TRIBAL-Class
Destroyer ordered on 10th March 1936
from John I Thornycroft at Woolston under the
1935 Build Programme and laid down on 16th
July that year. The ship was launched on 5th
October 1937 as the 11th RN ship to bear this
name, introduced in 1756 for a 6
gun Sloop built on the Canadian lakes at Oswega
and soon after completion captured by the
French. It was last
used in 1917 for a destroyer which was sold in
1919. Build was
completed on 7th September 1938 for a tender
price of £339,585 which excluded
supply of weapons and communications
outfits by the Admiralty. The name is
that of a North American tribe and dates from
1813.
B
a t t l e H
o n o u r s
DOVER PATROL 1914-17 - NORWAY 1940 - CALABRIA 1940 - LIBYA 1940 -
MEDITERRANEAN 1940-41 - SFAX 1941 - MATAPAN 1941
- MALTA CONVOYS
1941
H
e r a l d i c
D a t a
Badge:
On a
Field gold, a head of a Mohawk couped
at the shoulders proper.
M
o t t o:
Bold,
vigilant, brave.
Manning
Division: Portsmouth
D
e t a i l s
o f P r e - W a r S e r
v i c e
1
9 3 8
September Contractors
Trials and
commissioning for service in 1st Tribal
Destroyer, Flotilla
Mediterranean
Fleet.
7th
Build completion and
commenced Acceptance
Trials.
(Note: A
revised allocation for service in the Home Fleet
because of the Munich crisis
was
not implemented and the ship planned deployment
with the Mediterranean
Fleet
was restored.)
On completion of
trials and storing took passage to Portland to
work-up for service at
Malta.
October
Took passage to Mediterranean
after Portland deployment.
13th
Arrived in Malta and joined HM
Destroyers AFRIDI and COSSACK for service as 1st
Tribal Destroyer
Flotilla.
November
Deployed for Flotilla duties
based at Malta including taking British
Ambassador to
Turkey from Cape
Helles to Istanbul.
December
Carried out Shakedown exercises
and visits in Aegean
Returned
to Malta for Xmas.
Pennant Number
for visual signalling purposes changed to F31.
1
9 3 9
January Flotilla
deployment at
Malta in continuation.
Took part in Mediterranean Fleet Spring
exercise and visits programme.
February
Passage to Gibraltar to take
part in Mediterranean and Home Fleet joint
annual
Exercises
Nominated for
Non-intervention Patrol duty
March
On release from Fleet
Exercises deployed off Spanish Mediterranean
coast to enforce
embargo
on provision of
support to belligerents in Spanish civil war.
23rd
Rescued five German airmen from
crashed seaplane off Barcelona.
Passage to
Malta on release from patrol
April
Transferred to 4th
Destroyer Flotilla with HM Destroyers AFRIDI,
COSSACK,
MAORI,
GURKHA, NUBIAN, SIKH and ZULU.
May
Deployed with
Flotilla For Mediterranean Fleet Exercise and
Visits Programme
to
July
(Note: In addition to
Fleet and Flotilla exercises ships visited ports
in Greece
and
North Africa.)
August Took
part in Fleet
exercises in Aegean, arranged in anticipation of
war with Italy.
(Note: Some
ships of Flotilla visited Istanbul but this
visit was curtailed and
Mediterranean
Fleet returned to Alexandria to take up war
stations.)
Nominated
for surveillance operation in Red Sea.
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)
September Took
passage with HM
Destroyers AFRIDI, GURKHA and SIKH to Red Sea
for surveillance of Italian
movements at
Massawa.
Returned to
Alexandria on release from surveillance and
resumed Flotilla duties
for
contraband control.
October
Nominated for return to
UK with Flotilla for service in Home waters.
Passage to
UK with calls at Malta and Gibraltar
13th
Arrived at Harwich for North
Sea convoy defence and patrol to intercept
German
warships and
submarines carrying out attacks on shipping,
minelaying or on
passage to
Atlantic.
For details
of naval activities in Home waters after
outbreak of war see Naval
Staff
History and ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE
CLOSELY by C Barnett.
14th
Deployed as escort for North
Sea convoy.
16th
After arrival in Forth came
under air attacks by Ju88 aircraft and straddled
by
two bombs
which on explosion scattered splinters causing
extensive
casualties
to personnel on bridge and upper decks. 15 of
ship’s company
were killed
and 30 were injured, one of whom was commanding
Officer,
Commander RF
Jolly, RN who later died of his injuries.
Sustained
bomb damage.
(Note: Cdr
Jolly was posthumously awarded the Empire
Gallantry Medal)
17th
Under temporary repair by HM
Dockyard, Rosyth to enable passage to
Tyne shipyard
for permanent repair.
November
Under repair by Hawthorn
Leslie shipyard, Hebburn on Tyne.
December
14th
On completion of shipyard work
prepared to resume Flotilla duties in North Sea.
15th
Sailed
from Tyne with HM
Destroyer KELLY for North Sea patrol.
Took HMS
KELLY in tow after she had sustained serious
damage caused when mine
was
detonated during passage from Tyne.
Some
flooding in Tiller Flat.
Provided
escort to Tyne when tow taken over by tug.
1
9 4 0
January
Deployed for Home
Fleet duties with Flotilla including service
based at Scapa
to
February
Flow for Atlantic convoy
defence and anti-submarine patrol in addition to
screening
of major Home Fleet warships.
March
Flotilla duties
with Home Fleet in continuation.
2nd
During escort of rms QUEEN
ELIZABETH in NW Approaches sustained
structural
damage in collision with ss GARTBRATTAN.
(Note:
rms QUEEN ELIZABETH was on maiden voyage to New
York.)
Return
passage to Troon for repair in commercial
shipyard.
19th
Resumed service in Home
Fleet with Flotilla at Scapa Flow.
April
Home Fleet
Flotilla duties in continuation.
7th
Sailed from Forth with HM
Destroyers AFRIDI, GURKHA, ZULU,
COSSACK,
KASHMIR, KELVIN, Polish destroyers ORP GROM,
ORP
BLYSKAWICA and ORP BURZA as screen for HM
Cruisers
AURORA
and GALATEA to carry out search for German
warships
reported
by aircraft as on passage in North Sea.
8th
Deployed as striking force
in search north of position 58.30N
3.30E.
9th
Recalled to join Home Fleet
units also engaged in search operation.
Deployed
with HM Destroyers AFRIDI, SIKH, GURKHA, SOMALI,
MATABELE,
and MASHONA as screen for HM Cruisers
MANCHESTER,
SOUTHAMPTON,
SHEFFIELD and GLASGOW to carry out an attack
on German
warships reported at Bergen.
Operation
cancelled by Admiralty and rejoined Home Fleet
units with same
ships.
After
rejoining Home Fleet came under heavy and
sustained air attacks.
during
which HMS SOUTHAMPTON and HMS GLASGOW were
damaged
by near
misses and HMS GURKHA was hit and sunk later.
11th
Sailed from Scapa Flow with
HM Destroyers SOMALI, AFRIDI, SIKH,
MATABELE
and MOHAWK to carry out sweep inshore northward
of
Alesund to intercept
enemy warship movements prior to planned
allied
landings
in Norway.
12th
Carried
out search for enemy warships
escorting mercantiles.
13th
Under air attacks at
Alesund without damage.
14th
Deployed in support of
landings by RM from cruisers at Namsos.
(Operation
HENRY)
On
completion took passage to meet troopship convoy
15th
Arrived with troopships.
21st
Deployed for patrol off Norwegian coast
with HM Destroyers ASHANTI.
SOMALI,
TARTAR, SIKH and NUBIAN for patrol to intercept
any
attempt by enemy ships to interfere with allied
landings.
(Note:
These ships were
deployed in pairs and returned periodically to
Scapa
Flow to refuel.)
28th
Escorted four ships of return
convoy to UK with HM Destroyers
AFRIDI,
WITHERINGTON, AMAZON and SIKH.
(Note:
These ships had delivered stores to Molde and Andalsnes
in
support of landings (Operation SICKLE
See NAVAL
OPERATIONS
OF THE CAMPAIGN IN NORWAY, April-
June
1940 (HMSO).
May Norwegian
campaign
support in continuation..
4th Arrived
at Mo as escort
for HM Landing Ship ROYAL ULSTERMAN
for
landing of
by troops of Commando Unit. See above reference.
10th
Detached for special
operation in Nore Command.
11th
Deployed with HM
Destroyer VANSITTART to embark British diplomats
at
Hook of Holland for passage to UK after German
invasion of Holland
and
Belgium.
(Note:
Some other officials and refugees were also
embarked.)
12th
Returned to UK
14th
Withdrawn from operations
in Norway and transferred for service
in
the Mediterranean.
(Note: HM Destroyers HERO, HASTY, ILEX,
IMPERIAL, JUNO,
NUBIAN,
KHARTOUM and KINSTON were also transferred
to
the Mediterranean.
For
details of the disastrous naval operations off
Norway see
NARVIK
by D Macintyre, CARRIER GLORIOUS by J Winton,
THE
DOOMED EXPEDITION by Adams and above reference.)
15th
Transferred
to 14th Destroyer Flotilla and prepared for
foreign service.
(Note:
Other ships in Flotilla
were HM Destroyers JERVIS, JANUS, JUNO,
and
NUBIAN.)
17th
During passage to
Mediterranean developed defects in steering
equipment
24th
On completion of repair by
HM Dockyard at Gibraltar took passage
to
join Flotilla at Alexandria.
29th
Arrived at Alexandria for
Mediterranean Fleet duties with Flotilla.
Pennant
Number for visual signalling purposes changed to
G 31
June
Deployed
with Mediterranean Fleet for extensive exercises
in preparation for war with
Italy
for escort of convoys in eastern Mediterranean.
July
Deployed at
Alexandria for Fleet screening duties.
7th
Part of screen for HM
Battleship WARSPITE with HM Destroyers
NUBIAN,
HERO, HEREWARD and DECOY as Force B to provide
cover
for
passage of convoys MF1 and MS1 from Malta to
Egypt
(Operation
MA5).
(Note: Force A comprising cruisers of 7th
Cruiser Squadron and Force C
comprising
HM Aircraft Carrier EAGLE, HM Battleships MALAYA
and
ROYAL SOVEREIGN screened by ten destroyers were
also
deployed
for this operation For
details of Malta Convoy operations
see
MALTA
CONVOYS by R Woodman.)
9th
Present at first capital
ship engagement with Italian warships off Punto
Stilo. (Battle of
Calabria – This established British
ascendancy over Italian
major
ships since the enemy fleet withdrew after their
Flagship and a
cruiser
were damaged by initial long range salvoes from
HMS WARSPITE.
(Note: For details of naval activities in
Mediterranean between 1940 and
1943
see THE BATTLE FOR THE MEDITERRANEAN by Donald
Macintyre,
ENGAGE
THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY by C Barnett
and
THE NAVAL WAR IN
MEDITERRANEAN by J Greene and
A
Massignani.)
August Nominated
with HM
Destroyers NUBIAN and JANUS for detached service
with
Force
H at Gibraltar to reinforce the escort for
transit of HM Aircraft Carrier
ILLUSTRIOUS,
HM Battleship VALIANT, HM Cruisers COVENTRY and
CALCUTTA
during passage to Alexandria to reinforce
Mediterranean Fleet.
(Operation
HATS). Passage to
Gibraltar.
30th
Joined HM Destroyers HERO,
JANUS, GALLANT, GREYHOUND, GRIFFIN
HOTSPUR
and NUBIAN in Force A for escort of warships in
transit
identified
as
Force F and sailed from Gibraltar covered by
ships of Force H.
August
Deployed
for convoy defence in
Eastern Mediterranean.
September
1st
Detached
from Force H ships with Force A and took passage
as escort through
Sicilian
Narrows.
2nd
Rejoined Mediterranean
Fleet east of Sicilian Narrows and deployed with
screen.
5th
Arrived at Alexandria with
ships of Mediterranean Fleet
Flotilla duties in continuation.
16th
Deployed with six other
destroyers as screen for HMS VALIANT. HMS
ILLUSTRIOUS
HM
Cruisers KENT. COVENTRY and CALCUTTA during
operations including
air
attacks on Benghazi and bombardment of shore
targets in support of military
operations.
17th
Detached with HMS NUBIAN to
screen HM Cruiser KENT during bombardment
of
Bardia.
Provided
escort for tow of HMS KENT by HMS NUBIAN for
passage
Alexandria.
(Note: HMS KENT had been damaged by torpedo from
and Italian aircraft during this
operation
19th
Arrived at Alexandria.
21st
Carried out bombardment of Sidi
Barrani with HM
Destroyers
JANUS, JERVIS
and
JUNO.
October
8th
Deployed with HM Destroyers
DAINTY, DECOY, IMPERIAL, JERVIS, JANUS
STUART
(RAN) and VAMPIRE (RAN) as screen for HMS
ILLUSTRIOUS,
HMS
EAGLE, HMS MALAYA, HMS RAMILLIES, HMS VALIANT,
HMS
WARSPITE,
HM Cruisers AJAX,
GLOUCESTER, LIVERPOOL, ORION,
SYDNEY
(RAN) and YORK to provide
cover for passage of Convoy MW2 to
Malta
and ME2 from Malta (Operation MB6)
12th
Under attacks by Italian
torpedo boats which were driven off.
(Note: Three were sunk. See above references).
14th
Returned to Alexandria with
Fleet units after air attacks by carriers on
Leros.
November
6th
Deployed
with HM Destroyers DECOY,
DEFENDER, HASTY, HAVOCK,
HEREWARD,
HERO, HYPERION, ILEX, JERVIS, JUNO, JANUS and
NUBIAN
as screen for HMS ILLUSTRIOUS, HMS MALAYA, HMS
RAMILLIES,
HMS VALIANT, HMS WARSPITE, HMS AJAX,
6th
HMS
GLOUCESTER, HMS ORION, HMAS
SYDNEY and HMS YORK
to
provide cover for passage of Convoy MW3 to
Malta, ME3 from Malta
and
Convoy AN6 on
passage to Suda Bay (Operation MB8)
9th
Remained with screen for
passage to meet HM Battleship BARHAM, HM
Cruisers
BERWICK,
GLASGOW, HM Destroyers GALLANT, GRIFFIN
and
GREYHOUND off Pantelleria.
(Note:
These ships designated Force F were on passage
from Gibraltar to
Mediterranean
Fleet.
10th
Deployed as screen for
reinforced Mediterranean Fleet and took passage
to cover
transit of Convoy ME3 for passage from Malta to
Egypt.
11th
Remained with screen
during air operations against Italian Fleet at
Taranto
(Operation
JUDGEMENT).
After
completion of JUDGEMENT detached with HMS NUBIAN
for
screening
of HM Cruisers AJAX, ORION and SYDNEY (RAN)
during
anti-shipping
sweep operation against Italian shipping in
Straits of
Otranto
as Force X
12th
Sighted
Italian convoy of four
mercantiles escorted by Torpedo Boat
NICOLA
FABRIZI and an Auxiliary cruiser RAMB III off
Albanian
coast.
Took part in consequent engagement during which
the ships
in
the convoy were all sunk and escorting warships
damaged.
See
above references for details.
Rejoined Mediterranean Fleet and formed
part
of screen.
14th
Arrived at Alexandria with
Fleet.
24th
Deployment with screen
for major Fleet units providing cover
during
passage
of Convoy MW4
to be confirmed (Operation MB9)
29th
Mediterranean Fleet units
returned to Alexandria after air attack on
Tripoli
December
11th
Deployed as escort for HM
Monitor TERROR during bombardment
of
Sollum.
13th
Deployed as escort for HM
Cruiser COVENTRY during passage to
Alexandria
after being badly damaged by aircraft torpedo
off the coast
of
North Africa.
16th
Deployment with screen for
HMS ILLUSTRIOUS, HMS VALIANT,
HMS
WARSPITE, HMS AJAX, HMS
GLOUCESTER, HMS ORION,
HMAS
SYDNEY and HMS YORK to provide Distant Cover for
passage
of
Malta Convoys MW5 , ME5, air attacks on Rhodes
and Stampalia
with
a bombardment of Valona to be confirmed.
(Operation
MC2).
(Note:
Fleet returned to Alexandria on 24th.)
1
9 4 1
January
3rd
Deployed as escort for HM
Cruiser CALCUTTA with HM Destroyers NUBIAN
DAINTY
and VOYAGER (RAN)
7th
Joined HM Destroyers
DAINTY, GALLANT, GREYHOUND, GRIFFIN, JERVIS
JUNO
and NUBIAN as screen for HMS ILLUSTRIOUS, HMS
WARSPITE, HMS
and
HMS VALIANT of Force A to provide Distant Cover
for passage of Malta
convoys
MW5 ½, ME5 ½ and ME6 (Operation MC4)
10th
Passage with Force A
screen from Malta to join military convoy WS5A
south of
Pantelleria
(Operation EXCESS)
Detached
from screen for tow of HM Destroyer GALLANT
which had been
badly
damaged
after hitting a mine.
Under
air
attacks during tow operation.
(Note:
Escort to Malta was provided by HM Cruisers
BONAVENTURE,
GLOUCESTER,
SOUTHAMPTON, HM Destroyers GRIFFIN and
DIAMOND.
During
absence from some Fleet units, HMS ILLUSTRIOUS
was badly
damaged
by German air attacks.
See above references.)
11th
After release of tow took
passage to rejoin Fleet and under heavy and
sustained air
attacks
during which HMS SOUTHAMPTON was damaged and had
to be sunk.)
15th
Returned to Alexandria
with Fleet units which had covered passage of
ME6.
19th
Escorted ships of Inshore
Squadron for bombardment of Tobruk in support of
an
advance
by ANZAC troops.
(Note: Inshore Squadron ships involved included
HM Monitor TERROR, HM
River
Gunboats LADYBIRD, APHIS and GNAT
25th
Deployed to cover return
passage of HMS ILLUSTRIOUS into Alexandria after
her
temporary repair in Malta.
February
19th
Deployed
with HM Cruisers AJAX, HMS GLOUCESTER, ORION and
HMS
NUBIAN to take troops to
Malta. (Operation
MC8)
21st
Arrived
in Malta after fast uninterrupted passage.
22nd
Detached
from escort and returned to Alexandria.
24th
Sailed
from Alexandria with HM
Australian Cruiser PERTH and HMS NUBIAN to
assist
HM
Monitor TERROR which had been damaged during air
attacks and was under tow .
(Note:
HMS TERROR later sank in tow
and ship returned to Alexandria.)
March
20th
Deployed
as screen for HM Aircraft Carrier FORMIDABLE,
HMS WARSPITE,
HMS
BARHAM, HMS VALIANT, HM Cruisers GLOUCESTER and
YORK to
provide
cover for passage of Malta convoy MW6 (Operation
MC9).
(Note:
Other destroyers in screen included HM
Destroyers HASTY, HEREWARD.
ILEX,
JERVIS, STUART (RAN) and VENDETTA (RAN).)
24th
Returned
to Alexandria with covering force.
26th
Sailed
from Alexandria with HMS JERVIS, HMS JANUS and
HMS NUBIAN as
screen
for HMS FORMIDABLE prior to Fleet deployment for
interception of
Italian
battle squadron reported on passage to attack
military convoys
on passage
convoys
taking reinforcements for defence of Greece.
27th
Joined
screen for HMS WARSPITE, HMS VALIANT and BARHAM
deployed as
Force
A.
28th
Took
part in night action against Italian squadron
which included battleship
VITTORIO
VENETO, nine cruisers and 17 destroyers off Cape
Matapan.
(Battle
of Matapan – See
MATAPAN by SW Pack,
and above references.)
30th
Returned to Alexandria
with Mediterranean Fleet.
April
Nominated
for detached service based
at Suda Bay with HMS JERVIS, JANUS,
and
NUBIAN of Flotilla to carry out attacks on
convoys off the North African
coast.
Passage
to
Suda Bay
10th
Transferred
to Malta after air threat judged to have
reduced.
15th
Sailed
with same ships from Malta after aircraft
reported convoy of four ships
believed
to be taking troops and stores to Tripoli with
an escort of
three
destroyers.
(Note:
Escorts were Italian
destroyers LUCA TARIGO, LAMPO and
BALERNO.)
16th
After
radar detection of
convoy took part in night action with other
ships of the
Flotilla
against convoy and sank all ships in convoy and
two of the
three escorts.
Before
her sinking LUCA TARIGO
launched torpedoes, two of which hit this
ship
which was totally disabled although remained
afloat.
41
of the ship’s company lost their lives and 168
survivors were rescued.
Ship
was sunk by gunfire from HMS JANUS and settled
on a sandbank in
position
34.56N 11.42E.
For
details
of this highly successful night engagement see
above references.
Casualty
List was published in the TIMES 27th May 1941
Special
Note
The Italian Navy
later
recovered documents from the hulk. These
provided information about access to the harbour
at Alexandria which assisted in the planning of
an
attack by frogmen on capital ships of the
Mediterranean Fleet. On
18th December 1941 Charges were placed by divers
on HMS VALIANT, HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH and the
Norwegian tanker
SAGONA which
resulted in very serious damage. See references.
P
o s t W a
r N o t e s
The
twelfth ship to carry this name was a TRIBAL
Class, Type 81 Frigate launches at Barrow on 5th
April 1962. This ship saw extensive service on
foreign stations before being placed on
the Disposal List in
1981.
Addendum
CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of
HMS MOHAWK
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
|
|
|
|
|
|
14/10/39
|
16/10/39
|
HN
000
|
16/10/39
|
16/10/39
|
16/12/39
|
18/12/39
|
ON
005/1
|
19/12/39
|
19/12/39
|
21/12/39
|
21/12/39
|
HN
005
|
24/12/39
|
24/12/39
|
22/12/39
|
28/12/39
|
TC
002
|
30/12/39
|
30/12/39
|
27/01/40
|
30/01/40
|
HN
009A
|
31/01/40
|
31/01/40
|
11/02/40
|
11/02/40
|
HN
010B
|
13/02/40
|
13/02/40
|
12/02/40
|
12/02/40
|
HN
011
|
15/02/40
|
15/02/40
|
28/06/40
|
28/06/40
|
AS
001/1
|
02/07/40
|
02/07/40
|
|
|
|
|
|
(Note
on Convoys)
|