I-Class Fleet Destroyer ordered from Hawthorn
Leslie, Newcastle on 30th October 1935 under the 1935 Build Programme with delivery by 30th April 1937.
The ship was laid down on 18th January 1936 and was launched on 30th December
that year. She was the 6th RN warship to carry the name, dating from 1800 when
used for the French Prize DIABLE A QUATRE and last carried by a steam yacht
purchased in 1882 and sold In 1919.. Her build was completed on 2nd June 1937
at a contract price of £256,917, excluding items supplied by Admiralty such as
guns and communications outfits. This Class of destroyer was designed for use
as minelayers (See BRITISH DESTROYERS by Edgar March and the Naval Staff
History (MINING) for more Information). Her pre-war service was with the Third
Destroyer Flotilla in the Mediterranean and she took part in patrols off Spain
during the Spanish civil war.
B a t t
l e H o n o u r s
ATLANTIC 1939 - NORTH SEA
1940
H e r a l d i c D a t a
Badge: On a Field Blue., a hand
Proper holding a Gold looking glass
reflecting the sky and waves of the sea also
Proper.
M o t t
o
'Quit you like a man.'
D e 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
September On passage to
Malta
to rejoin 3rd Destroyer Flotilla after refitting.
3rd Arrived In Malta and joined Flotilla.
Nominated for transfer to Western
Approaches with Flotilla for convoy escort duty and
anti-submarine patrol.
5th Passage to
Plymouth. to
join Western Approaches Command.
10th Arrived at
Plymouth and
deployed in Channel and SW Approaches.
Assumed duty as Senior Officer’s
Ship from HM Destroyer INGLEFIELD.
13th Participated in sinking of U42 with
ILEX in Western Approaches during escort of
ss STONEPOOL
For details see U-BOATS DESTROYED
by P Kemp.
Rescued 17 survivors from submarine
which sank in position 49.12 16.00W.
15th Escorted
ss STONEPOOL (?) to Barry and
rescued survivors from mercantiles ss
LOUISIANE and BRETAGNE, torpedoed off Fastnet.
October SW Approaches deployment in continuation.
22nd Taken in hand for repair in commercial
shipyard in
Liverpool.
November Under repair.
7th On completion carried out post repair
trials.
8th Passage to
Scapa Flow to
rejoin Flotilla for Fleet screening and convoy defence in
North Sea
and NW Approaches.
December Home Fleet deployment with Flotilla in
continuation
22nd Assisted defence during passage of HM
Battleship BARHAM to
Clyde after being hit by
a torpedo fired by U30 off Butt of
Lewis.
1 9 4 0
January Deployed in
North Sea and
NW Approaches for Fleet screening and convoy defence.
February
25th Part of escort for Convoy HN14 to
Norway
with HM Destroyers ESCORT, INGLEFIELD
and HM Submarine NARWHAL
After U63 was sighted by HMS
NARWHAL took part in sinking submarine was forced to
surface after depth charge attacks.
Abandoned by crew and scuttled in
position 58.40N 00.10W off Shetland.
24 survivors were rescued by the
destroyers. See U BOATS DESTROYED
March Flotilla deployment with Hone Fleet in
continuation.
31st Nominated with HM Destroyers INGLEFIELD, ILEX and ISIS for escort
of HM Auxiliary
Minelayer TEVIOT BANK during minelay off
Stadtlandet,
Norway
(Operation WILFRED/R4 - See Naval Staff History
(Mining) and Naval Staff
History (HMSO -2001).
April
5th Sailed from
Scapa Flow aa
Force US for minelay.
7th Minelay by TEVIOT BANK cancelled when
German warships ware reported on passage
in Heligoland Bight.
8th Joined Home Fleet unite on passage to
support defence of allied landings in
Norway.
. 9th Deployed in support of military
operations and for escort duties.
For details of the disastrous operations off
Norway
see NARVIK by D. Macintyre, CARRIER
GLORIOUS by J. Winton, THE DOOMED EXPEDITION by
Adams and Naval Staff
History)
May Norwegian deployment in continuation and part of
escort for return convoys.
On completion of evacuation deployed with Home
Fleet based at
Scapa Flow for screening of
major unite in NW Approaches.
Pennant Number for visual signalling purposes
changed to I44.
June Detached for duty at Plymouth.
18th Escorted HM Aircraft Carrier
ILLUSTRIOUS for initial part of passage to
Bermuda for
work up.
Rejoined Home Fleet in continuation on return.
July Home Fleet duties in continuation.
10th Detached for escort of HM Auxiliary
Minelayers
PORT NAPIER,
PORT QUEBEC,
SOUTHERN PRINCE and MENESTHEUS of
1st Minelaying Squadron from Kyle of
Lochalsh for first minelay in
Northern Barrage at southern end of Orkney - Faeroes gap.
Rejoined Home Fleet on completion
(Operation SN1 - See above
reference).
16th In collision with HM Cruiser GLASGOW in
thick fog off Duncansby Head.
Extensive damage was caused and fires started
which forced abandonment of ship.
Ship's company rescued by GLASGOW.
Vessel sank in position 58.34 N 02.54 W.
Addendum
CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of
HMS IMOGEN
by Don Kindell
This convoy list has not been cross-checked with the text above
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Date convoy sailed
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Joined convoy as escort
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Convoy No.
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Left convoy
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Date convoy arrived
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29/09/39
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29/09/39
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OB 012
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02/10/39
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02/10/39
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02/10/39
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02/10/39
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OG 001
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03/10/39
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08/10/39
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26/09/39
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03/10/39
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HG 001
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04/10/39
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06/10/39
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09/10/39
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09/10/39
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OB 017
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12/10/39
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12/10/39
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12/11/39
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12/11/39
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ON 002/1
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14/11/39
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15/11/39
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15/11/39
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15/11/39
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HN 002
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18/11/39
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18/11/39
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19/01/40
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19/01/40
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HN 008
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22/01/40
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22/01/40
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24/01/40
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25/01/40
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ON 009/1
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27/01/40
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27/01/40
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27/01/40
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27/01/40
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HN 009A
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31/01/40
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31/01/40
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05/02/40
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05/02/40
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ON 010/1
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08/02/40
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08/02/40
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08/02/40
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08/02/40
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HN 010
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11/02/40
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11/02/40
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13/02/40
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15/02/40
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ON 012/1
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16/02/40
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16/02/40
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16/02/40
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16/02/40
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HN 012
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17/02/40
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19/02/40
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22/02/40
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24/02/40
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HN 014
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26/02/40
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26/02/40
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02/03/40
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04/03/40
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HN 016
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05/03/40
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05/03/40
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01/05/40
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01/05/40
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HK 001
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09/05/40
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09/05/40
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(Note on Convoys)
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