The real-life ship used in the film was HMS "Leamington". Built in 1919 as the USS "Twiggs", a Wickes-class destroyer, she was one of the last post-war survivors of the 50 elderly four-funnelled destroyers provided in 1940 by the USA as part of the "Destroyers for Bases Agreement": (also known as "The Fifty Ships that Saved the World"). She served on convoy duties, including as an escort for the ill-fated Convoy PQ 17. In 1943 she was transferred to the Royal Canadian Navy as HMCS "Leamington". After a short period in reserve in 1944, she was one of seven sisters transferred to the Soviet Navy, and there became the "Zguchij" ("Firebrand"). Returned to the Royal Navy in 1950, the ship was listed for disposal in 1951, but before being broken up she was hired for the "Gift Horse" film. For the final scenes of the film, based on her sister-ship "Campbeltown's" daring St Nazaire Raid, her four funnels were reduced to two, and cut down at an angle to resemble the funnels of a German torpedo boat, just as "Campbeltown's" had been. She was finally broken up in December 1951.