Trumpeter 05332 HMS Zulu Destroyer 1941

HMS Zulu (F18) was a British destroyer from the interwar period and World War II. The keel for this unit was laid in 1936, and the launch took place in September 1937. The total length of the ship at the time of launching was 115 meters and a width of 11.13 meters. Full displacement reached approx. 2,500 tons, and the maximum speed was approx. 36 knots. The armament at the time of launching consisted of, among other things, four twin 120 mm guns, a 40 mm gun and a quadruple 533 mm torpedo tube.

HMS Zulu was one of the Tribal-class destroyers (another name: Afridi-class). These types of ships were initially designed as light cruisers and only later developed as destroyers. Units of this type were characterized by a relatively high displacement, they also emphasized strong artillery at the expense of - for example - limited torpedo armament. They were also characterized by good maximum speed and high seaworthiness. Later they also received ASDICs, which significantly increased their anti-submarine anti-submarine (ZOP) capabilities. They are quite commonly considered successful units with high combat value. At the outbreak of World War II, HMS Zulu performed escort duties in its home waters, and in 1940 supported the Royal Navy's operations in Norwegian waters against the Kriegsmarine. In early 1941, he was on convoy service in the Atlantic, and in May of that year he participated in the tracking down and sinking of the battleship Bismarck. In the summer of 1941, the destroyer underwent modernization in Great Britain, which mainly involved the installation of a radar. In 1942, the unit was transferred to the Mediterranean Sea. HMS Zulu was sunk as a result of aviation operations on September 14, 1942 in the Tobruk area.