HMS Glowworm (H92)

	Broadside view of Glowworm
History
United Kingdom
Name	Glowworm
Ordered	5 March 1934
Builder	John I. Thornycroft & Company, Woolston, Hampshire
Laid down	15 August 1934
Launched	22 July 1935
Commissioned	22 January 1936
Identification	Pennant number: H92
Motto	Ex tenebris lux : 'Out of darkness light'.
Fate	Sunk by the German cruiser Admiral Hipper, 8 April 1940
Badge	On a Field Blue, a lantern Black with rays issuing Silver
General characteristics (as built)
Class and type	G-class destroyer
Displacement	1,350 long tons (1,370 t) (standard); 1,883 long tons (1,913 t) (deep load);
Length	323 ft (98.5 m)
Beam	33 ft (10.1 m)
Draught	12 ft 5 in (3.8 m)
Installed power	3 Admiralty 3-drum boilers; 34,000 shp (25,000 kW);
Propulsion	2 shafts, 2 geared steam turbines
Speed	36 knots (67 km/h; 41 mph)
Range	5,530 nmi (10,240 km; 6,360 mi) at 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph)
Complement	137 (peacetime), 146 (wartime)
Armament	4 × single 4.7 in (120 mm) guns; 2 × quadruple 0.5 in (12.7 mm) machine guns; 2 × quintuple 21 in (533 mm) torpedo tubes; 1 depth charge rack and 2 throwers, 20 × depth charges;

HMS Glowworm was a G-class destroyer built for the Royal Navy in the mid-1930s. During the Spanish Civil War the ship spent part of 1936 and 1937 in Spanish waters, enforcing the arms blockade imposed by Britain and France on both sides of the conflict. Glowworm was transferred from the Mediterranean Fleet shortly after the beginning of World War II to the British Isles, to escort shipping in local waters. In March 1940, she was transferred to the Home Fleet, just in time to participate in the opening stages of the Norwegian Campaign. On 8 April 1940 Glowworm encountered German destroyers transporting troops to invade Norway in Operation Weserübung. The German destroyers attempted to disengage while calling for help from the heavy cruiser Admiral Hipper. In the chaos of battle, the heavily damaged Glowworm rammed Admiral Hipper. The collision broke off the destroyer's bow, and she sank shortly afterwards. The commander of Glowworm was awarded the VC at the recommendation of the commander of Hipper. There were only two other occasions when a VC was awarded at the recommendation of the enemy in the Second World War.

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