HMS Imperial (Navy Photos, click to enlarge)

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I-Class Fleet Destroyer ordered from Hawthorn Leslie, Newcastle on 30th October 1935 under the 1935 Build Programme with delivery by 30th April 1937. The ship was laid down on 26th January 1936 and launched on 11th December that year as the 1st RN warship to carry the name. Build was completed on 30th June 1937 after delay due to delay in delivery of gun mountings. The contract price was £257,117 excluding items supplied by Admiralty such as guns and communications outfits. This Class of destroyer was designed for use as minelayers (See BRITISH DESTROYERS by Edgar March and the Naval Staff History (MINING) for more information). Her pre-war service was with the 3rd Destroyer Flotilla in the Mediterranean and she took part in Non-intervention patrols off .Spain during the Spanish civil war..

B a t t l e   H o n o u r s

ATLANTIC 1939 - MEDITERRANEAN - NORWAY 1940 - CRETE  1941

H e r a l d i c    D a t a

Badge: On a Field  Purple, two sceptres in saltire, surrmounted .by

an orb gold.

M o t t o

Deum cole Regum serva:  ‘Worship God,  serve the King'

D e t a i l s  o f   W a r   S e r v i c e

(for more ship information,  go to Naval History Homepage and type name in Site Search)

1 9 3 9

September             Deployed in Mediterranean with 3rd Destroyer Flotilla at Alexandria.

                3rd          Transferred with Flotilla to Western Approaches for Convoy Escort duty.

                5th          Passage to Plymouth from Malta.

                11th        Joined Western Approaches Command at Plymouth and deployed in SW Approaches for

                                anti-submarine and convoy defence duties.

October                  Convoy defence and patrol in SW Approaches in continuation.

                                Nominated for transfer to Home Fleet for screening duties and convoy defence in North Sea

                                and NW Approaches.

November              Passage to Scapa Flow to Join Home Fleet.

December              Home Fleet duties in continuation based in Clyde and Loch Ewe.

                                (Note: During this period major units of Home Fleet were not using Scapa Flow pending

                                improvement of defence after loss of HM Battleship ROYAL OAK.

                                Major units carried out searches for German commerce raiders.

                                For details of naval activities in Home Waters in 1939-40 see the Naval Staff History).

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January

                4th          Escorted HM Battleship NELSON to Portsmouth from Loch Ewe for repair after being

                                damaged by magnetic mine. HM Destroyer FAULKNOR was also in company.

                8th          Passage .from Portsmouth to return to Hone Fleet duties.

February                Home Fleet screening duties and escort of convoys to Norway.

                29th        In collision with Swedish ss NORDIA in position 61.12N 03.08E.during escort of convoy

                                Speed restricted to 12 knots due to structural damage forward which caused some flooding.

                                Returned to Lerwick escorted by HM Cruiser CALCUTTA.

March                    Passage to Tyne for repair.

                                Taken in hand for repair at Wallsend by Swan Hunter shipyard.

April                       Under repair.

                14th        On completion of post refit trials took passage to rejoin Fleet off Norway.

.               15th        Deployed off Norway for screening duties, convoy escort and support of military operations.

                                See NARVIK by D MacIntyre, THE DOOMED EXPEDITION by J Adams, CARRIER

                                GLORIOUS BY J Winton and Naval Staff History(HMSO-2001) for details of the disastrous

                                operations).

May                        Pennant Number for visual signalling purposes changed to 109.

                2nd         Took part in evacuation of allied forces from Namsos with HM Destroyers HASTY, NUBIAN.

                                AFRIDI and French destroyer BISON.

                3rd          Rescued survivors from HM Destroyer AFRIDI with HM Destroyer GRIFFIN

                                (Note: These included survivors from BISON and troops)

                                Screened HM Cruiser DEVONSHIRE covering return convoy to UK.

                                (See above references).

                14th        Nominated for transfer to 2nd Destroyer Flotilla, Mediterranean Fleet.

                                (Note: This was part of a reinforcement plan to ensure adequate protection for major ships of

                                Fleet at Alexandria in the event of war with Italy)

.               15th        Took passage from Plymouth for Alexandria.

                24th        Joined Flotilla at Alexandria for Fleet escort and convoy defence duty.

June                        Flotilla deployment at Alexandria.

                                (Note: Did not form part of Fleet escort during operation to cover passage of two convoys from

                                Malta which was postponed on 28th June. See below)

.July

                7th          Deployed with HM Destroyers DAINTY, DEFENDER, HASTY, HOSTILE, HYPERION,

                                ILEX, ,JANUS, JUNO, VAMPIRE (RAN) and VOYAGER (RAN) as destroyer screen for

                                HM Aircraft Carrier EAGLE, HM Battleships MALAYA, ROYAL SOVEREIGN and

                                WARSPITE, HM Cruisers GLOUCESTER, ORION, LIVERPOOL, NEPTUNE and SYDNEY

                                (RAN) providing cover for passage of Convoys MF 1 and MS 1 from Malta to Egypt

                                (Operation MA5 - This operation was a repeat of an earlier attempt which was postponed on

                                28th June after an engagement with Italian destroyers).

                                See THE BATTLE FOR THE MEDITERRANEAN by D MacIntyre, ENGAGE THE ENEMY

                                MORE CLOSELY, MALTA CONVOYS by R Woodman and Naval Staff History (HMSO

                                -2002)

                8th          Detached and returned to Alexandria.

                                (Note: This may have been due to a defect, but in any event precluded taking a part in the

                                action with an Italian battle group which attempted to make an attack on this convoy

                                on 9th July (Battle of Calabria)

                18th        Deployed with HM Destroyer HEREWARD for escort of Convoy AN2 to Piraeus

                                Resumed Fleet screening duties with Flotilla on return

                                (Note: Ship may have escorted a southbound AS Series convoy on return passage.)

August                  Eastern Mediterranean deployment in continuation.

                30th        Joined HM Destroyer DECOY, ILEX, JANUS, NUBIAN, VAMPIRE (RAN), VENDETTA

                                (RAN) and GARLAND as screen for HM Aircraft Carrier EAGLE, HM Battleships MALAYA

                                and WARSPITE, HM Cruisers GLOUCESTER, KENT, LIVERPOOL, ORION and SYDNEY

                                (RAN) to provided Distant Cover for Convoy MS2 to Malta from Egypt.

                                (Operation MB3)

.               31st         Under air attacks during which ORP GARLAND was damaged.

September

                1st           Detached from MS2 with covering Force on arrival in Malta and took passage to meet HM

                                Aircraft Carrier ILLUSTRIOUS, HM Battleship VALIANT, HM Cruisers COVENTRY and

                                CALCUTTA (Force F) joining the Fleet from Gibraltar

                                (Operation HATS).

                2nd         Met Force F and took passage with screen for major Fleet units for air attacks on Rhodes

                4th          Carried out depth charge attacks after detecting submarine contact whilst part of escort for

                                HMS WARSPITE.

                5th          Arrived at Alexandria with Fleet after attacks on Rhodes.

                8th          Deployed with HM Destroyers DAINTY, DECOY, JANUS, JERV1S, JUNO, MOHAWK,

                                STUART (RAN) and VAMPIRE (RAN) as screen for HMS ILLUSTRIOUS, HMS

                                EAGLE, HM Battleships MALAYA, RAMILLIES, VALIANT, HMS WARSPITE, HM

                                Cruisers AJAX, GLOUCESTER, LIVERPOOL, ORION, SYDNEY (RAN) and YORK to

                                provide cover for passage of Convoys M?3 from Egypt and MF4 from Malta .

                                (Operation MBB6).

October

                11th        During entry of Convoy MF3 into Valetta, mined in position 35.24N 14.34E, 15 miles south

                                of Delimara.

                                Sustained major structural damage and towed into Malta by HMS DECOY.

                12th        Taken in hand for repair by HM Dockyard, Malta.

November              Under repair.

to

December

1 9 4 1

January                  Under repair

to                            Damaged steering gear was replaced using items from HM Destroyer GALLANT.

February

March                    Sustained further damage during air raid on Malta.

                23rd        On completion of post refit trials took passage to Gibraltar to work -up.

                27th        Worked-up for operational service at Gibraltar.

April                       Deployed at Gibraltar for work-up.

                                On completion took passage to Malta to resume duties with Flotilla in Eastern Mediterranean.

                                (Note: Ship may have taken passage with reinforcement ships on passage to join Fleet at

                                Alexandria (Operation SALIENT)

                28th        Deployed with HM Cruisers ABDIEL, DIDO, HM Destroyers JAGUAR, JERVIS and JUNO

                                as escort for HM Supply Ship BRECONSHIRE during passage to Alexandria.

                30th        Arrived at Alexandria with same ships and resumed Flotilla duties in Eastern Mediterranean.

May                        Deployed with Flotilla for Fleet duties in Eastern Mediterranean.

                7th          Escorted m Cruiser AJAX with HM Destroyers HAVOCK and HOTSPUR for

                                bombardment of Benghazi.

                28th        Deployed with HM Cruisers ORION, DIDO, HM Destroyers DECOY, JACKAL. HOTSPUR,

                                KIMBERLEY and HEREWARD for evacuation of troops from Heraklion

                                (Note: Destroyers ferried troops from shore to cruisers outside the harbour.

                29th        During return passage to Alexandria under air attacks in approaches to Kaso Straits.

                                Disabled by near misses which damaged steering gear beyond repair which in view of air threat

                                Ships company taken off by HMS HOTSPUR which then sank the ship by torpedo in

                                position 32.23N 25.40E.

                                (See above references for details of the disastrous operations in defence of Crete).

Addendum

CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of HMS IMPERIAL

by Don Kindell

This convoy list has not been cross-checked with the text above

(Note on Convoys)