HMS Roebuck ( H95 ) HMS " Roebuck " ( H95 / F195 ) was an R - class destroyer of the British Royal Navy that saw service during World War II . She was the fifteenth ship to carry this traditional ship name , after a small deer native to the British Isles , which was used as far back as the reign of Queen Elizabeth I . Construction . Ordered in May 1940 from Scotts shipyard in Greenock , construction was delayed and she was not laid down until 19 June 1941 . " Roebuck " then had the dubious honour of being launched prematurely by an air raid on 10 December 1942 , her partially complete hulk lying submerged in the dockyard for three months before it was salvaged and completed in May 1943 . Service history . World War II . 1943 . After sea trials " Roebuck " was accepted into service on 10 June and assigned to the 11th Destroyer Flotilla of the Eastern Fleet , first taking passage to Scapa Flow to work - up with Home Fleet . In August she was prepared for foreign service and then took passage to Freetown , finally joining the Flotilla in the Indian Ocean in September , which was deployed for convoy defence and patrols . 1944 . On 12 March " Roebuck " formed part of the escort for the aircraft carrier and the cruisers and , with the destroyer , during the search in the Indian Ocean for the German U - Boat supply ship " Brake " . After being intercepted by aircraft " Brake " was scuttled by her own crew . In June " Roebuck " was deployed with Fleet units off Burma and bombarded Martaban . On 19 June she formed part of the destroyer screen of Force 60 along with the destroyers , , , , and , providing protection for the aircraft carrier , the battlecruiser , , and cruisers , and . On 25 July she was deployed with the Flotilla as the screen for Eastern Fleet major units covering operations by the aircraft carriers and against targets at Sabang and Sumatra in " Operation Crimson " . In August " Roebuck " took passage to Simon ' s Town for a refit by HM Dockyard , rejoining the Flotilla at Trincomalee in November . 1945 . In February " Roebuck " joined Force 68 for offensive patrols and bombarded the Cocos Islands with destroyers , and in Operations " Office " and " Training " . On 27 April she was deployed with Force 63 as the screen for major fleet units providing cover for the landings at Rangoon in " Operation Dracula " , and on the 30th was deployed with Force 62 , and bombarded Matapan with the destroyers and in " Operation Gable " which also included the interception of enemy evacuation vessels . On 1 May she took part in bombardments at Car Nicobar with the Flotilla in " Operation Bishop " . On 13 May " Roebuck " , " Redoubt " and " Racehorse " , escorted " Nigeria " from Trincomalee as Force 63 , during a search for Japanese warships evacuating personnel from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands , and remained with the Fleet screen during the attacks on Japanese ships . On 18 June she was deployed with the flotilla as a screen for the ships of 21st Aircraft Carrier Squadron , which comprised the escort carrier s , and , and the cruisers and , which were carrying out photo - reconnaissance flights over southern Malaya in " Operation Balsam " . On 5 July she was deployed with , and destroyers and to cover minesweeping operations off Malaya and the Nicobar Islands . She then took part in bombardment of Nancowry . In August " Roebuck " was preparing for large - scale landings in Malaya in " Operation Zipper " , but the surrender of Japan brought hostilities to a close before they could be put into effect . She sailed to Singapore to support the re - occupation until sailing to Simon ' s Town in October to refit . Post - war . " Roebuck " sailed from Simon ' s Town on 15 November 1945 on completion of the refit and arrived at Plymouth on 7 December . Early in 1946 she was deployed with the Local Flotilla and escorted the battleship during a Royal Visit to the Channel Islands in June . Following the successful conversion of her sister ships and , " Roebuck " was selected for conversion to an Type 15 anti - submarine frigate in 1952 . She was given the new pennant number F195 . On completion of the conversion in May 1953 she was recommissioned for service in the 5th Frigate Squadron , Mediterranean Fleet , and served abroad till July 1956 when placed in reserve at Plymouth . In 1953 she took part in the Fleet Review to celebrate the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II . During 1957 she refitted for training duties and joined the Dartmouth Squadron . Recommissioned in May 1960 she joined an Escort Squadron and remained on the operational list until returning to pay - off into reserve at Plymouth in 1962 . Before being placed on the Disposal List the ship was de - equipped at HM Dockyard Devonport before being used for underwater explosion trials at Rosyth by the Naval Construction Research Establishment ( NCRE ) . " Roebuck " was sold to the British Iron & Steel Company ( BISCO ) for demolition by T . W . Ward . She was towed to the breaker ' s yard at Inverkeithing on 8 August 1968 .