HMS Hunter ( H35 ) HMS " Hunter " was a H - class destroyer built for the Royal Navy in the mid - 1930s . During the Spanish Civil War of 1936 – 1939 the ship enforced the arms blockade imposed on both sides by Britain and France , until she struck a mine in May 1937 . She was under repair for the next year and a half , after which she rejoined the Mediterranean Fleet . During the first few months of World War II , " Hunter " searched for German commerce raiders in the Atlantic Ocean until she was tranferred back to Britain in February 1940 . Returning to action in the Norwegian Campaign , she was sunk by German destroyers during the First Battle of Narvik in April 1940 . Description . " Hunter " 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 . " Hunter " carried a maximum of of fuel oil that gave her a range of at . The ship ' s complement was 137 officers and men in peacetime , but this increased to 146 in wartime . The ship mounted four 45 - calibre 4 . 7 - inch ( 120 mm ) Mark IX guns in single mounts . For anti - aircraft ( AA ) defence , " Hunter " had two quadruple Mark I mounts for the 0 . 5 inch Vickers Mark III machine gun . 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 . Ordered on 13 December 1934 , " Hunter " was laid down by Swan Hunter & Wigham Richardson at Wallsend - on - Tyne , England , on 27 March 1935 . She was launched on 25 February 1936 and completed on 30 September . Excluding government - furnished equipment such as armament , the ship cost £253 , 167 . " Hunter " was assigned to the 2nd Destroyer Flotilla of the Mediterranean Fleet upon commissioning . Spanish Civil War . The destroyer patrolled Spanish waters during the Spanish Civil War , enforcing the edicts of the Non - Intervention Committee . " Hunter " struck a mine south of Almeria , Spain on the afternoon of 13 May 1937 . She suffered severe damage , with a heavy list , her radio wrecked and the bow flooded . Eight of her complement were killed and 24 wounded . The ship was towed clear of the minefield by the Republican destroyer . The mine had been laid several weeks earlier by two ex - German Spanish Nationalist E - boat s , the " Falange " and the " Requeté " . " Hunter " was towed to Almeria by , where she arrived in the early hours of 14 May . The light cruiser towed her to Gibraltar , where she was temporarily repaired from 15 May to 18 August . " Hunter " was towed to Malta for permanent repairs in August 1937 , but they were not completed until 10 November 1938 . The ship was assigned to the 2nd Destroyer Flotilla once her repairs were finished and she was given a brief overhaul in Malta between 24 June and 4 July 1939 . " Hunter " was sent to Plymouth for a more thorough refit in mid - August 1939 that lasted through 27 August . World War II . When World War II began on 3 September , " Hunter " was en route to Freetown , Sierra Leone to search for German commerce raiders , before being transferred to the North America and West Indies Station in late October . " Hunter " remained on that station until she was transferred to the British Isles in February 1940 and began a refit at Falmouth that lasted until 9 March . The ship rejoined the 2nd Destroyer Flotilla of the Home Fleet at Scapa Flow on 17 March . On 6 April " Hunter " and the rest of the 2nd Destroyer Flotilla escorted the four destroyer minelayer s of the 20th Destroyer Flotilla as they sailed to implement Operation Wilfred , an operation to lay mines in the Vestfjord to prevent the transport of Swedish iron ore from Narvik to Germany . The mines were laid on the early morning of 8 April , before the Germans began their invasion , and the destroyers joined the battlecruiser and her escorts . During the First Battle of Narvik on 10 April 1940 , " Hunter " and four other H - class ships of the 2nd Destroyer Flotilla attacked the German destroyers that had transported German troops to occupy Narvik in northern Norway the previous day . The flotilla leader led four of her half - sisters down Ofotfjord in a surprise dawn attack on Narvik harbour during a blinding snowstorm . and were initially left at the entrance , but " Hunter " followed " Hardy " into the harbour and fired all eight of her torpedoes into the mass of shipping . One torpedo hit in the forward engine room , followed by one of " Hunter " s 4 . 7 - inch shells . As the British ships were withdrawing , they encountered five German destroyers at close range . Two of the German ships crossed the T of the British ships and quickly set " Hardy " on fire and forced her to run aground . " Hunter " eventually took the lead , but was severely damaged by the Germans , probably including one torpedo hit , and her speed dropped rapidly . " Hotspur " , immediately behind her , was temporarily out of control due to two hits , and rammed her from behind . When the ships managed to disengage , " Hunter " capsized . 107 men of the crew were killed and another five died of their wounds . The German destroyers rescued 46 men , who were released into Sweden on 13 April . Rediscovery . The wreck was rediscovered on 5 March 2008 by the Royal Norwegian Navy mine control vessel HNoMS " Tyr " after being missing for nearly 70 years , and will be marked as a war grave , commemorating her lost crewmembers . A series of coordinated memorial ceremonies were held on board British and Norwegian warships on Saturday 8 March 2008 , honouring all those who died during the battles of Narvik . Over a thousand NATO personnel took part , including British and Norwegian sailors , Royal Marines and soldiers . Led by , the UK ' s Fleet Amphibious Flagship , the five warships involved steamed in line past the spot , marked for the occasion by " Tyr " , where the ship lies . " Hunter " s final resting place was marked with wreaths cast into the sea .