HMS Lagos (D44)

History
United Kingdom
Name:	Lagos
Laid down:	8 April 1943
Launched:	4 August 1944
Commissioned:	2 November 1945
Decommissioned:	1960
Identification:	Pennant number R44/D44
Fate:	Scrapped 1967
General characteristics
Class and type:	Battle-class destroyer
Displacement:	2,325 tons standard; 3,430 tons full load;
Length:	379 ft (116 m)
Beam:	40 ft (12 m)
Draught:	5.3 ft (1.6 m)
Propulsion:	2 steam turbines, 2 shafts, 2 boilers, 50,000 shp (37 MW)
Speed:	35.75 knots (66.21 km/h)
Range:	4,400 nautical miles (8,100 km) at 12 knots (22 km/h)
Complement:	268
Armament:	2 × dual 4.5-inch (114 mm) gun; 1 × single 4-inch (102 mm) gun; 14 × Bofors 40 mm gun; 10 × 21 inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes; 1 × Squid mortar;

HMS Lagos was a Battle-class destroyer of the Royal Navy. She was named in honour of the Battle of Lagos which happened in 1759 off the coast of Portugal, between the Royal Navy and a French fleet, resulting in a British victory.[1]

History

Lagos was built by Cammell Laird of Birkenhead. She was one of ten Battle-class destroyers ordered under the 1942 naval estimates. She was launched on 4 August 1944 and commissioned on 2 November 1945. Her pennant number was originally 'R44', which was later (post-1948) changed to 'D44' when the Royal Navy rationalised the numbering system.

Deployment

Lagos in 1946 with her original pennant number.

Post World War II

In 1946, after the end of hostilities, Lagos deployed to the Far East with the 19th Destroyer Flotilla to join the British Pacific Fleet. Her journey included stops at various ports, such as for example, Port Said (March), Colombo, Singapore, Hong Kong (May), Shanghai (June), before finally reaching Japan in July 1946.

After visiting Japan Lagos, along with the rest of the Flotilla, began the journey home to the UK, once again visiting many ports on fly-the-flag visits, mainly in Malaya. Upon returning to the UK in early 1947, Lagos was placed in Reserve.

In 1957, Lagos joined the 1st Destroyer Squadron, seeing service with the Home and Mediterranean Fleets. The following year, Lagos, with the rest of the squadron, joined the Far East Fleet. In 1959, following the collision between sister ship Hogue and the Indian cruiser Mysore, Lagos and the destroyer Solebay, towed Hogue to Singapore.

Decommissioning

In 1960, Lagos was decommissioned, being scrapped at Bo'ness in 1967.

References

Hodges, Peter (1971). Battle Class Destroyers. London: Almark Publishing. ISBN 0-85524-012-1.

Publications

Colledge, J. J.; Warlow, Ben (2006) [1969]. Ships of the Royal Navy: The Complete Record of all Fighting Ships of the Royal Navy (Rev. ed.). London: Chatham Publishing. ISBN 978-1-86176-281-8.

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[1] Hodges, Peter (1971). Battle Class Destroyers. London: Almark Publishing. ISBN 0-85524-012-1.