HMS Zubian joins two damaged destroyers

Did navies ever combine parts from different warships out of necessity?

Yes. HMS Zubian combined the surviving bow of HMS Zulu with the stern of HMS Nubian to return one Tribal-class destroyer to service.

The answer points to more than an improvised fitting or borrowed weapon. Two badly damaged ships supplied complementary intact halves, and the combined name recorded their origins. It is a concise but memorable illustration of how repair yards can recover combat value from losses that would normally remove two hulls from the fleet.