HMS Grasshopper was a built for the Royal Navy in the late 1930s. After completion was sent to the China station where she was deployed on the Yangtse River to relieve the Insect-class gunboat . She remained there until the declaration of war by the Empire of Japan in December 1941. She was subsequently transferred to Singapore Naval Base and participated in the Malayan Campaign in early 1942. Near the end of the Battle of Singapore, she evacuated the base on 11 February together with her sister ship . Three days later she was attacked and sunk by Japanese aircraft off the island of Sebayer. Most of the ship's survivors were later captured on Sumatra by Japanese troops. Design and description The design of the Dragonfly-class ships was based on that of the earlier with that ship's flagship accommodations replaced by a low-angle director-control tower. Grasshopper displaced at standard load and at deep load. The ship had an overall length of , a beam of and a draught of . She was powered by Parsons geared steam turbines, driving two shafts, which developed a total of and gave a maximum speed of . Steam for the turbines was provided by two Admiralty 3-drum boilers. Grasshopper carried a maximum of of fuel oil. The ship mounted two quick-firing (QF) guns 4-inch Mk V guns in single mounts, one each fore and aft of the superstructure. These guns had a maximum elevation of +30 degrees. She also carried a single QF 3.7-inch howitzer. For anti-aircraft defence, Grasshopper had eight single mounts for anti-aircraft machine guns. She had a crew of 74 officers and ratings. Service The ship was ordered on 9 August 1937 as one of the intended replacements for the existing river gunboats stationed on the Chinese rivers. Grasshopper was laid down on 29 December 1937 by John I. Thornycroft & Company at Woolston, Southampton, and launched on 19 January 1939. In April 1939 she sailed to the China Station under her own power and was expected to arrive on 24 May. Grasshopper was commissioned on 1 June 1939 in Hong Kong and completed on 13 June. She was deployed to the Yangtse River where she replaced the HMS Gnat later that month. Part of Gnat crew transferred to Grasshopper, including the ship's mascot, a dog called Judy. Following Japan's entry into the Second World War in December 1941, she was