HMS Laforey (G99)
Laforey in 1942
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| History | |
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 United Kingdom
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| Name: | HMS Laforey |
| Ordered: | 31 March 1938 |
| Builder: | Yarrow Shipbuilders, Scotstoun, Glasgow |
| Laid down: | 1 March 1939 |
| Launched: | 15 February 1941 |
| Commissioned: | 26 August 1941 |
| Identification: | pennant number: G99 |
| Fate: | Torpedoed and sunk by U-223 on 30 March 1944 |
| Badge: | On a Field Blue, a lion's gamb Gold holding a torch in flamed Proper. |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type: | L-class destroyer |
| Displacement: | 1,920 tons |
| Length: | 362.5 ft (110.5 m) |
| Beam: | 36.7 ft (11.2 m) |
| Draught: | 10 ft (3.0 m) |
| Propulsion: |
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| Speed: | 36 kt (66.7 km/h) |
| Range: | 5,500 nmi (10,200 km) at 15 knots (28 km/h) |
| Complement: | 221 |
| Armament: |
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HMS Laforey was a L-class destroyer of the Royal Navy. She was commissioned in and served during the Second World War, and was torpedoed and sunk by a U-boat in 1944. She had been adopted by the civil community of Northampton in November 1941.
Laforey was ordered from the yards of Yarrow Shipbuilders, Scotstoun, Glasgow on 31 March 1938 under the 1937 Naval Estimates. She was laid down on 1 March 1939 at the same time as her sister, Lance. She was launched on 15 February 1941 and commissioned on 26 August 1941. She cost £445,684, excluding items such as weapons and communications equipment supplied by the Admiralty. On commissioning she was assigned to the 19th Destroyer Flotilla of the Home Fleet as the Flotilla leader.
Laforey was almost immediately reassigned to the Mediterranean, where she joined Force H in escorting a relief convoy to Malta as part of Operation Halberd. Despite heavy air attacks, the convoy reached Malta on 28 September, and Laforey returned to Gibraltar with the ships of Force X. In October she was permanently assigned to Force H, to carry out convoy escort duties, and fleet screening patrols. On 10 November she and the destroyers Lightning, Legion, Sikh, Zulu, Gurkha and the Dutch HNLMS Isaac Sweers were deployed to escort the cruiser Hermione, the battleship Malaya and the aircraft carriers Ark Royal and Argus during an operation to deliver aircraft to Malta. Ark Royal was torpedoed by the German submarine U-81 on 13 November as the task force returned to Gibraltar. Laforey made several unsuccessful anti-submarine attacks against suspected sonar contacts, before standing by the stricken carrier. Later in the day, Laforey ran power cables across to Ark Royal to support damage control measures. These were ultimately unsuccessful and Ark Royal sank the next day, and Laforey returned to Gibraltar.
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