HMS Thanet (H29)
Encyclopedia
HMS Thanet was an S-class
destroyer
of the Royal Navy
. Built during, and commissioned shortly after the First World War, she went on to see service in the Second World War, being sunk early in 1942.
Thanet had been one of the ships on the China Station
on the outbreak of war. After briefly being converted to a minelayer she spent the early years of the war patrolling off Hong Kong
. With the Japanese entry to the war Thanet evacuated Hong Kong with another destroyer, just hours after the Japanese began their attack on the city. She made her way to Singapore
and briefly deployed there until being sent to intercept an enemy troop convoy, in company with the Australian destroyer . The allied ships ran into a heavy Japanese force, and after a short battle
Thanet was sunk and Vampire was forced to withdraw.
in July 1917, part of the 1917-18 Programme. She was laid down there on 13 December 1917 and launched on 5 November 1918, six days before the Armistice with Germany
. She was commissioned on 3 August 1919, and was initially used to trial a 'flying off platform' for aircraft.
, deployed with the Local Destroyer Flotilla at Hong Kong
on the outbreak of the Second World War on 3 September 1939. Her initial duties involved carrying out patrols and intercepting German shipping, and in October she was nominated to be converted for use as a minelayer
. Work began at the naval dockyard in Hong Kong on 18 October, and she was able to participate in the laying of a defensive minefield in Lantau Channel
between 21 and 27 October, the following day reverting back to her anti-submarine role.
The rest of the year and all of 1940 was spent carrying out similar duties, deploying out of Hong Kong to protect trade and patrol in search of enemy vessels. The threat of the Japanese entry to the war
in December 1941 led to negotiations on 6 December between the British commander in the area, Admiral Tom Phillips, and his American counterpart Admiral Thomas C. Hart
. Hart agreed to send four destroyers to Singapore, , , and , while Phillips would move Thanet and her sister-ship to Singapore.
Events were overtaken by the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor
the following day, and the Japanese assault on Hong Kong
which began on 8 December. Thanet and Scout hurriedly evacuated the port on 8 December, just hours after the attack began, and made their way to Singapore
to join the Eastern Fleet. A small force consisting of the destroyer , the gunboat
and eight motor torpedo boats remained behind to fight the Japanese. On their arrival at Singapore on 13 December, Thanet and Scout carried out various escort duties.
received intelligence that a Japanese troop convoy was approaching Endau
, and attempted to attack it with nine Lockheed Hudson
s of No. 1
and No. 8 Squadrons
, and 12 Vickers Vildebeest
s. The attack went badly, losing five Vildebeests, and being unable to inflict significant damage. The Japanese commander, Vice-Admiral Jisaburō Ozawa
had received intelligence reports that two cruisers were at Singapore, and so concentrated his forces off Endau. The two cruisers were in fact Thanet, and the destroyer , and following the failure of the air attacks, Malaya Command ordered them to sea to intercept the convoy. They steamed from Singapore at 4.30pm on 26 January, carrying only three torpedo
es each. Early in the morning of 27 January they ran into the covering force of Japanese warships, consisting of three destroyers, and later being joined by the Japanese cruiser Sendai
. Thanet was hit in the engine room and disabled, and began to sink. Vampire attempted to lay down a smokescreen but was driven off under heavy fire, and managed to escape. Thanet sank with heavy loss of life shortly afterwards.
S class destroyer (1916)
The S class were a class of 67 destroyers built from 1917 for the Royal Navy. The design was based on the Admiralty modified R class and all ships had names beginning with S or T....
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...
. Built during, and commissioned shortly after the First World War, she went on to see service in the Second World War, being sunk early in 1942.
Thanet had been one of the ships on the China Station
China Station
The China Station was a historical formation of the British Royal Navy. It was formally the units and establishments responsible to the Commander-in-Chief, China....
on the outbreak of war. After briefly being converted to a minelayer she spent the early years of the war patrolling off Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
. With the Japanese entry to the war Thanet evacuated Hong Kong with another destroyer, just hours after the Japanese began their attack on the city. She made her way to 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...
and briefly deployed there until being sent to intercept an enemy troop convoy, in company with the Australian destroyer . The allied ships ran into a heavy Japanese force, and after a short battle
Battle off Endau
The Battle off Endau was a Second World War naval battle. It took place off Endau on 27 January 1942. Part of the Battle of Malaya, it was the first major naval engagement since the sinking of the battleship and the battlecruiser , and the last effort by the Royal Navy to intercept Japanese convoy...
Thanet was sunk and Vampire was forced to withdraw.
Construction and commissioning
Thanet was ordered from the yards of Hawthorn Leslie & Company, HebburnHebburn
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...
in July 1917, part of the 1917-18 Programme. She was laid down there on 13 December 1917 and launched on 5 November 1918, six days before the Armistice with Germany
Armistice with Germany (Compiègne)
The armistice between the Allies and Germany was an agreement that ended the fighting in the First World War. It was signed in a railway carriage in Compiègne Forest on 11 November 1918 and marked a victory for the Allies and a complete defeat for Germany, although not technically a surrender...
. She was commissioned on 3 August 1919, and was initially used to trial a 'flying off platform' for aircraft.
Second World War
Thanet was on the China StationChina Station
The China Station was a historical formation of the British Royal Navy. It was formally the units and establishments responsible to the Commander-in-Chief, China....
, deployed with the Local Destroyer Flotilla at Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
on the outbreak of the Second World War on 3 September 1939. Her initial duties involved carrying out patrols and intercepting German shipping, and in October she was nominated to be converted for use as a minelayer
Minelayer
Minelaying is the act of deploying explosive mines. Historically this has been carried out by ships, submarines and aircraft. Additionally, since World War I the term minelayer refers specifically to a naval ship used for deploying naval mines...
. Work began at the naval dockyard in Hong Kong on 18 October, and she was able to participate in the laying of a defensive minefield in Lantau Channel
Lantau Channel
Lantau Channel is a channel south of Fan Lau Kok of Lantau Island in Hong Kong. The channel is also on the water boundary between Hong Kong and mainland China...
between 21 and 27 October, the following day reverting back to her anti-submarine role.
The rest of the year and all of 1940 was spent carrying out similar duties, deploying out of Hong Kong to protect trade and patrol in search of enemy vessels. The threat of the Japanese entry to the war
Japanese declaration of war on the United States and Britain
The declaration of war by the Empire of Japan on the United States and the British Empire document was released on December 8, 1941 after the attack on Pearl Harbor was executed pre-emptively. The declaration of war was printed on the front page of all newspapers in Japan in the evening edition on...
in December 1941 led to negotiations on 6 December between the British commander in the area, Admiral Tom Phillips, and his American counterpart Admiral Thomas C. Hart
Thomas C. Hart
Thomas Charles Hart was an admiral of the United States Navy, whose service extended from the Spanish-American War through World War II. Following his retirement from the Navy, he served briefly as a United States Senator from Connecticut.-Life and career:Hart was born in Genesee County, Michigan...
. Hart agreed to send four destroyers to Singapore, , , and , while Phillips would move Thanet and her sister-ship to Singapore.
Events were overtaken by the Japanese 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...
the following day, and the Japanese assault on Hong Kong
Battle of Hong Kong
The Battle of Hong Kong took place during the Pacific campaign of World War II. It began on 8 December 1941 and ended on 25 December 1941 with Hong Kong, then a Crown colony, surrendering to the Empire of Japan.-Background:...
which began on 8 December. Thanet and Scout hurriedly evacuated the port on 8 December, just hours after the attack began, and made their way to 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...
to join the Eastern Fleet. A small force consisting of the destroyer , the gunboat
Gunboat
A gunboat is a naval watercraft designed for the express purpose of carrying one or more guns to bombard coastal targets, as opposed to those military craft designed for naval warfare, or for ferrying troops or supplies.-History:...
and eight motor torpedo boats remained behind to fight the Japanese. On their arrival at Singapore on 13 December, Thanet and Scout carried out various escort duties.
Last battle and sinking
On 26 January 1942 Malaya CommandMalaya Command
The Malaya Command was a command of British Commonwealth forces formed in the 1920s for the coordination of the defences of Malaya and Singapore.-History:...
received intelligence that a Japanese troop convoy was approaching Endau
Endau
Endau is a small town in Malaysia. It lies on the northern tip of east Johor and the southern tip of Pahang. It is famous as one of the largest fishing ports on the East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia.Located north of Mersing...
, and attempted to attack it with nine Lockheed Hudson
Lockheed Hudson
The Lockheed Hudson was an American-built light bomber and coastal reconnaissance aircraft built initially for the Royal Air Force shortly before the outbreak of the Second World War and primarily operated by the RAF thereafter...
s of No. 1
No. 1 Squadron RAAF
No. 1 Squadron is a Royal Australian Air Force squadron based at RAAF Amberley. The squadron is currently being re-equipped with F/A-18F Super Hornet multi-role fighters.-World War I:...
and No. 8 Squadrons
No. 8 Squadron RAAF
No. 8 Squadron was a Royal Australian Air Force flying training squadron of World War I and medium bomber squadron of World War II. The Squadron was first formed in October 1917 and was disbanded in January 1946 after seeing action during the Pacific War....
, and 12 Vickers Vildebeest
Vickers Vildebeest
The Vickers Vildebeest and the similar Vickers Vincent were two very large two- to three-seat single-engined British biplanes designed and built by Vickers and used as a light bomber, torpedo bomber and in the army cooperation roles...
s. The attack went badly, losing five Vildebeests, and being unable to inflict significant damage. The Japanese commander, Vice-Admiral Jisaburō Ozawa
Jisaburo Ozawa
was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. He was the last Commander-in-Chief of Combined Fleet. Many military historians regard Ozawa as one of the most capable Japanese flag officers.-Biography:...
had received intelligence reports that two cruisers were at Singapore, and so concentrated his forces off Endau. The two cruisers were in fact Thanet, and the destroyer , and following the failure of the air attacks, Malaya Command ordered them to sea to intercept the convoy. They steamed from Singapore at 4.30pm on 26 January, carrying only three 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...
es each. Early in the morning of 27 January they ran into the covering force of Japanese warships, consisting of three destroyers, and later being joined by the Japanese cruiser Sendai
Japanese cruiser Sendai
was a Sendai-class light cruiser in the Imperial Japanese Navy. She was named after the Sendai River in southern Kyūshū.-Background:Sendai was the lead ship of the three vessels completed in her class of light cruisers, and like other vessels of her class, she was intended for use as the flagship...
. Thanet was hit in the engine room and disabled, and began to sink. Vampire attempted to lay down a smokescreen but was driven off under heavy fire, and managed to escape. Thanet sank with heavy loss of life shortly afterwards.