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HMS Malcolm (D19)
Encyclopedia
HMS Malcolm was one of eight Admiralty-type destroyer leaders (known as Scott-
class
destroyer
s) built for the Royal Navy
during World War I
. She was the first of only two Royal Navy ships to carry the name Malcolm, although HMS Valkyrie
was originally planned to bear the name. She was one of two Admiralty-type leaders to miss the First World War (the other being HMS Mackay) but saw service in, and survived, the Second War
. Her pennant number
was changed from D19 to I19 in May 1940. She was broken up in 1945.
(HMS Scott
) was ordered in what would unofficially become known as the Scott class. Two more were ordered in December of that year, and in April 1917, Malcolm and four others were ordered. Cammell Laird
built most of the class, including Malcolm.
Although two more were ordered in 1918, they were both cancelled and Malcolm became the last of the class to be completed. By the time she was launched, on 29 May 1919, the war she was built for was over and one of her class, Scott, has been sunk.
In the early 1920s, she served as part of the 5th Destroyer Flotilla, and was later put into reserve as the flotilla leader of the reserve fleet.
and Southwest Approaches
. She stayed in this role until May 1940, when she was transferred to Dover Command to assist with the evacuation of the Netherlands
.
On 15 May 1940 she was deployed as part of Operation Ordnance off the Hook in south Holland. From 26 May to 4 June she assisted in the evacuation of Dunkirk, making eight runs between Dunkirk and England
. The ships then commander, Sir Thomas Halsey
, was appointed a Companion of the Distinguished Service Order
on 7 June 1940 "for good services in the withdrawal of the Allied Armies from the beaches at Dunkirk".
In July, Malcolm was re-assigned to anti-invasion patrol with HMS Cardiff. On 14 August 1940, HMS Malcolm and HMS Verity
were attacked by six Kriegsmarine
trawlers
and three E-boats. One E-boat and one trawler were sunk in the engagement. On 10 September 1940, she attacked invasion barges in Ostend
with HMS Wild Swan
and HMS Veteran
. A few days later, that same trio bombarded Boulogne
in a sweep along the French coast. At the end of the year she was deployed to the Western Approaches Escort Force for Atlantic convoy defence.
In this role Malcolm was engaged in all the duties performed by escort ships; protecting convoys, searching for and attacking U-boats which attacked ships in convoy, and rescuing survivors. In twelve months service Malcolm escorted 29 Atlantic and 3 Gibraltar convoys, of which 10 were attacked, and she was involved in two major convoy battles.
In February 1941 Malcolm joined the newly formed 8th Escort Group as senior ship, her captain, Cdr C D Howard–Johnston, being Senior Officer Escort (SOE). On 10 May, Malcolm rescued the eleven survivors from , which had been torpedo
ed and sunk by . They were later landed at Reykjavík
.
In May convoy HX 126 came under attack, losing 6 ships; Malcolm and 8 EG were sent as reinforcement, repelling all further attacks and preventing further losses. During the action U-74 was badly damaged and forced to return to base.
In June 1941 Malcolm and her group were assigned to HX 133, which had lost 5 ships in one night; over the next four days the group fought off further attacks, and on 29 June 1941, Malcolm helped to sink the German U-boat U-651.
45 of her crew were later rescued and interrogated by the Admiralty
.
On 3 February 1942, she collided with the Town class destroyer
HMS Burnham
. Neither ship was badly damaged and both continued in their convoy defence rôles.
On 11 August 1942, she was transferred to Gibraltar
and assigned to escort HM Aircraft Carrier Furious
from Malta
after delivering Spitfires
to the besieged island. Whilst escorting the carrier, on 12 August, she came under attack by the Italian Submarine Dagabur. The submarine was later rammed and destroyed by HMS Wolverine
. Her next escort duty was the Russian
convoy PQ18 to Iceland
, after which she was returned to escort duty in the Atlantic. But she was soon recalled to the Mediterranean
in preparation for the invasion of North Africa
.
In November 1942 HMS Malcolm and HMS Broke
were part of Operation Terminal
: an amphibious assault
on the port of Algiers
.
It was hoped, and expected by some of the operation's planners, that the Vichy French
would choose not to fire on the approaching British ships, but they were proved wrong when the shore batteries opened up on both ships.
Malcolm tried to break through the boom but was hit and severely damaged by a shell fired from the shore. Ten of her crew were dead, many more were injured and three of her four boilers were extinguished, cutting her speed to 4 knots. She was forced to retreat and played no further part in the operation.
Although the operation did not go very well, the main objective, to take Algiers Harbour before it could be destroyed, was achieved.
By early 1943 Malcolm was repaired and was soon back in her traditional convoy escorting rôle, this time escorting convoys in the South Atlantic from Freetown
to Gibraltar.
In 1944, she returned to the UK for coastal defence duties and although was in home waters in June 1944, she was not involved in the Normandy Landings. She remained in a coastal defence rôle until Victory in Europe Day
in May 1945. She was decommissioned and broken up in the months following the end of the war.
KJ 002, FS 238, OB 236, HX 082, OB 239, OB 245, HX 85/1, OG 50, HG 50, OB 283, HX 106, OB 289, HX 109, OG 58, OB 311, HX 121, SC 29, HX 124, HX 126, HX 128, OB 338, HX 133, OB 344, ON 1, HX 140, ON 6, HX 143, ON 11, SC 41, ON 16, HX 149, ON 23, HX 153, ON 30, SC 51, PQ 18, KX 4A, KMF 1, TS 40F, SR 5/1, CG 37, KMF 24, MKF 24, RS 10, SR 6/1, RS 11, SR 7/1, RS 12, SR 8, SR 9, RS 14, SR 10, RS 15, SR 12, RS 16, SR 13, RS 17, STL 23, STL 26, LTS 27 and MKF 41.
HMS Scott (1917)
HMS Scott was the first of a new destroyer leader class built to be flotilla leaders for the V- and W-class destroyers. She was ordered during the First World War in 1916, and the class would unofficially be named after her...
class
Ship class
A ship class is a group of ships of a similar design. This is distinct from a ship-type, which might reflect a similarity of tonnage or intended use. For example, the is a nuclear aircraft carrier of the Nimitz class....
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...
s) built for 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...
during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. She was the first of only two Royal Navy ships to carry the name Malcolm, although HMS Valkyrie
HMS Valkyrie (1917)
HMS Valkyrie was a First World War V class flotilla leader of the Royal Navy. She was originally to be called HMS Malcolm but was re-named before being completed. The name Malcolm was later assigned to another destroyer leader...
was originally planned to bear the name. She was one of two Admiralty-type leaders to miss the First World War (the other being HMS Mackay) but saw service in, and survived, the Second War
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...
. 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 D19 to I19 in May 1940. She was broken up in 1945.
Construction
In April 1916, an Admiralty type destroyer prototypePrototype
A prototype is an early sample or model built to test a concept or process or to act as a thing to be replicated or learned from.The word prototype derives from the Greek πρωτότυπον , "primitive form", neutral of πρωτότυπος , "original, primitive", from πρῶτος , "first" and τύπος ,...
(HMS Scott
HMS Scott (1917)
HMS Scott was the first of a new destroyer leader class built to be flotilla leaders for the V- and W-class destroyers. She was ordered during the First World War in 1916, and the class would unofficially be named after her...
) was ordered in what would unofficially become known as the Scott class. Two more were ordered in December of that year, and in April 1917, Malcolm and four others were ordered. Cammell Laird
Cammell Laird
Cammell Laird, one of the most famous names in British shipbuilding during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, came about following the merger of Laird, Son & Co. of Birkenhead and Johnson Cammell & Co. of Sheffield at the turn of the twentieth century.- Founding of the business :The Company...
built most of the class, including Malcolm.
Although two more were ordered in 1918, they were both cancelled and Malcolm became the last of the class to be completed. By the time she was launched, on 29 May 1919, the war she was built for was over and one of her class, Scott, has been sunk.
In the early 1920s, she served as part of the 5th Destroyer Flotilla, and was later put into reserve as the flotilla leader of the reserve fleet.
Second World War
In September 1939, Malcolm was deployed as leader of the 16th Destroyer Flotilla, based at Portsmouth and on antisubmarine patrol of the English ChannelEnglish Channel
The English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...
and Southwest Approaches
Southwest Approaches
The Southwest Approaches is the name given to the offshore waters to the southwest of Great Britain. The area includes the Celtic Sea, the Bristol Channel and sea areas off southwest Ireland...
. She stayed in this role until May 1940, when she was transferred to Dover Command to assist with the evacuation of the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
.
On 15 May 1940 she was deployed as part of Operation Ordnance off the Hook in south Holland. From 26 May to 4 June she assisted in the evacuation of Dunkirk, making eight runs between Dunkirk and England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. The ships then commander, Sir Thomas Halsey
Sir Thomas Halsey, 3rd Baronet
Sir Thomas Edgar Halsey, 3rd Baronet DSO was an English cricketer, naval officer , and Deputy Lieutenant of Hertfordshire....
, was appointed a Companion of the Distinguished Service Order
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
on 7 June 1940 "for good services in the withdrawal of the Allied Armies from the beaches at Dunkirk".
In July, Malcolm was re-assigned to anti-invasion patrol with HMS Cardiff. On 14 August 1940, HMS Malcolm and HMS Verity
HMS Verity (D63)
HMS Verity was an Admiralty modified W class destroyer of the Royal Navy which saw service in, and survived, World War Two. Her pennant number was originally D63 but was changed to I63 in May 1940.-Convoy Defence:...
were attacked by six Kriegsmarine
Kriegsmarine
The Kriegsmarine was the name of the German Navy during the Nazi regime . It superseded the Kaiserliche Marine of World War I and the post-war Reichsmarine. The Kriegsmarine was one of three official branches of the Wehrmacht, the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany.The Kriegsmarine grew rapidly...
trawlers
Naval trawler
A naval trawler is a vessel built along the lines of a fishing trawler but fitted out for naval purposes. Naval trawlers were widely used during the First and Second world wars. Fishing trawlers were particularly suited for many naval requirements because they were robust boats designed to work...
and three E-boats. One E-boat and one trawler were sunk in the engagement. On 10 September 1940, she attacked invasion barges in Ostend
Ostend
Ostend is a Belgian city and municipality located in the Flemish province of West Flanders. It comprises the boroughs of Mariakerke , Stene and Zandvoorde, and the city of Ostend proper – the largest on the Belgian coast....
with HMS Wild Swan
HMS Wild Swan (D62)
HMS Wild Swan was member of the V and W class of destroyers, of the "Admiralty modified W" type. Wild Swan, like most of the rest of class was launched too late for World War I....
and HMS Veteran
HMS Veteran (D72)
HMS Veteran was a V class destroyer of the Royal Navy. She was the third ship to carry the name Veteran. She was launched in 1919 and therefore missed the First World War. She served as a convoy escort in the Second World War before being sunk by the German U-boat U-404 while rescuing survivors...
. A few days later, that same trio bombarded Boulogne
Boulogne-sur-Mer
-Road:* Metropolitan bus services are operated by the TCRB* Coach services to Calais and Dunkerque* A16 motorway-Rail:* The main railway station is Gare de Boulogne-Ville and located in the south of the city....
in a sweep along the French coast. At the end of the year she was deployed to the Western Approaches Escort Force for Atlantic convoy defence.
In February 1941 Malcolm joined the newly formed 8th Escort Group as senior ship, her captain, Cdr C D Howard–Johnston, being Senior Officer Escort (SOE). On 10 May, Malcolm rescued the eleven survivors from , which had been torpedo
Torpedo
The modern torpedo is a self-propelled missile weapon with an explosive warhead, launched above or below the water surface, propelled underwater towards a target, and designed to detonate either on contact with it or in proximity to it.The term torpedo was originally employed for...
ed and sunk by . They were later landed at Reykjavík
Reykjavík
Reykjavík is the capital and largest city in Iceland.Its latitude at 64°08' N makes it the world's northernmost capital of a sovereign state. It is located in southwestern Iceland, on the southern shore of Faxaflói Bay...
.
In May convoy HX 126 came under attack, losing 6 ships; Malcolm and 8 EG were sent as reinforcement, repelling all further attacks and preventing further losses. During the action U-74 was badly damaged and forced to return to base.
In June 1941 Malcolm and her group were assigned to HX 133, which had lost 5 ships in one night; over the next four days the group fought off further attacks, and on 29 June 1941, Malcolm helped to sink the German U-boat U-651.
45 of her crew were later rescued and interrogated by the 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...
.
Town class destroyer
The Town class destroyers were warships transferred from the United States Navy to the Royal Navy and the Royal Canadian Navy in exchange for military bases in the Bahamas and elsewhere, as outlined in the Destroyers for Bases Agreement between Britain and United States, signed on 2 September 1940...
HMS Burnham
USS Aulick (DD-258)
The second USS Aulick was a Clemson-class destroyer in the United States Navy and transferred to the Royal Navy where she served as HMS Burnham during World War II.-History:...
. Neither ship was badly damaged and both continued in their convoy defence rôles.
On 11 August 1942, she was transferred to Gibraltar
Gibraltar
Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. A peninsula with an area of , it has a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region...
and assigned to escort HM Aircraft Carrier Furious
HMS Furious (47)
HMS Furious was a modified cruiser built for the Royal Navy during the First World War. Designed to support the Baltic Project championed by the First Sea Lord of the Admiralty, Lord John Fisher, they were very lightly armoured and armed with only a few heavy guns. Furious was modified while...
from 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...
after delivering Spitfires
Supermarine Spitfire
The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force and many other Allied countries throughout the Second World War. The Spitfire continued to be used as a front line fighter and in secondary roles into the 1950s...
to the besieged island. Whilst escorting the carrier, on 12 August, she came under attack by the Italian Submarine Dagabur. The submarine was later rammed and destroyed by HMS Wolverine
HMS Wolverine (D78)
HMS Wolverine was a Royal Navy destroyer, which saw service during the Second World War. She was the seventh ship to bear that name.-Construction:...
. Her next escort duty was the Russian
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....
convoy PQ18 to 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...
, after which she was returned to escort duty in the Atlantic. But she was soon recalled to the Mediterranean
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...
in preparation for the invasion of North Africa
North Africa
North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, linked by the Sahara to Sub-Saharan Africa. Geopolitically, the United Nations definition of Northern Africa includes eight countries or territories; Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, South Sudan, Sudan, Tunisia, and...
.
In November 1942 HMS Malcolm and HMS Broke
HMS Broke (D83)
HMS Broke was a Thornycroft type flotilla leader of the Royal Navy. She was the second of four ships of this class that were ordered from J I Thornycroft in April 1918, and was originally named Rooke after Rear Admiral Sir George Rooke of the Dutch Wars and the Battle of Vigo Bay.-Construction:She...
were part of Operation Terminal
Operation Terminal
Operation Terminal was an Allied operation during World War II. Part of Operation Torch it involved a direct landing of infantry into the Vichy French port of Algiers with the intention of capturing the port facilities before they could be destroyed.-Background:The attacking forces were two Royal...
: an amphibious assault
Amphibious warfare
Amphibious warfare is the use of naval firepower, logistics and strategy to project military power ashore. In previous eras it stood as the primary method of delivering troops to non-contiguous enemy-held terrain...
on the port of Algiers
Algiers
' is the capital and largest city of Algeria. According to the 1998 census, the population of the city proper was 1,519,570 and that of the urban agglomeration was 2,135,630. In 2009, the population was about 3,500,000...
.
It was hoped, and expected by some of the operation's planners, that the Vichy French
Vichy France
Vichy France, Vichy Regime, or Vichy Government, are common terms used to describe the government of France that collaborated with the Axis powers from July 1940 to August 1944. This government succeeded the Third Republic and preceded the Provisional Government of the French Republic...
would choose not to fire on the approaching British ships, but they were proved wrong when the shore batteries opened up on both ships.
Malcolm tried to break through the boom but was hit and severely damaged by a shell fired from the shore. Ten of her crew were dead, many more were injured and three of her four boilers were extinguished, cutting her speed to 4 knots. She was forced to retreat and played no further part in the operation.
Although the operation did not go very well, the main objective, to take Algiers Harbour before it could be destroyed, was achieved.
By early 1943 Malcolm was repaired and was soon back in her traditional convoy escorting rôle, this time escorting convoys in the South Atlantic from Freetown
Freetown
Freetown is the capital and largest city of Sierra Leone, a country in West Africa. It is a major port city on the Atlantic Ocean located in the Western Area of the country, and had a city proper population of 772,873 at the 2004 census. The city is the economic, financial, and cultural center of...
to Gibraltar.
In 1944, she returned to the UK for coastal defence duties and although was in home waters in June 1944, she was not involved in the Normandy Landings. She remained in a coastal defence rôle until Victory in Europe Day
Victory in Europe Day
Victory in Europe Day commemorates 8 May 1945 , the date when the World War II Allies formally accepted the unconditional surrender of the armed forces of Nazi Germany and the end of Adolf Hitler's Third Reich. The formal surrender of the occupying German forces in the Channel Islands was not...
in May 1945. She was decommissioned and broken up in the months following the end of the war.
Convoys escorted
HMS Malcolm escorted the following convoys during the war.KJ 002, FS 238, OB 236, HX 082, OB 239, OB 245, HX 85/1, OG 50, HG 50, OB 283, HX 106, OB 289, HX 109, OG 58, OB 311, HX 121, SC 29, HX 124, HX 126, HX 128, OB 338, HX 133, OB 344, ON 1, HX 140, ON 6, HX 143, ON 11, SC 41, ON 16, HX 149, ON 23, HX 153, ON 30, SC 51, PQ 18, KX 4A, KMF 1, TS 40F, SR 5/1, CG 37, KMF 24, MKF 24, RS 10, SR 6/1, RS 11, SR 7/1, RS 12, SR 8, SR 9, RS 14, SR 10, RS 15, SR 12, RS 16, SR 13, RS 17, STL 23, STL 26, LTS 27 and MKF 41.
Commanding officers
The commanding officers of HMS Malcolm during World War II are as follows:| Commander | From | To |
|---|---|---|
| Capt. Thomas Edgar Halsey Sir Thomas Halsey, 3rd Baronet Sir Thomas Edgar Halsey, 3rd Baronet DSO was an English cricketer, naval officer , and Deputy Lieutenant of Hertfordshire.... , (DSO Distinguished Service Order The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September... from 7 June 1940) |
31 Jul 1939 | 25 Jun 1940 |
| Capt. Augustus Willington Shelton Agar Augustus Agar Captain Augustus Willington Shelton Agar, VC, DSO, RN was a noted Royal Navy officer in both World War I and World War II and a recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.In... , VC Victoria Cross The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories.... , DSO Distinguished Service Order The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September... |
25 Jun 1940 | 12 Aug 1940 |
| Capt. Thomas Edgar Halsey Sir Thomas Halsey, 3rd Baronet Sir Thomas Edgar Halsey, 3rd Baronet DSO was an English cricketer, naval officer , and Deputy Lieutenant of Hertfordshire.... , DSO Distinguished Service Order The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September... |
12 Aug 1940 | 22 Oct 1940 |
| Lt.Cdr. Christie | 22 Oct 1940 | 28 Dec 1940 |
| Cdr. Clarence Dinsmore Howard-Johnston, DSC Distinguished Service Cross (United Kingdom) The Distinguished Service Cross is the third level military decoration awarded to officers, and other ranks, of the British Armed Forces, Royal Fleet Auxiliary and British Merchant Navy and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries.The DSC, which may be awarded posthumously, is... (DSO Distinguished Service Order The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September... from 2 January 1942) |
28 Dec 1940 | Unknown |
| A/Cdr. Archibald Boyd Russell | 6 May 1942 | 21 Dec 1942 |
| Cdr. John Marston Money | 21 Dec 1942 | May 1943 |
| Lt. Ian Mosley Clegg | May 1943 | 09 Oct 1943 |
| Cdr. Hugh Lloyd-Williams (Royal Naval Reserve Royal Naval Reserve The Royal Naval Reserve is the volunteer reserve force of the Royal Navy in the United Kingdom. The present Royal Naval Reserve was formed in 1958 by merging the original Royal Naval Reserve and the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve , a reserve of civilian volunteers founded in 1903... ) |
7 Dec 1943 | Jul 1945 |