HMS Campbeltown

HMS Campbeltown(I42)

Taken after ramming the gates

Navy:	Royal Navy
Type:	Destroyer
Class:	Town
Pennant:	I 42
Built by:	Bath Iron Works (Bath, Maine, U.S.A.)
Laid down:	29 Jun, 1918
Launched:	2 Jan, 1919
Commissioned:	9 Sep, 1940
Complement:	146
Lost:	28 March, 1942 (Lt. Cdr. Stephen Beattie, RN) The Destroyer was used as a explosive vessel against the gates of the massive dry dock Normandy at St. Nazaire, France (to deny large German surface ships the use of it for repair). The commander of the destroyer, Lt. Cdr. Stephen Beattie, who was taken prisoner of war, was awarded the Victoria Cross for this raid.

History:	Upon her arrival at Devonport, England, 29 September 1940, HMS Campbeltown was allocated to the 7th Escort Group, Liverpool, in the Western Approaches Comm and. In January 1941 she was provisionally allocated to the Royal Netherlands Navy, and had her funnels angled during this this.But reverted to the Royal Navy in September 1941. Between September 1941 and March 1942 she served with Atlantic convoys and was attacked on several occasions by enemy U-boats and aircraft, but escaped without damage. On 15 September 1941 she picked up the survivors of the Norwegian motor tanker Vinga, damaged by an enemy air attack
Former name:	USS Buchanan (DD 131)