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Allied Warships

HMS Lightning (G 55)

Destroyer of the L class


HMS Lightning during the war

NavyThe Royal Navy
TypeDestroyer
ClassL 
PennantG 55 
Built byHawthorn Leslie & Co. (Hebburn-on-Tyne, U.K.) 
Ordered31 Mar, 1938 
Laid down15 Nov, 1938 
Launched22 Apr, 1940 
Commissioned28 May, 1941 
Lost12 Mar, 1943 
Loss position37.53N, 09.50E (See a map)
 
HistoryOn 12 March 1943 HMS Lightning (Cdr. Hugh Greaves Walters, DSC, RN) was torpedoed and sunk about 35 nautical miles north of Bizerte, Tunisia in position 37º53'N, 09º50'E by the German Moter Torpedo Boat (S-boat) S-55.

More information on HMS Lightning can be found on this website (offsite link).

Commanding Officers:
Cdr. R.G. Stuart, RN
25 February 1941 – December 1941

Lt. Douglas Henry Read Bromley, RN
December 1941 – 25 January 1942

Cdr. Hugh Graves Walters, DSC, RN
25 January 1942 – 12 March 1943 


Noteable events involving Lightning include:

1 Aug, 1942
HMS Lightning (Cdr. R.G. Stuart, RN) picked up 39 survivors (and a dog) from the Norwegian tanker Tankexpress that was torpedoed and sunk on 25 July 1942 by the German submarine U-130 south of the Cape Verde Islands in position 10º05'N, 26º31'W.

18 Jan, 1943
The British destroyers HMS Lightning (Cdr. H.G. Walters, DSC, RN) and HMS Loyal (Lt.Cdr. H.E.F. Tweedie, RN) sink the German (former Norwegian) Favor (1323 GRT) south of Sardinia, Italy in position 38º40'N, 09º32'E. (see map)


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