~ HMS Termagant T Class Destroyer 1943 Bronze Tread Plate ~
The solid bronze plate bears the ships name and still has its original green paint meaning it was fitted to the starboard side of the ship.
~ HMS Termagant ~
HMS Termagant was a T-class destroyer of the Royal Navy that saw service during the Second World War. She was built by William Denny and Brothers, of Dumbarton and launched on 22 March 1943. She was scrapped in 1965.
After working up at Scapa Flow, Termagant formed part of the local escort for the Arctic convoy JW54A for the initial leg of the convoy from 15 to 18 November 1943, when it was relieved by the convoy’s Ocean escort. She was then sent to join the Mediterranean Fleet, arriving at Alexandria on 14 January 1944 to join the 24th Destroyer Flotilla, having escorted the battleships Queen Elizabeth, Valiant and the battlecruiser Renown on her passage to the Mediterranean, as the capital ships made their way to the Eastern Fleet.
On the night of 12/13 February 1944, Termagant and sister ship Troubridge shelled Vela Luka in Croatia and on 6/7 April bombarded Bar, Montenegro. On 19 May, the German submarine U-453 attacked a convoy off the heel of Italy, sinking the merchant ship Fort Missanabie. Termagant and the destroyers Tenacious and Liddesdale were ordered to hunt the U-boat, making contact on 20 May and carrying out a series of depth charge attacks until U-453 was forced to the surface early in the morning on 21 May, and was sunk by gunfire from the three destroyers. On 15 August 1944, Termagant took part in Operation Dragoon, the Allied invasion of Southern France, providing fire support for the landings. She remained on duty off the South of France until 28 August.
In September 1944, Germany started to evacuate its troops from islands in the Aegean and from southern Greece, and in response, the British launched an offensive to disrupt the evacuation, with the Royal Navy deploying a task force consisting of seven escort carriers, supported by cruisers and destroyers, with the force including Termagant. On 7 October 1944 she and Tuscan intercepted a German convoy in the Gulf of Salonica, with the two destroyers sinking the German torpedo boat TA37, the subchaser UJ210 and the harbour patrol boat GK32. On 19 October Termagant and Tuscan intercepted and sank the German torpedo boat TA18 (formerly the Italian Solferino) off Volos.
On 1 November 1944, with major operations in the Aegean ended, Termagant set out for Britain, arriving at Portsmouth on 11 November, and was refitted in preparation for operations in the Pacific. The refit was completed at the end of January 1945, and after working up in Malta, sailed via Trincomalee in Ceylon to join the British Pacific Fleet at its base in Australia, receiving the new pennant number D47 for operations in the Pacific. In May 1945, Termagant operated in support of the British Pacific Fleets carriers during operations in support of the Okinawa campaign. On 14–15 June, Termagant formed part of the escort for the aircraft carrier Implacable for Operation Inmate, an attack on the Japanese base at Truk Atoll intended to provide combat experience for Implacable’s crew ahead of operations off Japan. Termagant again supported the British carrier fleet during operations against Japan in July 1945, and remained on station into August that year, and was present at the signing of the Surrender of Japan in Tokyo Bay on 2 September.
~ Condition ~
The tread plate is in good order.
~ Dimensions ~
The tread plate is 71 cm (28 inches) wide by 33 cm (13 inches) deep and 1.25 cm (0.5 inches) thick.
The wooden backing board adds 1.25 cm (0.5 inches) to the width and depth and is 2.5 cm (1 inches) thick.
It weighs 24 Kg approximately.
#10406