The subsequent fate of many of the Allied vessels that participated in the Battle for Zeeland is also known. Their wartime careers are briefly outlined below..
The French destroyer Cyclone (pennant number 56), a Bourrasque-class destroyer [a twelve ship strong class called 'Torpilleur d'escadre'] commissioned in 1925, displaced approximately 1,300 tons and was armed with four 130 mm guns, two 37 mm anti-aircraft guns, and torpedo tubes. Shortly before the French capitulation, she was severely damaged by a torpedo fired by the German Schnellboot S 24. The vessel was eventually scuttled on 18 June 1940.
The destroyer Mistral (pen no 52), also of the Bourrasque-class, survived the collapse of France and continued service under Allied control. She remained in operation throughout the war and was returned to the French Navy in 1945. The vessel was decommissioned in 1950.
The light destroyer Siroco (pen no 57), another member of the Bourrasque-class, was sunk on 31 May 1940 by torpedoes launched by the German motor torpedo boats S 23, S 24, and S 26 during the Dunkirk evacuation.
The modern fast torpedo boat L'Incomprise (H 47), of the Pomone class [a twelve ship strong class of torpedoboats of 835 tons, with two 100 mm main guns and two torpedo tubes - also referred to as La Melpomène-class], commissioned in 1938, continued service with the Allied naval forces after July 1940. Following the liberation of France, she returned to French service in 1945.
Another modern Pomone-class torpedo boat, Branlebas, was captured by the British in Portmouth in July 1940, but the vessel foundered during severe weather and sank with heavy loss of life on 14 December 1940 near Eddystone.
The destroyer Frondeur (pen no 22), of the L'Adroit-class [a fourteen ship strong class of heavy destroyers of displaced approximately 2,000 tons fully loaded, armed with four 130 mm guns, one 75 mm anti-aircraft gun and torpedo tubes] was commissioned in 1931. She escaped Dutch waters but she was seized by German forces and commissioned in the Vichy navy. She was sunk by Allied doing on 8 November 1942 during Operation Torch, the Allied landings in North Africa.
Her sister ship L'Adroit (pen no 21), lead ship of her class, was lost early in the war. She performed many missions along the coast between Dunkirk and Flushing in May 1940 but on 21 May 1940 she met her fate when she was hit off Dunkirk by bombs dropped from a German Heinkel He 111 bomber. The captain of the ship quickly had her beached at Malo-les-Bains, where all crew members were able to disembark, no losses suffered.
Another L'Adroit-class destroyer, Fougueux (number 118), had been modified into a fast fleet minesweeper and her armament was changed. She got better sonar equipment on board as well as depth charger stations. She was active around Walcheren during the May war, later supported French troops near Boulonge-sur-Mer where she was hit by an aerial bomb on the 24th. She was repaired in Cherbour, but fell in Vicky hands. She fell victim to American naval fire like her sistership Frondeur during Operation Torch on 8 November 1942.
The ultimate fate of the French naval vessel FS Diligente - a Friponne-class sloop commissioned in 1917 - was that she survived the war and was decommissioned in France in 1945 and scrapped shortly after. She performed shuttle services for fuel and other supplies during the May war and she suffered major damage from the 12 May nearby aerial bomb detonation in Flushing harbour that got a tanker truck blasted onto her bridge. She managed to escape Flushing ultimately and later managed to reach France and, after serving during Operation Dynamo, ultimately the UK, where she served the Free French navy. The FNFL turned her into a commando ship and later an anti-aircraft ship, serving the FNFL throughout the war.
The Royal Navy destroyer HMS Codrington (D65), the flotilla leader of the A-class, displaced approximately 2,000 tons fully loaded and was armed with five 4.7-inch guns (120 mm) and torpedo tubes. During the night of 12–13 May 1940, she carried Princess Juliana, Prince Bernhard, and their two children from IJmuiden to the United Kingdom. Her wartime career ended prematurely on 27 July 1940, when a German bomb exploded alongside the vessel while she was at anchor. The resulting damage broke her back, and she subsequently sank.
The large Royal Navy destroyer HMS Hereward (H93), a H-class destroyer of approximately 1,500 tons armed with five 4.7-inch guns and torpedo tubes, was the vessel that carried Queen Wilhelmina to safety when she departed from Hook of Holland on 13 May. She arrived at Harwich later that day. Hereward was sunk on 29 May 1941 during the Battle of Crete.
HMS Keith (D06), a B-class destroyer of approximately 1,800 tons armed with four 4.7-inch guns and torpedo tubes, suffered extensive damage during repeated German air attacks off Dunkirk. After being abandoned by her crew, she finally sank in the North Sea on 1 June 1940. Misfortune struck her crew once more when the vessel evacuating survivors was itself sunk by German aircraft. Many of the men who had escaped the loss of Keith perished in the second disaster.
The destroyer HMS Winchester (L55), a V and W-class destroyer of approximately 1,100 tons armed with four 4-inch (102 mm) guns, a 3-inch (76 mm) anti-aircraft gun, and six torpedo tubes, was heavily damaged by German aircraft off the Zeeland coast on 15 May 1940. Although she managed to reach England and undergo repairs, she was again damaged during operations connected with Dunkirk later that month. Nevertheless, she survived the war and was decommissioned on 5 March 1946.
HMS Westminster, another V and W-class destroyer, suffered serious damage when her propellers struck a wreck while returning to Dunkirk. After being towed from the operational area, she was repaired at Dover and subsequently returned to service. She survived the war and was decommissioned in 1948.
The escort destroyer HMS Wolsey (D51), also of the V and W-class, survived the war and remained in service until after the conflict.
The escort destroyer HMS Vimiera (D79), a V-class destroyer of approximately 1,300 tons armed with four 4-inch guns, one 3-inch anti-aircraft gun, and four torpedo tubes, was lost on 9 January 1942 after striking a German magnetic mine in the Thames Estuary.
The escort destroyer HMS Wild Swan (D62), a W-class destroyer of approximately 1,120 tons armed with three 4.7-inch guns, anti-aircraft weapons, and torpedo tubes, was lost on 17 June 1942 south of Ireland. Earlier that day, she had been damaged by German aircraft while escorting a convoy. During the subsequent rescue operation, she collided with a fishing trawler and sank.
The destroyer HMS Whitley (L23), another V and W-class vessel, was severely damaged by German bombers off the coast near Ostend on 19 May 1940. The vessel was deliberately beached to prevent her loss at sea, but the damage proved beyond repair. She was later destroyed by HMS Keith. The remains of the wreck are still located in the shallow waters off the Belgian coast.
The Royal Navy destroyer HMS Windsor (D42), a V and W-class destroyer of approximately 1,100 tons, was armed with four 4-inch (102 mm) guns, one 3-inch (76 mm) anti-aircraft gun, and six torpedo tubes. During the May Campaign, she made numerous voyages to and from Dutch ports.
On 13 May 1940, Windsor embarked the Dutch Cabinet, together with the British and Norwegian diplomatic delegations, and transported them from Hook of Holland to Tilbury. The vessel arrived safely in the early hours of 14 May.
Throughout the remainder of the war, Windsor continued to serve with distinction in escort and operational duties, surviving the conflict and remaining in service until her eventual decommissioning.