The destroyer HMS Foresight was built by Cammell Laird & Co Ltd in 1935. HMS Foresight was serving with the 8th Destroyer Flotilla when war broke out. In June 1940 she became one of the founder members of Force H. She was temporarily detached from Force H for the abortive expedition to Dakar in the course of which she sunk a submarine that had torpedoed the battleship HMS Resolution.
She re-joined Force H in January 1941 and took part in the bombardment of Genoa. The next few months were spent providing cover for Malta bound convoys. In July, whilst taking part in Operation Substance, she had the unpleasant duty of having to sink HMS Fearless after the latter had been disabled and set on fire. During the month of October HMS Foresight was also involved in escort duties in the Atlantic before re-joining the Home Fleet.
1942 saw her on escort duty with the Russian convoys. Once again HMS Foresight had the unpleasant task of having to sink another British warship. This time HMS Edinburgh after the latter had been torpedoed by German destroyers.
In August 1942 she in turn had to be sunk by the guns of HMS Tartar after an unsuccessful attempt to tow her to Gibraltar following the successful torpedo attack on her by Italian and German aircraft.
Gibraltar Philatelic.
Gibraltar SG593
Built by Cammell Laird at Liverpool under 1932 Programme, Ordered: 17 March 1933, 1933 Naval Programme, Laid down: 21 July 1933, Launched: 29 June 1934, Commissioned: 15 May 1935, Fate: Sunk, Operation Pedestal, August 1942
General characteristics:
Class and type: F class destroyer, Displacement: 1,405 long tons (1,428 t) standard, 1,940 long tons (1,970 t) full load, Length: 318 ft 3 in (97.00 m) p/p, 329 ft (100 m) o/a, Beam: 33 ft 3 in (10.13 m), Draught: 12 ft 6 in (3.81 m), Propulsion: 3 × Admiralty 3-drum boilers, 300 psi, 2 shaft Parsons geared turbines, 36,000 shp (27,000 kW), Speed: 36 knots (41 mph; 67 km/h), Range: 6,000 nmi (11,000 km) at 15 kn (17 mph; 28 km/h), Endurance: 471 tons fuel oil, Complement: 145 (173 in 1942), Armament: • 4 × 4.7 inch/45 (120 mm) Mk XVIII (4×1), • 8 × .50 inch Vickers machine guns (2×4), • 5 × .303 inch machine guns (5×1), • 8 × 21 inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes (2×4), • 2 × depth charge racks, • 60 depth charges, 1940:• 4 × 21 inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes replaced by, • 1 × 3 in (76.2 mm)/50 and 2 × 20 mm Oerlikon (2×1)
HMS FORESIGHT was a Royal Navy F class destroyer. She operated as a fast minesweeper during World War II and was scuttled after being damaged in an aerial attack during Operation Pedestal, an attempt to bring supplies to Malta.
On 18 June 1941 FORESIGHT took part in the sinking of the German submarine U-138 west of Spain, together with her sister ships HMS FAULKNOR, HMS FEARLESS, HMS FORESTER and HMS FOXHOUND.
On 6 April 1942 she left Scapa Flow for a routine convoy patrol, escorting convoy PQ14. Of the twenty four ships that made up the convoy, sixteen were forced by unseasonal ice and bad weather to return to Iceland and another was sunk by a U-Boat. Along with the remaining seven convoy vessels, FORESIGHT arrived in Murmansk on 19 April. She left, on 29 April, to cover the return convoy QP11. On 30 April the German submarine U-456 (under the command of Captain Max-Martin Teichert), which had been alerted to the presence of the convoy by German aerial reconnaissance whilst en route from the Kola Peninsula, fired a torpedo into the starboard side of the cruiser HMS EDINBURGH. The ship began to list heavily. Soon after, Teichert launched a second torpedo, which struck the stern of Edinburgh, wrecking her steering equipment and effectively crippling her. Taken in tow, she attempted to limp back to Murmansk but was hounded constantly by German torpedo bombers. On 2 May she was attacked by three German destroyers off Bear Island and torpedoed yet again. As she began to sink, her crew abandoned the ship and took refuge in accompanying destroyers. FORESIGHT had the task of scuttling the cruiser.
War History – August 1942
August3rd Deployed as escort for HM Battleships NELSON and RODNEY with 11 other Home Fleet destroyers covering passage of Malta relief convoy WS21 (Note: To be deployed in the minesweeping role in Skerki Channel approach to Malta.)
10th Deployed as part of Force Z (HMS NELSON, HMS RODNEY, HM Aircraft Carriers EAGLE, INDOMITABLE and FURIOUS, HM Cruisers PHOEBE, SIRIUS and CHARYBDIS on entry to Mediterranean.
12th Under heavy sustained air attacks during and sustained casualties. One officer and three ratings were killed. During passage through Sicilian Narrows hit aft by torpedo from aircraft. Serious damage and flooding aft immobilised ship Ship north of Bizerta in position 37.40N 10.00E. Taken in tow by HM Destroyer TARTAR which later had to be slipped carry out anti-submarine operations when HMS EAGLE was sunk in an attack by U73. On return of HMS TARTAR it was clear that further attempt to save ship in a hazardous situation was not possible.
13th Sunk by torpedo from HMS TARTAR
Sources: Wikipedia. http://www.naval-history.net/xGM-Chrono ... esight.htm.
Mr P Crichton