Recognition Guide Warships of the Second World War
Royal Navy — Destroyer R42

HMS Undine (R42)

U-class destroyer

HMS Undine (R42)
Royal Navy official photographer — This photograph FL 20414 comes from the collections of the Imperial War Museums (collection no. 8308-29) — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons Plate — R42 Photograph of British destroyer HMS Undine .

Service

  1. Royal Navy as HMS Undine23 December 1943 — 1960619 days of the war
U-class destroyer Particulars
Name
HMS Undine
Pennant / hull number
R42
Builder
John I. Thornycroft and Company
Laid down
18 March 1942
Launched
1 June 1943
Commissioned
23 December 1943
Decommissioned
1960
Fate
Sold for scrap, November 1965 (1965)
Status
Scrapped

Specifications — U class destroyer

Displacement, standard
1,777 long tons (1,806 t)
Displacement, full load
2,058 long tons (2,091 t)
Length
110.64 m (363 ft)
Beam
10.67 m (35 ft)
Draught
3.05 m (10 ft)
Speed
37 knots (68.5 km/h, 42.6 mph)
Range
4,860 nmi (9,001 km)
Complement
180
Main gun
40 mm (1.6 in)

HMS Undine was a U-class destroyer, operated by the Royal Navy. She carried the pennant number R42. Her keel was laid at John I. Thornycroft and Company on 18 March 1942. Launched on 1 June 1943, she entered service on 23 December 1943.

She was one of four ships of her class. The class followed the S and T-class destroyer and was succeeded by the W and Z-class destroyer.

Displacement was 1,777 long tons standard and 2,058 long tons at full load. She measured 110.6 m (363 ft) long with a beam of 10.7 m (35 ft). Her designed speed was 37 knots, and she carried a complement of 180. Her main battery was of 40 mm (1.6 in) calibre.

She was in commission for 619 days of the Second World War. She was decommissioned in 1960.

She was broken up for scrap in November 1965.

Written from the harvested record. Every figure above is sourced; the wording is this site's own.

Armament and machinery

This vessel is recorded in 2 configurations. Wartime refits changed armament and complement substantially, so each is kept separately rather than averaged into one set of figures. The figures above are as built.

U class destroyer
Propulsion
  • 2 × Admiralty 3-drum water-tube boilers
  • Geared steam turbines, 40000 shp
  • 2 shafts
Armament
  • Original configuration :
  • 4 × QF 4.7-inch (120-mm) Mk XII guns in single mountings CP Mk.XXII
  • 2 × QF 40 mm Bofors guns in twin mount Mk.IV
  • 6 × QF 20 mm Oerlikon guns; 2 × twin mounts Mk.V, 2 × single mounts Mk.III
  • 2 × quadruple tubes for 21 in torpedo Mk.IX
Type 15 frigate
Displacement, standard
2,300 long tons (2,337 t)
Length
109.12 m (358 ft) OA
Beam
11.28 m (37 ft)
Draught
4.27 m (14 ft)
Speed
31 knots (57.4 km/h, 35.7 mph)
Complement
174
Main gun
102 mm (4 in)
Propulsion
  • 2 × Admiralty 3-drum boilers
  • steam turbines on 2 shafts
  • 40,000 shp
Armament
  • 1 × twin 4 in gun Mark 19
  • 1 × twin 40mm Bofors Mk.5
  • 2 × Squid A/S mortar or
  • 2 × Limbo Mark 10 A/S mortar

Sister ships

Sources

  • Facts harvested from HMS Undine (R42) on Wikipedia. Figures only — no wording is taken from it.
  • Photograph: Royal Navy official photographer — This photograph FL 20414 comes from the collections of the Imperial War Museums (collection no. 8308-29) — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons