HMS Grafton

HMS Grafton

HMS Brissenden

HMS Grafton

HMS Brissenden

Britain

I Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
3.7	3.7	3.7

Class:

Destroyer

Research:2 900

Purchase:700

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Description

The G-class, HMS Grafton (H89), 1936 is a rank I British destroyer with a battle rating of 3.7 (AB/RB/SB). It was introduced in Update 1.83 "Masters of the Sea" as part of the British fleet closed beta test.

The HMS Grafton, pennant number (H89), part of the G-class is a destroyer build for the Royal Navy during the 1930s. She had a relatively short but diverse operational history. 

It serves as a combat destroyer introduction to British captains. Grafton gives the chance to sense the game style of a combat-worthy destroyer. Unlike the Town class which are escort destroyers, Grafton can stand its ground against similar or even superior enemies; thus providing a useful experience for the yet more powerful destroyers down the research tree.

General info

HMS Grafton performs excellently in the destroyer vs destroyer area, thanks to her 4x 4,7 inch/45 Mk.XII (120 mm) main guns. Her mobility is also remarkable, but the less appealing aspects are her lacklustre anti-air defences and the yet below-average crew size.

Survivability and armour

The crew size is an essential indicator of survivability amongst destroyers. HMS Grafton does not offer any significative advantage over other Rank I destroyers, with her crew being only of 145. Captains must be prudent in their combat actions to preserve the life of their complement. 

The armour present on the HMS is limited to gun shielding and turret protections consisting of:

• 12.7 mm of Antifragmentation armour
• 4.97 mm of Antifragmentation armour

Mobility

Write about the ship’s mobility. Evaluate its power and maneuverability, rudder rerouting speed, stopping speed at full tilt, with its maximum forward speed and reverse speed.

Armament

Primary armament

Provide information about the characteristics of the primary armament. Evaluate their efficacy in battle based on their reload speed, ballistics and the capacity of their shells.

Broadly describe the ammunition available for the primary armament, and provide recommendations on how to use it and which ammunition to choose.

Secondary armament

Some ships are fitted with weapons of various calibers. Secondary armament is defined by the weapon chosen with the control Select secondary weapon. Evaluate the secondary armament and give advice on how to use them. Describe the ammunition available for the secondary armament. Provide recommendations on how to use them and which ammunition to choose. Remember that anti-air armament, even heavy caliber weapons, belong in the next section.

Torpedo armament

Many ships are armed with torpedo launchers, and for some vessels such as boats, torpedoes are an extremely important means of defeating an opponent. Evaluate the position of the torpedo launchers, discuss the ammunition available, firing specifics such as dead zones, features of the torpedoes themselves, etc.

Special armament

Depth charges, mines, rocket launchers and missiles are also effective in skilled hands and can be an unexpected surprise for an opponent. Evaluate the ammunition of this type of armament and rate its performance in combat.

Usage in battles

Describe the technique of using this ship, the characteristics of her use in a team and tips on strategy. Abstain from writing an entire guide – don’t get try to provide a single point of view, but give the reader food for thought. Talk about the most dangerous opponents for this vehicle and provide recommendations on fighting them. If necessary, note the specifics of playing with this vehicle in various modes (AB, RB, SB).

Modules

Tier	Seakeeping	Unsinkability		Firepower
I	Dry-Docking	Tool Set		4.7 inch SAP Mk.VA	12.7 mm I	Anti-Air Armament Targeting
II	Rudder Replacement	Fire Protection System	Smokescreen	4.7 inch HE-TF Mk.VIIA	12.7 mm API	Auxiliary Armament Targeting
III	Propeller Replacement	Ventilation	Shrapnel Protection	Improved Rangefinder		Primary Armament Targeting
IV	Engine Maintenance	New Pumps	Ammo Wetting	4.7 inch HE-VT Mk.VIIA	Bomb mortar	Torpedo Mode

Pros and cons

Summarize and briefly evaluate the vehicle in terms of its characteristics and combat effectiveness. Mark its pros and cons in the bulleted list. Try not to use more than 6 points for each of the characteristics. Avoid using categorical definitions such as "bad", "good" and the like - they have a substitution in the form of softer "inadequate", "effective".

Pros:

Cons:

History

HMS Grafton was laid down in August 1934 as the fifth ship of nine G-class destroyers being built by British dockyards in the interwar years. Almost two years later, in March 1936, the ship was completed and joined the ranks of the Royal Navy.

HMS Grafton spent her early service days as part of the 1st Destroyer Flotilla operating in the Mediterranean. During the Spanish Civil War, HMS Grafton assisted in enforcing the non-intervention policy alongside warships of other nations.

During the outbreak of WW2 in September 1939, HMS Grafton was undergoing refits at Malta, being called back to British waters in the following October. In early 1940, Grafton underwent minor overhaul work before being assigned to escort convoys headed for Norway.

At the same time, the war situation in France was looking desperate with the start of the Siege of Calais. Operation Dynamo, the allied effort of evacuating cut-off troops from Dunkirk, commenced shortly after. HMS Grafton answered the call and assisted with evacuating troops from the 27th, May 1940.

Two days later however, HMS Grafton spotted survivors of the previously sunk destroyer HMS Wakeful and stopped to commence rescue efforts. Stationary, Grafton presented herself as easy prey for any attacker. Soon enough, she found herself in the crosshairs of the German submarine U-62.

Although severely damaged by the torpedo attack, HMS Grafton stayed afloat long enough for her survivors to be rescued by the destroyer HMS Ivanhoe. Realizing the extent of her damage, the decision was made to scuttle HMS Grafton by gunfire from Ivanhoe. After the shelling, HMS Grafton quickly sank to the bottom, marking the end of her service life and contribution to WW2.

- From Devblog

Media

An excellent addition to the article will be video guides, as well as screenshots from the game and photos.

See also

Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:

• reference to the series of the ship;
• links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.

External links

• [Devblog] HMS Grafton (H89): The spirit of self-sacrifice