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HMS Kelly (F01)
Encyclopedia
HMS Kelly (pennant number
F01) was a K-class
destroyer
of the British
Royal Navy
, and flotilla leader
of her class. She served through the early years of the Second World War; in Home Waters, off Norway
and in the Mediterranean. Throughout her service, Kelly was commanded by Lord Louis Mountbatten
. She was lost in action in 1941 during the Battle of Crete
. In addition, Mountbatten served as commander (Captain (D)) of the 5th Destroyer Flotilla.
Kelly was built by Hawthorn Leslie and Company
at Hebburn
on the River Tyne
. She was laid down on 26 August 1937, launched
on 25 October 1938 and commissioned
on 23 August 1939, just 11 days before commencement of hostilities. She was named after Admiral of the Fleet
Sir John Kelly.
Atheltemplar struck a mine
laid by German destroyers off the Tyne Estuary
. Kelly and the Tribal-class
destroyer HMS Mohawk
were dispatched as escorts for the rescue tug
s Great Emperor, Joffre and Langton. During the operation, Kelly also struck a mine and sustained damage to her hull
. While Mohawk put a party aboard Atheltemplar, and Joffre and Langton took the tanker under tow, Kelly herself was taken in tow by Great Emperor and returned to the Tyne. Reaching the Tyne just before midnight, Kelly was assisted up river by the tugs Robert Redhead and Washington. She was towed to Hawthorn Leslie's yard for repairs, which took just a little over three months, and were completed in early March 1940.
This was the second of Kelly’s misfortunes, having just returned to active service after a month in dry dock following storm damage.
Repairs were completed on 28 February 1940, and Kelly returned to the fray.
Astonishingly she was involved in a collision with HMS Gurkha
just two days later on the 2 March, necessitating a further 8 weeks in dry dock, this time on the Thames. She was released on 27 April, in time to assist with the evacuation of allied forces from Namsos
.
, Kelly was torpedoed amidships by the German E-boat
S 31, under command of Oberleutnant zur See Hermann Opdenhoff
(for which action Oblt.z.S. Opdenhoff was awarded the Knight's Cross
). Severely damaged, she was taken under tow by the tug Great Emperor and for four days she was attacked by E-boats and bombers as she struggled back to port at three knots. The Navy Controller wrote that she survived "not only by the good seamanship of the officers and men but also on account of the excellent workmanship which ensured the watertightness of the other compartments. A single defective rivet might have finished her." She was repaired and returned to service.
On return to Hebburn shipyard she was de-commissioned before undergoing extensive repairs; she was not fit for active service until December 1940. Her bad luck had seen her on active service for less than two weeks over the previous 14 months.
During this period her captain, Louis Mountbatten, as Captain (D), was forced to lead his flotilla from temporary placement in other ships of the flotilla; for a time he led from HMS Javelin
, until she too succumbed to damage.
Kelly re-joined 5th Flotilla after re-commissioning in December 1940; after working-up trials and some service in the Channel, she and 5th Flotilla sailed for the Mediterranean, arriving at Malta
in April 1941.
, Dido
, Jackal
, Jersey
, Kashmir
, Kelvin
and Kipling
at Gibraltar to form Force S, an escort for reinforcements to the Mediterranean Fleet (Operation Salient). She arrived in Malta on the 28th and was deployed with her flotilla to join Force K
for attacks on Axis shipping to North Africa.
On the 8th of May, following the loss of HMS Jersey to a mine and the subsequent clearance of her wreck, the flotilla left Malta and joined Ajax
, Dido, Orion
and Perth
to escort supply convoys to Egypt and Greece (Operation Tiger). On the 10th she led the destroyers to bombard Benghazi
before returning to Malta. On the 21st she was despatched to Crete with the Kashmir and Kipling and began patrols north of the island on the 22nd.
On the 23rd, during the evacuation of Crete
, she was bombed and sunk, with half her crew killed. Kelly did succeed in shooting down one of the attacking Stukas immediately, while another was badly damaged and crashed upon returning to base. The survivors were deeply affected by the loss of their ship; Mountbatten shared their loss and tried to console the ship's company by reminding them all that "we didn't leave the Kelly, the Kelly left us!"
starring Noel Coward
and John Mills
and telling the story of "HMS Torrin", is based on the career of Kelly. The HMS Kelly Association hosts reunions and commemorations. Notable supporters of the association have included HRH Prince Charles and Sir John Mills.
Pennant number
In the modern Royal Navy, and other navies of Europe and the Commonwealth, ships are identified by pennant numbers...
F01) was a K-class
J, K and N class destroyer
The J, K and N class was a class of 24 destroyers of the Royal Navy launched in 1938. They were a return to a smaller vessel, with a heavier torpedo armament, after the Tribal class that emphasised guns over torpedoes. The ships were built in three flotillas or groups, eight each of ships with...
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...
of the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
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...
, and flotilla leader
Flotilla leader
A flotilla leader was a warship suitable for commanding a flotilla of destroyers or other small warships, typically a small cruiser or a large destroyer...
of her class. She served through the early years of the Second World War; in Home Waters, off 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 in the Mediterranean. Throughout her service, Kelly was commanded by Lord Louis Mountbatten
Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma
Admiral of the Fleet Louis Francis Albert Victor Nicholas George Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma, KG, GCB, OM, GCSI, GCIE, GCVO, DSO, PC, FRS , was a British statesman and naval officer, and an uncle of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh...
. She was lost in action in 1941 during the Battle of Crete
Battle of Crete
The Battle of Crete was a battle during World War II on the Greek island of Crete. It began on the morning of 20 May 1941, when Nazi Germany launched an airborne invasion of Crete under the code-name Unternehmen Merkur...
. In addition, Mountbatten served as commander (Captain (D)) of the 5th Destroyer Flotilla.
Kelly was built by Hawthorn Leslie and Company
Hawthorn Leslie and Company
R. & W. Hawthorn Leslie and Company, Limited, usually referred to as Hawthorn Leslie, was a shipbuilding and locomotive manufacturer. The Company was founded on Tyneside in 1886 and ceased building ships in 1982.-History:...
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...
on the River Tyne
River Tyne
The River Tyne is a river in North East England in Great Britain. It is formed by the confluence of two rivers: the North Tyne and the South Tyne. These two rivers converge at Warden Rock near Hexham in Northumberland at a place dubbed 'The Meeting of the Waters'.The North Tyne rises on the...
. She was laid down on 26 August 1937, launched
Ship naming and launching
The ceremonies involved in naming and launching naval ships are based in traditions thousands of years old.-Methods of launch:There are three principal methods of conveying a new ship from building site to water, only two of which are called "launching." The oldest, most familiar, and most widely...
on 25 October 1938 and commissioned
Ship commissioning
Ship commissioning is the act or ceremony of placing a ship in active service, and may be regarded as a particular application of the general concepts and practices of project commissioning. The term is most commonly applied to the placing of a warship in active duty with its country's military...
on 23 August 1939, just 11 days before commencement of hostilities. She was named after Admiral of the Fleet
Admiral of the Fleet
An admiral of the fleet is a military naval officer of the highest rank. In many nations the rank is reserved for wartime or ceremonial appointments...
Sir John Kelly.
Home Waters (1939)
On the afternoon of 14 December 1939, the tankerTanker (ship)
A tanker is a ship designed to transport liquids in bulk. Major types of tankship include the oil tanker, the chemical tanker, and the liquefied natural gas carrier.-Background:...
Atheltemplar struck a mine
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...
laid by German destroyers off the Tyne Estuary
River Tyne
The River Tyne is a river in North East England in Great Britain. It is formed by the confluence of two rivers: the North Tyne and the South Tyne. These two rivers converge at Warden Rock near Hexham in Northumberland at a place dubbed 'The Meeting of the Waters'.The North Tyne rises on the...
. Kelly and the Tribal-class
Tribal class destroyer (1936)
The Tribal class, or Afridi class, were a class of destroyers built for the Royal Navy, Royal Canadian Navy and Royal Australian Navy that saw service in World War II...
destroyer HMS Mohawk
HMS Mohawk (F31)
HMS Mohawk was a Tribal-class destroyer laid down by John I. Thornycroft and Company at Woolston, Hampshire on 16 July 1936, launched on 5 October 1937 and commissioned on 7 September 1938...
were dispatched as escorts for the rescue tug
Tug
Tuğ is a village in the Khojavend Rayon of Azerbaijan....
s Great Emperor, Joffre and Langton. During the operation, Kelly also struck a mine and sustained damage to her 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...
. While Mohawk put a party aboard Atheltemplar, and Joffre and Langton took the tanker under tow, Kelly herself was taken in tow by Great Emperor and returned to the Tyne. Reaching the Tyne just before midnight, Kelly was assisted up river by the tugs Robert Redhead and Washington. She was towed to Hawthorn Leslie's yard for repairs, which took just a little over three months, and were completed in early March 1940.
This was the second of Kelly’s misfortunes, having just returned to active service after a month in dry dock following storm damage.
Repairs were completed on 28 February 1940, and Kelly returned to the fray.
Astonishingly she was involved in a collision with HMS Gurkha
HMS Gurkha (F20)
HMS Gurkha was a Tribal class destroyer that saw active service in the Norway Campaign in 1940, where she was sunk.Gurkha served with the 4th Destroyer Flotilla in the Mediterranean where she was involved in exercises and port visits until the outbreak of war...
just two days later on the 2 March, necessitating a further 8 weeks in dry dock, this time on the Thames. She was released on 27 April, in time to assist with the evacuation of allied forces from Namsos
Namsos
is a town and municipality in Nord-Trøndelag county, Norway. It is part of the Namdalen region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Namsos. Other villages in the municipality include Bangsund, Klinga, Ramsvika, Skomsvoll, and Spillum....
.
Norwegian campaign (1940)
On the night 9 May/10 May 1940, during the Battle of NorwayNorwegian Campaign
The Norwegian Campaign was a military campaign that was fought in Norway during the Second World War between the Allies and Germany, after the latter's invasion of the country. In April 1940, the United Kingdom and France came to Norway's aid with an expeditionary force...
, Kelly was torpedoed amidships by the German E-boat
E-boat
E-boats was the designation for Motor Torpedo Boats of the German Navy during World War II. It is commonly held that the E stood for Enemy....
S 31, under command of Oberleutnant zur See Hermann Opdenhoff
Hermann Opdenhoff
Hermann Opdenhoff was a German Schnellboot commander in World War II and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross.-Awards:*Iron Cross ** 2nd Class...
(for which action Oblt.z.S. Opdenhoff was awarded the Knight's Cross
Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was a grade of the 1939 version of the 1813 created Iron Cross . The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was the highest award of Germany to recognize extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership during World War II...
). Severely damaged, she was taken under tow by the tug Great Emperor and for four days she was attacked by E-boats and bombers as she struggled back to port at three knots. The Navy Controller wrote that she survived "not only by the good seamanship of the officers and men but also on account of the excellent workmanship which ensured the watertightness of the other compartments. A single defective rivet might have finished her." She was repaired and returned to service.
On return to Hebburn shipyard she was de-commissioned before undergoing extensive repairs; she was not fit for active service until December 1940. Her bad luck had seen her on active service for less than two weeks over the previous 14 months.
During this period her captain, Louis Mountbatten, as Captain (D), was forced to lead his flotilla from temporary placement in other ships of the flotilla; for a time he led from HMS Javelin
HMS Javelin (F61)
HMS Javelin was a J-class destroyer of the Royal Navy laid down by John Brown and Company, Limited, at Clydebank in Scotland on 11 October 1937, launched on 21 December 1938, and commissioned on 10 June 1939....
, until she too succumbed to damage.
Kelly re-joined 5th Flotilla after re-commissioning in December 1940; after working-up trials and some service in the Channel, she and 5th Flotilla sailed for the Mediterranean, arriving at Malta
Malta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
in April 1941.
Mediterranean (1941)
In April 1941 she joined HM ships AbdielHMS Abdiel (M39)
HMS Abdiel was an that served with the Royal Navy during World War II. She served with the Mediterranean Fleet , Eastern Fleet , Home Fleet , and the Mediterranean Fleet . Abdiel was sunk by mines in Taranto harbour in 1943...
, Dido
HMS Dido (37)
HMS Dido was the name ship of her class of light cruisers for the Royal Navy. She was built by Cammell Laird Shipyard , with the keel being laid down on 26 October 1937. She was launched on 18 July 1939 and commissioned on 30 September 1940.-Mediterranean:On 18 August 1942 Captain H. W. U...
, Jackal
HMS Jackal (F22)
HMS Jackal was a J-class destroyer of the Royal Navy laid down by John Brown and Company, Limited, at Clydebank in Scotland on 24 September 1937, launched on 25 October 1938 and commissioned on 31 March 1939...
, Jersey
HMS Jersey (F72)
HMS Jersey was a J-class destroyer of the Royal Navy laid down by J. Samuel White and Company at Cowes on the Isle of Wight on 20 September 1937, launched on 26 September 1938 and commissioned on 28 April 1939...
, Kashmir
HMS Kashmir (F12)
HMS Kashmir was a K-class destroyer of the Royal Navy laid down by Thornycroft in Southampton in October 1937, launched on 4 April 1939 and commissioned on 26 October 1939....
, Kelvin
HMS Kelvin (F37)
HMS Kelvin was a K-class destroyer of the Royal Navy laid down by the Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company, Limited, at Govan in Scotland on 5 October 1937, launched on 19 January 1939 and commissioned on 27 November 1939....
and Kipling
HMS Kipling (F91)
HMS Kipling was a K-class destroyer of the Royal Navy laid down by Yarrow, Scotstoun on 20 October 1937, launched on 19 January 1939, by the daughter of the poet Rudyard Kipling, and commissioned on 12 December 1939. On 28 December 1941 Kipling sank the German submarine U-75...
at Gibraltar to form Force S, an escort for reinforcements to the Mediterranean Fleet (Operation Salient). She arrived in Malta on the 28th and was deployed with her flotilla to join Force K
Force K
Force K was the designation for three British Royal Navy task forces during World War II. The first Force K operated from West Africa in 1939. The second and third Force Ks operated from Malta in 1941-1943.-First Force K:...
for attacks on Axis shipping to North Africa.
On the 8th of May, following the loss of HMS Jersey to a mine and the subsequent clearance of her wreck, the flotilla left Malta and joined Ajax
HMS Ajax (22)
HMS Ajax was a Leander class light cruiser which served with the British Royal Navy during World War II. She became famous for her part in the Battle of the River Plate, the Battle of Crete, the Battle of Malta and as a supply escort in the Siege of Tobruk. This ship was the eighth in the Royal...
, Dido, Orion
HMS Orion (85)
HMS Orion was a Leander class light cruiser which served with distinction in the Royal Navy during World War II.She received 13 battle honours, a record only exceeded by one other ship, and matched by two others.-History:...
and Perth
HMAS Perth (D29)
HMAS Perth was a Modified Leander class light cruiser operated by the Royal Australian Navy during World War II. She was constructed for the Royal Navy , and commissioned as HMS Amphion in 1936...
to escort supply convoys to Egypt and Greece (Operation Tiger). On the 10th she led the destroyers to bombard Benghazi
Benghazi
Benghazi is the second largest city in Libya, the main city of the Cyrenaica region , and the former provisional capital of the National Transitional Council. The wider metropolitan area is also a district of Libya...
before returning to Malta. On the 21st she was despatched to Crete with the Kashmir and Kipling and began patrols north of the island on the 22nd.
On the 23rd, during the evacuation of Crete
Battle of Crete
The Battle of Crete was a battle during World War II on the Greek island of Crete. It began on the morning of 20 May 1941, when Nazi Germany launched an airborne invasion of Crete under the code-name Unternehmen Merkur...
, she was bombed and sunk, with half her crew killed. Kelly did succeed in shooting down one of the attacking Stukas immediately, while another was badly damaged and crashed upon returning to base. The survivors were deeply affected by the loss of their ship; Mountbatten shared their loss and tried to console the ship's company by reminding them all that "we didn't leave the Kelly, the Kelly left us!"
Legacy
The 1942 film In Which We ServeIn 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 ....
starring Noel Coward
Noël Coward
Sir Noël Peirce Coward was an English playwright, composer, director, actor and singer, known for his wit, flamboyance, and what Time magazine called "a sense of personal style, a combination of cheek and chic, pose and poise".Born in Teddington, a suburb of London, Coward attended a dance academy...
and John Mills
John Mills
Sir John Mills CBE , born Lewis Ernest Watts Mills, was an English actor who made more than 120 films in a career spanning seven decades.-Life and career:...
and telling the story of "HMS Torrin", is based on the career of Kelly. The HMS Kelly Association hosts reunions and commemorations. Notable supporters of the association have included HRH Prince Charles and Sir John Mills.
External links
- The Man I Never Knew on HMS Kelly - BBC People's WarBBC People's WarBBC WW2 People's War is an archive of World War II memories. It is a people's history, written by the public, and gathered by the BBC and contains 47,000 eyewitness accounts on 144 events....
12 June 2005 - HMS Kelly on naval-history.net