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)