HMS Saladin was an Admiralty S-class destroyer that served with the Royal Navy in the Second World War.

[1][2] Differences with the R class were minor, such as having the searchlight moved aft and being designed to mount an additional pair of torpedo tubes.

Three Yarrow boilers fed steam to two sets of Brown-Curtis geared steam turbines rated at 27,000 shaft horsepower (20,000 kW) and driving two shafts, giving a design speed of 36 knots (67 km/h; 41 mph) at normal loading and 32.5 knots (60.2 km/h; 37.4 mph) at deep load.

A full load of 301 long tons (306 t) of fuel oil was carried, which gave a design range of 2,750 nautical miles (5,090 km; 3,160 mi) at 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph).

[7] The ship was designed to mount two additional 18 in (457 mm) torpedo tubes either side of the superstructure but this required the forecastle plating to be cut away, causing excess water to come aboard at sea, so they were removed.

[9][10] The vessel was the only one in Royal Navy service named for Saladin, the founder of the Ayyubid dynasty, conqueror of Jerusalem and opponent of Richard I in the Third Crusade.

[15] On 17 September, the vessel took part in a water carnival in Brighton, the ship's searchlight adding to fireworks and other displays that celebrated the collaboration between the town and the city of Bristol.

[7] On 28 and 29 May 1940, while assisting in the Dunkirk evacuation of 47,310 British troops as part of Operation Dynamo, Saladin was attacked ten times by the German Luftwaffe, receiving multiple hits but none that put the ship out of action.

[22][23] Nonetheless, the ship's engine room was so severely damaged that the vessel had to sail back to Dover at 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph) and could take no part in the evacuation.

Apart from the loss of one merchant ship, the escorts managed to prevent successful attacks from German submarines, including U-43 and U-84 during the following night, and sank U-207.

The 12-pounder was removed and a Type 271 radar fitted instead while two single Oerlikon 20 mm cannon replaced the Vickers machine guns.

[36] On 28 April, the destroyer helped rescue survivors from LST-507 and LST-531, sunk by German E-boats during Exercise Tiger, a rehearsal of the Normandy landings.

[39] Saladin had been dispatched to escort the convoy but a problem with number one boiler meant that the vessel was only able to make 23 knots (43 km/h; 26 mph) and did not arrive in time for the action.