Name HMS Chiddingfold Builder Scotts at Greenock Commissioned October 1941 Construction started 1 March 1940 Length 85 m | Ordered 4 September 1939 Laid down 1 March 1940 Identification pennant numberL31 Launched 10 March 1941 Draft 2.51 m | |
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INS Ganga (D94) was a Type II Hunt-class destroyer of the Indian Navy. She was leased from the Royal Navy in 1952, where she served in World War II as HMS Chiddingfold (L31).
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History in the Royal Navy
Chiddingfold was ordered on 4 September 1939 under the 1939 War Emergency Build Programme. She was laid down as Job No. J1115. She was commissioned around October 1941.
She earned battle honours in World War II for Norway, 1941 and English Channel, 1945.
Following the war, she was reduced to Reserve status early in 1946 and laid-up on 25 March 1946. In 1950 she was transferred to the Reserve Fleet at Harwich and remained there until 1952 when she was towed to Liverpool for a refit.
History in the Indian Navy
The lease of Chiddingfold to India was announced on 17 June 1952. She underwent a refit by Messrs Crichton at Liverpool which was completed in June 1953.
She was commissioned as INS Ganga on 18 June 1953. The lease was extended in August 1956, and she was sold to India in April 1958. Along with two other Hunt-class destroyers in Indian service (Godavari and Gomati), she constituted the 22nd Destroyer Squadron.
She was deployed as a training ship until 1975, when she was struck from the active list, before being sold for scrapping.