HMS Gurkha (F20)
HMS Gurkha in 1938
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| History | |
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 United Kingdom
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| Name: | Gurkha |
| Namesake: | Gurkha |
| Ordered: | 10 March 1936 |
| Builder: | Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company, Limited, Govan |
| Cost: | £340,997 |
| Laid down: | 6 July 1936 |
| Launched: | 7 July 1937 |
| Completed: | 21 October 1938 |
| Honours and awards: |
Norway 1940, North Sea 1940 |
| Fate: | Sunk, 9 April 1940 by bombers off Norway |
| Notes: | The name Gurkha was reused by an L-class destroyer |
| Badge: | On a Field Blue, two crossed Kukri proper |
| General characteristics (as built) | |
| Class and type: | Tribal-class destroyer |
| Displacement: | |
| Length: | 377 ft (115 m) (o/a) |
| Beam: | 36 ft 6 in (11.13 m) |
| Draught: | 11 ft 3 in (3.43 m) |
| Installed power: |
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| Propulsion: | 2 × shafts; 2 × geared steam turbines |
| Speed: | 36 knots (67 km/h; 41 mph) |
| Range: | 5,700 nmi (10,600 km; 6,600 mi) at 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph) |
| Complement: | 190 |
| Sensors and processing systems: |
ASDIC |
| Armament: |
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HMS Gurkha was a Tribal-class destroyer that saw active service in the Norway Campaign in 1940, where she was sunk.
On 10 March 1936, two Tribal-class destroyers were ordered from Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company, Gurkha (originally Ghurka) and Maori. Both ships were laid down at Fairfield's Govan, Glasgow shipyard on 6 July 1936, and Gurkha was launched on 7 July 1937. Like many of the Tribals, completion of Gurkha, originally scheduled for February 1938, was delayed by late delivery of equipment, and she was not completed until 21 October 1938.
Gurkha was 377 feet (114.91 m) long overall and 355 feet 6 inches (108.36 m) between perpendiculars. The ship's beam was 36 feet 6 inches (11.13 m) and draught 9 feet (2.74 m). Displacement was 1,854 long tons (1,884 t) standard and up to 2,519 long tons (2,559 t) under full load. Three Admiralty boilers raising steam at 300 pounds per square inch (2,100 kPa) and 620 °F (327 °C) fed Parsons single-reduction geared steam turbines that drove two propeller shafts, generating 44,000 shaft horsepower (33,000 kW) at 350 rpm. This was sufficient to give a speed of 36 knots (67 km/h; 41 mph). 525 tons of oil fuel were carried, giving a range of 5,700 nautical miles (10,600 km; 6,600 mi) at 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph) and 3,200 nautical miles (5,900 km; 3,700 mi) at 20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph). The ship's crew consisted of 190 officers and men.
The Tribals, including Gurkha had a main gun armament of eight 4.7-inch (120mm) QF Mark XII guns in four twin power-driven mounts. Separate Low-Angle and High-Angle gun directors were fitted for anti-ship and anti-aircraft fire, although the guns could only elevate to 40 degrees, which was judged to be sufficient for long-range anti-aircraft in defence of a fleet. High level air-attack was not judged to be a threat against fast and manoeuvrable ships like destroyers. Close-in anti aircraft armament consisted of a quadruple 2-pounder "pom-pom mount and two quadruple Vickers .50 machine guns. Torpedo armament consisted of a power-operated quadruple bank of 21-inch (530 mm) torpedo tubes. Anti-submarine armament consisted of two depth charge throwers and one rack, with a total of 30 depth charges carried.
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