HMS Matapan (D43)

	Matapan just after completion, 1947
History
United Kingdom
Name	HMS Matapan
Ordered	1943
Builder	John Brown & Company
Yard number	616
Laid down	11 March 1943
Launched	30 April 1945
Commissioned	5 September 1947
Decommissioned	1977
Reclassified	Sonar trials ship, 1973
Fate	Broken up 1979
General characteristics
Class and type	Battle-class destroyer
Displacement	2,480 tons standard; 3,835 tons post 1973 conversion;
Length	379 ft (116 m)
Beam	40 ft 6 in (12.34 m)
Draught	12 ft 8 in (3.86 m) mean, ; 17 ft 6 in (5.33 m) max; increasing to 22 ft 0 in (6.71 m) post 1973 conversion;
Propulsion	Oil-fired, two three-drum boilers; Parsons geared turbines, twin screws; 50,000 hp (37,285 kW);
Speed	35.75 knots (66.21 km/h)
Complement	268
Sensors and ; processing systems	Post 1973 conversion; Type 978 surface search & navigation radar; Type 944M(2) IFF Interrogation antenna; Type 2016 active/passive search & track hull sonar; Type 162M active bottom profiler sonar;
Armament	5 × 4.5 in (114 mm) gun; 8 × Bofors 40 mm guns; 10 × 21 in (533 mm) torpedo tubes; 2 × Squid mortar;
Notes	All armament was removed during the conversion to sonar trials ship
Service record
Part of:	Admiralty Underwater Weapons Establishment
Commanders:	Lt Cdr.D.E. Holloway, January 1970-May 1972.; Cdr.W.H.H. McLeod, May 1972-unknown.; Cdr.R.E. Hoskin, unknown-June 1974.; Lt Cdr.D.J.Leach (Acting) October 1974-January 1975.; Cdr.R.E. Hoskin, January 1975-August 1976.; Cdr.R.G. Evans, August 1976-August 1977.;

HMS Matapan (D43) was a later or 1943 Battle-class fleet destroyer of the Royal Navy (RN). She was named after the Battle of Cape Matapan between the Royal Navy and the Regia Marina, which ended in a decisive victory for the RN force, resulting in the destruction of three cruisers and two destroyers of the Italian Navy and was a heavy blow to the Italians. So far, she has been the only ship of the Royal Navy to bear that name.

She was placed in reserve on completion of her sea trials and would remain in such a state for a lengthy period of time, ultimately seeing service in the 1970s as a sonar trials ship. In the process she outlived all her fleetmates in Royal Navy service.

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