HMS Gallant ( H59 ) HMS " Gallant " ( H59 ) was a G - class destroyer , built for the Royal Navy in the mid - 1930s . During the Spanish Civil War of 1936 – 1939 the ship spent considerable time in Spanish waters , enforcing the arms blockade imposed by Britain and France on both sides of the conflict . " Gallant " was transferred from the Mediterranean Fleet shortly after the beginning of World War II to the British Isles , to escort shipping in local waters . She was slightly damaged by German aircraft during the evacuation of Allied troops from Dunkirk at the end of May 1940 . Following repairs , " Gallant " was transferred to Gibraltar and served with Force H for several months . In November , the ship was transferred to the Mediterranean Fleet , where she escorted several convoys . She struck a mine in January 1941 and was towed to Malta for repairs . These were proved extensive and " Gallant " was further damaged during an air raid in April 1942 , before they were completed . The additional damage made the ship uneconomical to repair so she was scuttled as a blockship in 1943 . Her wreck was broken up in 1953 . Description . " Gallant " 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 . " Gallant " 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 it 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 defence " Gallant " 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 rail and two depth charge throwers were fitted ; 20 depth charges were originally carried , but this increased to 35 shortly after the war began . Service . " Gallant " was laid down by Alexander Stephen and Sons in Glasgow , Scotland on 15 September 1934 , launched on 26 September 1935 and completed on 25 February 1936 . Excluding government - furnished equipment like the armament , the ship cost £252 , 920 . She was assigned to the 1st Destroyer Flotilla of the Mediterranean Fleet upon commissioning . " Gallant " patrolled Spanish waters during the Spanish Civil War enforcing the edicts of the Non - Intervention Committee . She pulled off a Spanish merchantman that had grounded between Almeria and Malaga on 20 December 1936 . The ship was attacked by a Spanish Nationalist aircraft off Cape San Antonio on 6 April 1937 , but was not damaged . The next month she returned to Great Britain for an overhaul at Sheerness between 31 May and 21 July 1937 . When World War II began in September 1939 , " Gallant " was in the Mediterranean , but she and her entire flotilla were transferred to the Western Approaches Command at Plymouth in October . After a boiler cleaning , the ship was reassigned at the end of the month to the Nore Command in Harwich for patrol and escort duties . On 2 February 1940 " Gallant " and her sister ship , , rescued the crew from the oil tanker " British Councillor " which was sinking after it had struck a mine . " Gallant " took over escorting Convoy HN 12 after was sunk on 18 February and she rescued 12 survivors from the Swedish ship " Santos " near Duncansby Head a week later . On 20 March 1940 she escorted the armed merchant cruiser s " Cilicia " and after they collided . The ship was refitted at Southampton between 28 March and 30 April and rejoined her flotilla at Harwich the next day . During the evening of 9 / 10 May , " Gallant " and the destroyer rescued most of the crew of the destroyer after the latter ship was torpedoed by a German E - boat in the North Sea . While " Gallant " was participating in the Dunkirk evacuation , she was near - missed on 29 May by a bomb that knocked out her steering and caused minor damage to her hull and electrical systems . She was repaired at Hull and encountered a German mine - laying sortie on the evening of 5 / 6 June off Lowestoft when in company with the destroyer . Later in June the ship was refitted in Chatham Dockyard with a 12 - pounder ( ) anti - aircraft gun that replaced the rear torpedo tube mount . After her refit " Gallant " was transferred to the 13th Destroyer Flotilla of the North Atlantic Command , arriving at Gibraltar on 30 July . On her voyage south the ship escorted the aircraft carrier which was loaded with a dozen Hawker Hurricane fighters . During Operation Hurry , " Gallant " , and three other destroyers , escorted " Argus " to a position south - west of Sardinia so the carrier could fly off her Hurricanes to Malta on 2 August . After her return to Gibraltar the ship was transferred to Force H . On 20 October , " Gallant " , her sister " Griffin " and the destroyer sank the east of Gibraltar . The ship escorted the battleship and the cruisers and during Operation Coat in early November as they joined the Mediterranean Fleet . " Gallant " herself was transferred to the 14th Destroyer Flotilla at Malta on 10 November . She participated in the inconclusive Battle of Cape Spartivento on 27 November during Operation Collar . During Operation Excess , " Gallant " struck a mine off Pantellaria on 10 January 1941 that detonated her forward magazine . The explosion blew the bow off the ship , killing 65 and injuring 15 more of her crew . Her sister " Griffin " rescued most of the survivors and the destroyer towed her stern - first to Malta . The ship was slowly repaired and in October 1941 it was estimated that they would be completed in June 1942 . However , on 5 April 1942 , she was extensively damaged by bomb splinters by an air raid on Valletta and had to be beached at Pinto ' s Wharf to prevent her from sinking . She was judged to be a constructive total loss and any usable equipment was stripped from her hulk . " Gallant " was expended as a blockship at St Paul ' s Island in September 1943 , with the wreck being broken up in 1953 .