HMS Keith ( 1930 ) HMS " Keith " was a flotilla leader built for the Royal Navy around 1930 . Initially assigned to the Mediterranean Fleet , she was placed in reserve in 1937 , after repairs from a collision were completed . During the Spanish Civil War of 1936 – 1939 , the ship was reactivated and spent some time in Spanish waters , enforcing the arms blockade imposed by Britain and France on both sides of the conflict . " Keith " escorted convoys and conducted anti - submarine patrols early in World War II before being sunk at Dunkirk by German aircraft . Description . " Keith " displaced at standard load and at deep load . The ship had an overall length of , a beam of and a draught of . She was powered by Parsons geared steam turbines , driving two shafts , which developed a total of and gave a maximum speed of . Steam for the turbines was provided by three Admiralty 3 - drum water - tube boilers . " Keith " carried a maximum of of fuel oil that gave her a range of at . The ship ' s complement was 175 officers and men . The ship mounted four 45 - calibre QF 4 . 7 - inch Mk IX guns in single mounts . For anti - aircraft ( AA ) defence , " Keith " had two QF 2 - pounder Mk II AA guns mounted on a platform between her funnels . She was fitted with two above - water quadruple torpedo tube mounts for torpedoes . One depth charge rail and two throwers were fitted ; 20 depth charges were originally carried , but this increased to 35 shortly after the war began . Career . The ship was ordered , the first ship of her name in the Royal Navy , on 22 March 1929 from Vickers - Armstrongs at Barrow , under the 1928 Naval Programme . She was laid down on 1 October 1929 and launched on 10 July 1930 . " Keith " was completed on 20 March 1931 at a cost of £219 , 800 , excluding items supplied by the Admiralty such as guns , ammunition and communications equipment . After her commissioning , she was assigned to the 4th Destroyer Flotilla as its flotilla leader . Aside from a refit at Chatham Dockyard between 4 September and 18 October 1933 , the ship remained with the Mediterranean Fleet until 1936 . " Keith " collided with the Greek steamship , " Atonis G . Lemos " , in thick fog in the English Channel on 24 August 1936 whilst en route from Gibraltar to Portsmouth for another refit . The refit was not completed until 13 February 1937 and she then spent six months in reserve at Sheerness . The ship was recommissioned on 14 August 1937 to replace the flotilla leader of the 6th Destroyer Flotilla , , whilst the latter ship was being repaired after a collision . " Keith " spent several months deployed off the Spanish Biscay coast during the Spanish Civil War and was later based in Gibraltar . The ship returned to Sheerness on 4 November and was reduced to reserve again . She received a brief refit at Chatham from 9 May to 16 June 1938 . Upon its completion , " Keith " rejoined the 4th Destroyer Flotilla , which was now assigned to Home Fleet . She was transferred , taking on the crew of , to the 5th Destroyer Flotilla at Gibraltar on 17 January 1939 . The ship remained with the 5th Flotilla until April and then she returned home . " Keith " was refitted at Chatham between 11 May and 15 July and placed in reserve again on 31 July . Shortly before the war began in September , the ship was recommissioned and assigned to the 17th Destroyer Flotilla of Home Fleet . On 3 September , she was transferred to Western Approaches Command for anti - submarine patrols , based at Milford Haven . On 10 September , " Keith " escorted a convoy carrying the British Expeditionary Force ( BEF ) to France . On 29 October she was transferred to the 22nd Destroyer Flotilla at Harwich and became its flotilla leader five days later . In December , " Keith " had repairs made to her propellers at HM Dockyard Devonport that lasted until 10 January 1940 . She was transferred to the 19th Destroyer Flotilla in February and " Keith " escorted her sister on 5 March as she towed the damaged oil tanker " John F . Meyer " to Southampton . The ship resumed her escort and patrol duties until May when the Germans attacked . Battle of France . On 10 May 1940 , the Germans launched their invasion of France and the Low Countries . That day " Keith " and her sister escorted the light cruiser s and as they carried bullion from the Dutch port of IJmuiden to the United Kingdom for safe - keeping . On 12 May , she returned to the Hook of Holland in the Netherlands to evacuate Allied troops . After the destroyer had to be run aground on 19 May after she was damaged by German aircraft , she was scuttled by " Keith " . On 21 May , " Keith " was one of three destroyers that evacuated 468 civilians from France . Two days later the ship was in Boulogne - sur - Mer , loading British troops to be evacuated , when she was attacked by German troops . She was hit by a mortar bomb and machine gun fire that killed her captain and wounded many others . " Keith " sailed for the UK immediately afterwards . On the night of 30 / 31 May , the ship joined Operation Dynamo when she helped to evacuate 992 Allied troops to Dover . She returned later that morning to De Panne and became flagship of Rear - Admiral Frederic Wake - Walker , commander of the evacuation . The ship was attacked by aircraft later that morning ; the first attack damaged her steering gear and , in a later attack , a bomb which went down the aft funnel exploded in the No . 2 boiler room , killing everyone inside and starting a fire . With no power available , she anchored and abandon ship was ordered . " Keith " sank from her damage at 0945 in position . Three officers and 33 enlisted men were killed during the attacks , but eight officers and 123 crewmen were saved .