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HMAS Napier (G97)

January 01, 1970

For other ships with the same name, see HMS Napier.

HMAS Napier (G97/D13) was an N-class destroyer serving in the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) during World War II. Built during 1939 and 1940, the destroyer was commissioned into the RAN, although she was ordered and owned by the British government. During 1941, Napier operated in the Mediterranean, before being transferred to the British Eastern Fleet at the start of 1942, then to south Atlantic operations in early 1944. In 1945, Napier was assigned to the British Pacific Fleet, and spent the rest of World War II in the fight against Japan. After the war's end, the destroyer was decommissioned and returned to the British. She was sold off in 1955, and broken up in 1956.

HMAS Napier
History
Australia
NamesakeAdmiral Sir Charles Napier
Ordered1939
BuilderFairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering
Laid down26 July 1939
Launched22 May 1940
Commissioned28 November 1940
Decommissioned25 October 1945
Honours and
awards
FateReturned to Royal Navy 1945 and scrapped 1956
General characteristics (as built)
Class and typeN-class destroyer
Displacement
Length356 ft 6 in (108.7 m) (o/a)
Beam35 ft 9 in (10.9 m)
Draught12 ft 6 in (3.8 m)
Installed power
Propulsion2 shafts; 2 steam turbines
Speed36 knots (67 km/h; 41 mph)
Range5,500 nmi (10,200 km; 6,300 mi) at 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph)
Complement183
Sensors and
processing systems
Armament

Design and construction edit

The N-class destroyer had a displacement of 1,760 tons at standard load, and 2,353 tons at full load.[1] Napier was 356 feet 6 inches (108.66 m) long overall and 229 feet 6 inches (69.95 m) long between perpendiculars, had a beam of 35 feet 8 inches (10.87 m), and a maximum draught of 16 feet 4 inches (4.98 m).[1] Propulsion was provided by Admiralty 3-drum boilers connected to Parsons geared steam turbines, which provided 40,000 shaft horsepower to the ship's two propellers.[2] Napier was capable of reaching 36 knots (67 km/h; 41 mph).[1] The ship's company consisted of 226 officers and sailors.[2]

The ship's armament consisted of six 4.7-inch QF Mark XII guns in three twin mounts, a single 4-inch QF Mark V gun, a 2-pounder 4-barrel Pom Pom, four 0.5-inch machine guns, four 20 mm Oerlikon anti-aircraft guns, four .303 Lewis machine guns, two Pentad dual torpedo launcher tube sets (with 8 torpedoes carried), two depth-charge throwers and one depth-charge chute (with 45 charges carried).[3] The 4-inch gun was removed later in Napier's career.[1]

Napier was the first of the eight-ship N class laid down under the War Emergency Programme when construction started at the Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company shipyard in Govan, Scotland on 26 July 1939.[3] The destroyer was launched on 22 May 1940 by the wife of one of the company directors, and was commissioned into the RAN on 28 November 1940.[2] Although commissioned as an Australian warship, Napier remained the property of the Royal Navy.[4] The ship was named after Scottish Admiral Sir Charles Napier, with the ship's badge taken from the family coat of arms, and cost 403,960 pounds to build.[2]

Operating history edit

During the ship's first weeks of operation, several sailors threatened to mutiny by refusing to leave the mess decks; this was defused when the ship's first lieutenant humorously threatened to "flog 'em out of the mess decks with ropes' ends".[5]

In January 1941, "Napier" carried Winston Churchill to the Royal Navy base at Scapa Flow from nearby Scrabster when Churchill accompanied Lord Halifax there for his departure for the United States to serve as British Ambassador.[6]

After completing sea trials, Napier spent the first part of her career operating as a convoy escort in the North Atlantic.[2] Napier and sister ship Nestor were transferred to the Mediterranean, arriving in time to participate in the evacuation of Crete.[2] Napier was then assigned to Port Said for 2+1⁄2 months, serving as control ship for the harbour's defence at night, while undergoing repairs and refits in the day.[2] On completion in August, the destroyer was assigned as lead ship of the 7th Destroyer Flotilla.[2] During the remainder of the year, Napier participated in the Tobruk Ferry Service, escorted convoys through the Mediterranean and the Red Sea, and transferred troops between Cyprus and Hafia.[2]

At the start of 1942, Napier, Nestor, and Nizam were transferred to the British Eastern Fleet.[2] The ships' first task was to escort the carrier HMS Indomitable to the Malaya-Java area.[2] In June, Napier and Nestor returned to the Mediterranean for Operation Vigorous, a major convoy to support besieged Malta.[2] Napier returned to duties with the Eastern Fleet after the unsuccessful convoy run, and in September participated in the Madagascar campaign, particularly the surrender of Majunga and the occupation of Tamatave.[2]

The destroyer commenced patrols of the East Indian Ocean in October, which she continued until March 1943, when she joined the Atlantic anti-submarine force based in South Africa.[2] At the start of 1944, Napier was assigned to Indian waters.[2] Later in the year, the ship sailed to Australia for a long period of refitting at Williamstown, but returned to the Eastern Fleet in early November.[2] During December, Napier supported operations of the 74th Indian Infantry Brigade.[2] In January 1945, Napier took part in landings at Akyab and Ramree.[7]

In early 1945, Napier was reassigned to the British Pacific Fleet, changing her pennant from G97 to D13.[3] During May, the destroyer was part of the escort screen for the carrier air raids on Sakishima.[8] Napier was present in Tokyo Bay on Victory over Japan Day (2 September 1945), when the Japanese Instrument of Surrender was signed.[9] After supporting the occupation landings, the destroyer sailed to Sydney.[8]

Napier earned six battle honours for her wartime service: "Crete 1941", "Libya 1941", "Indian Ocean 1942–44", "Burma 1944–45", "Pacific 1945", and "Okinawa 1945".[10][11]

Decommissioning and fate edit

The Australian ship's company left on 25 October 1945, and Napier was returned to the RN.[4] The ship was not recommissioned, and was sold to Thos. W. Ward for scrap in 1955. She arrived at Briton Ferry in January 1956 for breaking.[8]

Citations edit

  1. ^ a b c d Cassells, The Destroyers, p. 51
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q Cassells, The Destroyers, p. 52
  3. ^ a b c Cassells, The Destroyers, pp. 51–2
  4. ^ a b "HMAS Napier". Sea Power Centre Australia. Retrieved 15 September 2008.
  5. ^ Frame & Baker, Mutiny!, pp. 153–4
  6. ^ Larson, Erik. (2020). The Splendid and the Vile. New York. Crown.
  7. ^ Gillett & Graham, Warships of Australia, p. 162
  8. ^ a b c Cassells, The Destroyers, p. 53
  9. ^ . Naval Historical Center – U.S. Navy. 27 May 2005. Archived from the original on 5 February 2007. Retrieved 13 January 2007. Taken from Commander in Chief, U.S. Pacific Fleet and Pacific Ocean Areas (CINCPAC/CINCPOA) A16-3/FF12 Serial 0395, 11 February 1946: Report of Surrender and Occupation of Japan
  10. ^ . Royal Australian Navy. 1 March 2010. Archived from the original on 13 June 2011. Retrieved 23 December 2012.
  11. ^ (PDF). Royal Australian Navy. 1 March 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 June 2011. Retrieved 23 December 2012.

References edit

  • Cassells, Vic (2000). The Destroyers: Their Battles and Their Badges. East Roseville, New South Wales: Simon & Schuster. ISBN 0-7318-0893-2. OCLC 46829686.
  • Frame, Tom; Baker, Kevin (2000). Mutiny! Naval Insurrections in Australia and New Zealand. St. Leonards, New South Wales: Allen & Unwin. ISBN 1-86508-351-8. OCLC 46882022.
  • Gillett, Ross; Graham, Colin (1977). Warships of Australia. Adelaide, South Australia: Rigby. ISBN 0-7270-0472-7.

Further reading edit

  • Colledge, J. J.; Warlow, Ben (2006) [1969]. Ships of the Royal Navy: The Complete Record of all Fighting Ships of the Royal Navy (Rev. ed.). London: Chatham Publishing. ISBN 978-1-86176-281-8.
  • English, John (2001). Afridi to Nizam: British Fleet Destroyers 1937–43. Gravesend, Kent: World Ship Society. ISBN 0-905617-64-9.
  • Friedman, Norman (2006). British Destroyers & Frigates: The Second World War and After. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-86176-137-6.
  • Hodges, Peter; Friedman, Norman (1979). Destroyer Weapons of World War 2. Greenwich: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 978-0-85177-137-3.
  • Langtree, Charles (2002). The Kelly's: British J, K, and N Class Destroyers of World War II. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-422-9.
  • Lenton, H. T. (1998). British & Empire Warships of the Second World War. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-048-7.
  • March, Edgar J. (1966). British Destroyers: A History of Development, 1892–1953; Drawn by Admiralty Permission From Official Records & Returns, Ships' Covers & Building Plans. London: Seeley Service. OCLC 164893555.
  • Rohwer, Jürgen (2005). Chronology of the War at Sea 1939–1945: The Naval History of World War Two (Third Revised ed.). Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-59114-119-2.
  • Whitley, M. J. (1988). Destroyers of World War Two: An International Encyclopedia. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-87021-326-1.

External links edit

  •   Media related to HMAS Napier (G97) at Wikimedia Commons

January 01, 1970
hmas, napier, other, ships, with, same, name, napier, hmas, napier, class, destroyer, serving, royal, australian, navy, during, world, built, during, 1939, 1940, destroyer, commissioned, into, although, ordered, owned, british, government, during, 1941, napier. For other ships with the same name see HMS Napier HMAS Napier G97 D13 was an N class destroyer serving in the Royal Australian Navy RAN during World War II Built during 1939 and 1940 the destroyer was commissioned into the RAN although she was ordered and owned by the British government During 1941 Napier operated in the Mediterranean before being transferred to the British Eastern Fleet at the start of 1942 then to south Atlantic operations in early 1944 In 1945 Napier was assigned to the British Pacific Fleet and spent the rest of World War II in the fight against Japan After the war s end the destroyer was decommissioned and returned to the British She was sold off in 1955 and broken up in 1956 HMAS NapierHistory Australia NamesakeAdmiral Sir Charles Napier Ordered1939 BuilderFairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Laid down26 July 1939 Launched22 May 1940 Commissioned28 November 1940 Decommissioned25 October 1945 Honours andawardsBattle honours Crete 1941 Libya 1941 Indian Ocean 1942 44 Burma 1944 45 Pacific 1945 Okinawa 1945 FateReturned to Royal Navy 1945 and scrapped 1956 General characteristics as built Class and typeN class destroyer Displacement1 773 long tons 1 801 t standard 2 384 long tons 2 422 t deep load Length356 ft 6 in 108 7 m o a Beam35 ft 9 in 10 9 m Draught12 ft 6 in 3 8 m Installed power40 000 shp 30 000 kW 2 Admiralty 3 drum boilers Propulsion2 shafts 2 steam turbines Speed36 knots 67 km h 41 mph Range5 500 nmi 10 200 km 6 300 mi at 15 knots 28 km h 17 mph Complement183 Sensors and processing systemsASDIC Type 285 gunnery radar Type 286 radar surface search radar Armament3 twin QF 4 7 inch 120 mm Mk XII guns 1 single QF 4 inch Mk V 102 mm AA gun 4 single 20 mm 0 8 in Oerlikon AA guns 2 twin QF 0 5 inch 12 7 mm Mk III machineguns 1 quintuple 21 inch 533 mm torpedo tubes 45 depth charges 1 rack 2 throwers Contents 1 Design and construction 2 Operating history 3 Decommissioning and fate 4 Citations 5 References 6 Further reading 7 External linksDesign and construction editThe N class destroyer had a displacement of 1 760 tons at standard load and 2 353 tons at full load 1 Napier was 356 feet 6 inches 108 66 m long overall and 229 feet 6 inches 69 95 m long between perpendiculars had a beam of 35 feet 8 inches 10 87 m and a maximum draught of 16 feet 4 inches 4 98 m 1 Propulsion was provided by Admiralty 3 drum boilers connected to Parsons geared steam turbines which provided 40 000 shaft horsepower to the ship s two propellers 2 Napier was capable of reaching 36 knots 67 km h 41 mph 1 The ship s company consisted of 226 officers and sailors 2 The ship s armament consisted of six 4 7 inch QF Mark XII guns in three twin mounts a single 4 inch QF Mark V gun a 2 pounder 4 barrel Pom Pom four 0 5 inch machine guns four 20 mm Oerlikon anti aircraft guns four 303 Lewis machine guns two Pentad dual torpedo launcher tube sets with 8 torpedoes carried two depth charge throwers and one depth charge chute with 45 charges carried 3 The 4 inch gun was removed later in Napier s career 1 Napier was the first of the eight ship N class laid down under the War Emergency Programme when construction started at the Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company shipyard in Govan Scotland on 26 July 1939 3 The destroyer was launched on 22 May 1940 by the wife of one of the company directors and was commissioned into the RAN on 28 November 1940 2 Although commissioned as an Australian warship Napier remained the property of the Royal Navy 4 The ship was named after Scottish Admiral Sir Charles Napier with the ship s badge taken from the family coat of arms and cost 403 960 pounds to build 2 Operating history editDuring the ship s first weeks of operation several sailors threatened to mutiny by refusing to leave the mess decks this was defused when the ship s first lieutenant humorously threatened to flog em out of the mess decks with ropes ends 5 In January 1941 Napier carried Winston Churchill to the Royal Navy base at Scapa Flow from nearby Scrabster when Churchill accompanied Lord Halifax there for his departure for the United States to serve as British Ambassador 6 After completing sea trials Napier spent the first part of her career operating as a convoy escort in the North Atlantic 2 Napier and sister ship Nestor were transferred to the Mediterranean arriving in time to participate in the evacuation of Crete 2 Napier was then assigned to Port Said for 2 1 2 months serving as control ship for the harbour s defence at night while undergoing repairs and refits in the day 2 On completion in August the destroyer was assigned as lead ship of the 7th Destroyer Flotilla 2 During the remainder of the year Napier participated in the Tobruk Ferry Service escorted convoys through the Mediterranean and the Red Sea and transferred troops between Cyprus and Hafia 2 At the start of 1942 Napier Nestor and Nizam were transferred to the British Eastern Fleet 2 The ships first task was to escort the carrier HMS Indomitable to the Malaya Java area 2 In June Napier and Nestor returned to the Mediterranean for Operation Vigorous a major convoy to support besieged Malta 2 Napier returned to duties with the Eastern Fleet after the unsuccessful convoy run and in September participated in the Madagascar campaign particularly the surrender of Majunga and the occupation of Tamatave 2 The destroyer commenced patrols of the East Indian Ocean in October which she continued until March 1943 when she joined the Atlantic anti submarine force based in South Africa 2 At the start of 1944 Napier was assigned to Indian waters 2 Later in the year the ship sailed to Australia for a long period of refitting at Williamstown but returned to the Eastern Fleet in early November 2 During December Napier supported operations of the 74th Indian Infantry Brigade 2 In January 1945 Napier took part in landings at Akyab and Ramree 7 In early 1945 Napier was reassigned to the British Pacific Fleet changing her pennant from G97 to D13 3 During May the destroyer was part of the escort screen for the carrier air raids on Sakishima 8 Napier was present in Tokyo Bay on Victory over Japan Day 2 September 1945 when the Japanese Instrument of Surrender was signed 9 After supporting the occupation landings the destroyer sailed to Sydney 8 Napier earned six battle honours for her wartime service Crete 1941 Libya 1941 Indian Ocean 1942 44 Burma 1944 45 Pacific 1945 and Okinawa 1945 10 11 Decommissioning and fate editThe Australian ship s company left on 25 October 1945 and Napier was returned to the RN 4 The ship was not recommissioned and was sold to Thos W Ward for scrap in 1955 She arrived at Briton Ferry in January 1956 for breaking 8 Citations edit a b c d Cassells The Destroyers p 51 a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q Cassells The Destroyers p 52 a b c Cassells The Destroyers pp 51 2 a b HMAS Napier Sea Power Centre Australia Retrieved 15 September 2008 Frame amp Baker Mutiny pp 153 4 Larson Erik 2020 The Splendid and the Vile New York Crown Gillett amp Graham Warships of Australia p 162 a b c Cassells The Destroyers p 53 Allied Ships Present in Tokyo Bay During the Surrender Ceremony 2 September 1945 Naval Historical Center U S Navy 27 May 2005 Archived from the original on 5 February 2007 Retrieved 13 January 2007 Taken from Commander in Chief U S Pacific Fleet and Pacific Ocean Areas CINCPAC CINCPOA A16 3 FF12 Serial 0395 11 February 1946 Report of Surrender and Occupation of Japan Navy Marks 109th Birthday With Historic Changes To Battle Honours Royal Australian Navy 1 March 2010 Archived from the original on 13 June 2011 Retrieved 23 December 2012 Royal Australian Navy Ship Unit Battle Honours PDF Royal Australian Navy 1 March 2010 Archived from the original PDF on 14 June 2011 Retrieved 23 December 2012 References editCassells Vic 2000 The Destroyers Their Battles and Their Badges East Roseville New South Wales Simon amp Schuster ISBN 0 7318 0893 2 OCLC 46829686 Frame Tom Baker Kevin 2000 Mutiny Naval Insurrections in Australia and New Zealand St Leonards New South Wales Allen amp Unwin ISBN 1 86508 351 8 OCLC 46882022 Gillett Ross Graham Colin 1977 Warships of Australia Adelaide South Australia Rigby ISBN 0 7270 0472 7 Further reading editColledge J J Warlow Ben 2006 1969 Ships of the Royal Navy The Complete Record of all Fighting Ships of the Royal Navy Rev ed London Chatham Publishing ISBN 978 1 86176 281 8 English John 2001 Afridi to Nizam British Fleet Destroyers 1937 43 Gravesend Kent World Ship Society ISBN 0 905617 64 9 Friedman Norman 2006 British Destroyers amp Frigates The Second World War and After Annapolis Maryland Naval Institute Press ISBN 1 86176 137 6 Hodges Peter Friedman Norman 1979 Destroyer Weapons of World War 2 Greenwich Conway Maritime Press ISBN 978 0 85177 137 3 Langtree Charles 2002 The Kelly s British J K and N Class Destroyers of World War II Annapolis Maryland Naval Institute Press ISBN 1 55750 422 9 Lenton H T 1998 British amp Empire Warships of the Second World War Annapolis Maryland Naval Institute Press ISBN 1 55750 048 7 March Edgar J 1966 British Destroyers A History of Development 1892 1953 Drawn by Admiralty Permission From Official Records amp Returns Ships Covers amp Building Plans London Seeley Service OCLC 164893555 Rohwer Jurgen 2005 Chronology of the War at Sea 1939 1945 The Naval History of World War Two Third Revised ed Annapolis Maryland Naval Institute Press ISBN 1 59114 119 2 Whitley M J 1988 Destroyers of World War Two An International Encyclopedia Annapolis Maryland Naval Institute Press ISBN 0 87021 326 1 External links edit nbsp Media related to HMAS Napier G97 at Wikimedia Commons Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title HMAS Napier G97 amp oldid 1208409943, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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