HMS Havelock (H88) was an Havant class

G and H class destroyer

The G- and H-class destroyers were a class of twenty-four destroyers of the Royal Navy launched in 1935–1939. They served in World War II and sixteen were lost, with a seventeenth being written off as a constructive total loss...

 destroyer

Destroyer

In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...

 of the Royal Navy

Royal Navy

The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...

.

History

She was originally laid down as Jutahy for the Brazilian Navy

Brazilian Navy

The Brazilian Navy is a branch of the Brazilian Armed Forces responsible for conducting naval operations. It is the largest navy in Latin America...

 by White at Cowes. Jutahy was launched on 7 July 1936, and completed on 18 January 1937. Jutahy was one of six Brazilian destroyers purchased in September 1939, and was commissioned HMS Havelock on 16 October 1939. The six ex-Brazilian Havant class destroyers initially formed the 9th Destroyer Flotilla of the Home Fleet assigned to anti-submarine protection of Scapa Flow

Scapa Flow

right|thumb|Scapa Flow viewed from its eastern endScapa Flow is a body of water in the Orkney Islands, Scotland, United Kingdom, sheltered by the islands of Mainland, Graemsay, Burray, South Ronaldsay and Hoy. It is about...

.

In late 1940 the 9th Destroyer Flotilla of the Home Fleet was transferred to the Western Approaches Command

Western Approaches Command

Commander-in-Chief, Western Approaches was the commander of a major operational command of the Royal Navy during World War II. The admiral commanding, and his forces, sometimes informally known as 'Western Approaches Command,' were responsible for the safety of British shipping in the Western...

 and re-designated the 9th Escort Group. In March, 1942, the remaining five Havant class destroyers were designated leaders of Escort Groups B-1 through B-5. Havelock lead the Escort Group B-5 team of Town class destroyer

Town class destroyer

The Town class destroyers were warships transferred from the United States Navy to the Royal Navy and the Royal Canadian Navy in exchange for military bases in the Bahamas and elsewhere, as outlined in the Destroyers for Bases Agreement between Britain and United States, signed on 2 September 1940...

 Caldwell

USS Hale (DD-133)

The first USS Hale was a Wickes class destroyer in the United States Navy during the World War I, later transferred to the Royal Navy as HMS Caldwell ...

, V and W class destroyer

V and W class destroyer

The V and W class was an amalgam of six similar classes of destroyer built for the Royal Navy under the War Emergency Programme of the First World War and generally treated as one class...

s Vanoc

HMS Vanoc (H33)

HMS Vanoc was a British V class destroyer, launched in 1917.-Service:-1940:She accompanied HMS Scarborough in February 1940 on her first Atlantic escort duties after Scarborough 's refit. On 29 April 1940 she deployed with the destroyers HMS Echo, Firedrake, Havelock and Arrow to evacuate troops...

 and Walker, River class frigate

River class frigate

The River class frigate was a class of 151 frigates launched between 1941 and 1944 for use as anti-submarine convoy escorts in the North Atlantic....

 Swale

HMS Swale (K217)

HMS Swale was a River class frigate of the Royal Navy from 1942–1955, loaned to the South African Navy for six months at the end of the Second world War.-Construction:Swale was built to the RN's specifications as a Group I River class frigate...

, and Flower class corvette

Flower class corvette

The Flower-class corvette was a class of 267 corvettes used during World War II, specifically with the Allied navies as anti-submarine convoy escorts during the Battle of the Atlantic...

s Pimpernel, Godetia, Saxifrage, Buttercup and Lavender. Escort Group B-5 was reassigned to Caribbean

Caribbean

The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...

 trade convoys from March of 1942; and returned to the Mid-Ocean Escort Force

Mid-Ocean Escort Force

Mid-Ocean Escort Force referred to the organization of anti-submarine escorts for World War II trade convoys between Canada and the British Isles...

 a year later to escort Convoy SC-122.