HMS Forester ( H74 ) HMS " Forester " was an F - class destroyer of the British Navy , commissioned in 1935 , that saw service in Norway , the Mediterranean , on Russian and Atlantic Convoys , and during the Normandy landings during World War II before being sold for scrap in early 1946 . Construction . The ship was built by J . Samuel White at Cowes under the 1932 Naval Programme . She was laid down on 15 May 1933 , launched on 28 June 1934 , as the eleventh ship to carry the name , and completed on 19 April 1935 . The price of the build , excluding Admiralty supplied equipment such as armaments and communications sets was £284 , 898 . Service history . Pre - war service , 1935 – 1939 . After being commissioned for service in April 1935 " Forester " joined the 4th Destroyer Flotilla of the Home Fleet in June . In September " Forester " and were sent to the Mediterranean Sea as reinforcements during the Abyssinian crisis . In February 1936 she took part in the annual joint exercises at Gibraltar with ships of the Home and Mediterranean Fleets , and in March returned to home waters to resume service with the Flotilla . In June 1937 she took part in the Coronation Fleet Review at Spithead for George VI . " Forester " remained in service with the Home Fleet taking part in fleet exercises and visits programmes , and annual joint exercises at Gibraltar . In April 1939 the 4th Destroyer Flotilla was renumbered the 8th Destroyer Flotilla . On 7 April she formed part of the escort , with three other destroyers and the cruiser , to Convoy NP1 taking troops to Norway as part of Plan R 4 . The British invasion plan was pre - empted by the German invasion on 9 April . " Forester " remained with the 8th Flotilla in the western Mediterranean until late 1941 , seeing action in numerous operations to deliver troops and equipment , particularly aircraft , to the besieged island of Malta , and in attacks on Italian bases . In November , during a convoy to Malta ( Operation Collar ) , the ship took part in the brief and inconclusive engagement with Italian ships in the battle of Cape Spartivento . In early 1941 " Forester " was temporarily assigned to Atlantic convoy defence duty based at Freetown , Sierra Leone , and in May joined the search for the before it was eventually tracked down and sunk . In June , while on anti - submarine patrol west of Gibraltar , she participated in the sinking of , and later in the interception of the German supply ship " Alstertor " . In July 1941 , during a Malta supply convoy " Operation Substance " , " Forester " rescued survivors from , which had been attacked by Italian torpedo - bombers , and then sank the wrecked and burning ship with torpedoes . At the end of October 1941 " Forester " was transferred back to the Freetown Escort Force for Atlantic convoy defence duties , and returned to the UK at the end of November to refit and be converted to an anti - submarine escort destroyer . Russian convoys , 1942 . " Forester " returned to duty on 11 April 1942 , when she formed part of the escort to Russian Convoy PQ 14 to Murmansk . On the 18th she was detached from PQ 14 to intercept a possible attack by German destroyers based at Kirkenes . In the event , the Germans were forced back by bad weather . On the 28th " Forester " joined the escort of returning Convoy QP 11 , and two days later , when the cruiser was torpedoed , she assisted in attempts to save her . On 1 May the crippled cruiser and its escorts were attacked by the German destroyers " Z24 " , " Z25 " and . " Forester " attempted to attack " Z25 " with torpedoes , but was hit by shells and disabled . Twelve crewmen were killed , including the captain , and nine were wounded . The next day " Edinburgh " was sunk by " Foresight " . " Forester " limped back to Murmansk to make temporary repairs to allow her to return to the UK . She sailed on the 13th with the destroyers " Foresight " , and as escort to the cruiser , which had also suffered damage in the action with the German destroyers . The next day the ships came under heavy air attack , and " Trinidad " sustained further damage . " Forester " took off the wounded and other survivors , and " Trinidad " was sunk by " Matchless " . " Forester " arrived at Scapa Flow on the 18th and immediately took passage to a shipyard on the Tyne for repairs . In October " Forester " rejoined the Flotilla for further deployment with Russian convoys . In April 1943 she was refitted at Leith , and additional close range AA armament was installed . Atlantic convoys , 1943 – 1944 . In June 1943 " Forester " joined the 1st Canadian Escort Group for Atlantic convoy duty , becoming Group Leader in March 1944 . On 10 March 1944 , while escorting Convoy SC 154 , " Forester " , along with " St . Laurent " , " Swansea " and " Owen Sound " sank the . Forty - five survivors were rescued . Normandy and escort duty , 1944 – 1945 . Convoy defence and patrols in the Channel continued into August , and on the 20th " Forester " , and sank the off Beachy Head . The next day she engaged and drove off E - boats while defending a Channel coastal convoy with the destroyers and . In October and November her Group was deployed for convoy defence while based at Derry . On 1 December 1944 " Forester " arrived at Liverpool for repairs , returning to service in May 1945 , and joining the Rosyth Escort Force for convoy defence duty . Decommissioning and disposal . " Forester " was paid off in September 1945 and reduced to the Reserve at Dartmouth on 2 November . She was placed on the Disposal List and sold for breaking up in January 1946 . The ship arrived at Rosyth for breaking - up on 26 February that year .