HMS Hotspur (H01) was a British destroyer from the interwar period and World War II. The keel for this unit was laid in 1935, the launch took place in March 1936, and the entry into service with the Royal Navy - in December of the same year (1936). The total length of the ship at the time of launching was 98.5 meters and a width of 10.1 meters. Full displacement was around 1950 tons, and the maximum speed was around 36 knots. The armament at the time of the launch consisted of, among others: four single 120 mm guns, eight 533 mm torpedo tubes and depth charge drop-offs.
HMS Hotspur (H01) was one of the destroyers belonging to the H-class. In general, destroyers of this type were modeled on the F-class ships and had many features similar to the G-class ships. However, they differed from the F-class destroyers in a changed and more efficient propulsion system and slightly smaller dimensions. The anti-submarine anti-submarine (ZOP) capabilities have also been significantly improved, using, among others, ASDIC. One of the H-class destroyers was just HMS Hotspur, which was built at the S cotts Shipbuilding and Engineering Company Limited in Greenock. The unit took part in the course of the civil war in Spain (1936-1939) and was very active in the course of the Norwegian campaign (1940), taking part in the so-called And the Battle of Narvik. In the same year, after renovation and ferrying to the Mediterranean Sea, HMS Hotspur (H01) took part in operations in the Dakar area. The destroyer also took an active part in the evacuation of allied forces from Greece and Crete in 1941. After an episodic period of service in 1942, HMS Hotspur (H01) returned to the Mediterranean Sea, performing primarily escort and convoy tasks. In this role, in 1943, the unit was moved to the Atlantic, where it served until the end of the war. Shortly after the end of World War II, HMS Hotspur (H01) was handed over to the Dominican fleet.
HMS Cossack (F03) was a British destroyer from the interwar period and World War II. The keel for this unit was laid in 1936, and the launch took place in June 1937. The total length of the ship at the time of launching was 115 meters and a width of 11.13 meters. Full displacement reached approx. 2,500 tons, and the maximum speed was approx. 36 knots. The armament at the time of launching consisted of, among other things, four twin 120 mm guns, a 40 mm gun and a quadruple 533 mm torpedo tube.
HMS Cossack was one of the Tribal-class destroyers (another name: Afridi-class). These types of ships were initially designed as light cruisers and only later developed as destroyers. Units of this type were characterized by a relatively high displacement, they also emphasized strong artillery at the expense of - for example - limited torpedo armament. They were also characterized by good maximum speed and high seaworthiness. Later they also received ASDICs, which significantly increased their anti-submarine anti-submarine (ZOP) capabilities. They are quite commonly considered successful units with high combat value. HMS Cossack during World War II took part in the so-called the Altmark incident in the waters of Norway, and later - in April 1940 - fought in the Narvik area. In May, HMS Cossack participated in the tracking down and sinking of the battleship Bismarck. The destroyer was sunk by the German submarine U-563 on October 23, 1941 during the cover of the convoy sailing from Gibraltar to Great Britain.