HMS Codrington (D65)

HMS Codrington (D65) was one of nine A-class destroyer built for the Royal Navy during the 1920s. She was the flotilla leader for the class.

In World War II, she was released from the Home Fleet deployment off Norway in May 1940, and on May 10, took passage to Dover to support the evacuation of allied personnel from Belgium and the Netherlands. She managed to complete the 530 mi passage from Scapa Flow to Dover in just 23 hours. She refuelled on May 11 and began patrolling off the Dutch and Belgian coasts. On May 13, she embarked members of the Dutch Royal Family at IJmuiden and carried them to safety in the UK. She returned to deploying out of Harwich on May 15, and on May 27, she deployed with Grenade, Jaguar and Javelin to intercept German surface craft attempting to attack Allied ships. She was then transferred to Dover Command to assist in Operation Dynamo, the Dunkirk evacuation. On May 28, she embarked 866 troops from the beaches, and took on survivors from the coaster SS Abukir with Grenade and Anthony and took them to Dover. She made a second trip on May 29, embarking 766 troops, and a third on May 30, embarking 799 troops. A fourth trip followed on May 31, when she embarked 909 troops, landing 440 at Dover. 1 June saw her taking 746 troops back to Dover, and her final run on June 2 brought 878 troops back to the UK. Codrington was one of the few destroyers that had escaped major damage and was able to continue supporting operations after the evacuation had been completed.

In July 1940, Codrington was deployed out of Dover for convoy defense and patrol duties in the English Channel. She put into port near the end of the month for a boiler clean, alongside the depot ship Sandhurst in the Submarine Basin. The port came under air attack on July 27 and a bomb fell alongside Codrington. The subsequent explosion broke her back and she sank. She had only three men wounded. The sinking was not made public until May 1945.

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