HMS Fleetwood was a  Grimsby Class Sloop authorised in the 1934 Programme. Built in HM Dockyard Devonport with engines supplied by Thorneycroft Ltd. She was laid down ion 14 August 1935 and launched 0n 24 March 1936. She was completed 0n 29 November 1936. Of 990 tons standard displacement, the Fleetwood was 266' 3" in length with a breadth of 36'0" and a draught aft of 9' 7" Designed top speed was 16.5 knots with an endurance of 7,800 miles at 10 knots and 5.350 miles at 15 knots.

       Armament was 4 X 4" QF HA/LA guns and 4 x 3 pdr. Guns. For anti submarine warfare the Fleetwood was fitted with 2 Throwers and 2 Rails for depth charges, of which she carried an outfit of 40. In October 1939  2 x 3pdr guns were removed and in April 1941 the remaining two were removed . By March 1943 the Fleetwood was fitted with 3 x 20 mm. Oerlikon guns, increased by October 1943 to 6. In April 1941 the depth charge equipment was increased to 4 throwers and 2 rails with an outfit of 60  depth charges  By April 1944 the number of depth charges carried had been increased to 90.
In October 1943  " Hedgehog" anti submarine mortar had been fitted, for which an outfit of 144 missiles were carried

      At the outbreak of the second World War HMS Fleetwood was in the East Indies Command as a unit of the Red Sea Escort Force. Early in September 1939 she was transferred to the Mediterranean Command as an escort vessel and based in Gibraltar. On 7 October the Fleetwood left Gibraltar for the U.K. arriving in Portland on 11 Oct. en route to join the convoy escort group of the Rosyth Command. The Fleetwood left Portland on 12 Oct and arrived in Rosyth on 16 Oct. For the remainder of that month and early November she was engaged on anti Submarine operations attacking U. Boats on two occasions but without success. On 10 November the Fleetwood arrived at Dundee to undergo a refit. She arrived back at Rosyth on 29 December to resume her former duties.

      In Jan Feb March 1940 HMS Fleetwood escorted many convoy's up and down the East Coast. The convoy's were often attacked by enemy aircraft but losses were few. On 9 April 1940 German forces invaded Norway . On 10 April HMS Fleetwood was placed at the disposal of CinC Home Fleet. On 21 April she left the U.K. for Namsos where she was to augment the anti aircraft defences. On 22 April she took HMS Pelican seriously damaged by air attack in tow for Lerwick. The Fleetwood then sailed for Aandalsnes relieve the HMS Black Swan arriving on 29 April. Just after arrival the port came under heavy air attack and about 30 bombs fell around the Fleetwood but fortunately without hitting her.. She reported after attacks ceased that she had exhausted her ammunition and was instructed to return to Scapa  the next day.  On 12 May whilst unloading at the Mole Fleetwood again came under almost continuous air attack and was much shaken up by near misses. On 27 May she left Harstad escorting the Eskimo which had been damaged and was under tow by the tugs Bandit and Lasso.

HMS Fleetwood arrived at Rosyth on 2 June to resume her former duties of escorting East Coast convoy's. On 17 Sept 1940 she picked up survivors from the  S.S Tregenna which had been torpedoed and sunk. On 5 November she had a refit in Leith and was completed on 8 December. The Fleetwood resumed her duties until 31 Jan 1941 when she left for Londonderry to join the Western Approaches Command.