1 9 3 9
August
Contractors trials.
23rd
Build
completion and took passage to Chatham
to embark stores and ammunition.
Commissioned for
service as Leader of 5th Destroyer
Flotilla.
Passage to Portland
to work-up prior to taking up war
station.
30th
Deployed at Portland
for work-up.
September
Work-up at Portland
with interruptions.
4th
During
anti-submarine exercises off Portland
with HM Destroyer ACHERON came under
U-Boat attack which failed.
12th
Embarked
HRH
The Duke of
Windsor at Le
Havre
for passage to Portsmouth.
13th
Sailed
from Portsmouth
for Plymouth
for patrol and convoy defence in Channel
and SW
Approaches.
17th
Survivors
from HM Aircraft Carrier COURAGEOUS
embarked from a US
merchant ship
and taken to
Devonport.
(Note: HMS
COURAGEOUS was sunk by U29 SW of Ireland.)
20th
Deployed
as escort for HM Aircraft Carrier HERMES
during anti-submarine duties in SW
Approaches,
(Note: The
policy of using aircraft carriers for this
type
of duty was later abandoned following
the loss on
17th of HMS COURAGEOUS.)
26th
Completed
outstanding work-up requirements at Portland
and took passage to resume
operational
service in SW Approaches based at Plymouth.
October
Deployment in SW Approaches in
continuation.
Nominated for transfer
to Home Fleet for screening of major
warships with ships of Flotilla.
20th
Took passage to Scapa
Flow
with call at Loch Ewe.
(Note:
Following loss of HM Battleship ROYAL OAK
at Scapa
Flow on 14th October
Fleet units were transferred to
Loch Ewe pending improvement of
anti-submarine
defences.)
November
Passage in NW Approaches and
sustained weather damage. Called at Sollum
Voe
5th
Arrived
at Scapa
Flow
with structural damage
(Note: Home
Fleet deployment was restricted by
enforced reduction of maximum speed due
to damage.)
20th
Passage
to Tyne
for damage repair at builders.
21st
Under
repair
(Note:
One source suggests ship had been
nominated for the support of RN warships
in
the
Baltic for planned
Operation CATHERINE) which was never
implemented.)
December
14th
Sailed from Newcastle
to resume Home Fleet
Flotilla duties on completion.
Detonated
mine in position 13 miles NW Tyne
estuary and sustained further structural
damage with
flooding.
Steering disabled.
15th
Taken in hand at builders
yard for
repair
1
9 4 0
January
Under
repair.
February
Under
repair.
29th
Resumed Home Fleet duties on completion
of post repair trials.
March
Involved
in collision with HM Destroyer GURKHA (i)
during
deployment in NW
Approaches and
sustained structural damage
Passage from Lerwick
to Scapa
Flow
for survey and
temporary repair.
Permanent
repair arranged in London at commercial shipyard.
April
Passage
to Thames
from Scapa
Flow.
5th
In London Graving Dock for permanent
repair.
(Note: Whilst
under repair attention was given to
rectifying
defects causing leaks in systems.
common to other
ships and deal with other defects to
improve
availability.)
26th
On completion took passage to resume
Home Fleet duties with Flotilla at Scapa Flow.
29th
Arrived at Scapa
Flow
and nominated for support of operations
off the coast of Norway.
30th
Passage to join
Flotilla at Harstad.
(Note: See
NAVAL OPERATIONS OFF NORWAY April-June
1940
(HMSO).)
May
1st
Took part in evacuation of allied
troops from Namso
with HM Cruisers YORK
and
DEVONSHIRE,
HM Destroyers NUBIAN, MAORI, HASTY,
IMPERIAL, GRENADE
and
GRIFFIN.
First
destroyer alongside and embarked 150
French troops.
2nd
Escorted troopships EL KANTARA and EL
MANSOUR from Namsos
during return
passage
to UK.
Deployed
in North
Sea
for patrol and support duties
7th
Nominated for
transfer to Nore Command with ships of
Flotilla.
9th
During North Sea duties with HM
Destroyers KIMBERLEY, KANDAHAR and HASTY
despatched to
join HM Cruiser BIRMINGHAM
to take part in search for German
warships
operating in
southern North
Sea.
See reference
Joined
screen for HMS BIRMINGHAM and remained
when HMS KIMBERLEY was
detached
to refuel.
Detached with HMS
KANDAHAR and HMS BULLDOG to carry out
search for
U-Boat.
After
unsuccessful search took return passage to
rejoin screen and came under torpedo
attack
by E-Boats. Hit
forward below bridge structure by
torpedo
from S21.
Ship
disabled and sustained serious damage both
Boiler Rooms flooded.
27
of ship's company lost their lives.
10th
Under tow by HM Destroyer BULLDOG and
under further E-Boat attacks during which
ship was rammed
by an enemy ship causing further damage.
12th
Tow transferred to two commercial tugs
from Tyne.
13th
Arrived in Tyne
and taken in hand for
repair at build yard.
June
Under
repair
to
(Note: Pennant Number for visual
signalling purposes was changed to G01
following
November
review
of all these identities in May 1940)
December
19th
On completion of post repair trials took
passage to Scapa
Flow
to resume
Fleet duties
with
Flotilla.
20th
Deployed work-up with ships of Home
Fleet including anti-submarine patrols.
23rd
Deployed
off Faeroes for anti-submarine
patrol
26th
Faeroes
search in continuation.
Returned to Scapa
Flow
on release from search.
(Note:
During 1940 the ship had been available
for operational use on 23 days.)
1
9 4 1
January
Nominated for service in
Channel based at Plymouth
with Flotilla.
7th
Took
passage for patrol in NW Approaches.
10th
Sailed
from Clyde
with HM Destroyers JERSEY,
KIPLING and KASHMIR
for
Channel deployment.
18th
Deployed
at Plymouth.
(Note:
German destroyers based at Brest
were known to be operating against ship
traffic
in SW Approaches and 5th Flotilla carried
out interception patrol
operations
against these ships.)
February
20th
Deployed
with HM Destroyers KASHMIR,
KIPLING and JACKAL as escort for
HM Destroyers INTREPID,
IMPULSIVE and ICARUS during minelaying off
Brest
(Operation GS
– For details see Naval Staff History
(Mining).)
March
19th
Deployed
with HM Destroyers KASHMIR, KIPLING and
JACKAL as escort for same
ships as GS
and Motor Launches from Dartmouth
during minelay off Ile
de Bas.
28th
Escorted
HM Destroyers INTREPID, ICARUS and
IMPULSIVE with HM Destroyers
KELVIN, KASHMIR and JACKAL during minelay off Brest
(Operation GX)
29th
Escorted
HM Fast Minelaying Cruiser ABDIEL with HM
Destroyers KASHMIR,
KELVIN and JACKAL during minelay off Brest
(Operation GY)
April
Plymouth
deployment in continuation.
20th
Nominated
for transfer to Mediterranean
with Flotilla
21st
Took passage to Gibraltar
from Plymouth.
24th
Joined
HM Cruisers ABDIEL, DIDO, HM Destroyers
JACKAL, JERSEY,
KASHMIR,
KELVIN and KIPLING at Gibraltar to form Force S and took passage to Malta
as part
of
escort for reinforcement ships 0for
Mediterranean Fleet (Operation SALIENT)
(Note:
Cover for the transit of this convoy and
also for concurrent Operation DUNLOP
to launch
aircraft from HM Aircraft Carrier ARK
ROYAL for use in Malta
was
provided
by ships of Force H based at Gibraltar.)
28th
Arrived
in Malta
with ships of Force S and deployed with
Flotilla as
Force K for attacks
on
shipping to North
Africa
for support of enemy military operations.
For details of naval operations
in the Mediterranean
see ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE
CLOSELY by C Barnett, THE BATTLE
FOR THE MEDITERRANEAN by D MacIntyre,
MALTA
CONVOYS by R Woodman and THE NAVAL WAR IN
THE MEDITERRANEAN
by J Greene
and A Massignani.
May
1st
Deployed
with Flotilla for interception patrol.
2nd
After
entry into Grand
Harbour
leading HM Destroyers JERSEY, JACKAL and
KELVIN,
HMS JERSEY detonated a mine laid
earlier by aircraft and sank.
8th
Sailed
with the three other ships of the Flotilla
after obstruction by wreck of HMS
JERSEY
had
been cleared. Took
passage with these ships to join HM
Cruisers AJAX, DIDO. ORION
and PERTH
(RAN) of the Mediterranean Fleet and
proceeded
westward together to join escort
for
military convoy carrying tanks and
essential stores to Egypt
and Greece
(Operation
TIGER - See references.
9th
Joined
TIGER convoy.
10th
Detached
from TIGER convoy screen with HM
Destroyers JACKAL, KASHMIR,
KELVIN and KIPLING to carry out
bombardment at Benghazi
before return to Malta
resume
Force strike duties as Force K.
11th
Arrived
at Malta
with HM Destroyers JACKAL, KASHMIR, KELVIN and KIPLING.
21st
Despatched
with HM Destroyers KASHMIR and KIPLING to
assist in defence of Crete
against
invasion by German forces and took passage
from Malta
to join Mediterranean
Fleet ships already deployed off
the island.
(Note:
HMS KELVIN had previously sailed to join
7th Destroyer Flotilla.)
22nd
Deployed
with HMS KASHMIR and HMS KIPLING to carry
out patrol north of Crete
to
intercept
invasion craft.
Carried out bombardment of Maleme
airfield
23rd
Under
heavy and sustained air attacks by German
aircraft during which ship was hit
and
sank within two minutes in position 34.40N
24.10E south of Gavo,
Crete.
(Note:
HMS KASHMIR was also sunk in these
attacks.
HMS KIPLING which had become
detached earlier rescued survivors from
both
ships
including 159 from this destroyer.
For details see THE BATTLE FOR
THE MEDITERRANEAN by D MacIntyre,
CRETE
by SW Pack and Naval Staff History.
Addendum
CONVOY
ESCORT MOVEMENTS of HMS KELLY
by
Don Kindell
These
convoy lists have not been cross-checked
with the text above
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Date
convoy sailed
|
Joined
convoy as escort
|
Convoy No.
|
Left
convoy
|
Date
convoy arrived
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
03/10/39
|
03/10/39
|
OA
014
|
06/10/39
|
06/10/39
|
|
15/10/39
|
15/10/39
|
OA
020G
|
17/10/39
|
17/10/39
|
|
07/03/40
|
08/03/40
|
ON
018/1
|
10/03/40
|
10/03/40
|
|
07/03/40
|
09/03/40
|
HN
017
|
09/03/40
|
10/03/40
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(Note
on Convoys)
