HMS "ZULU" ROYAL NAVY DESTROYER 1941

Description

The second HMS Zulu (pennant number L18, later F18) was a Tribal-class destroyer of the Royal Navy. She was built in Glasgow by Alexander Stephen and Sons. Her keel was laid down on 10 August 1936. She was launched on 23 September 1937 and commissioned on 7 September 1938. On 4 August 1942, Zulu, together with "Sikh", "Croome" and "Tetcott", sank the German submarine U-372 off Haifa (actual Israel). Zulu ’​s commanding officer — Commander R.T. White, D.S.O.* was Mentioned in Despatches for his efforts in sinking U-372. Zulu was sunk by Italian Macchi C.200 Saetta fighter-bombers on 14 September 1942, after bombarding Tobruk, following the rescue of "Sikh". The two ships were covering a commando raid at Tobruk (Operation Agreement). Shore batteries hit "Sikh" which began to sink. White manoeuvred his ship to try to rescue "Sikh" and her crew, attaching lines to her to drag her out of danger, having laid a smokescreen. "Sikh" eventually sank but Zulu succeeded in saving the lives of a number of her crew. Aircraft continued to attack Zulu and she finally succumbed, sinking the following day. Zulu took forty casualties from these attacks: twelve killed, twenty-seven missing, and one member of the crew was wounded. (Scale : 1/350e)