HMS Gipsy was a G-class destroyer constructed for the Royal Navy in the 1930s, designed for speed, armament, and versatility. She displaced approximately 1,350 long tons at standard load and approximately 1,883 long tons at deep load. The vessel measured 323 feet in overall length, with a beam of 33 feet and a draught of 12 feet 5 inches. Propelled by Parsons geared steam turbines powered by three Admiralty 3-drum water-tube boilers, Gipsy could reach a maximum speed of 36 knots, powered by 34,000 shaft horsepower. Her fuel capacity of 470 long tons of fuel oil provided an operational range of 5,530 nautical miles at 15 knots. Gipsy’s armament included four 4.7-inch Mark IX guns in single mounts, supplemented by two quadruple mounts for 0.5-inch Vickers machine guns for anti-aircraft defense. She was also equipped with two quadruple 21-inch torpedo tube mounts, along with a rail and two depth charge throwers, initially carrying 20 depth charges which increased to 35 during wartime. Laid down on 4 September 1934 by Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering at Govan, Scotland, she was launched on 7 November 1935 and completed on 22 February 1936 at a cost of £250,364. During her pre-war service, she was primarily assigned to the Mediterranean Fleet’s 1st Destroyer Flotilla, participating in operations such as evacuations during the Spanish Civil War in 1936. With the outbreak of World War II, Gipsy was initially deployed to patrol and escort duties in the Eastern Mediterranean before transferring to the Western Approaches. Her service was marked by a collision with her sister ship Greyhound in November 1939, and she participated in anti-submarine operations in the North Sea. Tragically, on 12 November 1939, Gipsy struck a magnetic mine outside Harwich, resulting in her sinking and the loss of 30 crew members, including her captain. The wreck was salvaged and scrapped over the course of the war, with notable controversy surrounding her sinking due to deficiencies in harbor defenses and communication failures.

This description has been generated using GPT-4.1-NANO based on the Vessel's wikidata information and then modified by ShipIndex.org staff.