J or JAVELIN-Class Destroyer ordered from John Brown at Clydebank on 25th March
1937 under the 1936 Build
Programme and laid down on 24th September 1937. She was launched on 25th
October 1938 as the 7th RN ship to carry the name introduced in 1778
and last used by a WW1 destroyer sold in 1920. She was the Lead Ship of this Class and ran her
preliminary builders trials during February 1939. Build was completed on 31st March 1939 and after final trials entered
service with the 4th Destroyer Flotilla in the Home Fleet on 13th April that
year. Following a successful WARSHIP WEEK National Savings campaign in November
1941 this ship was adopted by the civil community
of Colwyn Bay, then in the county of Denbighshire, Wales, now part of Clywd.
The total cost of her build was £391,370,
excluding equipment supplied by the Admiralty such
as communications
outfits and weapons.
B a t t l
e H o n o u r s
HELIGOLAND
1914 - DOGGER BANK 1915 - ATLANTIC 1939-41 - NORWAY 1940 - ENGLISH
CHANNEL 1940 - CRETE 1941 - MEDITERRANEAN
1941 - LIBYA 1940-41
H e r a l d i
c D a t a
B a d g e:
On a Field Red a Jackal statant gold
1 9 3 9
August Deployed at Scapa Flow after completion of minor repairs at Devonport.
War Station allocated as Huber Force and took
passage
31st Deployed with Humber
force
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)
September Deployed with 7th Destroyer Flotilla in Home Fleet based
in Humber.
(Note: Flotilla comprised HM Destroyers JACKAL,
JANUS, JAVELIN, JERSEY, JERVIS and
JUPITER with HMS JAGUAR working-up at Portland.)
6th Deployed with HMS JANUS and HMS JUNO as escort for ss BATAVIA
in North Sea from Mass Light Vessel to Tongue Light Vessel.
(Note: This ship was carrying British Embassy
staff in Berlin back to UK)
On completion transferred for convoy defence and
patrol in Channel and SW Approaches.
October Based at Plymouth for convoy defence and patrol in SW
Approaches and Channel.
Transferred to Rosyth for screening of 2nd
Cruiser Squadron.
14th Sustained damage in collision with HMS JANUS at
Kirkwall, and took passage
to Scapa Flow for repair and routine maintenance.
15th Under repair.
24th Resumed operational service in North Sea for convoy defence and patrol.
November
8th Under refit in Amos & Smith shipyard at Grimsby
21st Resumed operational service in North Sea
December North Sea deployment with Flotilla in continuation.
1 9 4 0
January Flotilla duties in continuation in North Sea
Carried out anti-submarine patrol and convoy
defence.
February North Sea deployment in continuation.
28th Involved in collision in North Sea in which Swedish ship STORFORS sank and ship
sustained serious damage.
Took passage to Tyne escorted by HMS JANUS
29th Arrived in Tyne and repair arranged at Blyth Dry
Dock shipyard.
March Under repair to damaged bow structure at Blyth.
April
18th Resumed Flotilla duties at Scapa Flow after Post Repair trials.
20th Escorted troopships ST MAGNUS, ST SUNNIVA and CEDAR
BANK
from Aberdeen to Andalsnes, Norway for landings (Operation
SICKLE).
21st CEDARBANK sunk by torpedo during passage.
Detached on arrival at Rombaksfjord.
22nd Deployed in support of military operations off
Norway.
29th Escorted HM Cruisers GLASGOW with HMS JAVELIN to
Molde,
On arrival embarked HM King Haakon of
Norway and members of the Government with a
quantity of bullion for transhipment. After
transfer to HMS GLASGOW deployed with
HMS JAVELIN as escort during passage to Tromso
May Support of military operations in continuation
10th Deployed with HMS JAVELIN as escort for military
convoy to Norway.
11th On arrival diverted with convoy to Mo for support of
landing of the troops.
12th Provided naval gunfire support with HM Cruiser
ENTERPRISE during the
landings and came under sustained air attacks.
13th Escorted coastal steamer to Bodo after release from
Mo.
Transferred for duty in Nore Command and took
passage to Scapa Flow.
as escort for HM Sloop PELICAN from Andalsnes to
Kirkwall.
(Note HMS PELICAN had been badly damaged during
operations in Norway.
16th Arrived at Harwich for service in Nore Command.
18th Deployed at Harwich for convoy defence and
interception patrols.
19th Escorted HM Trawlers GRAMPIAN, PELTON, JAMES LAY,
MILFORD
QUEEN, MILFORD PRINCES and CAPE MELVILLE with HMS JAGUAR
HMS JAVELIN and HM Corvette PUFFIN to cut
commercial cables for
UK to Continent communications off coast of
Norfolk (Operation QUIXOTE)
25th Carried out unsuccessful attack on U9 off East
Anglia.
(Note: Pennant Number for visual signalling
purposes changed to G22.)
Following evacuation from Holland and Belgium
patrols were
carried out as an anti-invasion measure.)
June Harwich deployment for patrol and convoy defence in
continuation.
(Note: This ship was the only member of the
Flotilla operational.)
July Harwich patrol and convoy defence duties in
continuation.
4th Deployed with HMS JAGUAR as escort of HM Auxiliary
Minelayer
TEVIOT BANK during minelay in East Coast Barrier
(Operation BS21)
August Harwich deployment in continuation for anti-invasion
patrols.
September Transferred to Scapa Flow for Home Fleet duties.
11th Deployed with HM Destroyers VERSATILE, VIMY and
ELECTRA as escort
for HM Auxiliary Minelayers SOUTHERN PRINCE,
PORT NAPIER, PORT
QUEBEC and MENESTHEUS during minelay in Northern
Barrage
(Operation SN41)
Resumed North Se duties on completion.
October
2nd Transferred to 5th Destroyer Flotilla for the
interception of enemy craft attacking
Channel coastal convoys. and took passage to
Plymouth.
10th Escorted HM Battleship REVENGE with HM Destroyers
JAVELIN,
JUPITER, JAGUAR, KASHMIR and KIPLING during
bombardment of Cherbourg.
(Note: Cover was provided by HM Cruisers
NEWCASTLE and EMERALD.
11th Took part in bombardment with other ships.
12th Returned to Portsmouth as escort for HMS REVENGE.
Detached on arrival and took passage to Plymouth
to rejoin Flotilla.
17th During patrol engaged enemy vessels off Brest (To be
confirmed)
November Channel deployment in continuation.
28th Deployed with HM Destroyers JAVELIN, JUPITER, JERSEY
and
KASHMIR to establish a patrol line between Lands End and Start Point
to intercept three German destroyers reported on
passage to attack Channel traffic.
29th Took part in brief engagement with KARL GALSTER,
HANS LODY and
ERICH STEINBRINCK which were retiring after
torpedo attack during
which HMS JAVELIN was hit and badly damaged in
position 50.37N
4.00W. After chase was broken off returned to
stand-by HMS JAVELIN which had
been hit by forward and aft by two torpedoes.
(Note: Flotilla was led by Captain, The Lord
Louis Mountbatten in HMS
JAVELIN. Enemy ships had previously attacked a
convoy off Start Point
and had sunk two ships. The tactics used by the
Flotilla were subsequently
criticised and have been the subject of
significant controversy.
See HOLD THE NARROW SEA by P Smith and ENGAGE THE
ENEMY MORE
CLOSELY by C Barnett.)
30th Embarked wounded from HMS JAVELIN and returned to
Plymouth at dawn.
December Nominated for refit and took passage to Humber.
5th Taken in hand for refit by Humber Graving Dock &
Engineering Co.
Nominated for
escort of military convoy on completion.
1 9 4 1
January
10th Carried out post
refit trials and took passage to Clyde.
12th Joined Convoy WS5B in
Clyde with HM Destroyers BEAGLE, FEARLESS,
HARVESTER,
HIGHLANDER, LEAMINGTON, LINCOLN, VANSITTART,
And WATCHMAN as
Local Escort for passage in NW Approaches.
16th Detached with Local
Escort for return to Clyde.
Passage to
Plymouth to resume Channel duties.
February Channel deployment in
continuation.
20th Provided cover for
minelay off Best by HM Destroyers IMPULSIVE, INTREPID
and ICARUS with
HM Destroyers KELLY, KIPLING and KASHMIR of the 5th
Flotilla
(Operation GS – See above reference.)
March Channel deployment based
at Plymouth in continuation.
19th Provided cover for
minelay off Ile de Bas by HM Destroyers ICARUS, INTREPID
and IMPULSIVE
with ships of 5th Flotilla and four Motor Launches.
(Operation GU)
28th Provide cover for
minelay off Brest by same minelaying destroyers with HM
Destroyers KELLY,
KASHMIR and KELVIN (Operation GX).
29th Deployed as escort
for HM Cruiser ABDIEL during passage to Brest area for
minelay
(Operation GY)
(Note: Operation
was cancelled when HMS ABDIEL developed machinery
defects and had
to return to Cowes for repair.)
April Nominated for
transfer to Mediterranean with Flotilla.
2nd Took passage to
Gibraltar
24th Joined Force S at
Gibraltar and deployed as screen for HM Cruisers ABDIEL
and DIDO with HM
Destroyers KASHMIR, KELLY, KIPLING, KELVIN and
and JERSEY of
Flotilla during passage to join Mediterranean Fleet.
(Operation
SALIENT – Malta Aircraft delivery by HMS ARK ROYAL was
was carried out
at the same time and covered by ships of Force H based
at Gibraltar
(Operation DUNLOP.)
27th On completion of
launch of aircraft detached from Force H ships which returned to
Gibraltar
and took passage
to Malta to relieve 14th Destroyer Flotilla as Malta Strike Force.
28th On arrival in Malta
deployed as Force K for attacks on enemy supply convoys
to and from North
Africa.
May
1st Deployed with HM Destroyers KELLY, JERSEY, KELVIN
for interception patrol.
2nd Trapped inside Grand Harbour,
Malta after HMS JERSEY had been mined and
sunk on entry with ships of Flotilla from
patrol..
9th Sailed from Malta
with HM Destroyers JANUS, KELLY and JAVELIN to join
HM Cruisers AJAX,
DIDO, ORION and PERTH (RAN) for escort of military
convoy for onward
passage from Sicilian Narrows (Operation TIGER)
(See THE BATTLE
FOR THE MEDITERRANEAN by D Macintyre,
NAVAL WAR
IN THE
MEDITERRANEAN by J Greene and A Massignani.), MALTA CONVOYS
by R Woodman and
Naval Staff History HMSO 2002.)
10th Detached from TIGER
Convoy escort with HM Destroyers KASHMIR, KELLY
KELVIN and
KIPLING when Mediterranean Fleet joined for escort.
11th Carried out
bombardment of Benghazi with ships of Flotilla during passage
to Malta. Under
air attack and near missed by bomb which failed to explode.
12th Resumed Force K
interception duties at Malta.
21st Took passage from
Malta with HM Destroyers KELLY, KELVIN, KASHMIR and
KIPLING to join
ships of Mediterranean Fleet deployed off Crete for the interception
of invasion
craft.
22nd Joined ships off Crete
and detached later to search for survivors from HM Cruiser
GLOUCESTER.
Carried out
search of Cannea Bay and remained off Crete overnight.
23rd Deployed with HMS
KELLY, HMS KELVIN and HMS KASHMIR in attacks
on invasion craft
and came under heavy and sustained air attacks during which
HMS KELLY and HMS
KASHMIR were sunk.
Carried out search in Kisamos and Cannea Bays
for invasion craft and returned
to Alexandria with HMS KELVIN.
25th Deployed with HM Destroyers NAPIER (RAN) and KELVIN
as screen for
HM Cruisers DIDO and AJAX during sweep of Kaso Strait for invasion craft.
(Note: Transferred to 7th Destroyer Flotilla
when 5th Flotilla disbanded.
26th Rejoined Fleet units for evacuation of allied troops
from Crete.
Under air attacks.
27th Detached with same ships and returned to Alexandria
to replenish.
28th Took part in evacuation from Heraklion.
29th Returned to Alexandria.
31st Passage to carry out evacuation at Sphakia. with HM
Cruisers PHOEBE, ABDIEL.
HM Destroyers HOTSPUR and KIMBERLEY. 4,000 men
were rescued by these ships.
June
1st Returned to Alexandria.
4th Nominated for support of military operations
against Vichy French in Syria
(Operation EXPORTER)
7th Took passage from Alexandria to join ships of Force
B off Syrian coast for gunfire support
of military operations and defence of cruisers
against Vichy French warships.
8th Deployed inshore to interception of Vichy French
warships attempting to interfere with shore
operations.
9th During deployment with HMS JANUS came under fire
from Vichy French destroyers VALMY
and GUÉPARD.
Hit by one shell without casualties or serious
damage.
(Note: HMS JANUS was hit by five shells and
sustained both casualties and serious damage.)
French ships withdrew after HM Destroyers ISIS
and HOTSPUR arrived.
July EXPORTER Deployment in continuation.
4th Carried out bombardment of Beirut with HM Cruisers
NAIAD and AJAX.
Returned to Alexandria on release from EXPORTER
and resumed Fleet
Screening and patrol duties for interception of
supply convoys.
(For details of naval operations off
Syria see RELUCTANT ENEMIES
by W Tute and NAVAL WAR IN THE MEDITERRANEAN.)
22nd Deployed with HM Destroyers HASTY, HAVOCK, JAGUAR,
JERVIS, KANDAHAR,
KIMBERLEY,
KINGSTON, NIZAM and NUBIAN as
screen for HM Battleships QUEEN
ELIZABETH and VALIANT, HM Cruisers AJAX,
CARLISLE, HOBART (RAN), LEANDER,
NEPTUNE, NAIAD, PHOEBE, ABDIEL and LATONA during offensive sweep in Eastern
Mediterranean (Operation MD5)
(Note: This was a diversion during passage of a
Malta Relief convoy from Gibraltar.
(Operation SUBSTANCE).
August Fleet and military support deployment based at
Alexandria in continuation.
September Deployed with screen for Fleet units during a further
diversionary operation during passage of
HALBERD relief convoy from Gibraltar.
(Note: Also deployed for escort of military convoys to reinforce Cyprus garrison.)
October Deployed for support of Tobruk garrison.
November Tobruk support and Eastern Mediterranean convoy defence in
continuation.
25th Part of screen when HMS BARHAM was torpedoed by U331
off the
Libyan coast. HMS BARHAM blew-up within 5
minutes.
Carried out unsuccessful anti submarine
operations.
Took part in rescue of survivors with other
ships.
(Note: Only 450 of her ship’s company of over
1,300 were saved.)
30th During deployment off Derna to intercept destroyers
with HMS JAGUAR and HMS JERVIS
under air attacks by torpedo bombers.
Sustained damage to after structure after
torpedo hit but was able to resume passage after
steering restored.
December
2nd Taken in hand for repair at Alexandria
1 9 4 2
January Under repair.
to
April Transferred to 14th Destroyer Flotilla based at
Alexandria.
May Deployed for interception of supply convoys and
support of military operations.
10th Deployed with HM Destroyers JERVIS, JACKAL, KIPLING
and LIVELY for interception
of convoy on passage to Benghazi.
(Note: Air cover by RAF in the area was known to
be inadequate.)
11th Under heavy attacks by German dive-bombers during
which HMS LIVELY was hit and sank
immediately in position 100miles NE of Tobruk
with loss of 76 lives.
Sustained air attacks continued for several
hours and ship sustained major damage after bomb hit
60miles north of Mersa Matruh which caused
fires.
Taken in tow by HMS JERVIS whilst still on fire.
HMS KIPLING was sunk in these later attacks.
12th During tow by HMS JERVIS the fire in the Boiler Room
became out of control and ship had
to be abandoned. Survivors were taken off by HMS
JERVIS which sank the ship by torpedo
in position 32.28N 26.20E before returning alone
to Alexandria with 650 personnel rescued
from the other three ships
(Note: 15 of the ship’s company were lost in
this failed operation with inadequate air cover
which reduced the already destroyer strength
available in the Mediterranean.
See above references for details.)
Addendum
CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of HMS
JACKAL
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
|
|
|
|
|
|
09/09/39
|
11/09/39
|
OA 002
|
12/09/39
|
12/09/39
|
15/09/39
|
15/09/39
|
OA 005
|
18/09/39
|
18/09/39
|
21/09/39
|
21/09/39
|
OA 008
|
24/09/39
|
24/09/39
|
01/10/39
|
01/10/39
|
OA 013
|
04/10/39
|
04/10/39
|
14/10/39
|
14/10/39
|
HN 000
|
16/10/39
|
16/10/39
|
03/12/39
|
03/12/39
|
FN 0048
|
04/12/39
|
04/12/39
|
02/02/40
|
02/02/40
|
MT 002
|
03/02/40
|
03/02/40
|
02/02/40
|
02/02/40
|
MT 003
|
03/02/40
|
03/02/40
|
05/02/40
|
05/02/40
|
MT 004
|
05/02/40
|
05/02/40
|
19/02/40
|
19/02/40
|
TM 011
|
22/02/40
|
22/02/40
|
26/02/40
|
26/02/40
|
MT 018
|
26/02/40
|
26/02/40
|
27/02/40
|
27/02/40
|
TM 015
|
28/02/40
|
28/02/40
|
19/04/40
|
19/04/40
|
AP 001/3
|
22/04/40
|
22/04/40
|
12/07/40
|
13/07/40
|
FS 0221
|
13/07/40
|
14/07/40
|
19/07/40
|
20/07/40
|
FS 0226
|
20/07/40
|
21/07/40
|
22/07/40
|
23/07/40
|
FN 0229
|
23/07/40
|
24/07/40
|
08/01/41
|
21/01/41
|
HG 050
|
26/01/41
|
26/01/41
|
12/01/41
|
29/01/41
|
SC 019
|
unknown
|
02/02/41
|
10/01/41
|
30/01/41
|
SL 062
|
01/02/41
|
03/02/41
|
|
|
|
|
|
(Note on Convoys)