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HMS Punjabi (F21)
Encyclopedia
HMS Punjabi was a Tribal-class
destroyer
of the Royal Navy
that saw service in the Second World War
, being sunk in a collision with the battleship
. She has been the only ship of the Royal Navy to bear the name "Punjabi" which — in common with the other ships of the Tribal-class — was named after an ethnic group of the British Empire
. In this case, these were the Punjabi people
, the inhabitants of the Punjab region
between India
and Pakistan
.
at Greenock
, Scotland
. She was launched on 18 December 1937 and commissioned on 23 March 1939 at a total cost of £343,005, which excluded items supplied by the Admiralty
, such as weapons and communications outfits. Punjabi was commissioned for service in the 2nd Tribal Destroyer Flotilla
in the Home Fleet, which was re-identified at the 6th Destroyer Flotilla in April 1939. While on work-up trials, she was redirected to aid in search and rescue attempts for the submarine
, which had sunk in Liverpool Bay
. She then rejoined the Home Fleet on exercises.
and the North Sea
. In October, she made an unsuccessful attempt to salvage a crashed German flying boat
. On 2 December, she sustained structural damage to her bows when she collided with the merchant vessel
SS Lairdscrest south of Holy Island
. She was under repair at Alexander Stephen and Sons
' shipyard in Govan
from 15 December-late February, when she rejoined the flotilla. She was then based at Scapa Flow
on screening and patrol duties.
In April she made a number of deployments with the Home Fleet to search for German
warships in the North Sea and off the Norwegian coast. On 8 April, she screened the battleships coming to assist the destroyer , which was under attack by the German cruiser
. Glowworm eventually rammed Admiral Hipper, before sinking. Punjabi was then deployed off Narvik
as a screen for operations during the Second Battle of Narvik. On 13 April, she engaged a number of German destroyers, receiving six hits and being disabled for an hour before she could resume service. She was temporarily repaired at Skelfjord before returning to Devonport Dockyard
for more thorough repairs. Her 4.7 in (119.4 mm) mounting in "X" position was replaced with a twin 4 in (101.6 mm) anti-aircraft
mounting.
On returning to active service in June she was based at Plymouth
. On 17 June, she took part in the evacuation of allied military and civil personnel from Saint-Nazaire
. She returned again on 20 June to evacuate Polish troops. On 9 August, she deployed with other Home Fleet destroyers in escorting the capital ships of Force H
from Gibraltar
. In September, Punjabi screened the military convoys for Operation Menace, the attacks on Dakar
on their passage through the North Western Approaches. She also escorted the damaged cruiser back to the UK after she had been torpedoed and damaged off the Hebrides
. The rest of the year was spent on deployments with the Flotilla.
In February 1941, Punjabi returned to Scapa Flow with the Flotilla, before undergoing a refit at Rosyth
in March–April. The work included the fitting of a RAF
ASV type radar outfit modified for shipborne use. At the end of May, she was part of the escort for capital ships of the Home Fleet hunting for the German battleship after the sinking of the battlecruiser
. On 27 July, she and escorted the cruisers and to assess the potential of using Spitsbergen
as a refuelling base for escorts used in the defence of convoys on passage to and from North Russia
.
and the cruiser during an operation to supply the Soviet Union
with Hawker Hurricane
s and RAF personnel. She then resumed normal flotilla duties before beginning a refit in December at Hawthorn Leslie and Company
's yards at Newcastle upon Tyne
. The refit lasted until the end of January 1942 and involved repairing damage to machines and systems due to excess stress when steaming in heavy weather.
In March, she joined other Home Fleet units in providing cover for convoys PQ-12 and the returning QP-8. During these operations, it was believed that the German battleship Tirpitz
had put to sea to intercept the convoys. Punjabi was one of the ships tasked to support the search for her, but Tirpitz had in fact returned to port. Punjabi was detached from the search on 11 March and returned to Scapa Flow after encountering problems with her steering gear. In April, she escorted Convoy PQ-10
back to the UK. On 12 April, she came under attack from U-453, but the attack was unsuccessful. She escorted Convoy PQ-10 to Iceland
and was detached from the convoy on its arrival there on 21 April.
Punjabi was deployed on 26 April as part of the screen providing distant cover for the passage of Convoy PQ-15
. They sailed from Hvalfjörður
on 29 April. On 1 May, she was rammed and sunk in a collision with in foggy conditions. Punjabi was sliced in two by the battleship's bow. 169 of the ship’s company were rescued from the forward section, and another 40 were picked up from the sea by other escorts, including . Those crew left in the aft section — which sank very quickly — were killed when her depth charge
s were detonated. 49 of her crew lost their lives in the accident. She sank directly in the path of the American
battleship , which had to sail between the halves of the sinking destroyer. Washington suffered slight damage from the detonation of the depth charges. King George V had sustained serious damage to her bow
and was forced to return to port for repairs.
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
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 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...
that saw service in the Second World 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...
, being sunk in a collision with 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...
. She has been the only ship of the Royal Navy to bear the name "Punjabi" which — in common with the other ships of the Tribal-class — was named after an ethnic group of the British Empire
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
. In this case, these were the Punjabi people
Punjabi people
The Punjabi people , ਪੰਜਾਬੀ ), also Panjabi people, are an Indo-Aryan group from South Asia. They are the second largest of the many ethnic groups in South Asia. They originate in the Punjab region, which has been been the location of some of the oldest civilizations in the world including, the...
, the inhabitants of the Punjab region
Punjab region
The Punjab , also spelled Panjab |water]]s"), is a geographical region straddling the border between Pakistan and India which includes Punjab province in Pakistan and the states of the Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh and some northern parts of the National Capital Territory of Delhi...
between 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...
and Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
.
Construction and commissioning
She was ordered under the 1935 Naval Estimates, on 19 June 1936 from ScottsScotts Shipbuilding and Engineering Company
Scotts Shipbuilding and Engineering Company Limited, often referred to simply as Scotts, was a Scottish shipbuilding company based in Greenock on the River Clyde.- History :...
at 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...
, 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...
. She was launched on 18 December 1937 and commissioned on 23 March 1939 at a total cost of £343,005, which excluded items supplied 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...
, such as weapons and communications outfits. Punjabi was commissioned for service in the 2nd Tribal Destroyer Flotilla
Flotilla
A flotilla , or naval flotilla, is a formation of small warships that may be part of a larger fleet. A flotilla is usually composed of a homogeneous group of the same class of warship, such as frigates, destroyers, torpedo boats, submarines, gunboats, or minesweepers...
in the Home Fleet, which was re-identified at the 6th Destroyer Flotilla in April 1939. While on work-up trials, she was redirected to aid in search and rescue attempts for the 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...
, which had sunk in Liverpool Bay
Liverpool Bay
Liverpool Bay is a bay of the Irish Sea between northeast Wales, Cheshire, Lancashire and Merseyside to the east of the Irish Sea. The bay is a classic example of a region of freshwater influence...
. She then rejoined the Home Fleet on exercises.
Home waters
On the outbreak of war in September, Punjabi deployed with the Flotilla for Home Fleet duties including anti-submarine patrols and convoy defence in the North Western ApproachesWestern 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...
and the North Sea
North Sea
In the southwest, beyond the Straits of Dover, the North Sea becomes the English Channel connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, it connects to the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat, narrow straits that separate Denmark from Norway and Sweden respectively...
. In October, she made an unsuccessful attempt to salvage a crashed German flying boat
Flying boat
A flying boat is a fixed-winged seaplane with a hull, allowing it to land on water. It differs from a float plane as it uses a purpose-designed fuselage which can float, granting the aircraft buoyancy. Flying boats may be stabilized by under-wing floats or by wing-like projections from the fuselage...
. On 2 December, she sustained structural damage to her bows when she collided with the merchant vessel
Merchant vessel
A merchant vessel is a ship that transports cargo or passengers. The closely related term commercial vessel is defined by the United States Coast Guard as any vessel engaged in commercial trade or that carries passengers for hire...
SS Lairdscrest south of Holy Island
Holy Isle, Firth of Clyde
The Holy Isle, Firth of Clyde is one of a number of islands in the United Kingdom which go under the name "Holy Island". It is located in the Firth of Clyde off the west coast of central Scotland, inside Lamlash Bay on the larger island of Arran.- Details :The island is around long and around ...
. She was under repair at Alexander Stephen and Sons
Alexander Stephen and Sons
Alexander Stephen and Sons Limited, often referred to simply as Alex Stephens or just Stephens, was a Scottish shipbuilding company based in Linthouse, Govan in Glasgow, on the River Clyde.-History:...
' shipyard in Govan
Govan
Govan is a district and former burgh now part of southwest City of Glasgow, Scotland. It is situated west of Glasgow city centre, on the south bank of the River Clyde, opposite the mouth of the River Kelvin and the district of Partick....
from 15 December-late February, when she rejoined the flotilla. She was then based at Scapa Flow
Scapa Flow
right|thumb|Scapa Flow viewed from its eastern endScapa Flow is a body of water in the Orkney Islands, Scotland, United Kingdom, sheltered by the islands of Mainland, Graemsay, Burray, South Ronaldsay and Hoy. It is about...
on screening and patrol duties.
In April she made a number of deployments with the Home Fleet to search for German
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...
warships in the North Sea and off the Norwegian coast. On 8 April, she screened the battleships coming to assist the destroyer , which was under attack by the German cruiser
Cruiser
A cruiser is a type of warship. The term has been in use for several hundreds of years, and has had different meanings throughout this period...
. Glowworm eventually rammed Admiral Hipper, before sinking. Punjabi was then deployed off 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...
as a screen for operations during the Second Battle of Narvik. On 13 April, she engaged a number of German destroyers, receiving six hits and being disabled for an hour before she could resume service. She was temporarily repaired at Skelfjord before returning to Devonport Dockyard
HMNB Devonport
Her Majesty's Naval Base Devonport , is one of three operating bases in the United Kingdom for the Royal Navy . HMNB Devonport is located in Devonport, in the west of the city of Plymouth in Devon, England...
for more thorough repairs. Her 4.7 in (119.4 mm) mounting in "X" position was replaced with a twin 4 in (101.6 mm) anti-aircraft
Anti-aircraft warfare
NATO defines air defence as "all measures designed to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of hostile air action." They include ground and air based weapon systems, associated sensor systems, command and control arrangements and passive measures. It may be to protect naval, ground and air forces...
mounting.
On returning to active service in June she was based at Plymouth
Plymouth
Plymouth is a city and unitary authority area on the coast of Devon, England, about south-west of London. It is built between the mouths of the rivers Plym to the east and Tamar to the west, where they join Plymouth Sound...
. On 17 June, she took part in the evacuation of allied military and civil personnel from Saint-Nazaire
Saint-Nazaire
Saint-Nazaire , is a commune in the Loire-Atlantique department in western France.The town has a major harbour, on the right bank of the Loire River estuary, near the Atlantic Ocean. The town is at the south of the second-largest swamp in France, called "la Brière"...
. She returned again on 20 June to evacuate Polish troops. On 9 August, she deployed with other Home Fleet destroyers in escorting the capital ships of Force H
Force H
Force H was a British naval formation during the Second World War. It was formed in 1940 to replace French naval power in the western Mediterranean that had been removed by the French armistice with Nazi Germany....
from 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...
. In September, Punjabi screened the military convoys for Operation Menace, the attacks on Dakar
Battle of Dakar
The Battle of Dakar, also known as Operation Menace, was an unsuccessful attempt in September 1940 by the Allies to capture the strategic port of Dakar in French West Africa , which was under Vichy French control, and to install the Free French under General Charles de Gaulle there.-Background:At...
on their passage through the North Western Approaches. She also escorted the damaged cruiser back to the UK after she had been torpedoed and damaged off the Hebrides
Hebrides
The Hebrides comprise a widespread and diverse archipelago off the west coast of Scotland. There are two main groups: the Inner and Outer Hebrides. These islands have a long history of occupation dating back to the Mesolithic and the culture of the residents has been affected by the successive...
. The rest of the year was spent on deployments with the Flotilla.
In February 1941, Punjabi returned to Scapa Flow with the Flotilla, before undergoing a refit at 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....
in March–April. The work included the fitting of a RAF
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
ASV type radar outfit modified for shipborne use. At the end of May, she was part of the escort for capital ships of the Home Fleet hunting for the German battleship after the sinking 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...
. On 27 July, she and escorted the cruisers and to assess the potential of using Spitsbergen
Spitsbergen
Spitsbergen is the largest and only permanently populated island of the Svalbard archipelago in Norway. Constituting the western-most bulk of the archipelago, it borders the Arctic Ocean, the Norwegian Sea and the Greenland Sea...
as a refuelling base for escorts used in the defence of convoys on passage to and from North Russia
Arctic convoys of World War II
The Arctic convoys of World War II travelled from the United Kingdom and North America to the northern ports of the Soviet Union—Arkhangelsk and Murmansk. There were 78 convoys between August 1941 and May 1945...
.
Arctic Ocean
On 1 August, Punjabi and Tartar evacuated Norwegian nationals from Bear Island and carried out an offensive sweep off the Norwegian coast before returning to Scapa Flow. On 30 August, Punjabi, and escorted the aircraft carrierAircraft carrier
An aircraft carrier is a warship designed with a primary mission of deploying and recovering aircraft, acting as a seagoing airbase. Aircraft carriers thus allow a naval force to project air power worldwide without having to depend on local bases for staging aircraft operations...
and the cruiser during an operation to supply 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....
with Hawker Hurricane
Hawker Hurricane
The Hawker Hurricane is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was designed and predominantly built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd for the Royal Air Force...
s and RAF personnel. She then resumed normal flotilla duties before beginning a refit in December at 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:...
's yards at Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne is a city and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. Historically a part of Northumberland, it is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne...
. The refit lasted until the end of January 1942 and involved repairing damage to machines and systems due to excess stress when steaming in heavy weather.
In March, she joined other Home Fleet units in providing cover for convoys PQ-12 and the returning QP-8. During these operations, it was believed that the German battleship Tirpitz
German battleship Tirpitz
Tirpitz was the second of two s built for the German Kriegsmarine during World War II. Named after Grand Admiral Alfred von Tirpitz, the architect of the Imperial Navy, the ship was laid down at the Kriegsmarinewerft in Wilhelmshaven in November 1936 and launched two and a half years later in April...
had put to sea to intercept the convoys. Punjabi was one of the ships tasked to support the search for her, but Tirpitz had in fact returned to port. Punjabi was detached from the search on 11 March and returned to Scapa Flow after encountering problems with her steering gear. In April, she escorted Convoy PQ-10
Convoy PQ 9/10
Convoys PQ 9 and 10 were Arctic convoys sent from Great Britain by the Western Allies to aid the Soviet Union during World War II. They sailed together in early February 1942 and arrived in Murmansk without loss.-Ships:...
back to the UK. On 12 April, she came under attack from U-453, but the attack was unsuccessful. She escorted Convoy PQ-10 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...
and was detached from the convoy on its arrival there on 21 April.
Sinking
Convoy PQ 15
Convoy PQ 15 was an Arctic convoy sent from Iceland by the Western Allies to aid the Soviet Union during World War II. It sailed in late April 1942, reaching the Soviet northern ports after air attacks that sank three ships...
. They sailed from Hvalfjörður
Hvalfjörður
Hvalfjörður is situated in the west of Iceland between Mosfellsbær and Akranes. The fjord is approximately 30 km long and 5 km wide....
on 29 April. On 1 May, she was rammed and sunk in a collision with in foggy conditions. Punjabi was sliced in two by the battleship's bow. 169 of the ship’s company were rescued from the forward section, and another 40 were picked up from the sea by other escorts, including . Those crew left in the aft section — which sank very quickly — were killed when her depth charge
Depth charge
A depth charge is an anti-submarine warfare weapon intended to destroy or cripple a target submarine by the shock of exploding near it. Most use explosives and a fuze set to go off at a preselected depth in the ocean. Depth charges can be dropped by either surface ships, patrol aircraft, or from...
s were detonated. 49 of her crew lost their lives in the accident. She sank directly in the path of the American
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
battleship , which had to sail between the halves of the sinking destroyer. Washington suffered slight damage from the detonation of the depth charges. King George V had sustained serious damage to her bow
Bow (ship)
The bow is a nautical term that refers to the forward part of the hull of a ship or boat, the point that is most forward when the vessel is underway. Both of the adjectives fore and forward mean towards the bow...
and was forced to return to port for repairs.