HMS Chiddingfold (L31)
 HMS Chiddingfold on completion
| |
| History | |
|---|---|
 United Kingdom | |
| Name | HMS Chiddingfold |
| Ordered | 4 September 1939 |
| Builder | Scotts at Greenock |
| Laid down | 1 March 1940 |
| Launched | 10 March 1941 |
| Commissioned | 16 October 1941 |
| Identification | pennant number:L31 |
| Fate | Sold to Indian Navy |
 India | |
| Name | INS Ganga |
| Namesake | Ganga River (the Ganges) |
| Acquired | April 1952 |
| Commissioned | 18 June 1953 |
| Decommissioned | 1975 |
| Identification | D94 |
| Fate | Scrapped |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Type II Hunt-class destroyer |
| Displacement |
|
| Length | 85.3 m (279 ft 10 in) o/a |
| Beam | 9.6 m (31 ft 6 in) |
| Draught | 2.51 m (8 ft 3 in) |
| Propulsion |
|
| Speed |
|
| Range | 3,600 nmi (6,700 km) at 14 kn (26 km/h) |
| Complement | 164 |
| Armament |
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HMS Chiddingfold (L31) was a Type II Hunt-class destroyer of the Royal Navy. She was leased to the Indian Navy in 1952 where she served as INS Ganga (D94).
[]
Chiddingfold was ordered on 4 September 1939 under the 1939 War Emergency Build Programme. She was laid down as Job No. J1115.[1] She was commissioned around October 1941.
She earned battle honours in World War II for Norway, 1941 and English Channel, 1945.
Following the war, she was reduced to Reserve status early in 1946 and laid-up on 25 March 1946. In 1950 she was transferred to the Reserve Fleet at Harwich and remained there until 1952 when she was towed to Liverpool for a refit.[2]
[]
The lease of Chiddingfold to India was announced on 17 June 1952. She underwent a refit by Messrs Crichton at Liverpool which was completed in June 1953.
She was commissioned as INS Ganga on 18 June 1953. The lease was extended in August 1956, and she was sold to India in April 1958. Along with two other Hunt-class destroyers in Indian service (Godavari and Gomati), she constituted the 22nd Destroyer Squadron.[3]
She was deployed as a training ship until 1975, when she was struck from the active list, before being sold for scrapping.
References[]
- ^ Naval History
- ^ Critchley, Mike, "British Warships Since 1945: Part 3: Destroyers", Maritime Books: Liskeard, UK, 1982. ISBN 0-9506323-9-2, page 34
- ^ Blackman, Raymond V B, Jane's Fighting Ships 1963-4, Sampson Low, Marston & Co. Ltd, London, p123
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.
- The Hunts: a history of the design, development and careers of the 86 destroyers of this class built for the Royal and Allied Navies during World War II, John English, World Ship Society, 1987, ISBN 0-905617-44-4
| Commissioned ships |
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| Decommissioned ships |
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| Future ships |
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- Hunt-class destroyers of the Indian Navy
- 1941 ships
- Hunt-class destroyers of the Royal Navy