HMS Hurworth ( L28 ) HMS " Hurworth " was a Second World War Type 2 Hunt - class escort destroyer of the British Royal Navy . She spent most of her career in the Mediterranean . She was lost to a mine in the Aegean Sea . Construction . " Hurworth " was ordered with 15 others of the same type on 20 December 1939 as part of the War Emergency Programme . The ship was laid down by Vickers - Armstrongs on the River Tyne at Wallsend on 10 April 1940 in a yard big enough for two ships to be built at the same time . Her ' partner ' was . " Hurworth " , as Admiralty Job No . J4207 , was launched on 16 April 1941 , and commissioned on 5 November . " Hurworth " s complement was found in Portsmouth ; her skipper and ' Jimmy ' ( first lieutenant ) , were both experienced officers . The ' workup ' period was intense , with both ship and crew being tested to the limit . She eventually left the Tyne for Scapa Flow , calling at Rosyth where she was commissioned ; she arrived at the ' Flow ' on the 8th . Service history . From Scotland to Suez . " Hurworth " s first operation involved taking Crown Prince Olaf of Norway from Scapa Flow to Scrabster in northern mainland Scotland . She then escorted the troopship " Rangitata " , with her fellow destroyer to Gibraltar , from the Clyde ; arriving at the ' Rock ' on 1 December 1941 . " Rangitata " was shepherded to Freetown by " Hurworth " and two more destroyers , and . They were joined by another destroyer , on 18 December and arrived in the West African port in time for Christmas . Having carried out more escort work between Freetown and Cape Town in South Africa , " Hurworth " then sailed independently to Suez , becoming part of the 5th Destroyer Flotilla in Alexandria on 6 February 1942 . The Mediterranean . Convoy escort and invasion support . " Hurworth " was kept busy throughout the year escorting merchant ships to Tobruk and Malta against stiff Axis aerial opposition and also provided fire support at Mersa Matruh in August 1942 . She then escorted the merchantmen - the ' empties ' , once they had discharged their cargoes , on the return journey to Alexandria . She was also involved with other Royal Navy ships and aircraft of the Royal Air Force in the action against a " Kriegsmarine " U - Boat , " U - 559 " , on 30 October . In November , " Hurworth " , along with nine other ships sailed as part of Operation " Stoneage " , escorting Convoy MW 13 to Malta . Somewhat surprisingly , the ships arrived at the beleaguered island without loss on the 19th . The return voyage to Alexandria saw several air attacks which were unsuccessful . " Hurworth " took part in other convoy escort operations in December , mostly to Malta ; although one , MW 16 , was to the newly recaptured port of Benghazi . The vagaries of war were driven home in the New Year rather dramatically with the death in February of Lieutenant Amos Stuart DSC in a car accident . In May 1943 " Hurworth " was involved in Operation " Retribution " , the prevention of enemy troops escaping from Tunisia and Algeria to Sicily and Italy . The plan seemed to have worked ; Axis forces surrendered in North Africa on the 13th ; many prisoners were taken . By now a member of the 22nd Destroyer Flotilla , " Hurworth " was due to support Operation " Husky " , the Allied invasion of Sicily , but boiler problems caused her to put into Malta for repairs . When she did arrive in the invasion area , she provided fire support and patrols off the British ACID beach . The tide turns . The Italian capitulation did not mean the tempo slackened off . One crew member was quoted as writing to his mother about " having 4 hours off the ship in as many weeks " . The convoy escort jobs continued ; " Hurworth " was not involved in the Salerno landings , but she was present at Malta when the Italian fleet , including two battleships , two cruisers and a destroyer arrived , following their surrender . The Aegean . The ship returned to escort duties until 15 September , when she , along with , crammed 300 infantrymen aboard for passage from Haifa to Portolago , on Leros in an attempt at thwarting German efforts to garrison the Greek islands following their evacuation by the Italians . More tragedy came along ; following a gunfire support operation against Kos on 19 October 1943 , " Hurworth " was hit by return fire . One man was killed . Loss . HMS " Hurworth " left Alexandria on 21 October 1943 as part of the supply force in the Dodecanese islands . The following day , with the ships just off the neutral Turkish coast prior to the ' dash ' to Leros , the Greek destroyer " Adrias " struck a mine and was badly damaged . " Hurworth " , on going to investigate , suffered the same fate , but the explosion split the ship in two . Both halves sank within 15 minutes . 113 men died , there were 85 survivors . Aftermath . " Hurworth " lies in 102 metres of water at 36 . 59N 27 . 06E in Greek territorial waters ; she is a War Grave . A memorial plaque was set up in October 1945 in Salamis , the Greek naval base . References .