ROYAL NAVY SOUTH ATLANTIC COMMAND - ROYAL NAVY N P Q R 16 SHIPS
13)RAPID (DESTROYER)
Photo. IWM FLS 1765. HMS_Rapid_1943_IWM_FL_1765.jpg
Completed: 16 Jul 1942
Commissioned: 20 feb 1943
Displacement: 1710 ton 2,425 Full Load
Length: 358.25 ft (109.19 m) o/a
Beam: 35.75 ft (10.90 m)
Draught: 9.5 ft (2.9 m)
Propulsion: 2 x Admiralty 3-drumwater tube boilers, Parsons geared steam turbines, 40,000 shp (30,000 kW) on 2 shafts
Speed: 36 kn (67 km/h)
Range: 4,675 nmi (8,658 km) at 20 knots (37 km/h)
Sensors and processing systems:
Radar Type 285 ranging & bearing
Radar Type 290 Air warning
Complement 174
Armament: 1 x twin 4" gun Mark 19, 1 x twin 40mm Bofors Mk.5, 2 x Squid A/S mortar or 2 x Limbo Mark 10 A/S mortar
Nominated for Atlantic convoy defence and detached for escort of military convoy during Atlantic passage to Middle East.
Feb 16th 1943 Joined Convoy WS29 in Clyde with HM Cruiser NEWCASTLE as Ocean Escort.
Feb 28th 1943 Detached on arrival of WS29 at Freetown.
May 1943 Deployed at Freetown for convoy defence.
May 6th 1943 Joined WS29 on departure with HM Cruiser NEWCASTLE, HM Destroyers MALCOLM, BOREAS, WOLVERINE and WITCH as escort during passage to Cape of Good Hope
May 6th 1943. the HMS Rapid picked up one of the Lulworth Hill's liferafts. Of the 14 men that had survived the sinking, after 50 days adrift only two survived.
May 11th 1943. Detached from WS29 with HMS MALCOLM and HMS WOLVERINE on arrival of HM Destroyers RACEHORSE and RELENTLESS. Returned to Freetown.
Jun 3rd 1943. Joined military convoy WS30 At Freetown with HM Cruiser SUFFOLK. HM Armed Merchant Cruisers CARNARVON CASTLE and CORFU, HM Destroyers BOADICEA, WITCH and WOLVERINE as escort during passage to Cape.
June 9th 1943 Detached from WS30 with HMS MALCOLM and HMS WOLVERINE during passage on arrival of HM Destroyers NORMAN, QUADRANT and REDOUBT. Returned to Freetown
July 1943 Atlantic convoy defence based at Freetown in continuation.
July 12th 1943 Joined escort for military convoy WS31 during passage from Freetown to Cape of Good Hope as relief for HM Corvette ARMERIA, HM Destroyers FOXHOUND and and WITCH.
July 21st 1943 Detached from WS31 with HM Destroyers QUADRANT and REDOUBT on arrival at Cape Returned to Freetown
Fate: She became a target ship, being damaged by missiles launches from the guided missile destroyer Bristol in 1976. Following repairs in 1977 she was used as a target ship in Milford Haven. She was placed on the disposal list again in 1978. She was subsequently sunk in the Western Approaches by torpedoes from the submarine Onyx in 1981.
