HMS_Contest_(R12)

HMS <i>Contest</i> (R12)

HMS Contest (R12)

C-class destroyer

For other ships with the same name, see HMS Contest.

HMS Contest was a C-class destroyer of the Royal Navy, built by J. Samuel White, Cowes. Laid down on 1 November 1943 and commissioned on 9 November 1945, she was the Royal Navy's first all-welded warship.[1][2][3][4] She was scrapped in 1960.

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Operational service

On commissioning Contest served as part of the 8th Destroyer Squadron in the Far East.

In 1947, Contest was ordered to the Solomon Islands as a deterrence against feared violence when the leaders of the Maasina Ruru independence movement were arrested.[5] While on passage back to the UK from the Far East in December 1947, Contest and sister ship Cockade were diverted to Aden in response to anti-Jewish rioting, with men from the two destroyers and the survey ship Challenger being landed to try to restore order.[5] She returned to the UK for a refit in 1948.[6] She was given an interim modernization and was fitted for minelaying.[7] In 1951 she was the Torpedo training ship at Portsmouth. She then served as part of the 6th Destroyer Squadron in the Home Fleet.[8] In 1953 she took part in the Coronation Review of the Fleet to celebrate the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II.[9]

Decommissioning and disposal

Contest was paid off in the late 1950s. Following her sale she arrived at the breakers yard for scrapping at Thos. W. Ward Grays, Essex on 2 February 1960.

References

  1. [1]
    Johnstone-Bryden, Richard (2015). HMS Cavalier. Seaforth Publishing.
  2. [2]
    "HMS CONTEST (R 12) - Co-class Destroyer". SERVICE HISTORIES of ROYAL NAVY WARSHIPS in WORLD WAR 2. 2005.
  3. [3]
    "Ch/Co/Cr class destroyers (1944-45)". WW2 British Destroyers 1917-1945. 2001.
  4. [4]
    "builders of the first all-welded destroyer for the Navy, H.M.S. Contest (1944)". Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers. 1 June 1955.
  5. [5]
    Thursfield 1948, p. 510
  6. [6]
    Marriott, Leo (1989). Royal Navy Destroyers Since 1945. Ian Allan Ltd. p. 65.
  7. [7]
    Marriott, 1989. p.66
  8. [8]
    Critchley, Mike (1982). British Warships Since 1945: Part 3: Destroyers. Liskeard, UK: Maritime Books. p. 102. ISBN 0-9506323-9-2.
  9. [9]
    Souvenir Programme, Coronation Review of the Fleet, Spithead, 15 June 1953, HMSO, Gale and Polden

Publications
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