HMS Lightning (G55)

History
United Kingdom
Name	HMS Lightning
Ordered	31 March 1938
Builder	Hawthorn Leslie & Co., Newcastle upon Tyne
Laid down	15 November 1938
Launched	22 April 1940
Commissioned	28 May 1941
Identification	Pennant number: G55
Honours and awards	Diégo Suarez (1942) Malta Convoys (1941-2)
Fate	Sunk by German torpedo boats, 12 March 1943
Badge	On a Field Black, three rays of gold lightning.
General characteristics
Class and type	L-class destroyer
Displacement	1,920 tons
Length	362.5 ft (110.5 m)
Beam	37 ft (11 m)
Draught	12.5 ft (3.8 m)
Propulsion	2 geared turbines
Speed	33.8 kn (62.6 km/h; 38.9 mph) at 341.4 rpm
Range	5,500 nmi (10,200 km; 6,300 mi)
Armament	Original configuration: 6 × QF 4.7 in Mk.XI L/50 (119 mm), twin mounts HA/LA Mk.XX 1 × 4-inch Mark V AA gun 4 × QF 2 pdr Mk.VIII L/39 (40 mm), quad mount Mk.VII 8 × QF 0.5 in Mk.III Vickers (12.7 mm), quad mounts Mk.III 4 × tubes for 21 inch (533 mm) torpedoes, quad mount Mk.IX November 1942: 6 × QF 4.7 in Mk.XI L/50 (119 mm), twin mounts HA/LA Mk.XX 4 × QF 2 pdr Mk.VIII L/39 (40 mm), quad mount Mk.VII 4 × 20mm Oerlikon guns 8 × tubes for 21 in torpedoes, quad mounts Mk.IX

HMS Lightning was an L-class destroyer of the Royal Navy. She was launched on 22 April 1940 and sunk on 12 March 1943 by German Motor Torpedo Boat S-55.^[1]

Ordered under the 1937 Programme and laid down as Job No J4502, Hawthorn Leslie & Co of Newcastle Upon Tyne were awarded the contract to build her with machinery supplied by Parsons. She would be the 10th Royal Navy ship to bear the name Lightning. Build was completed on 28 May 1941 but had been delayed by late delivery of the three twin 4.7-inch mountings required meeting the original design. The tender cost was £440,807 which excluded items such as weapons and communications equipment supplied by the Admiralty.

On 25 March 1942, Lightning was adopted by the Borough of Doncaster as part of a Warship Week National Savings plan. Doncaster and the surrounding boroughs raised over £800,000 in National Savings and effectively paid for the ship. At the same time T/S Lightning was formed in Doncaster for Sea Cadets, that continues to this day.^[2] HMS Lightning was the subject of an Oscar Parkes drawing created into a popular postcard by J Salmon Ltd Sevenoaks Kent.