HMS Electra (H27) - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

HMS Electra (H27) was a 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...

'E' class

E and F class destroyer

The E and F class was a class of 18 destroyers of the Royal Navy that served during the Second World War. Three ships were later transferred to the Royal Canadian Navy, one to the Royal Hellenic Navy and one to the Dominican Navy. Launched in 1934, they served in the Second World War. Nine were lost...

destroyer

Destroyer

In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...

(one of 16, including two flotilla leaders, in the E and F classes to be built). She was ordered on 1 November 1932 as part of the 1931 Naval Build Programme; launched on 15 February 1934 at the Hawthorn Leslie Shipyard at Hebburn

Hebburn

Hebburn is a small town situated on the south bank of the River Tyne in North East England, sandwiched between the towns of Jarrow and Bill Quay...

, Tyneside

Tyneside

Tyneside is a conurbation in North East England, defined by the Office of National Statistics, which is home to over 80% of the population of Tyne and Wear. It includes the city of Newcastle upon Tyne and the Metropolitan Boroughs of Gateshead, North Tyneside and South Tyneside — all settlements on...

. The E class were similar to the preceding 'C' and 'D'

C and D class destroyer

The C and D class was a group of 14 destroyers built for the Royal Navy in the early 1930s. As in previous years, it was originally intended to order a complete flotilla comprising eight destroyers—plus a flotilla leader as the ninth unit—in each year. However, only four ships—plus a leader—were...

classes of 1931, but with an improved hull

Hull (watercraft)

A hull is the watertight body of a ship or boat. Above the hull is the superstructure and/or deckhouse, where present. The line where the hull meets the water surface is called the waterline.The structure of the hull varies depending on the vessel type...

form, modified bridge

Bridge

A bridge is a structure built to span physical obstacles such as a body of water, valley, or road, for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle...

, three boiler

Boiler

A boiler is a closed vessel in which water or other fluid is heated. The heated or vaporized fluid exits the boiler for use in various processes or heating applications.-Materials:...

rooms instead of two, and high angle 4.7 inch (120 mm) guns that could elevate to 40 degrees (as opposed to 30 degrees on the earlier classes). The costs to build the ship have been given as approximately £300,000 (Janes), £247,000, or £253,350 (excluding the items supplied by the Admiralty such as guns and communications equipment) http://www.naval-history.net/xGM-Chrono-10DD-21E-Electra.htm.

Sunk in the Battle of the Java Sea

Battle of the Java Sea

The Battle of the Java Sea was a decisive naval battle of the Pacific campaign of World War II, that sealed the fate of the Netherlands East Indies....

, Electra was a witness to many naval battles, including the Battle of the Denmark Strait

Battle of the Denmark Strait

The Battle of the Denmark Strait was a Second World War naval battle between ships of the Royal Navy and the German Kriegsmarine, fought on 24 May 1941...

and Sinking of Prince of Wales and Repulse

Sinking of Prince of Wales and Repulse

The sinking of Prince of Wales and Repulse was a Second World War naval engagement that took place north of Singapore, off the east coast of Malaya, near Kuantan, Pahang where the British Royal Navy battleship HMS Prince of Wales and battlecruiser HMS Repulse were sunk by land-based bombers and...

First Deployment

Upon commissioning in 1934, she was attached to the 5th Destroyer Flotilla, Home Fleet, along with the rest of her E-class sister ships. In September 1935, the 5th Flotilla was transferred to the Mediterranean Fleet for the duration of the Abyssinian crisis

Second Italo-Abyssinian War

The Second Italo–Abyssinian War was a colonial war that started in October 1935 and ended in May 1936. The war was fought between the armed forces of the Kingdom of Italy and the armed forces of the Ethiopian Empire...

before returning to the Home Fleet the following March. In 1936, Electra was assigned to Non-Intervention Patrols in Spanish

Spain

Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...

waters during the Spanish Civil War

Spanish Civil War

The Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939...

. In 1938, she underwent a refit in Sheerness, and then was placed 'in reserve'. On 2 August 1939, she was 'Brought forward' (taken out of reserve) with Reservist ship's company, and on 26 August 1939, she attended a review by King George VI.

Early Second World War Service

At the beginning of World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

, Electra was attached to the 12th Destroyer Flotilla. On 3 September 1939, Electra took part in the rescue of survivors of the liner Athenia

SS Athenia

The S.S. Athenia was the first British ship to be sunk by Nazi Germany in World War II.-Description:Athenia was built by the Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company, Ltd., and was launched at Govan, Scotland in 1923. She was built for Anchor-Donaldson Ltd.'s route between Britain and Canada...

, which was torpedoed by the German

Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

submarine U-30. The Captain of Electra, Lieutenant-Commander Stuart Austen "Sammy" Buss, was the Senior Officer present at the scene so he took charge. He sent the destroyer on an anti-submarine sweep of the area, while Electra, her sister ship , the Swedish

Sweden

Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....

yacht

Yacht

A yacht is a recreational boat or ship. The term originated from the Dutch Jacht meaning "hunt". It was originally defined as a light fast sailing vessel used by the Dutch navy to pursue pirates and other transgressors around and into the shallow waters of the Low Countries...

Southern Cross, the Norwegian cargo ship Knut Nelson, and the American tanker City of Flint rescued the survivors. Part of the rescue effort included sending a whaler to rescue a woman still in a bunk in the sick bay of the Athenia. Between the ships, about 980 passengers and crew were rescued; only 112 people were lost, and Athenia sank the next morning.

Her next assignment was to escort a convoy

Convoy

A convoy is a group of vehicles, typically motor vehicles or ships, traveling together for mutual support and protection. Often, a convoy is organized with armed defensive support, though it may also be used in a non-military sense, for example when driving through remote areas.-Age of Sail:Naval...

out of Pentland Firth

Pentland Firth

The Pentland Firth , which is actually more of a strait than a firth, separates the Orkney Islands from Caithness in the north of Scotland.-Etymology:...

, along with and . During a violent storm which lasted over two days, an ammunition

Ammunition

Ammunition is a generic term derived from the French language la munition which embraced all material used for war , but which in time came to refer specifically to gunpowder and artillery. The collective term for all types of ammunition is munitions...

locker on the forecastle

Forecastle

Forecastle refers to the upper deck of a sailing ship forward of the foremast, or the forward part of a ship with the sailors' living quarters...

broke loose, and was sliding around the deck. The locker was full of shells, and needed to be secured. After a short time, several volunteers managed to corral the loose object. After a boiler cleaning in Rosyth in December 1939, Electra continued escorting convoys and hunting U-boats in the Western Approaches

Western Approaches

The Western Approaches is a rectangular area of the Atlantic ocean lying on the western coast of Great Britain. The rectangle is higher than it is wide, the north and south boundaries defined by the north and south ends of the British Isles, the eastern boundary lying on the western coast, and the...

area until April, 1940. Some of the convoys she has known to have escorted include ON 14, HN 14, ON 16, HN 16, ON 18, HN 18, ON 20, and HN 20.

Norway

In early April, 1940, Electra escorted two convoys to Norway

Norway

Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...

and back. The first trip, which also included and the cruiser , was uneventful. On the second trip, the convoy was attacked by German

Germany

bombers. An ex-Polish liner serving as a transport

Transport

Transport or transportation is the movement of people, cattle, animals and goods from one location to another. Modes of transport include air, rail, road, water, cable, pipeline, and space. The field can be divided into infrastructure, vehicles, and operations...

was sunk, but the rest of the convoy arrived safely. After the convoy was delivered, Electra was tasked to drop off two Army officers at a desolate location. During this time, Electra shot down a German bomber with her 4.7-in (120mm) guns.

A few days later, Electra, being equipped with Two-Speed Destroyer Sweep (TSDS) minesweeping

Minesweeper (ship)

A minesweeper is a small naval warship designed to counter the threat posed by naval mines. Minesweepers generally detect then neutralize mines in advance of other naval operations.-History:...

gear, was directed to lead the battleship

Battleship

A battleship is a large armored warship with a main battery consisting of heavy caliber guns. Battleships were larger, better armed and armored than cruisers and destroyers. As the largest armed ships in a fleet, battleships were used to attain command of the sea and represented the apex of a...

into Ofotfjord

Ofotfjord

Ofotfjord or Narvik Fjord, an inlet of the Norwegian sea north of the Arctic circle, is Norway's 12th longest fjord, long, and the 18th deepest, with a maximum depth of . Along the shores of this fjord is the major town of Narvik...

towards Narvik

Narvik

is the third largest city and municipality in Nordland county, Norway by population. Narvik is located on the shores of the Narvik Fjord . The municipality is part of the Ofoten traditional region of North Norway, inside the arctic circle...

, clearing a path through the minefields

Naval mine

A naval mine is a self-contained explosive device placed in water to destroy surface ships or submarines. Unlike depth charges, mines are deposited and left to wait until they are triggered by the approach of, or contact with, an enemy vessel...

for her. However, Admiral Sir William Whitworth decided to risk the mines, and left Electra outside, guarding the entrance to the fjord. on 24 April, Electra escorted HMS Vindictive

HMS Vindictive

HMS Vindictive has been the name of more than one Royal Navy ship*HMS Vindictive, a 74-gun third rate ship of the line launched in 1813 and sold in 1871.*HMS Vindictive, an Arrogant class cruiser used in the Zeebrugge Raid...

from Bogen to Narvik to land the Irish Guards. (See Battles of Narvik
Battles of Narvik
The Battles of Narvik were fought from 9 April-8 June 1940 as a naval battle in the Ofotfjord and as a land battle in the mountains surrounding the north Norwegian city of Narvik as part of the Norwegian Campaign of the Second World War....

). On 8 May, Electra returned to 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...

for replenishment.

On 13 June 1940, she escorted when she launched an air attack on Trondheim

Trondheim

Trondheim , historically, Nidaros and Trondhjem, is a city and municipality in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. With a population of 173,486, it is the third most populous municipality and city in the country, although the fourth largest metropolitan area. It is the administrative centre of...

, Norway

Norway

. In heavy fog, the admiral ordered the formation to turn into the wind so Ark Royal could launch aircraft. The destroyer screen was in arrowhead formation ahead of the capital ships; Electra in the port wing, in the starboard wing. The message "Blue nine repeat Blue nine - Executive signal." to turn was given on a low-power short range radio. Apparently, the telegraphist of Antelope missed the signal; as a result, Antelope continued on course while Electra executed the turn. Suddenly, Antelope appeared, cutting across the bows of Electra. With no time to stop, Electra hit Antelope aft, in the wardroom

Wardroom

The wardroom is the mess-cabin of naval commissioned officers above the rank of Midshipman. The term the wardroom is also used to refer to those individuals with the right to occupy that wardroom, meaning "the officers of the wardroom"....

pantry, just aft of the engine room. One man from Antelope climbed up Electra's anchor

Anchor

An anchor is a device, normally made of metal, that is used to connect a vessel to the bed of a body of water to prevent the vessel from drifting due to wind or current. The word derives from Latin ancora, which itself comes from the Greek ἄγκυρα .Anchors can either be temporary or permanent...

chain to get away from the damaged area. Her bow was severely damaged, and it took Electra and Antelope four days to get back to Scotland

Scotland

Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...

at slow speed. She was repaired and refitted at the Ailsa Shipbuilding Company

Ailsa Shipbuilding Company

-History:The company was founded in 1885 by the 3rd Marquess of Ailsa.In 1902 the Ailsa yard fitted out the polar exploration ship Scotia for the Scottish National Antarctic Expedition of 1902-04...

yard at Troon

Troon

Troon is a town in South Ayrshire. It is situated on the west coast of Scotland, about eight miles north of Ayr and three miles northwest of Glasgow Prestwick International Airport. Lying across the Firth of Clyde, the Isle of Arran can be seen. Troon is also a port with freight and ferry services...

, South Ayrshire

South Ayrshire

South Ayrshire is one of 32 council areas of Scotland, covering the southern part of Ayrshire. It borders onto East Ayrshire, North Ayrshire and Dumfries and Galloway....

, Scotland

Scotland

theough the end of August. Ailsa was noted primarily for the yachts it has built, and Electra was the largest repair job it had handled to date. Here she had her bow repaired, as well as having her after bank of torpedo tube

Torpedo tube

A torpedo tube is a device for launching torpedoes. There are two main types of torpedo tube: underwater tubes fitted to submarines and some surface ships, and deck-mounted units installed aboard surface vessels...

s replaced by a 3-inch anti-aircraft gun and two 20 mm Oerlikon

Oerlikon 20 mm cannon

The Oerlikon 20 mm cannon is a series of autocannons, based on an original design by Reinhold Becker of Germany, very early in World War I, and widely produced by Oerlikon Contraves and others...

s. Also, during the refit and repair time, the wardroom was painted in the team colours of the Glasgow Rangers

Rangers F.C.

Rangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses...

football (soccer) team, which was the favourite team of the yard manager heading up the repair work. After conducting post-refit trials on 31 August, she joined the 3rd Destroyer Flotilla, Home Fleet, based at Scapa Flow.

Her first assignment after her repair work was completed was to escort the ships of the 1st Minelaying Squadron, along with the destroyers , , and , during the laying of a deep minefield in NW approaches to Irish Sea (Operation SN41). After this, she was part of the escort of the battlecruiser

Battlecruiser

Battlecruisers were large capital ships built in the first half of the 20th century. They were developed in the first decade of the century as the successor to the armoured cruiser, but their evolution was more closely linked to that of the dreadnought battleship...

Repulse in a hunt for a German surface raider that had attacked Convoy HX-84

Convoy HX-84

HX-84 was a North Atlantic convoy of the HX series during the battle of the Atlantic in World War II. It consisted of 38 merchant ships which sailed eastbound from Halifax, Nova Scotia, for Liverpool, England, on 28 October 1940 and was escorted by the armed merchant cruiser HMS Jervis Bay-The...

sinking the armed merchant cruiser and five ships from the convoy. Electra later joined the search for survivors from the convoy.

In December, she was again on patrol seeking a German surface raider that had been reported as breaking out into the North Atlantic. The force consisted of the battlecruiser , the light cruiser

Light cruiser

A light cruiser is a type of small- or medium-sized warship. The term is a shortening of the phrase "light armored cruiser", describing a small ship that carried armor in the same way as an armored cruiser: a protective belt and deck...

, and the destroyers Electra, , , and . After spending a week at sea, including Christmas Day, after the report turned out to be false, she returned to port on New Years Eve. It was here that they got word that the ship's current Captain, Lieutenant-Commander Buss, was promoted to Commander and would transfer to the destroyer , and the ship received a new Captain, Lieutenant-Commander Cecil Wakeford May, who would be her captain until she was sunk. (Commander Buss was later killed in action on HMS Dulverton on 13 November 1943.) A few days after this, Electra was sent into the Arctic

Arctic

The Arctic is a region located at the northern-most part of the Earth. The Arctic consists of the Arctic Ocean and parts of Canada, Russia, Greenland, the United States, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Iceland. The Arctic region consists of a vast, ice-covered ocean, surrounded by treeless permafrost...

for a mission to find surface raiders, returning through the Denmark Strait

Denmark Strait

The Denmark Strait or Greenland Strait |Sound]]) is an oceanic strait between Greenland and Iceland...

and refuelling from a cruiser in heavy seas on the way.

The first four months of 1941 saw Electra performing mostly convoy work around the British Isles

British Isles

The British Isles are a group of islands off the northwest coast of continental Europe that include the islands of Great Britain and Ireland and over six thousand smaller isles. There are two sovereign states located on the islands: the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and...

and Bristol Channel

Bristol Channel

The Bristol Channel is a major inlet in the island of Great Britain, separating South Wales from Devon and Somerset in South West England. It extends from the lower estuary of the River Severn to the North Atlantic Ocean...

, mostly in cold weather and heavy seas. in January, she escorted the battlecruiser Hood during Operations SN6 and SN65, providing cover for minelaying in the Northern Barrage by ships of 1st Minelaying Squadron. Starting on 23 January, Electra participated in Operation Rubble

Operation Rubble

Operation Rubble was a British blockade running operation in which five Norwegian merchant ships escaped from Sweden to Britain. The ships involved were Norwegian steamships Elizabeth Bakke , John Bakke , Tai Shan , Taurus and the Ranja...

, the escape of several Norwegian merchant ships from Gothenburg

Gothenburg

Gothenburg is the second-largest city in Sweden and the fifth-largest in the Nordic countries. Situated on the west coast of Sweden, the city proper has a population of 519,399, with 549,839 in the urban area and total of 937,015 inhabitants in the metropolitan area...

, Sweden

Sweden

. In February, she escorted Convoy WS6A during passage from the Clyde for two days; then in late February, she escorted the battleship during contractor's trials. One of the trips was as escort to convoy HX 122, which left Halifax on 20 April and arrived in Liverpool

Liverpool

Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...

on 8 May. On one of the trips, she rescued the crew of a Coastal Command Avro Anson

Avro Anson

The Avro Anson is a British twin-engine, multi-role aircraft that served with the Royal Air Force, Fleet Air Arm and numerous other air forces prior to, during, and after the Second World War. Named for British Admiral George Anson, it was originally designed for maritime reconnaissance, but was...

patrol aircraft

Aircraft

An aircraft is a vehicle that is able to fly by gaining support from the air, or, in general, the atmosphere of a planet. An aircraft counters the force of gravity by using either static lift or by using the dynamic lift of an airfoil, or in a few cases the downward thrust from jet engines.Although...

that had crashed into the ocean. In March, Electra and Inglefield escorted the battleship in a search for the German battlecruisers and . In mid-May, Electra took part in Operation SN9B, escorting ships of 1st Minelaying Squadron during the laying of mines in the Northern Barrage.

The Hunt for the Bismarck

In early May, the British Admiralty

Admiralty

The Admiralty was formerly the authority in the Kingdom of England, and later in the United Kingdom, responsible for the command of the Royal Navy...

was on the alert that the might attempt to break out into the North Atlantic; therefore, Electra was ordered to Scapa Flow

Scapa Flow

for possible deployment against the Germans. On 22 May, just after midnight, Electra sailed along with the destroyers , Antelope

HMS Antelope (H36)

HMS Antelope was a British A-class destroyer. She was completed 20 March 1930 and assigned to the 18th Destroyer Flotilla, Channel Force, Home Fleet....

, , Echo

HMS Echo (H23)

HMS Echo was an E class destroyer of the British Royal Navy that saw service in the Atlantic, Arctic and Mediterranean theatres during World War II, before being transferred to the Royal Hellenic Navy in 1944, and renamed Navarinon, until scrapped in 1956.-Service history:Echo had a small role in...

, and , escorting the Hood and Prince of Wales to cover the northern approaches. The intention was that the force would refuel in Hvalfjord, Iceland

Iceland

Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...

, and then sail again to watch the Denmark Strait. On the evening of 23 May, weather deteriorated. At 2055 hrs., Admiral Lancelot Holland

Lancelot Holland

Vice Admiral Lancelot Ernest Holland, CB commanded the British force in the Battle of Denmark Strait in May, 1941 against the German battleship Bismarck. Holland was killed during the battle.-Early life:...

aboard the Hood signalled the destroyers "If you are unable to maintain this speed I will have to go on without you. You should follow at your best speed." At 0215 on the morning of 24 May, the destroyers were ordered to spread out at 15 nautical miles (28 km) intervals to search to the north.

At about 0535, the German forces were sighted by the Hood, and shortly after, the Germans sighted the British ships. Firing commenced at 0552. At 0601, Hood took a 38 cm (15 inch) shell from Bismarck in the after magazine, which caused a massive explosion, sinking the ship within two minutes. Electra and other destroyers were about 60 nautical miles (111 km) away at the time. Upon hearing that the Hood had sunk, Electra raced to the area, arriving about two hours after the Hood went down. They were expecting to find many survivors, prepared hot coffee and rum, set up the medical facilities for the casualties, rigged scrambling nets and heaving lines, and placed life belts on the deck where they could be quickly thrown in. From the 94 officers and 1,321 enlisted men who were aboard the Hood, only 3 survivors were found. Electra rescued these three, and continued searching. Shortly thereafter, Icarus and Anthony joined in the search, and the three ships searched the area for more survivors. No more survivors were found, only driftwood, debris, clothing, personal effects, broken rafts, and a desk drawer filled with documents. After several hours searching, they left the area. With the sea as cold as it was, survival in the water was measured in minutes; there was little probability that anyone was left alive in the water. (See Battle of the Denmark Strait
Battle of the Denmark Strait
The Battle of the Denmark Strait was a Second World War naval battle between ships of the Royal Navy and the German Kriegsmarine, fought on 24 May 1941...

).

After dropping the survivors off in Iceland

Iceland

, she refuelled, and then sailed immediately again to escort the damaged Prince of Wales to Rosyth

Rosyth

Rosyth is a town located on the Firth of Forth, three miles south of the centre of Dunfermline. According to an estimate taken in 2008, the town has a population of 12,790....

. After arriving, the men went on a quick shore leave, their first in many months. Then in a period of two weeks, she went to Scapa Flow, then made a run down the West Coast of England, then to Ireland

Ireland

Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...

, then refuelled at Derry

Derry

Derry or Londonderry is the second-biggest city in Northern Ireland and the fourth-biggest city on the island of Ireland. The name Derry is an anglicisation of the Irish name Doire or Doire Cholmcille meaning "oak-wood of Colmcille"...

, then escorted a troop convoy into the Atlantic.

After this, she went into refit at Green & Silley Weir in the Royal Docks at London

London

London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...

for six weeks, escorting a convoy to Sheerness

Sheerness

Sheerness is a town located beside the mouth of the River Medway on the northwest corner of the Isle of Sheppey in north Kent, England. With a population of 12,000 it is the largest town on the island....

on the way. When she came out of the yard, she sported a new disruptive camouflage

Camouflage

Camouflage is a method of concealment that allows an otherwise visible animal, military vehicle, or other object to remain unnoticed, by blending with its environment. Examples include a leopard's spotted coat, the battledress of a modern soldier and a leaf-mimic butterfly...

paint scheme of blues, greens, and greys. Just two days out of the yard, she was on convoy duty again, escorting a convoy through what was called "Bomb Alley". They came under heavy attack by German aircraft, but suffered no losses. She then went on to Scapa Flow for assignment.

Russian Convoy

Shortly after arriving at Scapa Flow, she was detailed to serve as Senior Escort for the first of Arctic convoys to the Soviet Union

Soviet Union

The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....

, called Operation Dervish

Dervish Convoy

Operation Dervish was the first of the Arctic Convoys of World War II by which the Western Allies supplied material aid to the Soviet Union in its fight with Nazi Germany. The convoy sailed from Hvalfiourdur, Iceland on 21 August 1941 and arrived at Archangelsk on 31 August 1941. The Convoy...

, which consisted of six merchantmen, escorted by destroyers Electra, and , three s, and three trawlers. The convoy kept well to the west of Norway, and made a wide sweep to avoid the German bases in northern Norway, before turning south to Archangelsk. There were no losses on the trip to Russia, or on the return trip (Russian Convoy OP1) with the destroyer Active, cruisers and , and 11 merchantmen starting on 26 September. (See Dervish Convoy
Dervish Convoy
Operation Dervish was the first of the Arctic Convoys of World War II by which the Western Allies supplied material aid to the Soviet Union in its fight with Nazi Germany. The convoy sailed from Hvalfiourdur, Iceland on 21 August 1941 and arrived at Archangelsk on 31 August 1941. The Convoy...

).

To the Far East

On Monday, 20 October 1941, the crew of Electra got word that they, along with would be escorting HMS Prince of Wales to the Far East

Far East

The Far East is an English term mostly describing East Asia and Southeast Asia, with South Asia sometimes also included for economic and cultural reasons.The term came into use in European geopolitical discourse in the 19th century,...

under the command of Vice-Admiral Sir Tom Phillips

Thomas Phillips (Naval officer)

Admiral Sir Thomas "Tom" Spencer Vaughan Phillips GBE, KCB, DSO was a World War II admiral in the Royal Navy. He was nicknamed "Tom Thumb" due to his short stature. He is best known for his command of Force Z during the Japanese invasion of Malaya, where he went down with his flagship, the...

where the ships would form the nucleus of a new Eastern Fleet intended to deter Japanese aggression. Over the next three days, they loaded with supplies and ammunition, and returned their load of parkas they had obtained for their Russian trip. On 23 October, they sailed out of Scapa Flow for Greenock

Greenock

Greenock is a town and administrative centre in the Inverclyde council area in United Kingdom, and a former burgh within the historic county of Renfrewshire, located in the west central Lowlands of Scotland...

, and on 25 October, they sailed for the Far East. This force would be known as Force G until they reached the Far East; then they would be re-designated Force Z

Force Z

Force Z was an Allied naval detachment consisting of the battleship , the battlecruiser , and four destroyers, , , , and . Initially an aircraft carrier HMS Indomitable was included, but she ran aground in the Caribbean, and was not replaced by HMS Hermes which was regarded as too slow.A renamed...

. They were accompanied by , loaned by Western Approaches Command

Western Approaches Command

Commander-in-Chief, Western Approaches was the commander of a major operational command of the Royal Navy during World War II. The admiral commanding, and his forces, sometimes informally known as 'Western Approaches Command,' were responsible for the safety of British shipping in the Western...

, for the first part of the trip. The destroyers refuelled from the Prince of Wales south of Ireland. Two days later, another destroyer, , was detached from a Gibraltar convoy to cover the Prince of Wales while Electra and Express refuelled again from a tanker in Ponta del Garda in the Azores

Azores

The Archipelago of the Azores is composed of nine volcanic islands situated in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean, and is located about west from Lisbon and about east from the east coast of North America. The islands, and their economic exclusion zone, form the Autonomous Region of the...

. After Electra and Express returned the following day, Hesperus and Legion departed for Gibraltar.

On 2 November, the three ships put into Freetown. They had shore leave, and left the next day. They refuelled again on the way, and arrived at Cape Town

Cape Town

Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...

on 16 November, with the destroyers putting into Simonstown Naval Base. The crew had shore leave again, but several events, including press interviews were cancelled. They left Cape Town on 18 November and arrived at Colombo

Colombo

Colombo is the largest city of Sri Lanka. It is located on the west coast of the island and adjacent to Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte, the capital of Sri Lanka. Colombo is often referred to as the capital of the country, since Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte is a satellite city of Colombo...

, Ceylon, on 28 November, stopping at Mauritius

Mauritius

Mauritius , officially the Republic of Mauritius is an island nation off the southeast coast of the African continent in the southwest Indian Ocean, about east of Madagascar...

and Addu Atoll

Addu Atoll

Addu City is a city in Maldives consisting of the inhabited islands of the southernmost atoll of the archipelago....

to refuel on the way. While at Addu Atoll, the crew of the Prince of Wales cooked the Addu detachment of Royal Marines

Royal Marines

The Corps of Her Majesty's Royal Marines, commonly just referred to as the Royal Marines , are the marine corps and amphibious infantry of the United Kingdom and, along with the Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary, form the Naval Service...

a Christmas dinner, and sent ashore fresh fruit, meat, vegetables, beer and Navy rum.

On 29 November, the destroyers and , detached from the Mediterranean Fleet, joined at Colombo, and the five ships sailed later that day. The ships were joined at sea by the battlecruiser which has sailed from Trincomalee. The force then set course for Singapore

Singapore

Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...

, where they arrived on 2 December. They spent a few days there with shore leave and refit, while waiting for orders. On 1 December, it was announced that Sir Tom Philips had been promoted to full Admiral, and appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Eastern Fleet. A few days later, Repulse started on a trip to Australia with and , but the force was recalled.

Force Z at Singapore

Early in the morning of 8 December, Singapore came under attack by Japanese aircraft. Prince of Wales and Repulse shot back with anti-aircraft fire; no planes were shot down, and the ships sustained no damage. After receiving the reports of the attack on Pearl Harbor

Attack on Pearl Harbor

The attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike conducted by the Imperial Japanese Navy against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on the morning of December 7, 1941...

and invasions of Siam by the Japanese, Force Z put to sea at 1730 hrs. on 8 December. Force Z at this time consisted of the Prince of Wales and Repulse, escorted by the destroyers Electra, Express, Vampire, and Tenedos. At about 1830 on 9 December, the Tenedos was detached to return to Singapore, because of her limited fuel capacity. That night, Electra sighted and reported a flare to the north. This caused the British force to turn away to the southeast. The flare was dropped by a Japanese aircraft over their own ships by mistake, and caused the Japanese force to turn away to the northeast. At this point, the two forces were only about five miles (8 km) apart.

At 2055, Admiral Philips cancelled the operation, and ordered the force to return to Singapore. On the way back, they were spotted and reported by the Japanese submarine I-58. The next morning, 10 December, they received a report of Japanese landings at Kuantan

Kuantan

Kuantan is the state capital of Pahang, the 3rd largest state in Malaysia. It is situated near the mouth of the Kuantan River and faces the South China Sea. If one measures the distance along the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia, it is located roughly halfway between Singapore and Kota Bharu...

, and Express was sent to investigate the area, finding nothing. That afternoon, Prince of Wales and Repulse were sunk by 85 Japan

Japan

Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

ese aircraft off Kuantan

Kuantan

aircraft from the 22nd Air Flotilla based at Saigon. (See Sinking of Prince of Wales and Repulse
Sinking of Prince of Wales and Repulse
The sinking of Prince of Wales and Repulse was a Second World War naval engagement that took place north of Singapore, off the east coast of Malaya, near Kuantan, Pahang where the British Royal Navy battleship HMS Prince of Wales and battlecruiser HMS Repulse were sunk by land-based bombers and...

). Repulse was sunk by five torpedoes in 20 minutes, and Electra and Vampire moved in to rescue survivors of Repulse, while Express rescued survivors of the Prince of Wales, which sank slowly following the attacks.

Electra sent out radio messages that Repulse and Prince of Wales had sunk, and Admiral Tom Phillips went down with them. Even after they were rescued, some survivors of the Repulse manned Action Stations on Electra, to free the Electra sailors to rescue more survivors. In particular, Repulse gunners manned the 'X' and 'Y' 4.7-inch mounts, and the ship's dentist of the Repulse even assisted the Electra's medical teams with the wounded. In total, nearly 1,000 survivors of the Repulse were rescued, of which Electra saved 571, some of which would later be captured at Malaya and the Dutch East Indies when both were surrendered by the British three months later, and when some were lost aboard British ships sunk by the Japanese at the Indian Ocean, as well as those lost at the Battle of the Java Sea

Battle of the Java Sea

The Battle of the Java Sea was a decisive naval battle of the Pacific campaign of World War II, that sealed the fate of the Netherlands East Indies....

. Electra and the other destroyers then returned to Singapore to drop off the survivors, refuel, and replenish their ammunition.

Convoy Duty

The next three weeks or so saw Electra escorting convoys, and resting in Singapore in between. She had 'crossed the line' (equator

Equator

An equator is the intersection of a sphere's surface with the plane perpendicular to the sphere's axis of rotation and containing the sphere's center of mass....

) so many times that the crew stopped keeping count. One of her frequent consorts in these escort operations was the light cruiser . In the last week of January, Electra was part of the escort for a troop convoy, BM-11, consisting of the American transports and , and the British ships Duchess Of Bedford, Empress of Japan, and Empire Star, which was carrying troops from Bombay, India

India

India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...

, to Singapore. This convoy was brought into Singapore on 29 January via Berhala Strait, Durian Strait, and Philips Channel, and then proceeded to Keppel Harbor. Here, at about 1100 on 31 January, Electra came alongside West Point and transferred 20 naval dockyard personnel, 8 women, one Free French officer, and an RAF officer to West Point for passage to Ceylon. (One of these women gave birth to a baby on board West Point on 4 February).

Some of the convoys that Electra was known to have escorted included:

BM-9B, which left Bombay on 22 December 1941, carrying the vehicles and stores for the 45th Indian Infantry Brigade; Electra escorted this convoy from 3 January 1942 until its arrival at Singapore on 6 January.
BM-10, which left Bombay on 8 January 1942, with the 44th Indian Infantry Brigade Group (6000 men), and vehicles and stores for the 18th Division; Electra was part of the escort between 20 January and 22 January.
BM-11, (mentioned above) which left Bombay on 19 January 1942, carrying 5 light anti-aircraft batteries, 1 light tank squadron, and the 18th Division (except the 53rd Brigade Group), a total of 17.000 troops; Electra was part of the escort from 24 January until its arrival at Singapore on 29 January.
BM-12 Return trip to Bombay; Electra was part of the escort from 7 February to 9 February while the convoy went through the Sunda Strait
Sunda Strait
The Sunda Strait is the strait between the Indonesian islands of Java and Sumatra. It connects the Java Sea to the Indian Ocean...

.

Starting on 3 February, they also had the task of towing the destroyer which had been undergoing refit from Singapore to Java. They were attacked by a Japanese high-level bomber on the way, but sustained no damage. (T. J. Cain in his book HMS Electra states that it was an I class destroyer, and that Electra was the tow ship; Steve Gartland in an article in "The Sun" states that the destroyer being towed was , that the tow ship was a tug named Ping Wo, and that Electra was an escort out of Tanjong Priok starting on 17 February.) Just before Singapore fell, Electra and other destroyers escorted the remaining merchant ships to Tanjong Priok, Java.

Battle of the Java Sea & Loss

On 26 February 1942, Electra arrived at Surabaya

Surabaya

Surabaya is Indonesia's second-largest city with a population of over 2.7 million , and the capital of the province of East Java...

from Tanjong Priok, along with , , the Dutch light cruiser , and the destroyers and . , , and HMAS Hobart remained at Tanjong Priok. On 27 February, the striking force left Surabaya, the three British destroyers in the lead, with Electra in the center, Jupiter to port, and Encounter to starboard; followed by the Dutch cruiser , , , HMAS Perth, and HNLMS Java; followed by two Dutch and four American destroyers. (See Battle of the Java Sea
Battle of the Java Sea
The Battle of the Java Sea was a decisive naval battle of the Pacific campaign of World War II, that sealed the fate of the Netherlands East Indies....

.)

That afternoon, they made contact with the enemy. Electra managed to evade the shells and torpedoes in the first round. At 1715, Exeter received a hit which destroyed a 4 inches (102 mm) gun mount and then exploded in a boiler room, causing her to lose speed. At 1725, seeing that the Exeter was in trouble, Electra headed toward the enemy ships, followed by the other two British destroyers, to cover the Exeter's escape. After several near misses from gunfire from the Japan

Japan

ese light cruiser

Light cruiser

, Electra fired back, scoring several hits on the Jintsu and the destroyer . During this slugging match, Electra sustained several hits, which knocked out A and X gun mounts, wrecked the electrical system forward, cut off all communications, destroyed a searchlight platform, damaged the after boiler room, and ruptured the main steam line. Electra came to a stop, fired off her torpedoes, and started to list to port. After a fire started under B gun mount and Y mount ran out of ammunition, abandon ship was ordered. One surviving whaleboat

Whaleboat

A whaleboat is a type of open boat that is relatively narrow and pointed at both ends, enabling it to move either forwards or backwards equally well. It was originally developed for whaling, and later became popular for work along beaches, since it does not need to be turned around for beaching or...

got away after being loaded with wounded, but it was destroyed by a shell shortly after. She sank shortly later on the afternoon of 27 February 1942, bow first, with the White Ensign

White Ensign

The White Ensign or St George's Ensign is an ensign flown on British Royal Navy ships and shore establishments. It consists of a red St George's Cross on a white field with the Union Flag in the upper canton....

still flying.

Survivors

That night, about 0235hrs. in the morning of 28 February, 54 survivors of the 173 men on board were picked up by the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

submarine

Submarine

A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...

, and were taken to Surabaya. When the submarine surfaced in the middle of the survivors, they were not sure if it was friendly or enemy. One of the survivors recognized the submarine as being friendly, because it had an 'Admiralty' type anchor

Anchor

; and at that time, only United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

submarines still had this type of anchor. One of the survivors died on the submarine on the way. After treatment in a Dutch hospital, 42 survivors were taken to Australia

Australia

Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

by the inter-island steamer Verspeck, where they arrived on 10 March. One more survivor died at the hospital, and 10 others in critical condition were left at the hospital.

After spending some time there recovering, many of the survivors were put on the liner Nankin, bound for Ceylon, and ultimately, home to Britain. On the way, the Nankin was attacked and sunk by the German raider . The survivors, after spending seven weeks on the raider's supply ship Regensburg
Regensburg
Regensburg is a city in Bavaria, Germany, located at the confluence of the Danube and Regen rivers, at the northernmost bend in the Danube. To the east lies the Bavarian Forest. Regensburg is the capital of the Bavarian administrative region Upper Palatinate...

, were handed over to the Japanese, where they spent the rest of the war in a Japanese prison camp

Internment

Internment is the imprisonment or confinement of people, commonly in large groups, without trial. The Oxford English Dictionary gives the meaning as: "The action of 'interning'; confinement within the limits of a country or place." Most modern usage is about individuals, and there is a distinction...

.

On 29 March 1947, a stained glass

Stained glass

The term stained glass can refer to coloured glass as a material or to works produced from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant buildings...

window at St. George's Chapel

St. George's Chapel, Chatham

St. George's Chapel at Chatham, Medway, Kent is the chapel in an area that used to be Chatham Dockyard, used by the Royal Navy for centuries. It is notable for its naval connections....

at the Royal Naval Barracks, Chatham, was dedicated to the crew of the Electra, for her assistance in witnessing the chase of the Bismarck and the sinking of the two British capital ships off the Malacca Strait.

The Wreck

In August 2003, the M/V Empress located the wreck of the Electra. It is lying on its port side in approximately 160 feet (49 m) of water, completely covered with fishing net

Fishing net

A fishing net or fishnet is a net that is used for fishing. Fishing nets are meshes usually formed by knotting a relatively thin thread. Modern nets are usually made of artificial polyamides like nylon, although nets of organic polyamides such as wool or silk thread were common until recently and...

s. What is interesting is that she is located nowhere near where the Allied battle maps put her sinking, but is close to where the Japanese battle maps put her.

External links

http://www.ships-badges.co.uk/electra.html Picture of the ship's badge of the Electra
http://www.pacificwrecks.com/ships/hms/electra.html Contains information on the wreck of the Electra, and pictures of the ship.
http://navalhistory.flixco.info/G/69835x53053/b281303/n0.htm
http://uboat.net/allies/warships/ship/4377.html
http://www.warsailors.com/convoys/hx122cruising.html
http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USN/ships/danfs/AP/ap23.html
http://www.netherlandsnavy.nl/Singapore.html Has a list of Singapore convoys
http://members.dodo.net.au/~mervynw/vendetta.htm Provides information on a destroyer being towed from Singapore to Java.
http://www.ussvi.org/misc/030808.htm Provides a description of the rescue from the submarine's viewpoint
http://www.battleships-cruisers.co.uk/e+f_class.htm#HMS%20Electra
http://www.hmshood.com/crew/remember/TedFlagship.html#Ch21 Contains Hood survivor recollections of the rescue
http://www.hmshood.com/crew/remember/ElectraTaylor.html Contains survivor recollections
http://www.naval-history.net/xGM-Chrono-10DD-21E-Electra.htm
http://ahoy.tk-jk.net/macslog/AreportaboutHMSElectraand.html
http://www.warsailors.com/convoys/hnonescorts.html
http://www.bbc.co.uk/ww2peopleswar/stories/08/a1119908.shtml
http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?f=33&t=77481&start=45

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