Editing E and F-class destroyer (section)

==Service==
[[File:HMS (H02) Exmouth in leaving the port of Bilbao in 1936.jpg|thumb|''Exmouth'' leaving [[Bilbao]], 22 October 1936]]
All of the E class were assigned to the [[5th Destroyer Flotilla]] (DF) of the Home Fleet upon [[Ship commissioning|commissioning]] during 1934. Following the [[Second Italo-Ethiopian War|Italian invasion of Abyssinia]], the entire flotilla was sent to the Red Sea in August 1935 to monitor Italian warship movements until April 1936. Refitted upon their return, many were deployed to Spanish waters during the [[Spanish Civil War]] in 1936–39 to intercept shipping carrying contraband goods to Spain and to protect British-flagged ships. While the F-class ships were assigned to the [[6th Destroyer Flotilla]] of the Home Fleet, they followed much the same pattern as their E-class sisters. In April 1939 the 5th and 6th DFs were renumbered the [[7th Destroyer Flotilla|7th]] and [[8th Destroyer Flotilla]]s, respectively. In mid-1939, newly commissioned [[J-, K- and N-class destroyer|J-class destroyers]] began to replace the E-class ships and they were reduced to [[Reserve fleet|reserve]] for lack of manpower. Increasing tensions with Nazi Germany in August, caused the British to mobilize the Navy's [[History of the Royal Naval Reserve|reserves]], which allowed the ships to be manned again and assigned to the [[12th Destroyer Flotilla]] of the Home Fleet.<ref name=e4>English, pp. 64–74, 76–86</ref>

When the war began on 3 September, the E-class ships, except for the two minelayers, ''Esk'' and ''Express'', were assigned to the [[Western Approaches Command]] (WAC) for convoy escort and patrolling duties, while the Fs remained with the Home Fleet, performing the same sorts of tasks.<ref name=e4/> On 14 September, ''Faulknor'', ''Firedrake'', and ''Foxhound'', escorting the [[aircraft carrier]] {{HMS|Ark Royal|91|2}}, sank {{GS|U-39|1938|2}}, the first German [[submarine]] to be lost during the war, after she had unsuccessfully attacked the carrier. Six days later, ''Fearless'', ''Faulknor'', ''Forester'', and ''Fortune'' sank {{GS|U-27|1936|2}}.<ref>Rohwer, pp. 3–4</ref> Most of the E class remained with the WAC until April 1940, but several were transferred to [[Rosyth Command]] at the end of 1939. ''Exmouth'' was one of these and was sunk by {{GS|U-22|1936|2}} on 21 January 1940 in the [[Moray Firth]]. On the other hand, ''Escapade'' forced {{GS|U-63|1939|2}} to the surface on 25 February, which was then scuttled by her crew, and ''Fortune'' sank {{GS|U-44|1939|2}} on 20 March. ''Esk'' and ''Express'' were assigned to the specialist [[20th Destroyer Flotilla]] shortly after the war began, together with the four {{sclass2|I|destroyer|2}}-minelayers, and were busy laying mines in the [[North Sea]] and off the English coast through April–May 1940.<ref name=e4/>

The beginning of the [[Norwegian Campaign]] in April saw almost all of the E and F class transferred to the Home Fleet for operations in Norwegian waters. For the most part they escorted the ships of the Home Fleet and the various convoys to and from Norway, but ''Forester'' and ''Foxhound'' were part of the escort for the battleship {{HMS|Warspite|03|2}} during the [[Second Battle of Narvik]] on 13 April and the latter helped to sink one German destroyer. While escorting one convoy, ''Fearless'' and the destroyer {{HMS|Brazen|H80|2}} sank {{GS|U-49|1939|2}} two days later.<ref>Rohwer, pp. 17–24</ref> ''Esk'' and ''Express'' were the only two ships committed to the [[evacuation of Dunkirk]] in May–June, each rescuing thousands of Allied troops.<ref name=e74>English, pp. 72, 74</ref>

[[File:HMS Fame 1942 IWM FL 13040.jpg|thumb|''Fame'' at anchor, 5 September 1942]]
''Fearless'', ''Escapade'', ''Faulknor'', and ''Foxhound'' of the 8th DF escorted ''Ark Royal'' and the [[battlecruiser]] {{HMS|Hood|51|2}} to [[Gibraltar]] in late June, where they formed [[Force H]]. Eight days later, they participated in the [[attack on Mers-el-Kébir]] against the [[Vichy French]] ships stationed there, together with ''Forester'', ''Foresight'' and ''Escort''.<ref>Rohwer, pp. 31</ref> The latter ship was sunk by an Italian submarine on 11 July while covering a [[Malta convoy]].<ref>Evans, pp. 50–51</ref> Most of Force H returned to the UK for a brief refit in early August, but upon their return at the end of the month, the 8th DF now consisted of ''Faulknor'', ''Forester'', ''Foresight'', ''Firedrake'', ''Fortune'', ''Fury'', and {{HMS|Greyhound|H05|2}}.<ref>Rohwer, pp. 35, 37</ref> On the night of 31 August/1 September, ''Esk'', ''Express'' and three other minelaying destroyers laid a minefield off the Dutch island of [[Texel]]. While doing so, the latter ship struck a mine that blew her bow off. While closing to render aid, ''Esk'' struck two mines that broke her in half with heavy casualties. ''Express'' was towed back to England for repairs that lasted until October 1941.<ref name=e74/> On 13 September, Force H met a convoy that was carrying troops intended to capture [[Dakar]] from the Vichy French that was escorted by {{HMS|Inglefield|D02|2}}, ''Eclipse'', ''Echo'', ''Encounter'', and ''Escapade''. Ten days later they [[Battle of Dakar|attacked Dakar]] where ''Foresight'' and ''Inglefield'' sank the {{ship|French submarine|Persée}}, ''Fortune'' sank the submarine {{ship|French submarine|Ajax||2}} a day later<ref>Rohwer, pp. 38, 42</ref> and ''Foresight'' sank the submarine {{ship|French submarine|Bévéziers|1935|2}} on the 25th. After the battle, ''Escapade'' and ''Echo'' returned to the Home Fleet and resumed their regular duties of fleet escort. On 17 October, ''Fame'' [[Ship grounding|ran aground]] and could not be [[Marine salvage|refloated]] for several months. The following day, ''Firedrake'' together with the destroyer {{HMS|Wrestler|1918|2}} and two Royal Air Force [[flying boat]]s sank the {{ship|Italian submarine|Durbo}}. ''Fury'', ''Encounter'', ''Faulknor'', ''Firedrake'', and ''Forester'' participated in the inconclusive [[Battle of Cape Spartivento]] on 27 November.<ref>English, pp. 65, 67, 69–70, 77–78, 80, 86</ref>

In 1941, the 8th DF escorted Force H as it covered multiple convoys and aircraft carriers flying off aircraft to Malta. While returning from one of the latter missions, ''Forester'', ''Foresight'', ''Faulknor'', ''Fearless'' and ''Foxhound'' sank {{GS|U-138|1940|2}} on 18 June. A month later, ''Fearless'' was crippled by Italian bombs on 23 July while escorting a convoy to Malta and had to be scuttled by her sister ''Foresight'' while ''Firedrake'' was badly damaged by near misses and had to return to Gibraltar for repairs. The ships of the 8th DF mostly returned home between August and October for repairs and refits. ''Encounter'' was transferred to the Mediterranean Fleet in April and spent several months under repair as she was badly damaged by bombs at Malta. The ship was then transferred to the Eastern Fleet in November and arrived at [[Singapore]] the following month. ''Eclipse'', ''Echo'', and ''Electra'' were assigned to the [[3rd Destroyer Flotilla]] of the Home Fleet at the beginning of 1941 where they escorted the larger ships of the fleet while they were searching for German [[commerce raider]]s and on other missions. ''Escapade'' began escorting [[Arctic convoys of World War II|convoys to Russia]] in August and continued to do so for most of the following year. ''Electra'' did the same for several months until she was detailed to escort the [[battleship]] {{HMS|Prince of Wales|53|2}} and the battlecruiser {{HMS|Repulse|1916|2}} to Singapore in October, together with ''Express''.<ref>English, pp. 65, 67–70, 76, 79, 80–82, 85</ref>

''Express'' and ''Electra'' were half of the escorts for ''Prince of Wales'' and ''Repulse'' as they sailed north on 9 December, but could do little as the [[Sinking of Prince of Wales and Repulse|Japanese bombers sank the two capital ships]] other than help to rescue the 3,000-odd survivors. Upon their return to Singapore, they joined ''Encounter'' and the other destroyers there escorting ships between Singapore and the [[Sunda Strait]]. ''Electra'' and ''Encounter'' escorted the [[heavy cruiser]] {{HMS|Exeter|68|2}} during the [[Battle of the Java Sea]] on 27 February 1942. The former ship was sunk by a Japanese destroyer as she covered ''Exeter''{{'}}s withdrawal. Several days later, ''Encounter'' and the American destroyer {{USS|Pope|DD-225|2}} were escorting the damaged ''Exeter'' en route to [[Ceylon]] when they encountered four Japanese heavy cruisers and their escorts. ''Encounter'' and ''Exeter'' were sunk in the [[Second Battle of the Java Sea|subsequent battle]] on 1 March.<ref>Rohwer, pp. 123–24, 146–48</ref> ''Express'' did not participate in any of these battles because she'd been damaged by a boiler room fire in early February and her repairs did not begin until April. ''Fortune'' joined her sister with the Eastern Fleet in February, with ''Foxhound'' following two months later.<ref>English, pp. 74, 84–85</ref>

[[File:HMS Express.jpg|thumb|Aerial view of ''Express'' in November 1942]]
On 27 March, ''Fury'', ''Eclipse'' and the light cruiser {{HMS|Trinidad|46|2}} were escorting [[Convoy PQ 13]] in the Arctic when they were intercepted by three German destroyers. In the ensuing action, the cruiser was damaged by one of her own torpedoes and ''Eclipse'' was hit twice, although the cruiser sank the {{ship|German destroyer|Z26}}. ''Foresight'', ''Forester'' and the light cruiser {{HMS|Edinburgh|16|2}} were the close escort for [[Convoy QP 11]], returning from [[Murmansk]] to [[Iceland]], when ''Edinburgh'' was torpedoed on 29 April. The two hits disabled her steering and she had to be towed by the two destroyers. Two days later, they were attacked by three German destroyers which badly damaged ''Foresight'' and ''Forester'' and put another torpedo into ''Edinburgh'', crippling her. The two destroyers took off the survivors and scuttled the cruiser. Temporarily repaired at Murmansk, the sisters were part of ''Trinidad''{{'}}s escort home when she was set on fire by a German bomber and had to be scuttled on 15 May. ''Faulknor'', ''Fury'', ''Escapade'', ''Echo'', and ''Eclipse'' escorted more Arctic convoys in May–September, ''Faulknor'' sinking {{GS|U-88|1941|2}} on 12 September while escorting [[Convoy PQ 18]]. ''Foresight'' and ''Fury'' were briefly detached to escort the fleet during [[Operation Pedestal]] in August, during which the former was torpedoed and had to be scuttled. While being repaired, ''Fame'' was converted into an [[escort destroyer]] and was assigned to the WAC, joining her sister, ''Fearless'', upon its completion in September. A month later, she sank {{GS|U-353||2}} while protecting [[Convoy SC 104]]. ''Fearless'' was torpedoed and sunk by {{GS|U-211||2}} on 16 December.<ref>English, pp. 65, 70, 78, 80–83; Rohwer, pp. 153, 162, 166–67, 175, 195–96</ref>

[[File:HMS Escapade damage. Greenock WWII IWM A19362.jpg|thumb|The damage suffered by ''Escapade'' after her Hedgehog prematurely detonated on 20 September 1943]]
When convoys to Russia resumed in December 1942, ''Fury'', ''Forester'', ''Faulknor'', ''Eclipse'', and ''Echo'' were assigned as escorts. ''Fury'', and ''Eclipse'' were detached to augment the escorts of the WAC in March–May 1943, joining their sisters, ''Fame'' and ''Escapade'', when German submarine attacks reached their peak.<ref>English, pp. 65, 67, 70, 76, 83, 87</ref> The former had already sunk {{GS|U-69|1940|2}} on 17 February while escorting [[Convoy ONS 165]].<ref>Rohwer, pp. 230–31</ref> ''Express'', ''Fortune'' and ''Foxhound'' was assigned to the Eastern Fleet at the beginning of 1943, but the first two returned to Britain in February to begin refits, during which they were transferred to the [[Royal Canadian Navy]] and renamed ''Gatineau'' and ''Saskatchewan'' in June and May, respectively. ''Foxhound'' followed in August and was converted into an escort destroyer before being given to the Canadians in February 1944 and renamed ''Qu'Appelle''. ''Forester'' was assigned to [[Escort Group]] C1 of the WAC in June. ''Escapade'' was badly damaged by a premature detonation of her Hedgehog projectiles in September and was under repair until the end of 1944.<ref>English, pp. 70, 74, 83–85</ref> ''Faulknor'', ''Fury'', ''Echo'', and ''Eclipse'' were transferred to the Mediterranean Fleet to escort the covering force during the [[invasion of Sicily]] in July and the subsequent [[Allied invasion of Italy|landings in mainland Italy]]. ''Faulknor'', ''Fury'', and ''Eclipse'' participated in the [[Dodecanese Campaign]] after the [[surrender of Italy]] in September and the latter ship sank after hitting a mine on 24 October.<ref>Rohwer, pp. 262, 269, 273, 281</ref>

''Echo'' began a long refit at Malta in December and was loaned to the [[Royal Hellenic Navy]] upon its completion in April 1944. Renamed ''Navarinon'', she supported government forces during the [[Greek Civil War]] and was retained after the end of the war. ''Faulknor'' and ''Fury'' later supported operations in Italy before returning to the UK for [[Operation Overlord]] in June.<ref>English, pp. 66, 77, 87</ref> While escorting [[Convoy HX 280]], ''Gatineau'' helped to sink {{GS|U-744||2}} on 6 March, four days later ''Forester'' participated in the sinking of {{GS|U-845||2}}.<ref>Rohwer, pp. 308–09</ref> ''Fame'', ''Forester'', ''Gatineau'', ''Saskatchewan'', and ''Qu'Appelle'' joined their sisters covering the preparations for the invasion of Normandy and the invasion itself. ''Fame'' and two others destroyers sank {{GS|U-767||2}} on 18 June. ''Fury'' struck a mine on 21 June and was forced to [[Beaching (nautical)|beach]] herself to prevent her from sinking. She was written off after she was [[Marine salvage|salvaged]] and was broken up for scrap beginning in September. ''Saskatchewan'' and ''Gatineau'' returned to Canada in August for lengthy refits that lasted into 1945 after which they returned to the UK. ''Qu'Appelle'' returned to the North Atlantic in October and ''Forester'' helped to sink {{GS|U-413||2}} on 20 August and then was sent back to the North Atlantic. ''Escapade'' was fitted with the new [[Squid (weapon)|Squid]] anti-submarine mortar when her repairs were finished.<ref>English, pp. 71, 76, 83–84, 86–87</ref>

===Postwar===
''Gatineau'', ''Saskatchewan'', and ''Qu'Appelle'' were used to ferry Canadian troops back home before they were placed in reserve in 1946 and subsequently sold for scrap, although ''Gatineau'' was scuttled in 1948 in [[British Columbia]] to serve as a [[breakwater (structure)|breakwater]]. ''Faulknor'' and ''Forester'' were reduced to reserve in 1945 and broken up the following year; ''Escapade'' lasted on active duty a year longer as she served in the Anti-Submarine Training Flotilla until 1946, but the ship was scrapped the next year. Unlike most of her sisters, ''Fame'' remained on active duty until 1947 when she was placed in reserve. She was sold to the [[Dominican Republic]] in 1949 and renamed ''Generalissimo''. The ship was renamed ''Sanchez'' in 1962 and finally discarded in 1968. ''Navarinon'' later became a training ship before she was returned to the Royal Navy in 1956 and broken up the following year.<ref>English, pp. 66, 71, 74, 77–78, 83–84, 86</ref>