H.M.S. Barfleur (D80) was the first of a class of destroyers of revolutionary design.  She was named after the Battle of Barfleur, which took place between an Anglo-Dutch Fleet and the French in 1692.

First commissioning day was the 4th of September 1944, almost exactly five years after the outbreak of war with Germany.  Steaming and gun trials were carried out between the 7th and 18th of September, and on the 21st the rating complement was reduced to little over Care and Maintenance while the long-delayed fitting of the Mark 6 Director was completed

Finally recommissioning on the 11th of  January, 1945, after the installation of the Mark 6 Director, the very latest thing in Gunnery Control systems which, owing to severe teething troubles in the works at Vickers, had retarded the completion date by nearly 12 months.

She was the fourth ship of her name in the British Navy.

The fourth Barfleur was adopted by the city of Darlington in the county of Durham.  The Mayor and some of the citizens of Darlington visited the ship in Newcastle. Their great generosity towards the ship was very much appreciated by her company.

She sailed on the 24th January,1945, for Trials in  Gibraltar under the command of Commander M.S. Townsend, D.S.O., O.B.E., D.S.C., R.N.  There was a number of scientists on board connected with the forthcoming trials.

Trials which were to have taken three months were pushed through at a terrific pace, and by March 25th the scientists announced that they were satisfied.  During the six weeks spent doing trials at Gibraltar two Mosquito type aircraft were allocated exclusively to the ship at a time when they were much in demand at home; the pilots of these aircraft performed an extremely monotonous job very well, and to them, in a large measure, is the credit due for the rapid completion of the trials.

"Barfleur" averaged 25 knots on the return journey of 1145 miles to Portsmouth, arriving on the 31st March.  Three weeks were spent at Portsmouth checking over and repairing the 4.5 inch guns which had fired more rounds in the last three months than were fired by the average destroyer in a full wartime commission.  The gun barrels were not changed.  With H.M.S. "Tuscan" in company she sailed for Scapa.  After 24 hours in Scapa she sailed for Gibraltar with "Duke of York,"  "Tyrian,"  "Tuscan,"  "Cavendish,"  "Carron,"  and "Caprice," in company.  "Barfleur" became an inoperative member of the screen after she had lost her Asdic dome to some heavy waterlogged object north of Ireland.  "Barfleur" arrived at Malta on the 2nd of May where she docked for ten days to fit a new dome.

Twenty six days after leaving Malta "Barfleur" arrived in Sydney, the operational base for the British Pacific Fleet in Australia.  An energetic time was spent in Sydney between the 8th and the 16th of June, learning American methods of communicating and operating.  On the 17th "Barfleur" proceeded to Jervis Bay for gunnery trials, measurement of muzzle velocity for the 4.5 inch guns, and bombardment exercises, returning to Sydney on the 21st.

Instead of leaving "Barfleur" behind it had been decided that, as she was the largest destroyer present, she should fly the Flag of the Rear Admiral, Destroyers, Rear Admiral J.H.Edelsten, C.B., C.B.E., as Senior Officer of a screen of about 22 destroyers.  An American liaison officer, Lieutenant (J.G.) Lambert, U.S.N. from Texas, joined prior to sailing.

The Fleet under the command of Vice Admiral Rawlings in H.M.S. "King George V," consisted of 1 Battleship, 4 Fleet Carriers, 6 Cruisers, and 22 Destroyers, sailed for Manus the advanced base in the Admiralty Islands.

From the 17th July, through V-J Day, and on to the end of September "Barfleur" operated as a part of Task Force 37 under the overall direction of the Commander of the Third Fleet, Admiral Halsey, U.S.N., carrying out two and three day strikes against the mainland of Japan.  Whilst under the command of the Americans "Barfleur" (R80) had to change to (D61) to fall into line with them.

The assembly of naval vessels known as the Third Fleet was historic in that it was the largest Armada the world has ever seen.  Of the major units comprising this Fleet there was, including the British Pacific Fleet, a total of 23 Battleships, 26 Aircraft Carriers, 64 Escort Carriers, 52 Cruisers, 323 Destroyers, and 298 Escort Vessels; 181 Submarines harassed enemy shipping close inshore. This truly imposing total does not include the odd 1,500 vessels of various categories whose duty it was to keep the Fleet operational on the doorstep of Japan 2,500 miles from the nearest advanced base.

Admiral Halsey commenced the pre-invasion operations against Japan, after three weeks replenishment of his Fleet at Leyte, on the 10th of July, when strikes were made against industrial plants and airfields in the Tokyo area.  On the 14th and 15th he struck at targets in Northern Honshu and Southern Hokkaidoa, and on the 17th moved south to join the British Pacific Fleet (less H.M.S. "Barfleur").  On the night of the 17th H.M.S. "King George V" took part in the first combined bombardment of the Japanese homeland-Battleships, encountering no opposition, fired 2,000 tons of shells into the coastal area north east of Tokyo.

The first strikes in which "Barfleur" took part were on the 24th and 25th of July, they were directed against targets in the Inland Sea area and concentrated principally on the major Fleet units still afloat at Kure naval base.  The attacks were extremely successful, six major war vessels were badly damaged, and a total of 258,000 tons of naval shipping was either sunk or put out of action.

On the 31st of July Rear Admiral Edelsten and his staff were transferred by jackstay method to H.M.S. "Speaker" for passage back to Manus and to his Flagship, H.M.S. "Tyne."  In the history of war he was the only Rear Admiral (Destroyers) to fly his Flag in a destroyer at sea during an operation.

The following figures are of interest.  During the 101 days between leaving Sydney, on the 28th June, and returning on the 6th October, "Barfleur" steamed a total distance of 30,442 miles and 78 days were spent at sea; she proceeded along-side other ships to oil, provision ship, or transfer stores or personnel on 62 separate occasions,  a total of at least 51 hours being spent alongside at sea.  During the operation alone 65 out of 68 days were spent at sea, and a distance of 24,300 miles covered.

These statistics are not abnormally high although, wearing a Flag herself, "Barfleur" can claim to have transferred more Admirals and other high ranking officers by jackstay than any other destroyer in the British Pacific Fleet.  Other Destroyers of the Fleet Train can probably lay claim to larger figures; those above represent the average for most of the destroyers of Task Force 37.

Although Japan declared her acceptance of the terms of the Potsdam Declaration on the 14th of August the formal instrument of surrender was not signed in Sagami Bay until the 2nd of September, after a postponement of 48 hours caused by a typhoon.  On the 22nd of August "Barfleur" joined forces with Task Group 38.3, and American Fast Carrier Group.  Only two British Destroyers, "Wakeful" and "Wrangler" were in company.  The duty assigned to this group was to provide air cover for the Fleet in Sagami Wan, and for the occupational forces in Tokyo area, until sufficiently powerful air forces had been established in Japan.

"Barfleur" was present when Japan formally surrendered in Tokyo Bay on the deck of the American battleship USS Missouri in 1945.  "Barfleur" was the only Battle Class Destroyer to see action in WWII.

On V.J. day others were already en-route in the Mediterranean. "Armada,"  "Camperdown," and  "Trafalgar," continued out  to the Far East to join up with "Barfleur," to form the 19th Destroyer flotilla, and were shortly joined by "Lagos," and "Hogue,"  "Finisterre," and "Solebay," were returned to the Home Fleet.

Of paramount importance amongst the duties of the Fleet at this stage was the rehabilitation of prisoners of war.  On the 7th of September "Barfleur" sailed, under the orders of the U.S. Destroyer "Bronson" for Ominato, in the Matsu Kaiwan at the northern tip of Honshu, arriving without incident on the 9th.  "Barfleur" was the first British vessel to enter Ominato since the Japanese capitulation.

Reports had been received that a large number of British and American prisoners of war were in camps in Hokkaido, and Lieutenant Baillie Grohman had been lent from C.-in-C's Staff to act as liaison officer with the Americans to effect their early repatriation.  He took passage in "Barfleur."

On the 24th September "Barfleur" sailed for Sydney via Manus and the Jomard Passage, arriving on the 6th October after an uneventful trip.  She had averaged 12.5 knots for every hour of the 101 days which had elapsed since leaving Sydney on the 28th June.  Boilers were cleaned between the 6th and the 28th October, and on the 29th "Barfleur" sailed for an independent cruise around Southern Australia, Tasmania and New Zealand ending up at Auckland, principal naval port in New Zealand, for a refit on the 30th November.

"Barfleur" refitted at Auckland between the beginning of December and the end of  January.  The Captain, Commander Townsend, was reappointed to Admiralty towards the end of the refit at Auckland and flew home on the 24th January.  Lieutenant St Clair Ford assumed command.

"Barfleur" arrived in Hong Kong on the 19th February and came under the direct orders of  Captain (D) for the first time since commissioning, thus in all probability, setting up a record for a private destroyer of over a year in commission as an independent unit.

On the 2nd of March Commander Bonham Carter took over from Lieutenant St. Clair Ford, and on the 7th sailed for Shanghai to join Force 'S', under the command of Vice Admiral Edelsten in H.M.S. "Swiftsure." arriving on the 11th  The purpose of maintaining a British Force at Shanghai was very largely a political one, and Force 'S' at this time consisted of a Cruiser, two or three Destroyers, and a Sloop.

Destroyers of Force 'S' were used to escort  British Merchant ships up and down the China coast, partly to deal with the growing piratical trend, and partly owing to the mine hazard which still existed in these shallow waters.  The new Amenities ship "Menestheus" arrived on the 20th April and proved a great success, the only criticism being that, like a number of other things connected with the British Fleet, she arrived after it was all over.  "Barfleur" wore the Senior Officer's Pendant for a few days during the absence of "Swiftsure" on her trip to Hong Kong to collect the Commander-in-Chief, British Pacific Fleet, now Admiral Lord Fraser.

On the 29th of April "Barfleur" returned to Hong Kong for a boiler clean alongside H.M.S. "Tyne."  On completion of the boiler clean "Barfleur" sailed  for Yokohama to join the British Force based there (Force 'T'), under the command of Rear Admiral Servaes, arriving p.m. on the 16th May.  At the time of "Barfleur's" arrival the Force at Yokohama consisted of Captain D.19 in "Trafalgar" and the Australian Tribal Class Destroyer "Warramunga."  Admiral Servaes, flying his Flag in H.M.S. "Anson," was at Kure, which was the only large Japanese port entirely under British control.  Soon after "Barfleur's" arrival "Trafalgar" sailed for Shanghai, leaving "Barfleur" as Senior Officer Afloat until "Anson's" return on the 23rd of May.

Force 'T' came under the operational control of the Americans and was the last remnant of Task Force 37.  British and Empire Forces administered the southern part of Honshu, the Inland Sea, and the whole of Shikoku under the overall direction of U.S. General of the Army, Douglas MacArthur.  A Naval Officer in charge was established at Kure, a British Naval Representative at Yokohama, and a Naval Attache at Tokyo.

"Barfleur" left Yokohama with "Anson" and "Warramunga" on the 29th May bound for Kobe, second port of the Inland Sea.  Several exercises were carried out on passage, including an experiment by "Barfleur" on the possibilities of long range torpedo attack at night.

"Barfleur" sailed for Kure with "Anson" on the 6th of June by the long route south of Shikoku, the extensive minefields in the central part of the Inland Sea had not been completely swept, and the hundreds of wrecks which littered  the Shimonoseki Kaikyu had not been properly charted.

On the 14th of June "Barfleur" proceeded on an independent cruise around the island of Shikoku with the object of visiting some of the various units of the British and Commonwealth occupation forces stationed there.  On the 19th June "Barfleur" proceeded to Mitsuhama on the western coast of Shikokn, still under American administration.

The Admiralty required information on the performance of Battle Class Destroyers in tropical waters and "Barfleur" was chosen to carry out these trials. "Barfleur" proceeded to Yokohama on the 5th of July, calling at Kure to top up with fuel on the way.  Whilst on passage to Yokohama, at the entrance to the Bungo Suido, south of Kure, a floating mine was sunk by riffle fire, the honours going to the Gunnery Officer, Lieutenant Clouston.

 Speed trials, with dirty bottom, were carried out on the measured mile at the entrance to Tokyo Kaiwan on the 11th and 12th of July,  "Barfleur" sailed for Hong Kong on the 24th of July where she docked at Aberdeen for the first week of August, returning to Tokyo Kaiwan for the clean bottom trials over the measured mile on the 22nd of August.

The Far East Commission was by this time drawing to a close and it was common knowledge that the 19th Destroyer Flotilla would be sailing for the United Kingdom in October.  It was known that one or two ships would not sail until the end of the month but that "Barfleur" having been out the longest, would certainly be sailing with the first batch.

The 11,160 mile passage home was to be made in fairly easy stages, stops of two days being made at Hong Kong, Singapore and Columbo, and one day at Aden, Port Said, Malta and Gibraltar.

"Barfleur" steamed into Portsmouth Harbour between Fort Blockhouse and the Point a few minutes before 1100 on Thursday the 10th of October with her paying off penant broken at the masthead.  Since commissioning she had covered  86,725 miles, more than half of this time had been spent at sea, and nearly 25,000 tons of oil fuel had been expended.

Produced by R W Mullaney