HMS Cockade (R34)

HMS Cockade was a C-class destroyer of the Royal Navy. A cockade is a knot of ribbons, or other circular- or oval-shaped symbol of distinctive colours which is usually worn on a hat. So far she has been the only ship of the Royal Navy to bear the name.

History
United Kingdom
Name: HMS Cockade
Builder: Yarrow Shipbuilders
Laid down: 11 March 1943
Launched: 1 March 1944
Commissioned: 29 September 1945
Decommissioned: 1958
Identification: Pennant number: R34 later changed to D34
Status: Arrived at Cashmore, Newport July 1964 for breaking
General characteristics
Class and type: C-class destroyer
Displacement:
  • 1,885 tons (1,915 tonnes)
  • 2,545 tons full (2,585 tonnes)
Length: 362.75 ft (110.57 m) o/a
Beam: 35.75 ft (10.90 m)
Draught: 11.75 ft (3.58 m)
Propulsion:
  • 2 Admiralty 3-drum boilers,
  • Parsons single-reduction geared steam turbines,
  • 40,000 shp (29.8 MW), 2 shafts
Speed: 36 knots (67 km/h) / 32 knots (59 km/h) full
Range:
  • 4,675 nmi (8,658 km) at 20 knots (37 km/h)
  • 1,400 nmi (2,600 km) at 32 knots (59 km/h)
Complement: 186
Sensors and
processing systems:		 Radar Type 275 fire control on director Mk.VI
Armament:

Cockade was launched on 1 March 1944 and commissioned on 29 September 1945.

Service
Cockade at Sasebo, Japan, in July 1950.
Cockade (right) in 1951, with HMAS Warramunga (left) and HMCS Nootka (centre)

Cockade commissioned too late to see service in the Second World War. After the war she was allocated the pennant number D34. Her first commanding officer was Lt Cdr Terence Desmond Herrick, DSC RN. She served in the post-war Royal Navy, initially sailing to the Far East, exercising off Hong Kong in 1946.

While on passage back to the UK from the Far East in December 1947, Cockade and sister ship Contest were diverted to Aden in response to anti-Jewish rioting, with men from the two destroyers and the survey ship Challenger being landed to try to restore order.[1] Cockade subsequently saw service in the Korean War, acting as escorts for the Royal Navy aircraft carriers and providing shore bombardment capability.[2] Whilst there she also visited Singapore and Japan.

In November 1956 Cockade was one of several Royal Navy ships to visit Melbourne, Australia for the 1956 Summer Olympics.[3] In December 1956 Cockade visited Bluff and Auckland New Zealand.[4]

In early 1957, Cockade took part in the Malayan Emergency as part of the 8th Destroyer Squadron. On 26 April, during night exercises, a star shell fired by Cockade landed in a gun bay on the Australian destroyer HMAS Tobruk, killing one seaman and severely wounding another.[5] Later in 1957 Cockade was stationed at Hong Kong.

Decommissioning and disposal

Cockade returned to Plymouth from the Far East in 1958 and decommissioned for the last time. The destroyer was laid up at Devonport in reserve pending disposal. Following her decommissioning Cockade was sold in September 1964 to John Cashmore Ltd for breaking up at Newport, Wales.[6]

References
  1. Thursfield 1948, p. 510
  2. Marriott, Leo (1983). Royal Navy Frigates 1945-1983. Ian Allan Ltd. pp. 65–6.
  3. "Welcome to the Tars—With TV". The Argus. Melbourne. 22 November 1956. p. 8. Retrieved 17 April 2020 – via Trove.
  4. "NZ Naval Board Report – 1956 : Extract Taken from the Report to the New Zealand Government by the New Zealand Naval Board 1st April 1956 TO 31st March 1957". RNZN Communicators Association. Retrieved 17 April 2020.
  5. Cassells, Vic (2000). The Destroyers: Their Battles and Their Badges. East Roseville, NSW, Australia: Simon & Schuster, pp. 137, 240.
  6. Critchley, Mike (1982). British Warships Since 1945: Part 3: Destroyers. Liskeard, UK: Maritime Books. p. 100. ISBN 0-9506323-9-2.

Publications
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