained

HMS Consort was one of thirty-two destroyers built for the Royal Navy during the Second World War, a member of the eight-ship Co sub-class.

Design and description

The Co sub-class was a repeat of the preceding Ch sub-class. Consort displaced 1865LT at standard load and 2515LT at deep load. They had an overall length of 362feet, a beam of 35feet and a deep draught of 15feet.[1]

The ships were powered by a pair of geared steam turbines, each driving one propeller shaft using steam provided by two Admiralty three-drum boilers. The turbines developed a total of 40000ihp and gave a speed of 36kn at normal load.[2] During her sea trials, Consort reached a speed of at a load of 2356LT.[3] The Co sub-class carried enough fuel oil to give them a range of 4675nmi at . The ships' complement was 186 officers and ratings.[1]

The main armament of the destroyers consisted of four QF 4.5adj=onNaNadj=on Mk IV dual-purpose guns, one superfiring pair each fore and aft of the superstructure protected by partial gun shields. Their anti-aircraft suite consisted of one twin-gun stabilised Mk IV "Hazemeyer" mount for 40mm Bofors guns and two single 2-pounder (40 mm) AA guns amidships, and single mounts for a 20mm Oerlikon AA gun on the bridge wings.[1] The ships were fitted with one quadruple mount for 21-inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes.[4] The ships were equipped with a pair of depth charge rails and two throwers for 35 depth charges.[5]

Construction and career

Consort was ordered from Alexander Stephens & Sons and the ship was laid down on 26 May 1943 at its shipyard in Linthouse, launched on 19 October 1944 and was commissioned on 19 March 1946.[1]

Consort was damaged by artillery fire during the Yangtze Incident in an attempt to tow the sloop from a mudbank, taking 56 direct hits, and causing casualties of 23 wounded and a further ten dead.[6]

Following decommissioning she was sold to the Prince of Wales Drydock Co., of Swansea, Wales, for scrap and arrived there on 15 March 1961.[7]

Bibliography

Notes and References

  1. Lenton, p. 183
  2. Whitley, p. 136
  3. March, p. 429
  4. Chesneau, p. 43
  5. March, p. 424
  6. Book: Cotterell, Arthur . Western power in Asia: its slow rise and swift fall, 1415-1999 . limited . . 26 January 2010 . 978-0-470-82489-4 . 307.
  7. English, p. 139