K-Class
Destroyer ordered from
John I Thornycroft at Woolston, Southampton
under the 1937 Programme in March
1935 and laid down on 11th October. Originally
the ship was to have been named JAVELIN but
this was changed before
launch on 21st March 1939 as the first RN
warship to carry this name. Her build was
completed
on 10th October 1939 at a contract price of
£391,570 and she was commissioned with a
Portsmouth
Depot complement for service in the 5th
Destroyer Flotilla, Home Fleet.
B
a t t l e H o n o u r s
NORTH
SEA 1939 - CRETE 1941 - MEDITERRANEAN 1941
H e r a l d i c D a t a
Badge:
On a Field Blue
two white roses in chief, barbed and
seeded
proper
and in a base a sun in splendour rising.
De t a i l s o f W a
r
S e r v i c e
(for more
ship information,
go
to
Naval History Homepage
and
type name in Site Search)
1 9 3 9
October
Contractors Trials and commissioning.
Involved in
collision with a tug and returned to builder’s
yard for repair.
26th
Took passage to Portland on
completion of Acceptance Trials.
November
Work-up at Portland for
operational service.
10th
Passage to Rosyth as escort for HM
Base Ship DUNLUCE CASTLE.
12th
Arrived at Scapa Flow for duties
in Flotilla with Home Fleet.
(Note: Other
ships in 5th Flotilla were HM Destroyers
KELLY, KELVIN, KIPLING,
KIMBERLEY,
KANDAHAR, KHARTOUM and KINGSTON.)
Deployed
for convoy
defence in North Sea and NW Approaches for
anti-submarine
patrol and
interception of blockade runners.
29th
Took part in sinking of U35 with
HM Destroyers KINGSTON and ICARUS off
Shetland Isles
in position 60.53N 02.47E. 43 of the
submarine crew were rescued.
(Note: For details see U-BOATS DESTROYED
by P Kemp
and HITLER’S U-BOAT
WAR
by C Blair.)
December
Home Fleet deployment with
Flotilla in continuation.
For details of
naval activities in Home waters see Naval
Staff History and ENGAGE
THE
ENEMY MORE CLOSELY by C
Barnett.)
1
9 4 0
January
North Sea and NW Approaches
deployment in continuation.
to
February
Deployed for screening of Home
Fleet major warships as required during Fleet
operations to
intercept commerce raiders.)
March
Under repair at Govan.
On completion
resumed Flotilla duties in Home Fleet.
April
Deployed in NW
Approaches with HM Destroyers FEARLESS,
HYPERION, HERO,
ZULU, COSSACK,
KELVIN, IMPULSIVE and DELIGHT as screen for HM
Aircraft
Carrier
FURIOUS and HM Cruiser BIRMINGHAM
(Note:
HMS FURIOUS was
rejoining Home Fleet after refit at
Devonport).
7th
Deployed with HM Destroyers
AFRIDI, GURKHA, SIKH, MOHAWK, ZULU, COSSACK.
KELVIN, Polish
destroyers GROM, BLYSKAWICA and BURZA as
screen for HM Cruisers
Cruisers
GALATEA and ARETHUSA during search for German
warships reported on passage
on passage in
NW Approaches.
8th
HM Destroyers JAVELIN, JANUS, JUNO
and GRENADE joined screen.
9th
Sustained serious damage when
rammed by HM Destroyer KELVIN during screening
duties.
Unable to
steer and detached with HMS ZULU and HMS
COSSACK.
Passage to
Scapa Flow under tow by HMS COSSACK and
escorted by HMS ZULU to Lerwick.
11th
Survey for damage assessment.
Repair arranged in Swan Hunter shipyard at
Newcastle.
15th
Passage to Tyne.
16th
Taken in hand for repair,
(Note: Pennant Number for visual
signalling
purposes changed to G12.)
May
Under repair.
June
Nominated for
service with Flotilla in Humber Force on
completion.
17th
Resumed operational duties with
Flotilla after post repair trials.
July
East coast patrol
and convoy defence in continuation.
9th
Under air attack in North Sea but
undamaged by bombs.
31st
Sustained
serious damage in collision with
Trawler KURD and withdrawn from
operational
service.
August
Under repair at Hull by
Brigham and Cowan shipyard.
22nd
Passage to Scapa
Flow to resume duties with Flotilla.
Deployed in
North Sea with HM Destroyers JAVELIN, JACKAL,
JUPITER,
KELVIN and
KIPLING for convoy defence and patrol.
September
5th
Deployed
with HM Cruiser CAIRO, HM Destroyers KIPLING,
SIKH and ZULU as
escort for HM
Auxiliary Minelayers PORT QUEBEC and
MENESTHEUS during
minelay in
Northern Barrage (Operation SN 5A)
For details
see Naval Staff History (Mining.)
On release
from SN5A took passage to rejoin Flotilla at
Plymouth.
(Note:
Flotilla deployment was made in consequence of
the movement of the
German
destroyers KARL GASTNER, HANS LODY, FRIEDRICH
IHN,
RICHARD
BEITZEN and ERICH STEINBRINK from Wilhelmshaven
to
Cherbourg
which posed a threat to convoys from mines and
surface attacks.)
Deployed for
patrol and interception of enemy destroyers in
Channel and SW Approaches
October
10th
Escorted HM Battleship REVENGE with
HM Destroyers JAVELIN, JUPITER,
KIPLING and
JACKAL during passage to Cherbourg.
11th
Took part in bombardment with other
ships.
(Note:
Cover for this
operation was provided by HM Cruisers
NEWCASTLE
and
EMERALD.)
On completion
took passage to Portsmouth with same ships.
12th
On arrival took passage with ships
of Flotilla to resume duties at Plymouth.
17th
Deployed as screen for HMS
NEWCASTLE and HMS EMERALD with HM Destroyers
JACKAL,
JUPITER, KIPLING and KELVIN during operation
to intercept German
destroyers
sighted on passage from Brest to attack
convoys in SW Approaches.
Came under
unsuccessful torpedo attack from enemy ships.
Although
engaged by HMS NEWCASTLE the British ships
were advised to break off
action
because of lack of air cover from shore.
Took passage
to Plymouth.
18th
Arrived at Plymouth.
November
28th
Deployed with HM Destroyers
JAVELIN, JACKAL, JUPITER and JERSEY to
intercept
three
German destroyers reported on passage in
Channel,
29th
Carried out patrol between Start
Point and Lands End with HMS JERSEY and HMS
JUPITER
Rejoined
Flotilla after HMS JAVELIN engaged in gun
action with enemy
ships and
took
part until enemy ships escaped at speed under
cover of smoke.
(Note:
HMS JAVELIN had come under torpedo attack and
sustained series damage after
three
torpedo hits which destroyer forward after
structure. Flotilla had
been led
by
HMS JAVELIN and was commanded by Captain Lord
Louis Mountbatten.)
Returned
to Plymouth with HMS JUPITER and HMS JERSEY.
(Note: For full
details of this poorly
executed operation and other TUNNEL Operations
in
English Channel see DESTROYER MAN by AF
Pugsley, ENGAGE THE
ENEMY
MORE CLOSELY and HOLD THE
NARROW SEA by P Smith.)
December
3rd
Deployed with HMS KIPLING and HMS
PUNJABI as escort for HM Destroyer
ICARUS
during
planned minelay off Ile de Bas, Bay of Biscay
which was cancelled after defect
in
Taut
Wire Measuring Gear on board HMS ICARUS.
(Operation
GR – see Naval Staff History (Minelaying.)
Detached
and took passage
to join HM Minelaying Cruiser ADVENTURE.
Escorted
HMS ADVENTURE with HMS KIPLING and HMS JUPITER
during minelay
on
Little Sole Bay (Operation GQ1)
5th
Passage to Gibraltar with HMS
JERSEY and HMS JUPITER.
8th
Escorted HM Cruiser MANCHESTER
with HMS JERSEY, JUPITER and KELVIN during
passage from
Gibraltar to UK.
10th
Detached in SW Approaches and
returned to Plymouth.
29th
Escorted HMS ADVENTURE with HMS
JERSEY and HMS JUPITER during minelay
on
Little Sole Bank (Operation
GQ2 – See above reference).
1
9 4 1
January
Detached for patrol
and convoy defence in NW Approaches based in
Clyde..
10th
Took passage from Clyde with HM
Destroyers KELLY, KIPLING and JERSEY.
(Note:
HMS KELLY was rejoining Flotilla after major
repairs.)
18th
Deployed at Plymouth with Flotilla
for interception and patrol in Channel and
SW
Approaches.
February
20th
Deployed with HMS KELLY, KIPLING
and JACKAL as escort for HM Destroyers
INTREPID,
ICARUS and IMPULSIVE during minelay off Brest.
(Operation
GS – See Naval Staff History (Mining.)
March
24th
Escorted HM Minelaying
Cruiser ABDIEL with HMS KIPLING during minelay
off
Brest
(Operation GV).
28th
Escorted HM Destroyers INTREPID,
ICARUS and IMPULSIVE during minelay
off Brest with HM
Destroyers KELLY, KELVIN and JACKAL
April
Nominated
for transfer to
Mediterranean with Flotilla.
Prepared
for foreign service in Malta as a strike force
21st
Took passage to Gibraltar with HM
Destroyers KELLY, KELVIN, KIPLING, JERSEY
and
JACKAL.
24th
Sailed from Gibraltar with HM
Cruisers DIDO and ABDIEL as screen with same
ships
during
passage to Malta as Force S (Operation
SALIENT).
April
28th
Arrived in Malta as relief for
ships of 14th Destroyer Flotilla and deployed
with
same
ships of Flotilla as Force K for attacks on
supply shipping in central
Mediterranean.
May
1st
Deployed with Flotilla for
interception patrol.
2nd
On return to Malta with Flotilla
remained off entrance to Grand Harbour whilst
HM
Destroyers
KELLY, JERSEY, JACKAL and KELVIN entered.
Deployed
with HMS
KIPLING as screen for HMS GLOUCESTER during
passage
Gibraltar
when entrance to Grand Harbour was blocked by
wreck of HMS
JERSEY
which
had sunk after detonating a recently laid mine
4th
Arrived at Gibraltar with HMS
GLOUCESTER and HMS KIPLING.
(Note: HMS GLOUCESTER was damaged during
passage through Sicilian
Narrows
when a mine exploded in her paravane gear,
5th
Deployed with HMS KIPLING and HMS
GLOUCESTER as Force D for defence
of military convoy during passage to
Malta and
joined convoy near Gibraltar.
(Operation
TIGER)
9th
Rejoined Flotilla after TIGER
convoy escort was reinforced by ships of
Mediterranean
Fleet
off Malta and deployed with screen.
10th
Detached from TIGER convoy screen
with ships of Force K and took passage to
carry
Carried
out bombardment with Flotilla at Benghazi
before return to resume strike duties
in Malta.
11th
Arrived at Malta with HM Destroyers
KELLY, JACKAL, KELVIN and KIPLING.
21st
Despatched with Flotilla to assist
in defence of Crete against invasion by German
forces
and
took passage from Malta to join Mediterranean
Fleet ships already deployed off
the
island.
22nd
Deployed with HMS KELLY and HMS
KIPLING to carry out patrol north of Crete to
intercept
invasion craft.
Carried
out bombardment of Maleme airfield
23rd
Under heavy and sustained air
attacks by German aircraft during which ship
was hit
and
sank within two minutes in position
34.40N
24.10E south of Gavo, Crete.
(Note: HMS KELLY was also sunk in these
attacks.
HMS
KIPLING which had become detached earlier
rescued survivors from
both
ships
including 159 from
this destroyer.
For
details see THE BATTLE FOR THE MEDITERRANEAN
by D MacIntyre,
CRETE
by SW Pack and Naval Staff History.
Addendum
CONVOY
ESCORT MOVEMENTS of HMS KASHMIR
by
Don Kindell
These
convoy lists have not been cross-checked
with the text above
|
|
|
|
|
Date
convoy sailed
|
Joined
convoy as escort
|
Convoy No.
|
Left
convoy
|
Date
convoy arrived
|
|
|
|
|
|
05/12/39
|
06/12/39
|
ON
004/1
|
08/12/39
|
08/12/39
|
10/12/39
|
unknown
|
TC
001
|
17/12/39
|
17/12/39
|
06/01/40
|
06/01/40
|
ON
007/1
|
09/01/40
|
09/01/40
|
09/01/40
|
09/01/40
|
HN
007
|
12/01/40
|
12/01/40
|
19/01/40
|
19/01/40
|
HN
008
|
22/01/40
|
22/01/40
|
24/01/40
|
24/01/40
|
ON
009/1
|
27/01/40
|
27/01/40
|
27/01/40
|
27/01/40
|
HN
009A
|
31/01/40
|
31/01/40
|
08/02/40
|
11/02/40
|
HN
010
|
11/02/40
|
11/02/40
|
15/03/40
|
16/03/40
|
ON
020/1
|
18/03/40
|
18/03/40
|
18/03/40
|
18/03/40
|
HN
020
|
22/03/40
|
22/03/40
|
24/03/40
|
24/03/40
|
ON
022/1
|
27/03/40
|
27/03/40
|
06/07/40
|
07/07/40
|
FN
0215
|
07/07/40
|
08/07/40
|
06/05/41
|
06/05/41
|
TIGER
|
12/05/41
|
12/05/41
|
|
|
|
|
|
(Note
on Convoys)