MA7-2010-01 BRYTYJSKI NISZCZYCIEL HMS MATABELE

HMS Matabele (F26) was a British destroyer from the interwar period and World War II. The keel for this vessel was laid in 1936, and the launch took place in October 1937. The total length of the ship at the time of launching was 115 meters and a width of 11.13 meters. Full displacement reached approx. 2,500 tons, and the maximum speed was approx. 36 knots. The armament at the time of launching consisted of, among other things, four twin 120 mm guns, a 40 mm gun and a quadruple 533 mm torpedo tube. HMS Matabele was one of the Tribal-class destroyers (another name: Afridi-class). These types of ships were initially designed as light cruisers and only later developed as destroyers. Units of this type were characterized by a relatively high displacement, they also emphasized strong artillery at the expense of - for example - limited torpedo armament. They were also characterized by good maximum speed and high seaworthiness. Later they also received ASDICs, which significantly increased their anti-submarine anti-submarine (ZOP) capabilities. They are quite commonly considered successful units with high combat value. At the end of September 1939, HMS Matabele successfully participated in the rescue operation of the submarine HMS Spearfish. Then, in April and May 1940, HMS Matabele took part in British operations in Norwegian waters. In January 1941, it covered mine operations off the coast of occupied Norway, and in April of the same year, the ship's armament was modernized. In August, he took part in a convoy headed to the USSR. The destroyer was sunk by the German submarine U-454 on January 17, 1942 during the cover of the PQ-8 convoy sailing from Iceland to Murmansk.