HMAS Nepal (G25/D14) was an N class destroyer of the Royal Australian Navy

Royal Australian Navy

The Royal Australian Navy is the naval branch of the Australian Defence Force. Following the Federation of Australia in 1901, the ships and resources of the separate colonial navies were integrated into a national force: the Commonwealth Naval Forces...

 (RAN). Launched in 1941 as Noreseman, the ship suffered significant damage during an air raid on the John I. Thornycroft and Company shipyard, and during repairs was renamed to recognise Nepal's contribution to the British war effort. Although commissioned into the RAN in 1942, the ship remained the property of the Royal Navy

Royal Navy

The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...

.

Most of Nepals wartime service was as part of the British Eastern Fleet

British Eastern Fleet

The British Eastern Fleet was a fleet of the Royal Navy which existed from 1941 to 1971...

, operating in the Indian Ocean. The destroyer was involved in Madagascar Campaign in 1942, and the Cockpit

Operation Cockpit

Operation Cockpit was a bombing raid by aircraft from two Allied naval forces on 19 April 1944. The forces were made up of 22 warships, including two aircraft carriers, from the Royal Navy, Royal Australian Navy, French Navy, Royal Netherlands Navy, Royal New Zealand Navy, and United States Navy...

 and Transom

Operation Transom

Operation Transom was a major bombing raid on Japanese targets at Surabaya, Java by American and British planes on 17 May 1944 during World War II....

 air raids in 1944. In early 1945, Nepal was reassigned to the British Pacific Fleet

British Pacific Fleet

The British Pacific Fleet was a British Commonwealth naval force which saw action against Japan during World War II. The fleet was composed of British Commonwealth naval vessels. The BPF formally came into being on 22 November 1944...

, and operated with them for the rest of the war.

On her return to Sydney in October 1945, Nepal was decommissioned and returned to the Royal Navy. The British did not return the ship to active service; she was sold off in 1955, and broken up

Ship breaking

Ship breaking or ship demolition is a type of ship disposal involving the breaking up of ships for scrap recycling. Most ships have a lifespan of a few decades before there is so much wear that refitting and repair becomes uneconomical. Ship breaking allows materials from the ship, especially...

 at the start of 1956.

Design and construction

The N class destroyer had a displacement

Displacement (ship)

A ship's displacement is its weight at any given time, generally expressed in metric tons or long tons. The term is often used to mean the ship's weight when it is loaded to its maximum capacity. A number of synonymous terms exist for this maximum weight, such as loaded displacement, full load...

 of 1,760 tons at standard load, and 2,353 tons at full load. Nepal was 356 in 6 in (108.66 m) long overall and 229 in 6 in (69.95 m) long between perpendiculars, had a beam of 35 in 8 in (10.87 m), and a maximum draught of 16 in 4 in (4.98 m). Propulsion was provided by Admiralty 3-drum boilers connected to Parsons geared steam turbines, which provided 40,000 shaft horsepower to the ship's two propellers. Nepal was capable of reaching 36 knots (19.6 m/s). The ship's company consisted of 226 officers and sailors.

The ship's armament consisted of six 4.7-inch QF Mark XII guns

4.7 inch QF Mark XII

The 4.7 inch QF Mark IX and Mark XII were 120-mm 45-calibre naval guns which armed the majority of Royal Navy and Commonwealth destroyers in World War II, and were exported to many countries after World War II as the destroyers they were mounted on were sold off.-Description and history:These guns...

 in three twin mounts, a single 4-inch QF Mark V gun

QF 4 inch Mk V naval gun

The QF 4 inch Mk V gun was a Royal Navy gun of World War I which was adapted on HA mountings to the heavy anti-aircraft role both at sea and on land, and was also used as a coast defence gun.-Naval service:...

, a 2-pounder 4-barrel Pom Pom

QF 2 pounder naval gun

The 2-pounder gun, officially designated the QF 2-pounder and universally known as the pom-pom, was a 1.575 inch British autocannon, used famously as an anti-aircraft gun by the Royal Navy. The name came from the sound that the original models make when firing...

, four 0.5-inch machine guns, four 20 mm Oerlikon anti-aircraft guns, four .303 Lewis machine guns

Lewis Gun

The Lewis Gun is a World War I–era light machine gun of American design that was perfected and widely used by the British Empire. It was first used in combat in World War I, and continued in service with a number of armed forces through to the end of the Korean War...

, two Pentad dual torpedo launcher tube sets (with 8 torpedoes carried), two depth-charge throwers and one depth-charge chute (with 45 charges carried). The 4-inch gun was removed later in Nepals career.

The ship was laid down as Norseman by John I. Thornycroft and Company at Woolston, Hampshire on 9 September 1939. She was launched on 4 December 1941. Later in December, an air raid on the shipyard saw Norseman take serious damage; a direct hit nearly cut the destroyer in two. The ship was repaired, during which her name was changed to Nepal, honouring Nepal's contribution to the British war effort

Nepal during World War II

Following the invasion of Poland, Nepal declared war on Germany on September 4th, 1939. Subsequently, sixteen battalions of the Royal Nepalese Army fought Japan on the Burmese front...

. Nepal was commissioned into the RAN on 11 May 1942: although commissioned as an Australian warship, she remained the property of the Royal Navy

Royal Navy

The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...

. The warship cost 402,939 pounds to build.

Operational history

After commissioning, Nepal was assigned to the Home Fleet, based at Scapa Flow

Scapa Flow

right|thumb|Scapa Flow viewed from its eastern endScapa Flow is a body of water in the Orkney Islands, Scotland, United Kingdom, sheltered by the islands of Mainland, Graemsay, Burray, South Ronaldsay and Hoy. It is about...

. During this time, the ship was filmed to represent the fictional HMS Torrin for the British war film In Which We Serve

In Which We Serve

In Which We Serve is a 1942 British patriotic war film directed by David Lean and Noël Coward. It was made during the Second World War with the assistance of the Ministry of Information ....

. In July 1942, the destroyer was reassigned to the British Eastern Fleet

British Eastern Fleet

The British Eastern Fleet was a fleet of the Royal Navy which existed from 1941 to 1971...

, and sailed from Scotland to Kenya. During September, the destroyer was involved in the later parts of the Madagascar Campaign. During the rest of 1942, the destroyer operated on convoy escort runs and anti-submarine patrols from Kilindini. In March 1943, Nepal sailed to Australia for a two-month refit during April and May.

Nepal returned to the Indian Ocean in June 1943, and resumed operations with the Eastern Fleet, this time from Trincomalee

Trincomalee

Trincomalee is a port city in Eastern Province, Sri Lanka and lies on the east coast of the island, about 113 miles south of Jaffna. It has a population of approximately 100,000 . The city is built on a peninsula, which divides the inner and outer harbours. Overlooking the Kottiyar Bay,...

. In April 1944, the destroyer was part of the carrier escort screen during Operation Cockpit

Operation Cockpit

Operation Cockpit was a bombing raid by aircraft from two Allied naval forces on 19 April 1944. The forces were made up of 22 warships, including two aircraft carriers, from the Royal Navy, Royal Australian Navy, French Navy, Royal Netherlands Navy, Royal New Zealand Navy, and United States Navy...

, then again in May for Operation Transom

Operation Transom

Operation Transom was a major bombing raid on Japanese targets at Surabaya, Java by American and British planes on 17 May 1944 during World War II....

. In August, the destroyer returned to Australia for refit, then was assigned to escort the carrier during late November and early December. From 7 December 1944 to 12 February 1945, Nepal and sister ship were involved in supporting the 74th Indian Infantry Brigade

74th Indian Infantry Brigade

The 74th Indian Infantry Brigade was an Infantry formation of the Indian Army during World War II. It was formed in July 1942, in India. The brigade was assigned to the 25th Indian Infantry Division and fought in the Burma Campaign.-Formation:...

. During this, on 5 February, Nepal damaged one of her propellers when it struck a submerged rock in the Kaleindaung River

Kaleindaung River

-See also:*List of rivers of Burma...

, but was able to keep operating on one propeller until the end of the deployment.

At the start of March 1945, Nepal was assigned to the British Pacific Fleet

British Pacific Fleet

The British Pacific Fleet was a British Commonwealth naval force which saw action against Japan during World War II. The fleet was composed of British Commonwealth naval vessels. The BPF formally came into being on 22 November 1944...

; her pennant number

Pennant number

In the modern Royal Navy, and other navies of Europe and the Commonwealth, ships are identified by pennant numbers...

 was changed from G25 to D14. The destroyer remained with the Pacific Fleet until after the end of World War II. Nepal earned four battle honour

Battle honour

A battle honour is an award of a right by a government or sovereign to a military unit to emblazon the name of a battle or operation on its flags , uniforms or other accessories where ornamentation is possible....

s for her wartime service: "Indian Ocean 1942–44", "Burma 1944–45", "Pacific 1945", and "Okinawa 1945".

Decommissioning and fate

Nepal arrived in Sydney on 22 October, and was decommissioned and returned to the Royal Navy that day. The ship did not return to active duty; instead, she was kept in reserve until 1955, when she was sold. Nepal was broken up for scrap

Ship breaking

Ship breaking or ship demolition is a type of ship disposal involving the breaking up of ships for scrap recycling. Most ships have a lifespan of a few decades before there is so much wear that refitting and repair becomes uneconomical. Ship breaking allows materials from the ship, especially...

 at Briton Ferry

Briton Ferry

Briton Ferry is a town and community in the county borough of Neath Port Talbot, Wales. The town encompasses the electoral wards of Briton Ferry East and Briton Ferry West....

in Wales in January 1956.