HMS Codrington was a flotilla leader for the A-class destroyers built for the Royal Navy (RN) during the 1920s. She was the only ship of the Royal Navy to bear the name Codrington, which honored Admiral Sir Edward Codrington (1770–1851), who commanded the allied fleet at the Battle of Navarino and had earlier served as captain of HMS Orion at the Battle of Trafalgar.
Construction and specifications
HMS Codrington was ordered on 6 March 1928 from Swan Hunter & Wigham Richardson of Wallsend under the 1927 Naval Estimates. She was laid down on 20 June 1928, launched on 8 August 1929, and commissioned on 4 June 1930. As a flotilla leader, she was nearly 200 long tons larger than the other A-class destroyers, displacing 1,540 long tons (1,565 t) at standard load and 2,012 long tons (2,044 t) at deep load. She had an overall length of 343 feet (104.5 m), a beam of 33 feet 9 inches (10.3 m), and a draught of 19 feet 9 inches (6 m) at deep load.
The ship was powered by two Parsons geared steam turbines driving two propeller shafts, supplied with steam by three Admiralty three-drum boilers. The turbines developed 39,000 shaft horsepower (29,000 kW) for a designed speed of 35 knots, though she exceeded this during sea trials in February 1930, reaching 37.74 knots. Her main armament consisted of five single QF 4.7-inch (120 mm) Mark IX guns, two single 2-pounder (40 mm) anti-aircraft guns, and two quadruple 21-inch (533 mm) torpedo tube mounts. She also carried depth charges. Her complement was 185 officers and ratings.
Pre-war service
After working up, Codrington became leader of the 3rd Destroyer Flotilla of the Mediterranean Fleet in July 1930. She underwent refits at Devonport in 1931 and 1932. On 12 June 1934, she collided with the destroyer Acasta, with both ships receiving minor damage and no injuries. Following the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War in July 1936, Codrington carried out patrols off the Spanish coast. In August 1936, she came to the aid of the British steamer Gibel Jerom, which had been stopped by a Spanish Republican cruiser, and escorted it back to Gibraltar. She returned to Britain in March 1937 and was later attached to the Royal Naval Engineering College at Keyham, Plymouth, in October 1938.
Second World War service
Recommissioned in August 1939, Codrington became part of the 19th Destroyer Flotilla based at Dover. During September and October 1939, she escorted convoys carrying the British Expeditionary Force to France. In December 1939, she transported King George VI to and from Boulogne, and in January 1940 she carried Winston Churchill, then First Lord of the Admiralty, on a visit to France. In March 1940, she became flotilla leader of the 1st Destroyer Flotilla at Harwich.
In April 1940, Codrington took part in the Norwegian campaign, screening capital ships and escorting convoys transporting troops and supplies. She bombarded German gun positions and railway targets near Narvik. Following the German invasion of France and the Low Countries in May 1940, she returned to Dover. On 13 May, she evacuated members of the Dutch royal family from IJmuiden to Britain.
Dunkirk evacuation
Codrington played a significant role in the evacuation of troops from Dunkirk (Operation Dynamo) between 28 May and 3 June 1940, making multiple trips and transporting thousands of troops to Dover. Her evacuations included 866 men on 28 May, 766 on 29 May, 799 on 30 May, 909 on 31 May, 746 on 1 June (including Major-General Bernard Montgomery), 878 on 2 June, and 44 on 3 June. She also participated in later evacuation operations off the French coast in June 1940.
Loss and salvage
On 27 July 1940, while anchored alongside the submarine tender Sandhurst at Dover for demagnetization and boiler cleaning, Codrington was attacked by Messerschmitt Bf 109 fighter-bombers of Erprobungsgruppe 210. A near-miss bomb broke her back and riddled her hull with holes; only three men were wounded. The sinking was not made public until 18 May 1945 for security reasons. Salvage work began in 1941, with much of the structure above water removed. The hull was partially refloated and demolished over several years, with the ultimate disposition of the wreck being unknown.
