HMS Daring (D05)

For other ships to have carried the name, see HMS Daring.
Daring at sea during her first commission (1952 - 1954)
Career (UK)
Name: HMS Daring
Builder: Swan Hunter, Tyne and Wear, United Kingdom
Laid down: 29 September 1945
Launched: 10 August 1949
Commissioned: 8 March 1952
Decommissioned: 9 October 1968
Motto: Splendide audax
("Finely Daring")
Fate: Sold for breaking, arriving at Blyth on 15 June 1971
Badge: On a Field Black, an arm and a hand in a cresset of fire all Proper
General characteristics
Class and type:Daring-class destroyer
Displacement:Standard: 2,830 tons, Full load: 3,820 tons
Length:390 ft (120 m)
Beam:53 ft (16 m)
Draught:13.6 ft (4.1 m)
Propulsion:2 Foster Wheeler boilers (650 psi, 850 °F), Parsons steam turbines, 2 shafts, 54,000 shp (40 MW)
Speed:30 kn (56 km/h)
Range:4,400 nmi (8,100 km) at 20 kn (37 km/h)
Complement:Approximately 300
Sensors and
processing systems:
Armament:

HMS Daring was the nameship of the Daring class of destroyers authorised in 1944. Between 1953 and 1957 they were reclassified as "Darings" and not included in the destroyer total, but from October 1957 they reverted to classification as destroyers.

Daring was built by Swan, Hunter and Wigham Richardson on the Tyne and engined by the Wallsend Slipway & Engineering Company. She was laid down on 29 September 1945; launched on 10 August 1949; and completed on 8 March 1952. She was the sixth ship of her name in the Royal Navy.[1]

Operational Service

A line drawing of a Daring-class destroyer

After commissioning, Daring served with the Mediterranean Fleet and Home Fleet, and took part in rescue operations following the earthquakes in Greece. In 1956, as leader of the 2nd Destroyer Squadron, she took part in the Suez Crisis in the Eastern Mediterranean after the Egyptian seizure of the Suez Canal.

Armament originally consisted of six 4.5 inch guns, six 40 mm AA guns, ten 21 in. torpedo tubes (five of which were removed in 1958 - 1959) and one Squid triple-barrelled depth-charge mortar. Power was provided by Parsons steam turbines giving 54,000 shp and a maximum sea speed of 30.5 knots. Three 6RPHZ Paxman's generators provided electrical supplies.

Commanding officers

FromToCaptain
8 March 195218 August 1952Capt Vernon John St. Clair-Ford MBE RN (died in command)
? 1952? 1952 Captain E Hale
? 1952? 1952 Commander J L Rathbone DSC
October 1952 25 February 1954 Captain P D Gick OBE DSC*[2]
25 February 1954August 1954Captain E A Blundell OBE
November 1956October 1958 Captain Graham James Balfour
20 January 1959December 1960Captain C P Mills CBE DSC
December 1960April 1963In reserve
April 1963December 1966Refit (Devonport)
February 19669 October 1968Commander J de B Suchlick

References

  1. "HMS Daring - History". Royal Navy Website. Retrieved 2008-05-12.
  2. "Unit Histories.com website". Retrieved 2008-05-27.

Publications

External links