HMS Skate continued active service into the Second World War as the Royal Navy's oldest serving destroyer. Another British-designed ship in the Royal Siamese Navy apparently remained in service until at least 1957. Its service chronology contains acknowledged uncertainties, and the ship is not named in the passage. USS Trout, identified as a Tambor-class submarine, attempted to torpedo it, but the torpedoes were duds. Both examples show how destroyer careers could extend far beyond the war for which the ships were designed.
Notable Point · 35:15-36:24
Long destroyer careers: Skate and a Siamese survivor
HMS Skate and an unnamed destroyer in Siamese service illustrate how First World War designs could remain useful for decades.