HMS Comet (R26)

HMS Comet, 19 September 1945
Career (UK)
Class and type:	C-class destroyer
Name:	HMS Comet
Builder:	Yarrow, Scotstoun
Laid down:	14 June 1943
Launched:	22 June 1944
Commissioned:	6 June 1945
Identification:	Pennant number: R26 (later D26)
Fate:	Scrapped
Status:	Arrived for breaking up at Troon on 23 June 1962
General characteristics
Displacement:	1,885 tons (1,915 tonnes) 2,545 tons full (2,585 tonnes)
Length:	362.75 ft (110.57 m) o/a
Beam:	35.75 ft (10.90 m)
Draught:	11.75 ft (3.58 m)
Propulsion:	2 Admiralty 3-drum boilers, Parsons single-reduction geared steam turbines, 40,000 shp (29.8 MW), 2 shafts
Speed:	36 knots (67 km/h) / 32 knots (59 km/h) full
Range:	4,675 nmi (8,658 km) at 20 knots (37 km/h) 1,400 nmi (2,600 km) at 32 knots (59 km/h)
Complement:	186
Sensors and processing systems:	Radar Type 275 fire control on director Mk.VI
Armament:	4 x QF 4.5 in L/45 guns Mark IV on mounts CP Mk.V 2 x Bofors 40 mm L/60 guns on twin mount Mk V 4 x anti-aircraft mountings; Single Bofors 40 mm Mk.III Single QF 2 - pdr Mk.VIII Mk.XVI Single Oerlikon 20 mm P Mk.III Twin Oerlikon 20 mm Mk.V 8 (2x4) tubes for 21-inch (530 mm) torpedoes Mk.IX 4 throwers and 2 racks for 96 depth charges

HMS Comet was a C-class destroyer of the Royal Navy, built by Yarrow at Scotstoun. She was launched on 22 June 1944 and commissioned on 6 June 1945.

Operational service

On commissioning Comet served as part of the 8th Destroyer Squadron in the Far East. She returned to the UK for a refit in 1948.^[1] She was given an interim modernization and was fitted for minelaying.^[2] She then served as part of the 6th Destroyer Squadron in the Home Fleet between 1953 and 1957.^[3]

Decommissioning and disposal

Comet was paid off in February 1958. Following her sale she arrived at the breakers yard for scrapping at Troon on 23 October 1962.

References

Publications

• 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. OCLC 67375475. 
• Marriott, Leo, Royal Navy Destroyers Since 1945. Ian Allen Ltd, 1989. ISBN 0 7110 1817 0
• 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.

C-class destroyers Ca- class Pellew / Cavalier Pique / Carysfort Ranger / Caesar Sibyl / Cavendish Spitfire / Cambrian Strenuous / Carron Swallow / Caprice Tourmaline / Cassandra Ch- class Champion / Chequers Chaplet Charity Cheviot Chevron Chieftain Childers Chivalrous Co- class Cockade Comet Comus Consort Constance Contest Corso / Concord Cossack Cr- class Craccher / Crispin Creole Crescent Cretan / Cromwell Crown Croziers Crusader Crystal   Other operators  Royal Canadian Navy Crescent Crusader  Royal Norwegian Navy Oslo (ex-Crown) Bergen (ex-Cromwell) Trondheim (ex-Croziers) Stavanger (ex-Crystal)  Pakistan Navy Alamgir (ex-Creole) Jahangir (ex-Crispin) Shah Jahan (ex-Charity) Taimur (ex-Chivalrous) Preceded by: Z class Followed by: Weapon class List of destroyers of the Royal Navy