HMS Croome (L62)

Croome underway during World War II
History
United Kingdom
Name:	HMS Croome
Builder:	Alexander Stephen and Sons
Laid down:	7 June 1940
Launched:	30 January 1941
Commissioned:	29 June 1941
Identification:	pennant number: L62
Fate:	Scrapped at Briton Ferry, Wales on 13 August 1957.
Badge:	L62
General characteristics
Class and type:	Type II Hunt-class destroyer
Displacement:	1,050 long tons (1,070 t) standard 1,430 long tons (1,450 t) full load
Length:	85.3 m (279 ft 10 in) o/a
Beam:	9.6 m (31 ft 6 in)
Draught:	2.51 m (8 ft 3 in)
Propulsion:	2 Admiralty 3-drum boilers 2 shaft Parsons geared turbines, 19,000 shp (14,000 kW)
Speed:	27 knots (31 mph; 50 km/h) 25.5 kn (29.3 mph; 47.2 km/h) full
Range:	3,600 nmi (6,700 km) at 14 kn (26 km/h)
Complement:	164
Armament:	6 × QF 4-inch (102 mm) Mark XVI on twin mounts Mk. XIX 4 × QF 2 pdr Mk. VIII on quad mount MK.VII 2 × 20 mm Oerlikons on single mounts P Mk. III 110 depth charges, 2 throwers, 3 racks

HMS Croome was a Type II Hunt-class destroyer of the Royal Navy. She served during the Second World War, spending much of the time in the Mediterranean, operating from the ports at Gibraltar and Alexandria.

On 8 September 1941 Croome was escorting Convoy OG 75, en route from Liverpool to Gibraltar. While conducting a forward sweep Croome spotted the Italian submarine Baracca on the surface at 8,500 yards. Baracca dived as Croome turned towards her at full speed. After two depth-charge attacks, Baracca surfaced astern of Croome, which opened fire with all guns as she went about. The Italian submarine returned fire with her main gun but the shots went wide, the gun deck was then cleared by Croome's Lewis guns. As Croome approached, the Italians began to abandon ship. Croome rammed Baracca just abaft the conning tower. The submarine sank immediately by the stern and exploded underwater. After picking up survivors, Croome headed for Gibraltar while the crew shored-up the flooded forward compartments, damaged by the ramming. A DSO, a DSC and two DSMs were awarded for the action. 28 Italians were killed.

On 15 December 1941 Croome and the destroyers Gurkha, Foxhound and HMAS Nestor were detached from Force H to run a sweep ahead of convoy HG 76. Nestor found and sank the German submarine U-127 with all hands.