HMS Ashanti

Vessel name on Arrival: HMS Ashanti

Original Builder: William Denny & Brothers of Dumbarton, Scotland

Original Yard No: 1300

Official Number:

Vessel Type: destroyer

GRT: 1900

Year Built: 1938

Arrival Date: 04/02/1949

Breakup Started: 16/02/1949

Date First Beached: 07/12/1949

Date Breakup Completed: 19/04/1950

Draught For’d: 9' 0"

Draught Aft: 15' 6"

Name Changes:

Other Information:

Tribal Class Destroyer HMS ASHANTI for the Royal Navy               Displacement :  2,020 tons

                

Pennant Numbers : 

L 51  –   August 1938-December 1938

F 51  –   January 1939 – Autumn 1940

G 51 –   Autumn 1940 – April 1949

 

19-06-1936  :  Ordered 

23-11-1936  :  Laid Down

05-11-1937  :  Launched

21-12-1938  :  Completed

 

L.O.A.    :   114.9 mts.   (373' 5")

L.P.P.     :   108.4 mts.   (352' 4")

Draught :     11.1 mts.   (  36' 0")

 

Propulsion  :  Two Parsons Steam Turbines driving twin shafts/propellers, supplied by three Boilers

Output  :  44,000 HP

Speed  :  36 knots

Complement  :  190 men

 

Original Armaments  (Changed slightly in 1940)  :

8 x 120 mm guns  +  4 x 40 mm AA Canons  +  8 x AA 12.7 mm Machine Guns

4 x Torpedo Tubes  +  1 x Chute for 3 Drop Bombs  :  2 x Throwers for 20 Depth-Charges

 

HMS ASHANTI  –   EIGHT BATTLE HONOURS

Norway (1940)  :  Atlantic  (1940)  :  Malta Convoys  (1942)  :  North Africa  (1942-1944)

Arctic  (1943-1944)  :  English Channel  (1942-1943)  :  Normandy  (1944)  :  Biscay  (1944)

 

 Career Highlights
20th January 1939 – Arrived Portsmouth
1st March 1939 – At Kumasi
6th March 1939 – Sailed Takoradi for Gibraltar to rejoin Home Fleet
9th March 1939 – Arrived Freetown
10th March 1939 – Sailed Freetown
17th March 1939 – Arrived Gibraltar
28th April 1939 – Arrived Portland
8th May 1939 – Arrived Portland
30th July 1939 – Sailed Sheerness
August 1939 – 6th Destroyer Flotilla, Home Fleet
1st August 1939 – Arrived Invergordon
15th August 1939 – Sailed Scapa Flow for exercises
18th August 1939 – Arrived Scapa Flow for refuelling. Departed same day
21st August 1939 – Arrived Scapa Flow
22nd August 1939 – Sailed Scapa Flow for exercises
24th August 1939 – Sailed Stornoway
31st August 1939 – Sailed Scapa Flow for patrol off the Skagerrak
3rd September 1939 – 6th Destroyer Flotilla, Division 11, Home Fleet, Scapa Flow
6th September 1939 – Arrived Scapa Flow
1st October 1939 – Sailed Scapa Flow for Loch Ewe
2nd October 1939 – Arrived Loch Ewe
2nd October 1939 – Sailed Loch Ewe
4th October 1939 – Arrived Scapa Flow
8th October 1939 – Sailed Scapa Flow
11th October 1939 – Arrived Scapa Flow
14th October 1939 – At Scapa Flow
14th October 1939 – Commenced A/S operations within Scapa Flow
17th October 1939 – At Scapa Flow
22nd October 1939 – Ceased A/S operations within Scapa Flow
23rd October 1939 – Off Norwegian Coast
23rd October 1939 – Sailed Scapa Flow to escort an iron ore convoy from Narvik
3rd November 1939 – Joined Convoy ON.1
8th November 1939 – Joined Convoy HN.1
9th November 1939 – Arrived Bergen with Convoy ON.1
10th November 1939 – Arrived Methil with Convoy HN.1
15th November 1939 – Collided with HMS Punjabi at Rosyth. Then sailed Rosyth
19th November 1939 – Sailed Loch Ewe to hunt for a U-boat
21st November 1939 – Sailed Belfast to search for a submarine 70 miles NW of Rathli
21st November 1939 – Sailed Greenock for Belfast to escort the fleet tenders A & B to Rosyth
23rd November 1939 – Ordered to join Forbes at sea off the Mull of Kintyre
27th November 1939 – On Fair Isle Channel Patrol developed leak in reserve fuel tank, reducing her speed
28th November 1939 – Assigned to Fair Isle Channel patrol
30th November 1939 – To the west of Fair Isle Channel
3rd December 1939 – Sailed Scapa Flow for Liverpool to refit a leaking feed tank
31st December 1939 – At Liverpool repairing
12th January 1940 – Made two attacks on a submarine contact NNW of Great Orme's Head
18th January 1940 – Attacked Submarine contact ten miles 72° from North Rona
19th January 1940 – Sailed Loch Ewe with salvage ships Anchorite and Disperser for Scapa Flow.
20th January 1940 – Arrived at Rosyth from Loch Ewe, via Scapa Flow.
23rd January 1940 – Sailed Rosyth to hunt for a submarine reported off Kinnaird Head.
24th January 1940 – Attacked a submarine contact off Tod Head
24th January 1940 – Proceeded to Cowes for repairs and refit
31st January 1940 – At Cowes under repair
29th February 1940 – Under repair at Cowes
1st March 1942 – Escort for Russian Convoy PQ 12 and return QP 08 to Iceland
26th December 1943 – Participated in the Battle of North Cape
8th November 1948 – At Loch Striven for explosion Tests

 

At the end of the war in 1945, HMS Ashanti paid off and, after VJ Day, was placed in Reserve. 

In 1947 she was placed on the Disposal List then later used as for ship target trials in Loch Striven.

In 1948 she was sold for scrap, arriving at the WSSCL breakers at Troon on 04-02-1949