Jageren HMS Hunter under kommando av L. de Villiers deltok i det første slaget om Narvik i april 1940. Sammen med de britiske jagerne Hardy, Havock, Hostile og Hotspur gjorde de et vellykket angrep mot de tyske jagerne i Narvik. To av de tyske jagerne, Anton Schmitt og Wilhelm Heidkamp ble senket og sammen med flere sivile frakteskip. Under tilbaketrekkingen møtte de flere tyske jagere og under kampene ble HMS Hardy og HMS Hunter hardt skadet. HMS Hunter kolliderte med HMS Hotspur som var ute av kontroll etter omfattende skader, og sank kort tid etter i midten av Ofotfjorden. Av besetningen på 145 mann, mistet 95 livet. De overlevende ble tatt hånd om av tyskerne etter slaget. Vraket av HMS Hunter ble funnet av det norske marinefartøyet KNM Tyr 1. mars 2008 på 305 meters dyp ca. 7,5 nautiske mil fra Narvik by. Vraket anses som krigsgrav...

The destroyer HMS Hunter under command by L. de Villiers participated in the first battle of Narvik in April 1940. Together with the british destroyers Hardy, Havock, Hostile and Hotspur they did a successful assault against the german destroyers at Narvik. Two of the German destroyers, Anton Schmitt and Wilhelm Heidkamp was sunk together with several civilian freighters. During the withdrawal they met other German destroyers, and during the battle HMS Hardy and HMS Hunter was severely damaged. HMS Hunter collided with HMS Hotspur who was out of control after severe damage and sunk shortly after in the middle of the Ofotfjorden. Of the crew of 145 men, 95 lost their lives. The survivors was taken care of by the Germans after the battle. The wreck of HMS Hunter was found by the Norwegian naval vessel KNM Tyr 1. March 2008 on a depth of 305 meters approx. 7,5 nautical miles from the city of Narvik. The wreck is considered a war grave...

 

Name:
Former names:
 Material:
Dimensions:
HMS Hunter
 H 35
Steel
98,45x 10,1x 3,8 m.
       
Depl: Built: Homeport: Cargo:
1361 ( standard ) Wallsend-on-Tyne ( UK ) 1936 ( UK )  

 

N 68.20, E 17.04

 

Career ( information from http://en.wikipedia.org )
Hunter struck a mine south of Almeria on 13 May 1937 while serving on non-intervention patrol off Almeria, Spain during the Spanish Civil War, suffering heavy damage. Eight men of the crew were killed, 24 wounded. The mine had been laid several days earlier by a Spanish nationalist E-boat, either the Falange or the Oviedo. [1]

During the First Battle of Narvik on 10 April 1940, Hunter and five other H-class boats of the 2nd Destroyer Flotilla attacked the German destroyers that had transported German land forces to occupy Narvik in northern Norway the previous day. The flotilla was engaged by German destroyers in the Ofotfjord at the entrance to the harbor and sank the destroyers Z 21 Wilhelm Heidkamp and Z 22 Anton Schmidt, heavily damaged Z 17 Diether von Roeder and inflicted lesser damage on two others. Seven German or German-seized transport ships were also sunk. As the British flotilla turned to leave, it was engaged by three German destroyers emerging from the Herjangsfjord and then by two more coming from Ballangen Bay. In the ensuing battle, the British flotilla leader HMS Hardy was badly mauled and had to be beached in flames, while Hunter sank after receiving heavy fire and colliding with HMS Hotspur.

 

 

Underwater-picture: www.mil.no

Edited 26.03.2008