HMS Eclipse (H08)

HMS Eclipse was an E-class destroyer of the Royal Navy that saw service in the Atlantic, Arctic, and Mediterranean theatres during World War II, until sunk by a mine in the Aegean Sea on 24 October 1943.

Service history
From 12 April 1941 Eclipse was refitted at Devonport Dockyard, sailing in early June to rejoin the 3rd Destroyer Flotilla. On 25 June she was deployed to protect the ships of the 1st Minelaying Squadron during a minelay in the Northern Barrage, replacing the destroyer HMS Brighton (I08), which had been damaged in a collision with the cruiser HMS Kenya (14). At the end of July she was part of the destroyer screen of Force P&mdash;the carriers HMS Furious (47) and HMS Victorious (R38), and the cruisers HMS Devonshire (39) and HMS Suffolk (55)&mdash;during the raid on Kirkenes and Petsamo (Operation EF).

Operation Gauntlet
In mid-August Eclipse and five other destroyers were deployed as the screen for the cruisers HMS Aurora (12) and HMS Nigeria (60), as they escorted the troopship RMS Empress of Canada and the auxiliary tanker RFA Oligarch to Spitsbergen in Operation Gauntlet. Canadian troops landed to destroy mining equipment and two radio stations, while Norwegian and Russian civilians were evacuated.

Operation Gearbox
Eclipse remained on screening duty from June to August, transferring to the 8th Destroyer Flotilla in July. In September she was deployed with the destroyers HMS Amazon (D39), HMS Bulldog (H91), HMS Echo (H23) and HMS Venomous (D75) as the screen for the cruisers HMS Cumberland (57) and HMS Sheffield (C24) to establish a refuelling facility at Lowe Sound, Spitsbergen, and re-supply the garrison there (Operation Gearbox).

She then refitted at a shipyard on the Humber River before rejoining the Flotilla at Scapa Flow on 20 November.

Demise
The next day on the 24th Eclipse hit a mine east off Kalymnos in position 37.01667°N, 27.18333°W. She broke in two and sank within five minutes with the loss of 119 of the ship's company and 134 soldiers (from A Company, 4th Battalion, Buffs (Royal East Kent Regiment)).