HMS Blankney(Click on image to enlarge)
HMS Blankney was brought into service during the second world war, and was named after the Blankney Hunt. She was built by John Brown Shipbuilding and Engineering Company Ltd (Clydebank, Scotland). HMS Blankney was an Escort Destroyer Hunt (Type 11), laid down on 17th May 1940, launched 19th December 1940 and commissioned 11th April 1941. She joined the 12th escort group, based at Londonderry, Northern Ireland in October 1941. The following December she was dispatched from the Fleet at Gibraltar to reinforce Commander Walkers U-boat killer group that was escorting a homeward bound convoy from Gibraltar. On 17th December a Martlet aircraft from HMS Audacity spotted a submarine on the surface, the pilot went in to attack the submarine but unfortunately he was shot down in the attempt. Blankney gave chase and together with her sister destroyers Exmoor and Stanley, the corvette HMS Pentstemon and the sloop HMS Stork, they sank the submarine, a U-131, with gunfire and depth charges. The following day Blankney was again in action, together with Stanley, when a U-434 was spotted six miles away. The submarine dived, but following three rapid attacks from Blankney, it was severely damaged and surfaced to allow her crew to save themselves, minutes later she sank. With her German prisoners on board HMS Blankney returned to Gibraltar for refuelling. Throughout 1942 Blankney participated in the escort of Arctic convoys. In July 1943 she took part in the Allied landings on Sicily. In March 1944, together with three other British destroyers and an American destroyer, they sank a U-450 submarine with depth charges. In May she assisted American and French destroyers chase and sink a U-371 submarine. In June the same year HMS Blankney was a member of the Gunfire Support Bombarding Force K, assigned to 'Gold Beach' during the Normandy landings. In August 1945 HMS Blankney was docked in the Selborne dry dock at Simonstown, South Africa. In March 1959, Blankney was broken up for scrap. Her badge can still be seen painted on Selborne dry dock wall.
