K or KELLY-Class
Fleet destroyer ordered from Fair-field of
Govan in April 1937 under the 1937
Programs as a repeat of the JAVELIN 's ordered
in March. This ship was laid
down en 5th October 1937 and launched on 19th
January 1939.She was the 2nd RN
warship to carry this name first used in WW1.
Build cost, excluding Admiralty
supplied equipment vas £391,046. On completion
of build in September 1939 the
ship Joined the 5th Destroyer Flotilla, Home
Fleet. Following a successful
WARSHIP WEEK National Savings campaign in
November 1941 she vas adopted by the
civil community of Dudley, then in
Worcestershire.
B a t t l
e H o n o u r s
ATLANTIC 1940 -
SPARTIVENTO 1940 - CRETE 1941 -
MEDITERRANEAN 1941-43 - SIRTE 1942
MALTA CONVOYS 1942 - NORMANDY
1944 - AEGEAN 1944
H e r a l d i c D a t a
Badge: On a Field Blue, issuant from White clouds
in chief
a thunderbolt
Gold.
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
Commissioned for service with 5th
Destroyer Flotilla, Home Fleet.
October
Deployed in Approaches and
North Sea for Fleet escort and patrol.
to
(For details of naval
activities in Home
Water in 1939-40 see ENGAGE THE
ENEMY
December
MORE
CLOSELY by Corelli
Barnett
and Naval Staff
History.).
1 9 4 0
January North
Sea and NW Approaches duties with Home Fleet
in continuation.
to
Became Senior Officer's
ship in Flotilla after HM Destroyer KELLY
mined
March
April
Deployed with screen for
Home Fleet during unsuccessful search for
German ships
reported in North Sea.
7th
Deployed with ships of Home
Fleet with Flotilla for screening duties
during search for German
warship
reported on passage in North Sea.
8th
Involved in collision with HM
Destroyer KASHMIR. Bow structure seriously
damaged and ship
had to steam
astern to Lerwick.
Escort during passage provided by
HM Destroyer ZULU.
(Note:
HMS KASHMIR
was taken in tow by HM Destroyer COSSACK.)
11th
Passage to Tyne for repair.
(Note: This
collision prevented ship taking part in the
disastrous operations off
Norway).
May
Under repair
Pennant
Number for visual signalling purposes changed
to G37.
June
On
completion of post repair trials rejoined
Flotilla at Immingham for
interception patrol and
convoy
defence
Passage
to Scapa Flow for
Home Fleet for
screening duties
6th
Deployed with HM Destroyers
ZULU, MAORI, FORESTER and FOXHOUND in an
as
screen for HM Battlecruisers
RENOWN and REPULSE, HM Cruiser NEWCASTLE.
and took part
in unsuccessful search for ships
reported in NW Approaches
7th
Returned to Scapa
Flow.
July
Based in Humber for
patrol and covering duty against attacks on
convoys in North Sea by
E-Boats or
larger surface ships.
August Transferred
to Harwich in
continuation
31st
Deployed with HM Destroyers
JUPITER and VORTIGERN as escort from Humber of
HM
Destroyers
EXPRESS, ESK, ICARUS, INTREPID and IVANHOE
during passage for
minelay in Heligoland
Bight off Texel
(Operation CBX5)
September
1st
Diverted with HM Destroyer
JUPITER to assist in rescue operation after
ships of 20th
Destroyer
Flotilla had struck mines
during minelay
off Texel
(Operation
CHX5)
Sank badly
damaged destroyer HMS IVANHOE after attempt by
HMS JUPITER to take her
in
tow had failed.
(For details see
Naval Staff History (MINING)).
(Note: Record
in one source of participation in bombardment
of Cherbourg to be confirmed)
October
Resumed anti-invasion patrol
duties.
November
Nominated for escort duties in
support of planned transfer of Home Fleet
ships to serve
in Mediterranean
Fleet and transit of a relief convoy to
Malta
(Operation COLLAR).
15th
Sailed from Scapa
Flow with HM Destroyer JAGUAR as screen for HM
Cruisers MANCHESTER
and
SOUTHAMPTON during passage to Gibraltar.
21st Arrived
at Gibraltar.
25th Sailed
from Gibraltar as part
of screen for HM Battlecruiser
RENOWN and HM Aircraft
Carrier
ARK
ROYAL with HM Cruisers SHEFFIELD and DESPATCH,
HM Destroyers
FAULKNOR, FURY, FIREDRAKE, FORESTER, WISHART,
ENCOUNTER and JAGUAR
to
cover passage of convoy to Sicilian Narrows.
27th
Detached from Force B with HMS
JAGUAR as escort for HMS ARK ROYAL during air
operations when a superior
Italian force reported by SUNDERLAND aircraft.
(For details of
the subsequent engagement at long range and
retreat of the enemy battleships
and cruisers see
THE BATTLE FOR THE MEDITERRANEAN by D MacIntyre,
MALTA
CONVOYS by R
Woodman and Naval Staff History
(HMSO—2001) Battle of Cape
Spartivento)
.
29th
Retuned to Gibraltar with Force
B after Italian withdrawal
December Passage
to
Plymouth to rejoin Flotilla at Plymouth for
interception and patrol in
Channel and SW
Approaches.
19th Joined
military convoy WS5A in
Clyde with HM Destroyers KIPLING, OTTAWA
(RCN),
ST
LAURENT (RCN) and Polish destroyer PIORUN as
Local Escort during
passage in NW
Approaches.
22nd
Detached from WS5A and resumed
Flotilla duties
1 9 4 1
January
Deployed
in SW Approaches with Flotilla based at
Plymouth.
to February
March.
28th
Escorted ships of 20th Destroyer
Flotilla with HM destroyers KELLY, KASHMIR and
JACKAL for
minelaying off Brest (Operation GX -See Naval
Staff History).
29th
Escorted HM Minelaying Cruiser
ABDIEL with same ships for minelay
off Brest.
(Operation GY).
Two aircraft
approached before rendezvous and one later,
but all were driven off.
April
Transferred
to Mediterranean Fleet with HM Destroyers
KELLY, KIPLING,
KASHMIR,
JERSEY and
JACKAL (Operation SALIENT – See above
references).
24th
Joined Force S as screen for HM
Cruisers DIDO and ABDIEL with the same ships
for
passage to Malta
covered by HMS ARK ROYAL, HMS RENOWN and HMS
SHEFFIELD
with destroyer
screen
(Note:
Operation DUNLOP - Aircraft delivery to Malta
by HMS ARK ROYAL was
coincidental
with the passage of the reinforcements
to Malta).
28th
On arrival at Malta deployed
with 5th Flotilla in place of 14th Destroyer
Flotilla as Force K
for
attacks on enemy
supply convoys.
May
1st
Carried unsuccessful operation
with ships of Force
K to intercept a convoy.
2nd
During entry into Grand Harbour
Malta force K ships entered newly laid
minefield and
HMS JERSEY was
sunk after detonating a mine.
(Note: HMS
KIPLING and HMS KASHMIR did not enter after
this disaster.)
9th
Sailed from Malta after
minefield cleared and joined Fleet units with
HMS KELLY and
JACKAL to cover
passage of vital convoy carrying tanks to
Egypt
( Operation
TIGER – see above references.)
(Note:
The operation
also included transfer of HM Battleship QUEEN
ELIZABETH and HM
Cruisers
GLOUCESTER, NAIAD and FIJI to Eastern
Mediterranean.
10th
Under air attacks which were repelled
and later daylight attempts were broken-up by
aircraft from
HMS FORMIDABLE.
Detached from
Mediterranean Fleet escort with Force K and
took passage to carry out
bombardment at
Benghazi.
11th
Returned to Malta with Force K
after bombardment.
21st
Sailed from Malta with HM
Destroyers KELLY, KASHMIR, KIPLING and JACKAL
to join
Fleet units off
Crete for interception of invasion craft.
22nd
Deployed with Fleet units off
Crete and under heavy and sustained air
attacks.
23rd
During interception patrols and
engagement of invasion craft sister ships in
Flotilla HMS
KELLY and HMS
KASHMIR were sunk
24th
Transferred to 7th Destroyer
Flotilla when 5th Flotilla was disbanded after
the recent losses
28th
Deployed at Sphakia
with HM Destroyers NAPIER, NIZAM and KANDAHAR
for evacuation
of Commonwealth
troops
Embarked troops
after landing stores under air attacks.
29th
Under air attacks during return
passage to Alexandria.
30th
Took passage with same ships
from Alexandria for Sphakia
to continue evacuation.
Sustained
damage in air attacks that reduced speed and
made ship vulnerable to air attacks.
Returned to
Alexandria.
June
Nominated for repair at
Bombay
19th
Arrived at Bombay and taken in
hand by HM Dockyard.
July
Under
repair at Bombay
to
November
December
31st
Dockyard work completed and
commenced sea trials
1 9 4 2
January
On completion of trials took
passage to rejoin Fleet at Alexandria.
16th
Deployed as part of Force B with
HM Destroyers FOXHOUND, HAVOCK, HOTSPUR and
KIPLING for
screening HM Cruisers DIDO, EURYALUS and NAIAD
providing cover
for
passage of Convoy MW8 during passage in
eastern
Mediterranean to Malta.
(Operation MF3)
18th
Joined convoy and detached for
return to Alexandria on relief by ships of
Force K from Malta.
20th
Returned to Alexandria with Force
B
(Note: HMS
GURKHA was sunk by U133 on 19th and convoy
arrived in Malta on 19th,
For
details of all Malta convoy operations see
above references.
February
13th
Deployed as part of Forcer B with
HM Destroyers GRIFFIN, HASTY, HAVOCK, JAGUAR,
JANUS and JERVIS
as screen for HM Cruisers DIDO, EURYALUS and
NAIAD to provide
cover for
passage of Convoy MW9A and B during passage in
eastern Mediterranean.
(Operation MF4
).
14th
Joined MW9 to increase AA
defence.
Force K from
Malta arrived with ships in
eastbound Convoy ME10 from Malta and escorts
exchanged
19th
Returned to Alexandria with ships
of Force B
(Note: None of
the three ships in Convoy MW9 arrived in Malta
due to the incessant air
attacks.
See references.)
March
20th
Deployed in Force B as screen for
HM Cruisers DIDO and EURYALUS with HMS JERVIS,
HMS
KIPLING and HMS
KINGSTON of 11th Destroyer Flotilla and HMS
SIKH, LIVELY,
HERO, HAVOCK,
ZULU and HASTY of 22nd Destroyer Flotilla for
cover of passage of
Convoy MW10 to
Malta (Operation MG1).
22nd
Torpedo aircraft attacks by
Italian aircraft unsuccessful.
23rd
Took part in torpedo attacks on
Italian force including the battleship
LITIOR1O, heavy
cruisers
GORIZIO and TRENTO, light
cruiser BANDE DEL MERE and four destroyers.
Enemy warships
withdrew after threat of further torpedo
attacks under cover of a smoke
screen.
(2nd
Battle of Sirte -
For full details of the brilliant tactical
defence
by the British ships
commanded by
Admiral Vian see
THE BATTLE FOR THE MEDITERRANEAN,
and
MEDITERRANEAN MAELSTROM
by GC Cornell).
(Note: The
convoy was able to continue its passage but
was exposed to heavy air attacks
until
fighter cover was available from Malta. HM
Store Ship BRECONSHIRE
and
the
two merchant ships that survived were
all later sunk in Malta with only a fifth of
their
invaluable supplies being discharged.)
April
Deployment in Eastern
Mediterranean in continuation.
16th
Landed Royal Marines Commando
unit at Kuphorisi,
Crete.
(Operation
LIGHTER)
May
Deployed on patrol and
support duties in Eastern Mediterranean.
June
Nominated for screening
and defence of Malta relief convoy (Operation
VIGOROUS).
12th
Joined HM Cruisers CLEOPATRA,
DIDO, HERMIONE, EURYALUS, ARETHUSA,
COVENTRY,
NEWCASTLE and BIRMINGHAM with 16 other Fleet
Destroyers and ten
HUNT Class
Escort Destroyers for defence of Convoy MW11
to Malta
(Note: .HM
Battleship CENTURION disguised as a KING
GEORGE V Class Battleship also
took
part in this operation.).
14th
Under series of air attacks which
continued after nightfall.
15th
Threat from superior force of
Italian warships was anticipated and convoy
was ordered to
reverse course
by CinC ashore at
Alexandria..
(Note: As a
result of the temporary confusion ships became
a sitting target for waiting
E-Boats
that sank HMS HASTY and damaged HMS NEWCASTLE.
Ships again
ordered to reverse course towards Malta.
16th
After dawn, sustained air attacks
were renewed This seriously depleted
stocks of
ammunition and
HM Escort Destroyer AIREDALE was sunk..
Operation was
then abandoned.
During return to
Alexandria HMS HERMIONE was sunk by U205 and
the destroyer HMAS
NESTOR
previously damaged in the air attacks had to
be scuttled.
(For details of this ill directed
and ill
conceived operation see above references.)
July
Deployed
temporarily in Red Sea for convoy defence.
August
Returned
to Mediterranean to take part in diversionary
operations during
transit of Malta
relief convoy
from Gibraltar (Operation PEDESTAL – See
references.)
Carried out bombardment of
Rhodes.
September
Resumed detached service in Red
Sea for convoy defence.
to
October
November
Returned to Alexandria for duty
with 7th Flotilla in support of Malta
relief convoy
(Operation
STONEAGE – This was planned after the westward
advance of the 8th Army
reduced
the threat of
air attacks
16th
Deployed as escort for Convoy MW13
during passage from Port Said with HM Cruiser
EURYALUS, HM
Destroyers JAVELIN, JERVIS, NUBIAN, PAKENHAM,
PALADIN
and PETARD
17th
Detached from MW13 on relief by
HUNT Class Escort Destroyers and took passage
to
Alexandria to
refuel.
18th
Rejoined MW13.
Under air
attacks during which HM Cruiser ARETHUSA was
disabled by a torpedoed
and had to be
towed back to Alexandria.
19th
Detached from MW13 with ships of
Flotilla and took passage to Alexandria.
21st
Arrived at Alexandria.
Passage to
Malta for interception operations with
Flotilla as Force K
December
2nd
Took part in attack on supply
convoy in Gulf of Gabes
with HM Destroyers JERVIS,
JAVELIN and
NUBIAN during which Italian destroyer LUPO was
sunk.
(Note:
LUPO was rescuing
survivors from a freighter.)
4th
Took passage from Malta for
cover of inward Convoy MW14 to provide cover
for
passage into
Malta with HM Destroyers JAVELIN, JERVIS and
NUBIAN as screen for
HM Cruisers
CLEOPATRA, DIDO and EURYALUS (Operation
PORTCULLIS/MH1)
5th
Arrived in Malta with MW14.
(Note: This
was the last direct Malta relief convoy from
Alexandria.)
1 9 4 3
January
Deployed in Malta with
ships of Flotilla as Force K
9th
Sank two
schooners during interception patrol off Kuriat
with
HMS NUBIAN.
16th
Sank
Italian mercantile D’ANNUNIZO
south of lampedusa
during attack on convoy
(Note: Escort
PERSEO escaped
20th
During attack on
convoy sank auxiliary minesweepers
RD31, RD 36,
RD37, RD39
and six other
small craft.
22nd
Deployed with HM
Destroyers JERVIS, JAVELIN and NUBIAN as screen
for HM
Cruisers CLEOPATRA, HMS EURYALUS for
bombardment of
withdrawal routes for
German
troops in Tripoli area at Zuara.
February
Deployed
for Escort of convoys to and from Alexandria
in central
Mediterranean and
to
offensive
operations against enemy supply convoys.
March
April
5th
Provided cover
for HM Minelaying cruiser ABDIEL with HM
Destroyer PALADIN
during minelay in
Skerki Channel.
(See
Naval Staff History (Mining).
7th
Repeated cover provision for HMS
ABDIEL with HMS PALADIN during further
minelay in Skerki
Chamel.
May
Nominated for return
to UK for refit
(Note: Accumulation of defects and
damage
from near misses contributed to this need,)
Participation
in interception of evacuation craft from Cape
Bon area
after
collapse
of enemy resistance in Tunisia (Operation
RETRIBUTION) and
bombardment
of Pantellaria
with HM
Cruiser ORION .prior to planned British
landings
with ships of Flotilla is to be confirmed.)
June
Passage to UK for
refit.
July
Under refit by HM
Dockyard, Chatham
to
December
1 9 4 4
January Under
refit.
to
Nominated for
service in 23rd Destroyer Flotilla, based at Scapa
Flow
March
Re-commissioned for
trials.
Nominated for
support of allied landings in Normandy with
Force S (Operation
NEPTUNE)
March
(For details of naval
activities prior to and during NEPTUNE see
OPERATION NEPTUNE
by K Edwards,
LANDINGS IN NORMANDY, June 1944 (HMSO) and
BRITISH
INVASION FLEETS by J
de S Winser.)
April
2nd
Passage to Scapa
Flow to work-up with ships of Home
Fleet.
(Note: Ships
of Force S carried out
preliminary exercises in Moray Firth).
On completion
of work-up deployed in English Channel with
Force S.
May
2nd
Took part in
Final Rehearsal for berthing, loading and
sailing by Forces O, S, J and G.
to
(Exercise FABIUS).
3rd
4th
Assault
landing exercise west of Littlehampton.
18th
Defence
exercise off Brighton.
21st
On completion Joined HM
Destroyers SAUMAREZ, SCOURGE, VIRAGO, SCORPION
VERULAM,
SWIFT, MIDDLETON, SERAPIS, EGLINTON, Norwegian
SVENNER,
Norwegian
STORD and Polish ORP
SLAZAK in Solent to prepare for assault phase)
June
Nominated target in
Pre-Arranged Fire Plan - Petit Enfer
area.
4th
Joined Convoy
S7 comprising HM Landing Ship LARGS (HQ Ship
Force S), seven Landing
Ships
(Infantry), one RAF High Speed Launch
and three U S Navy Coastguard Cutters with
HM
Destroyers VIRAGO, VERULAM and EGLINTON and
five MTB's.
5th
Sailed from Solent as escort for Convoy
37
after 24 hour delay.
6th
Arrived at
beach head 2 hours before assault due to
commence on
SWORD Beach..
Provided
naval gunfire support for SWORD area.
10th
During patrol
pursued E-Boats in Channel after a successful
attack on coastal convoy south of
Isle of
Wight.
Enemy
escaped to Boulogne
without engagement.
12th
Embarked
Winston Churchill and General Smuts (South
African Premier) for passage to
assault area
from Solent.
Deployed in
Eastern Task Force area for gunfire support
and defensive patrol.
27th
Retained in
Channel area when NEPTUNE terminated at end of
build-up Phase.
July
Deployment in
English Channel based at Plymouth in
continuation.
August
Took
part in blockade
established to intercept evacuation craft from
Biscay ports.
September Passage
to Sheerness for
repair
6th
Taken in hand
for repair by HM Dockyard, Sheerness
30th
Carried out post repair
trials.
October Nominated
for service
with 14th Destroyer Flotilla in Mediterranean.
Passage to
join Flotilla.
November Joined
Flotilla and
deployed for support of re-occpation
of islands in
eastern Mediterranean
to and
patrol.
December
Intercepted
and sank two landing
craft with HM Destroyer TUSCAN.
1 9 4 5
January Deployed
with
Flotilla in Mediterranean for support of
military operations and patrol..
to
May
June
Flotilla
deployment in continuation.
to
Took
part in
support of re-occupation operations and
exercises with Fleet units based in
Malta.
August
Post
War
Notes
HMS
KELVIN remained in the Mediterranean after VJ
Day and continued support duties
and Fleet training exercises. She was
nominated for reduction to reserve status
and returned to UK to Pay-off and prepare for
acceptance into the Reserve
Fleet. She was laid-up at Dartmouth in January
1946 and the next year
transferred to Harwich Placed on the Disposal
List in February 1948 the ship
was sold to West of Scotland Shipbreakers
and arrived
at the breaker's yard in Troon
on 6th April 1949 for
demolition.
Addendum
CONVOY
ESCORT MOVEMENTS of HMS KELVIN
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
|
|
|
|
|
|
30/01/40
|
05/02/40
|
TC
003
|
07/02/40
|
07/02/40
|
06/07/40
|
07/07/40
|
FN
0215
|
07/07/40
|
08/07/40
|
19/07/40
|
20/07/40
|
FS
0226
|
20/07/40
|
21/07/40
|
31/07/40
|
01/08/40
|
FS
0238
|
01/08/40
|
02/08/40
|
07/12/40
|
23/12/40
|
SL
058
|
23/12/40
|
28/12/40
|
11/06/42
|
13/06/42
|
MW
011
|
16/06/42
|
16/06/42
|
16/11/42
|
16/11/42
|
MW
013
|
20/11/42
|
20/11/42
|
01/12/42
|
04/12/42
|
MW
014
|
05/12/42
|
05/12/42
|
07/01/43
|
10/01/43
|
MW
019
|
11/01/43
|
11/01/43
|
21/01/43
|
25/01/43
|
MH
003/M
|
26/01/43
|
26/01/43
|
27/01/43
|
28/01/43
|
ME
016
|
01/02/43
|
01/02/43
|
06/02/43
|
06/02/43
|
MW
020A
|
10/02/43
|
10/02/43
|
15/02/43
|
15/02/43
|
TX
001/1
|
15/02/43
|
18/02/43
|
13/02/43
|
15/02/43
|
ME
017
|
18/02/43
|
18/02/43
|
01/03/43
|
01/03/43
|
MW
022
|
06/03/43
|
06/03/43
|
29/04/43
|
29/04/43
|
MW
027
|
unknown
|
04/05/43
|
28/05/43
|
30/05/43
|
MKF
015
|
04/06/43
|
05/06/43
|
|
|
|
|
|
(Note
on Convoys)