HMS Hesperus, was a Havant class destroyer, contructed for the Brazilian Navy as the Juruena, purchased in its unfinished state and launched as HMS Hearty in August 1939. She was renamed in March 1940. Initially deployed to the Faroe Islands she was subsequently detached to assist in the naval operations connected with the capture of Narvik. She was damaged during an air attack and forced to return to UK for repairs in May 1940. Returning to duty after a 4 week absence she was attached the 9th Destroyer Flotilla and spent a good part of 10 months patrolling convoy routes.
She joined Force H on temporary loan in April 1941 where she acted as escort to a number of Malta convoys before being transferred to the newly formed Newfoundland Escort Force based at St Johns in July 1941. Following a brief spell with this force she was reallocated to the Western Approaches Command and based at Liverpool. Returning to Force H in December 1941 she was employed in providing local escort protection to convoys. During one such operation she encountered U-Boat (U-93) which she sunk after discharging her depth charges, taking 40 prisoners.
She spent most of 1942 and 1943 shepherding convoys across the Atlantic, rescuing survivors of torpedoed ships and carrying out attacks against enemy submarines. During this period she was credited with 3 successful attacks on U-Boats - U357 in December 1942, U191 in April 1943 and U186 in May 1943.
A brief refit in January 1944 put her out of action for 2 months and on resumption of duties was allocated to the Western Approaches Command and subsequently transferred to the 14th Escort Group in January 1945. On cessation of hostilities she was allocated as an FAA Target ship and paid off into the Reserve Fleet in May 1946 and sold for scrap a year later.
Gibraltar Philatelic.
Gibraltar SG651