I-Class Fleet Destroyer ordered from Yarrow
& Co, Scotstoun Glasgow in October 1935 with the
1935 Build Programme. The ship was laid down on 5th February 1936 and launched
on 12th November 1936 as the 7th RN warship to carry the name, introduced in
1743. It was previously used for a cruiser built in 1896 and sold in 1920.
Build was completed on 2nd June 1937 at a cost of £259,377 excluding Admiralty
supplied item such as weapons and communications equipment. After a successful
WARSHIP WEEK National Savings campaign in March 1942 she was adopted by the civil community of
Edmonton, then in the county of Middlesex and now part of the Borough of
Enfield.
B a t t l e H o n o u r s
ST LUCIA 1778 - SADRAS 1782 - NEGAPATAM 1782
- ROVID1EN 1782 - TRINCOMALEE 1782 - CAMPERDOWN 1797 - COPENHAGEN 1801
- ATLANTIC 1939-43 - NORWAY 1940 - GREECE 1941
- CRETE 1941 - MEDITERRANEAN 1941-43 - SICILY 1943 - NORMANDY 1944
H e
r a l d i c D
a t a
Badge: On a Field Purple,
the head of an Egyptian goddess gold.
M o t t o
Quod
est manet :
'That which is remains'.
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
Serving with 3rd Destroyer Flotilla, Mediterranean Fleet.
5th Transferred with Flotilla to Western Approaches for convoy defence.
7th Took passage from
Gibraltar
to Plymouth.
11th Deployed on convoy defence in SW Approaches.
October
Western Approaches anti-submarine patrol and convoy defence in continuation.
19th Routine docking and maintenance at Falmouth.
25th Resumed convoy defence in Western Approaches.
November
Atlantic convoy defence and interception in continuation.
9th Intercepted and captured German mercantile LEANDER disguised as
Russian flagged
METALLIST.
Prize crew placed on board to take ship to
Falmouth.
15th Tow of derelict tanker ARNE KJODE from position off Hebrides failed
and mercantile
sunk.
12 survivors rescued.
(Note: This ship had been torpedoed by U41 on
11th November.).
December
31st Completed 102 days under steam since outbreak of hostilities.
For details of naval activities in Home waters
during 1939 see ENGAGE THE ENEMY
MORE CLOSELY by C Barnett and Naval Staff
History.
1 9 4 0
January
Western Approaches deployment in continuation.
4th Deployed with HM Destroyer FAULKNOR as escort for damaged
battleship HMS
NELSON during passage under tow from Clyde to
Portsmouth for repair.
(Note: HMS NELSON had detonated a magnetic mine
in Loch Ewe.)
February
8th Taken in had for refit at commercial shipyard in Falmouth.
March
Under refit
12th Carried out post refit trials and took passage to rejoin Flotilla at
Scapa Flow on
completion.
13th Deployed for Home Fleet duties with Flotilla.
31st Nominated for escort of m Auxiliary Minelayer TEVIOT BANK for
minelay off
Norwegian coast near Stadtlandet.
(Operation WILFRED/R4 - See above reference and
Naval Staff Watery (Mining)
April Joined Force US for escort duty.
5th Sailed for Norway with Force MS.
7th Operation cancelled when German warships sighted In Heligoland
Bight on passage to Norway.
Rejoined Flotilla for Home Fleet screening
duties, military support and convoy defence.
In action with aircraft.
16th First RN warship at Tromso.
21at Engaged shore battery in Trondheim Fjord. No damage or casualties.
May
Support and convoy defence off Norway in continuation.
8th Sustained damage to both propellers by striking wreck in Balangan
Fjord.
Towed to Skelfjord by HM Destroyer ILEX to await
passage to UK
(For details of the disastrous naval operations
off Norway see ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE
CLOSELY, NARVIK by D MacIntyre and THE DOOMED
EXPEDITION by Adams.)
15th Passage to UK in tow.
17th Arrived at Greenock..
22nd
Passage to Falmouth
under tow by tug BUCCANEER escorted by HM Destroyed WITCH.
Pennant Number for visual Signalling purposes
changed to I87
23rd Taken in hand for temporary repair at Falmouth.
(Note: During repair several officers were sent
on detached service for duties to support
evacuations in French ports.)
June Under temporary repair.
14th Prepared for passage to Devonport.
15th Taken in hand by HM Dockyard for completion of repair.
July Under repair
to
August
September
Carried out post refit trials.
20th Passage to Scapa Flow for work-up prior to rejoining Flotilla for
Fleet duties.
October
On completion of work-up deployed on convoy defence in NW Approaches.
Nominated for service at Gibraltar with 13th
Destroyer Flotilla.
31st Took passage to
Mediterranean to join Flotilla.
November
6th Joined Flotilla for convoy defence based at Gibraltar.
7th Detached for escort duties with Force H.
Deployed with HM Destroyers DUNCAN, FOXHOUND,
FORESTER,, FIREDRAKE,
FAULKNOR, FURY and FORTUNE as screen for HM
Aircraft Carrier ARK ROYAL and
HM Cruiser SHEFFIELD to provide cover for
passage of military convoy and transfer of
reinforcement ships to Eastern Mediterranean
(Operations COAT/CRACK).
(For details of naval activities in
Mediterranean during 1940 to 1942 see ENGAGE THE
ENEMY MORE CLOSELY. THE BATTLE FOR THE
MEDITERRANEAN by D MacIntyre.).
12th Resumed convoy defence duties with Flotilla based at Gibraltar.
December
Flotilla duties in continuation.
Deployed for defence of Atlantic convoys between
Gibraltar and Freetown.
20th Detached for duty with Force H and joined HM Destroyers DUNCAN,
ENCOUNTER,
WISHART and JAGUAR as Group II for escort duty
during cover of passage of HM Battleship
MALAYA and Convoy MG1 from Malta to Gibraltar
(Operation HIDE).
25th Resumed Atlantic convoy defence duties with Flotilla.
1 9 4 1
January
Atlantic convoy defence duties in continuation for UK-Freetown route.
February
Nominated for duty with Force H.
6th Joined HM Destroyers DUNCAN, FIREDRAKE and JUPITER in Group III as
screen for HMS
ARK ROYAL during air operations off Livorno as a
diversion during bombardment by ships of
Force H (Operation GROG).
10th Resumed convoy defence duties with Flotilla.
20th Rescued crew of RAF Flying Beat off Cape Spartel, Morocco.
March
Nominated for transfer to Mediterranean Fleet based in Alexandria.
Joined escort of military convoy for passage to
Alexandria via Cape and Red Sea
6th Crossed the Equator.
Called at St Helena with m Destroyer ENCOUNTER.
Detached for support of military operations in
Italian Somaliland.
Bombardment of Dante not carried out as harbour
found empty.
April Passage to Alexandria in continuation.
9th Joined 2nd Destroyer Flotilla, Mediterranean Fleet for Fleet
screening duties.
15th Part of escort for military convoy to Greece (Operation LUSTRE).
17th Under air attacks.
18th Under further air attacks.
20th Escorted return convoy from Piraeus.
21st Under air attack.
24th Escorted RFA Tanker BRAMBLELEAF to Suda Bay.
27th Deployed with Fleet during evacuation of allied troops from Greece,
to (For details see ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY).
30th
May
1st Disembarked evacuated troops at Port Said.
6th Part of escort for Fleet units covering passage of military convoy
to Egypt and Malta
relief convoy MW7 (Operation TIGER/MD4)
(See above references).
9th Part of escort for return convoy to Alexandria.
10th Under air attacks.
12th Part of escort for convoy to Suda Bay, Crete.
15th Escorted ss LOSSIEBANK and NIEUW ZEELAND from Suda Bay to Alexandria.
20th Deployed In support of military operations in Crete and assisted In
evacuation.
(See above references and Naval Staff History
(HMSO-2002).)
23rd Part of escort for Fleet its returning to Alexandria.
24th Embarked troops for passage to Crete but unable land them.
25th Returned to Alexandria.
June
5th Deployed in support of military operations in Syria (Operation
EXPORTER).
7th Passage to Syrian coast with Fleet units.
8th Carried out patrols off coast during landing operations.
9th Provided gunfire support to shore operations.
In action with HM Destroyers JANUS, JACKAL and
HOTSPUR against French destroyers
GUEPARD and VARMY.
(Note: HMS JANUS was damaged by five direct
hits)
Enemy ships were forced to withdraw.
10th Bombardment duties In continuation.
to
14th
15th In action with aircraft off Syria whilst screening H M Cruiser
PHOEBE with HM Destroyer
DEFENDER.
Sustained major structural damage by two near
misses.
(Note: Vessel lifted causing fracture and
buckling with flooding of compartments.)
20th Under temporary repair at Haifa
26th Took passage to Alexandria under tow.
29th In hand for repair in Alexandria dry-dock.
July Under temporary repair August
August
6th Took passage to Singapore with HM Destroyer NUBIAN
(Note: HMS NUBIAN was under tow).
14th At Aden.
September
20th Took passage to Bombay with HMS NUBIAN.
27th Arrived in Bombay.
October
2nd Took passage to
Penang
via Colombo.
12th Arrived at Singapore for completion of repair.
(Note: It is not clear from sources available
whether ship was under tow for part of passage).
13th Taken in hand by HM Dockyard Singapore.
November
Under repair.
to Estimated completion date March 1942.
December (See
OPERATION PACIFIC by E Gray and WAR WITH JAPAN (HMSO) for details of
Malayan events).
1 9 4 2
January
Under repair.
17th Damaged during Japanese air raid.
February
Completion of repair arranged at Batavia.
6th Passage under tow to Batavia.
7th Arrived at Batavia.
Repair work impossible because of Japanese air
attacks and threat of invasion.
10th Tow arranged to Trincomalee.
Passage to Trincomalee and completion of repair
arranged at HM Dockyard, Bombay.
March
Passage to Bombay under tow.
4th Taken in hand for repair.
(Note: Ship Paid-off into Dockyard control).
April Under intermittent repair due to other work
priorities.
to
November
December
Carried out post refit trials.
1 9 4 3
January
Completed poet refit trials.
17th Re-commissioned for service with 12th Destroyer Flotilla in
Mediterranean.
Passage to Alexandria.
February
Joined Flotilla for convoy escort and Fleet screening duty.
19th Participated in sinking of U562 in defence of Convoy XT3 NE of
Benghazi with HM
Escort Destroyer HURSLEY and aircraft of 38 Squadron RAF.
There were no survivors See U-BOATS DESTROYED by
P Kemp
March
Escorted military convoy carrying returning ANZAC troops from Egypt to Australia
for part of
passage (Operation PAMPHLET).
April Transferred to 14th Destroyer Flotilla for convoy
escort and Fleet screening in Mediterranean.
May
Deployed in blockade of Cape Bon area to intercept craft evacuating Axis forces
from North
Africa (Operation RETRIBUTION).
June Bombarded Pantellaria with HM Destroyer ILEX prior
to occupation.
(Operation CORKSCREW).
July Nominated for screening duty during allied landings
in Sicily.
(Operation HUSKY - See above references and
Naval Staff History).
Sailed from Bone as part of screen for HM
Cruisers DIDO and EURYALUS as Force Z
10th Deployed in Ionian sea with HM Destroyers QUILLIAM, QUEENBOROUGH,
QUAIL,
FAULKNOR, ECHO, INTREPID, RAIDER, ECLIPSE, FURY,
INGLEFIELD, ILEX
TROUBRIDGE, TUMULT, OFFA, Polish destroyer
PIORUN and Greek VASILISSA OLGA
as screen for HM Battleships NELSON, RODNEY,
WARSPITE and VALIANT, HM Fleet
Aircraft Carriers INDOMITABLE and FORMIDABLE, HM
Cruisers AURORA,
PENELOPE, CLEOPATRA and EURYALUS.
(Note: This covering force was intended to
prevent any interference to assault landings by
Italian surface warships).
August
Deployed for convoy defence with Gibraltar Escort Force.
September
Escort deployment in continuation.
15th Escorted surrendered Italian submarines to Malta from Bone.
October
Re-deployed in western Mediterranean as part of Gibraltar Escort Force.
November
Convoy escort and patrol duties with 13th Destroyer Flotilla in continuation.
to
December
1 9 4 4
January
Deployment with 13th Destroyer Flotilla at Gibraltar in continuation.
Escort of military convoys for allied landings
at Anzio
(Operation SHINGLE - For details see Naval Staff
History and above references).
February
Military convoy escort in continuation.
Transferred to 8th Destroyer Flotilla.
March
Deployed with Flotilla for convoy defence and patrol in western Mediterranean.
to Visited Naples
April Nominated for duty with Flotilla in Home Fleet for
support of planned allied landings in
Normandy (Operation NEPTUNE).
May
Pumps to Rosyth to give leave and Boiler Clean.
(For details of naval activities during and
prior to NEPTUNE see LANDINGS IN
NORMANDY, June 1944.0
12th Joined Home Fleet at Scapa Flow.
Nominated for service in Eastern Task Force as
part of Force S with HM Destroyer
FAULKNOR..
13th Present at Scapa Flow during visit to Horns Fleet by HM King George
VI.
Took part in Horns Fleet exercises in
preparation for NEPTUNE
support.
On completion took passage to join Force S in
Channel.
June Deployed on patrol in Channel area.
5th Embarked troops of Durham Light Infantry for attack on gun battery.
6th Commando operation cancelled and took up Bombardment Position.
Provided gunfire support during assault and
after nightfall deployed for patrol to intercept
attacks by E-Boats.
7th Deployed with HM Destroyers SAUMAREZ, VIRAGO and Norwegian STORD
for
interception of surface craft or submarines
attempting to enter Assault area.
10th Returned to Portsmouth to replenish.
13th In action against E-Boats off Le Havre with HM Escort Destroyers
GLAISDALE and
STEVENSTONE.
14th Resumed support and patrol duties off beach head.
19th Returned to Portsmouth to replenish.
27th On completion of
NEPTUNE
retained in Channel area for interception patrol and
convoy defence in English Channel.
July Channel patrol and convoy defence in continuation.
12th Boiler Clean and leave at Portsmouth.
17th Sailed from Portsmouth for interception patrol off French coast..
20th Sunk whilst on patrol off Normandy..
(Note: Contrary to WARSHIP LOSSES IN WW2 by D
Brown.
Admiralty correspondence in July 1944 records
ship was not at anchor.
Loss was likely to have been due to a mine or
torpedo.
Another source records that it was a German
NEGER midget submarine, but U-Boat
Archivist Klaus Mattes indicates that NEGER
craft had ceased operations
on 17th July).
15 of ship's company ware killed. and survivors spent several
hours in the water.
21st 21 survivors rescued by HM Fleet Minesweeper HOUND but one later
died.
The Admiralty List of survivors contains 45
names. Some were rescued by
US Navy Rescue Cutter and taken to the US
Headquarters Ship PRESIDENT
WARFIELD before going to a US Field Hospital.
For details see MEMORIES OF HMS ISIS – 50 YEARS
ON prepared by Tony D Jupe for
The ISIS Survivors Association and held at
Enfield Public Library Local History Unit).
Addendum
CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of
HMS ISIS
by Don Kindell
This convoy list has not been cross-checked with the text above
|
|
|
|
|
Date convoy sailed
|
Joined convoy as escort
|
Convoy No.
|
Left convoy
|
Date convoy arrived
|
|
|
|
|
|
29/09/39
|
29/09/39
|
OA 012G
|
02/10/39
|
02/10/39
|
02/10/39
|
02/10/39
|
OG 001
|
03/10/39
|
08/10/39
|
26/09/39
|
03/10/39
|
HG 001
|
05/10/39
|
06/10/39
|
06/11/39
|
12/11/39
|
HG 006
|
14/11/39
|
14/11/39
|
30/11/39
|
02/12/39
|
HN 003
|
04/12/39
|
04/12/39
|
08/12/39
|
11/12/39
|
HN 004
|
12/12/39
|
12/12/39
|
15/01/40
|
15/01/40
|
ON 008/1
|
19/01/40
|
19/01/40
|
19/01/40
|
19/01/40
|
HN 008
|
22/01/40
|
22/01/40
|
24/01/40
|
24/01/40
|
ON 009/1
|
27/01/40
|
27/01/40
|
27/01/40
|
27/01/40
|
HN 009A
|
31/01/40
|
31/01/40
|
01/05/40
|
01/05/40
|
HK 001
|
09/05/40
|
09/05/40
|
05/02/41
|
20/02/41
|
OG 052
|
21/02/41
|
21/02/41
|
11/05/41
|
12/05/41
|
ANF 030
|
14/05/41
|
14/05/41
|
14/05/41
|
14/05/41
|
AS 031/1
|
16/05/41
|
16/05/41
|
25/01/43
|
25/01/43
|
PAMPHLET
|
04/02/43
|
27/02/43
|
29/04/43
|
29/04/43
|
MW 027
|
unknown
|
04/05/43
|
17/05/43
|
19/05/43
|
KMS 014X
|
21/05/43
|
26/05/43
|
08/06/43
|
14/06/43
|
GTX 002
|
unknown
|
19/06/43
|
18/07/43
|
22/07/43
|
GUS 010
|
23/07/43
|
09/08/43
|
28/07/43
|
28/07/43
|
KMS 021G
|
29/07/43
|
29/07/43
|
17/08/43
|
17/08/43
|
KMS 023G
|
18/08/43
|
18/08/43
|
25/10/43
|
25/10/43
|
RS 011
|
31/10/43
|
31/10/43
|
02/11/43
|
02/11/43
|
SL 139
|
03/11/43
|
14/11/43
|
05/11/43
|
05/11/43
|
SR 007/1
|
12/11/43
|
12/11/43
|
21/02/44
|
27/02/44
|
KMF 029
|
02/03/44
|
05/03/44
|
18/02/44
|
01/03/44
|
UGS 033A
|
03/03/44
|
29/02/44
|
29/03/44
|
05/04/44
|
KMF 030
|
12/04/44
|
12/04/44
|
|
|
|
|
|
(Note on Convoys)
|