View source for HMS Southwold (L10)

{{Short description|British warship}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2017}}
{{Use British English|date=March 2017}}
{|{{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image
|Ship image= Hmssouthwold-l10-1-1941-1942cropped1 (1).jpg
|Ship caption=
}}
{{Infobox ship career
|Hide header=
|Ship country=United Kingdom
|Ship flag={{shipboxflag|United Kingdom|naval}}
|Ship name=HMS ''Southwold''
|Ship namesake=
|Ship ordered=20 December 1939
|Ship builder=[[J. Samuel White]]
|Ship laid down=18 June 1940
|Ship launched=29 May 1941
|Ship acquired=
|Ship commissioned=9 October 1941
|Ship decommissioned=
|Ship in service=
|Ship out of service=
|Ship struck=
|Ship reinstated=
|Ship honours=*[[Battle honour]]s for:
*[[Second Battle of Sirte|Sirte 1942]]
*[[Malta Convoys|Malta Convoys 1942]]
*[[Libya|Libya 1942]]
|Ship fate=Hit a mine and sunk on 24 March 1942
|Ship badge= On a Field Red, in front of two hunting horns in saltire Gold, a castle White
|Ship notes=
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
|Hide header=
|Header caption=
|Ship class=[[Hunt-class destroyer|Type II Hunt-class]] [[destroyer]]
|Ship displacement=*{{convert|1050|LT|t}} standard
*{{convert|1430|LT|t}} full load
|Ship length= {{convert|85.3|m|ftin|abbr=on}} [[Length overall|o/a]]
|Ship beam= {{convert|9.6|m|ftin|abbr=on}}
|Ship height=
|Ship draught= {{convert|2.51|m|ftin|abbr=on}}
|Ship propulsion=*2 Admiralty 3-drum boilers
*2 shaft [[Parsons Marine Steam Turbines|Parsons]] [[steam turbine|geared turbines]], {{convert|19000|shp|abbr=on|-2}}
|Ship speed=*{{convert|27|kn|mph km/h|lk=in}}
*{{convert|25.5|kn|mph km/h|abbr=on}} full
|Ship range= {{convert|3600|nmi|km|abbr=on|lk=in}} at {{convert|14|kn|km/h|abbr=on}}
|Ship endurance=
|Ship boats=
|Ship complement=164
|Ship sensors=
|Ship EW=
|Ship armament=*6 × [[QF 4 inch Mk XVI naval gun|QF 4 in Mark XVI guns]] on twin mounts Mk. XIX
*4 × [[QF 2 pounder naval gun|QF 2 pdr Mk. VIII]] on quad mount MK.VII
*2 × [[Oerlikon 20 mm cannon|20 mm Oerlikons]] on single mounts P Mk. III
*110 [[depth charge]]s, 2 throwers, 3 racks
|Ship armour=
|Ship notes=
}}
|}

'''HMS ''Southwold''''' was a Type II British {{sclass2|Hunt|destroyer}} built for the [[Royal Navy]] during [[World War II]]. She served in the Mediterranean for a few months until she was sunk off Malta in March 1942.<ref>{{cite web|title=HMS Southwold (L10 fore) [+1942]|url=http://www.wrecksite.eu/wreck.aspx?30773|website=WreckSite.eu|access-date=26 August 2014}}</ref>

==History==
''Southwold'' was ordered on 20 December 1939, and was built by [[J. Samuel White|J. Samuel White and Company]] of [[East Cowes]] as part of the 1939 emergency program. Her keel was laid on 18 June 1940 with Job number J6274, and the ship was launched on 29 May of the following year. The vessel was completed on 9 October 1941.<ref>{{cite book|last1=English|first1=John|title=The Hunts: A history of the design, development and careers of the 86 destroyers of this class built for the Royal and Allied Navies during World War II.|date=1987|publisher=[[World Ship Society]]|isbn=0-905617-44-4|page=17}}</ref>

After she was completed, ''Southwold'' went to [[Scapa Flow]] for trials, after which she joined the [[Mediterranean Fleet]]. On 16 November 1941 ''Southwold'' joined convoy WS12Z at the ocean escort Clyde Assembly point. The ship detached from the convoy on 14 December and made an independent passage from [[Mombasa]] to [[Alexandria]].

On 5 January 1942 she joined the [[5th Destroyer Flotilla]] for patrol and convoy escort duties. She deployed a supply of stores and embarked troops to [[Tobruk]]. On 12 February she was part of the [[Malta Convoy]] MW9B but the convoy was under heavy air attack so it returned to Alexandria.
[[File:Paddle tug bringing troops ashore at Malta A7331.jpg|thumb|left|The tug ''Ancient'' which towed the damaged ''Southwold'' just before her hull split]]

On 20 March 1942, she carried out an anti-submarine sweep along planned path for Malta relief convoy MW10 along with some other destroyers. On 21 March, she joined this same convoy and took part in the [[Second Battle of Sirte]] a day later. On the 23rd she and {{HMS|Beaufort|L14|6}} left the convoy to escort HMS ''Breconshire'' to Malta.

On 24 March, ''Southwold'' was attempting to pass a line to ''Breconshire'' when she activated a British mine and there was an explosion in which an officer and four ratings were killed . She sustained major structural damage and the engine room flooded while electrical supplies failed. She was towed by the tug ''Ancient'' but the hull split and she began to sink. The survivors were rescued by {{HMS|Dulverton|L63|6}}.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Mason|first1=Geoffrey B|title=HMS SOUTHWOLD (L 10) - Type II, Hunt-class Escort Destroyer including Convoy Escort Movements|url=http://www.naval-history.net/xGM-Chrono-10DE-Southwold.htm|website=Naval History|access-date=26 August 2014}}</ref>

==Wreck==
The wreck of ''Southwold'' lies in two sections about {{convert|1.5|mi}} of [[Marsaskala]] Bay, [[Malta]]. The bow is the largest piece, about {{convert|40|m}} in length, and it lies on its starboard side at a depth of {{convert|70|m}}. The stern, which is located about {{convert|300|m}} away from the bow, is about {{convert|28|m}} long and it lies upright in {{convert|72|m}} of water.<ref>{{cite web|title=HMS Southwold (L10)|url=http://www.divesubway.com/southwold.html|website=Subway Dive Centre|access-date=27 August 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140827150807/http://www.divesubway.com/southwold.html|archive-date=27 August 2014|df=dmy-all}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Publications==
* {{Cite Colledge2006}}
* English, John (1987). The Hunts: a history of the design, development and careers of the 86 destroyers of this class built for the Royal and Allied Navies during World War II. England: World Ship Society. {{ISBN|0-905617-44-4}}.

{{Hunt class destroyer|type2}}
{{March 1942 shipwrecks}}
{{Shipwrecks of Malta}}

{{coord|35|53|N|14|35|E|region:MT|display=title}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Southwold (L10)}}
[[Category:Hunt-class destroyers of the Royal Navy]]
[[Category:Ships built on the Isle of Wight]]
[[Category:1941 ships]]
[[Category:World War II destroyers of the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Shipwrecks of Malta]]
[[Category:World War II shipwrecks in the Mediterranean Sea]]
[[Category:Maritime incidents in March 1942]]
[[Category:Ships sunk by mines]]
[[Category:Marsaskala]]