fbpx
Wikipedia

HMS Paladin (G69)

January 01, 1970

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

HMS Paladin was a P-class destroyer of the Royal Navy that served in the Second World War. She was built by John Brown and Co. Ltd., Clydebank. She saw action in the Mediterranean and Far East. After the war she was converted into a type 16 frigate and was eventually scrapped in 1962.

Paladin in 1954
History
United Kingdom
NameHMS Paladin
Ordered2 October 1939
BuilderJohn Brown
Laid down22 July 1940
Launched11 June 1941
CommissionedDecember 1941
DecommissionedJune 1961
IdentificationPennant number: G69, later F169
Honours and
awards
FateScrapped in 1962
BadgeOn a Field Blue, a sword erect White, pommel and hilt Gold enfiled with two spurs in Saltire also Gold.
General characteristics as P–class
Class and typeP-class destroyer
Displacement
Length345 ft (105 m) o/a
Beam35 ft (11 m)
Draught9 ft (2.7 m)
Propulsion2 × Admiralty 3-drum water-tube boilers, Parsons geared steam turbines, 40,000 shp on 2 shafts
Speed36.75 knots (68.06 km/h)
Range3,850 nautical miles (7,130 km) at 20 knots (37 km/h)
Complement176
Armament
General characteristics as Type 16 class
Class and typeType 16 frigate
Displacement
  • 1,800 long tons (1,800 t) standard
  • 2,300 long tons (2,300 t) full load
Length362 ft 9 in (110.57 m) o/a
Beam37 ft 9 in (11.51 m)
Draught14 ft 6 in (4.42 m)
Propulsion
  • 2 × Admiralty 3-drum boilers
  • Steam turbines, 40,000 shp
  • 2 shafts
Speed32 knots (37 mph; 59 km/h) full load
Complement175
Sensors and
processing systems
  • Type 293Q target indication Radar
  • Type 974 navigation Radar
  • Type 1010 Cossor Mark 10 IFF
  • Type 146B search Sonar
  • Type 147 depth finder Sonar
  • Type 162 target classification Sonar
  • Type 174 attack Sonar
Armament

Design edit

The P-class (and the preceding O-class) destroyers were designed prior to the outbreak of the Second World War to meet the Royal Navy's need for large numbers of destroyers in the event of war occurring. They were an intermediate between the large destroyers designed for fleet operations (such as the Tribal-class) and the smaller and slower Hunt-class escort destroyers.[1][2] It was originally planned for both classes of destroyers to have a main gun armament of 4.7 inch (120 mm ) guns, but supply problems with the 4.7 inch mounts resulted in the decision to complete the eight P-class ships with 4-inch (102 mm) dual purpose (capable of both anti-ship and anti-aircraft fire) guns.[3]

Paladin was 345 ft (105.16 m) long overall, 337 ft (102.72 m) at the waterline and 328 ft 9 in (100.20 m) between perpendiculars, with a beam of 35 ft (10.67 m) and a draught of 9 ft (2.74 m) mean and 13 ft 6 in (4.11 m) full load.[1][4] Displacement was 1,550 long tons (1,570 t) standard and 2,250 long tons (2,290 t) full load.[4] Two Admiralty three-drum boilers fed steam at 300 psi (2,100 kPa) and 620 °F (327 °C) to two sets of Parsons single-reduction geared steam turbines which drove two propeller shafts. The machinery was rated at 40,000 shp (30,000 kW) giving a maximum speed of 36.75 kn (42.3 mph; 68.1 km/h), corresponding to 33 kn (38 mph; 61 km/h) at deep load 500 long tons (510 t) of oil was carried, giving a radius of 3,850 nmi (4,430 mi; 7,130 km) at 20 kn (23 mph; 37 km/h). The ship had a crew of 176 officers and men.[4][5]

Paladin had a main gun armament of five 4-inch (102 mm) QF Mark V anti-aircraft guns in single mounts.[6][5][a] Close-in anti-aircraft armament of one quadruple 2-pounder "pom-pom" mount together with four single Oerlikon 20 mm cannon, with two on the bridge wings and two further aft abreast the searchlight platform.[8][7][9] A single quadruple 21-inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes was carried, while a second bank of four tubes was later added instead of one of the 4-inch guns.[10] Four depth charge throwers were fitted, with 70 depth charges carried.[10]

Construction and service edit

Paladin was laid down at John Brown's Clydebank shipyard on 22 July 1940, launched on 11 June 1941 and completed on 12 December of that year.[11]

First time in the Far East edit

Paladin was allocated to the Eastern Fleet which was then under the command of Admiral Sir James Somerville, leaving Greenock on 17 February 1942, arriving in Colombo via the Cape on 24 March, where she joined the 12th Destroyer Flotilla.[12] At the end of March, warned of a prospective raid by Japanese carrier forces, Summerville, took the Eastern Fleet to sea, dividing it into two main part, with Paladin attached to the fast group, with the battleship Warspite and the aircraft carriers Indomitable and Formidable. On 5 April, the Japanese force struck at Colombo, and later that day, Japanese aircraft spotted the British heavy cruisers Cornwall and Dorsetshire, which were sunk by Japanese dive bombers. Paladin, together with the destroyer Panther and the cruiser Enterprise rescued 1122 survivors[b] from the two ships, many of whom were in the water for 30 hours in a shark-infested sea.[12][14][13]

In the first week of May 1942, Paladin took part in Operation Ironclad, the capture of Diego Suarez, Madagascar, from Vichy French forces, forming part of the screen for the heavy ships, and after resistance at Diego Suarez collapsed on 7 May, entered Diego Suarez harbour with Panther, the battleship Ramillies and the cruiser Hermione.[15][16]

First time in the Mediterranean edit

Following the completion of Operation Ironclad, Paladin was transferred to the Mediterranean Fleet, arriving at Alexandria on 13 June 1942.[12] Shortly after arrival in the Mediterranean, she formed part of the covering force for Operation Vigorous, the passage of a convoy to Malta from Alexandria; at the same time, Operation Harpoon, the passage of another convoy from the west, sailed from Gibraltar. While the latter got through, the Vigorous convoy was prevented from doing so by the appearance of the Italian battle fleet, coupled with heavy air attacks.[12][17][18] Paladin, together with the cruisers Dido and Euryalus and the destroyers Pakenham, Javelin and Jervis, bombarded Mersa Matruh on 19 July 1942.[12][19] On 14 September, Paladin, along with the destroyers Pakenham, Javelin and Jervis and the cruiser Dido, bombarded the Daba area.[20]

Paladin also took part in other Mediterranean operations, including the passage of convoys to Malta from Egypt after the relief of the island in November, and providing anti-aircraft protection for Alexandria.[12] On 17 February 1943, Paladin was part of the escort of a convoy between Tripoli and Alexandria. The convoy was off Derna, Libya, when it was spotted by the German submarine U-205. Paladin detected the submarine on her sonar and dropped a pattern of five depth charges. These badly damaged the submarine, forcing its commander to surface the submarine. On surfacing U-205 was attacked by a Bisley aircraft of 15 Squadron of the South African Air Force, and came under heavy fire from Paladin and the destroyer Jervis, forcing her crew to quickly abandon ship and disrupting attempts to scuttle the submarine. Paladin and Jervis picked up 42 survivors, while a boarding party from Paladin attempted to recover codebooks from U-205, with the submarine's short signal code book and bigram tables recovered. The corvette Gloxinia took U-205 in tow, but the submarine sank under tow before reaching the shore.[12][21][22]

From early 1943, the British intensified attempts to stop supply traffic from Italy to the German and Italian forces in North Africa, with operations including patrols by destroyers.[23] On 8 March 1943, Paladin and Pakenham sank several ferry barges near Pantellaria.[12] In the early morning of 16 April 1943, Paladin and Pakenham were on a sweep in the Sicilian narrows when they met an Italian convoy with a close escort of two torpedo boats, Cigno and Cassiopea. The Italian torpedo boats engaged the two British destroyers while the rest of the convoy escaped. In the ensuing action, the Battle of the Cigno Convoy, Cigno was sunk and Cassiopea damaged, but Pakenham was hit several times by Italian shells which cut her steam lines and flooded her engine room. Paladin took her in tow, but after being attacked by enemy aircraft, Paladin was ordered to scuttle Pakenham, and sank her with torpedoes.[24][25][26]

On 30 April, Paladin and the destroyer Nubian sank the transport Fauna off Sicily and on the night of 3/4 May, Paladin, with Nubian and the destroyer Petard, on another sweep from Malta, sank the Italian torpedo boat Perseo and the merchant ship Campobasso.[27][24] On 7 May, Paladin, with Jervis and Nubian bombarded Kelibia, the most easterly point of the Cape Bon peninsula. This bombardment was repeated on 9 May.[27]

Paladin was among the ships which bombarded Pantellaria on 1 June, on the night of 2/3 June and on 5 June 1943, prior to the main assault on that island on 11 June, when Paladin escorted the landing force. The island surrendered without further fighting.[28]

Sicily edit

Paladin formed part of the reserve covering force, Force Z, that waited to the West of Sicily during Operation Husky, the Anglo American invasion of Sicily on 10 July 1943.[29][30] She subsequently took part in various other operations off the Italian coast, bombarding Vibo Valentia on 13 August along with the cruisers Aurora and Penelope and the destroyer Jervis, and Scalea on 17 August, with Euryalus, Penelope and Jervis.[31]

Italy edit

In September 1943, she took part in operations connected with the invasion of the Italian mainland and the landings at Taranto, Operation Slapstick on 9 September, and after the fast minelayer Abdiel was sunk by a mine in Taranto harbour, Paladin served as headquarters ship and guardship at Taranto.[32] On 26 November, Paladin, together with the cruiser Orion and the destroyers Teazer and Troubridge shelled targets north of the Garigliano river.[33] Paladin also carried out bombardments in the Gulf of Gaeta on 1 December.[32][34]

The Far East edit

In January 1944, Paladin returned to eastern waters as part of a major reinforcement of the Eastern Fleet, joining the 16th Destroyer Flotilla, arriving in Trincomalee on 28 January, escorting the battleships Queen Elizabeth, Valiant and the aircraft carrier Illustrious.[34][35]

On 12 February 1944, Paladin, together with Petard and the cruiser Hawkins were escorting the troop convoy KR 8 from Kilindini to Ceylon (Sri Lanka) through the One and a Half Degree Channel in the Maldives, when the Japanese submarine I-27 torpedoed and sank the troop ship Khedive Ismail, with heavy loss of life (up to 1300 were killed). The two destroyers retaliated with depth charges, and when I-27 came to the surface, Paladin attempted to ram the Japanese submarine, but was badly damaged, with one of I-27' s hydroplanes tearing a 80 feet (24 m) long and up to 2 feet (0.61 m) wide gash in Paladin's hull causing heavy flooding. I-27 was eventually torpedoed and sunk by Petard.[36][37][38][39] The flooding meant that Paladin was in danger of sinking, with her crew jettisoning topweight, including the ship's torpedoes and transferring half her crew, and the survivors she had picked up from Khedive Ismail to Petard in order to control her list before being towed by Petard to Addu Atoll.[32][34]

After temporary repair at Addu Atoll, Paladin was ordered to Simonstown in South Africa, where she arrived on 22 March 1944 to receive full repairs and a refit.[36][34] Departing from Durban on 29 July, she returned to escort duties in the Indian Ocean, via Diego Suarez (Antsiranana), Madagascar and Dar es Salaam.

The Far East revisited edit

In January 1945, Paladin joined Force 65 for the landing of 500 Royal Marines on Cheduba island on 26 January, providing gunfire support for the landings,[34][40] although the Marines found that the island was deserted.[41] In February she took part in Operation Block, to prevent the escape of Japanese troops from Ramree Island.[32][42] On 11 February 1945, Paladin and Pathfinder were attacked by Japanese fighter-bombers off Ramree Island. While Paladin received only minor splinter damage, a near miss badly damaged Pathfinder, which was later written off as not worth repairing.[42][43][44]

In March 1945, Paladin's duties included escorting troopships, and on 26–30 April took part in Operation Bishop, a bombardment of Car Nicobar and Port Blair in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands by the heavy ships of the Eastern Fleet, with Paladin escorting the oiler Olwen.[42] In May 1945, she took part in Operation Dracula, the Anglo-Indian landings at Rangoon.[45] On 10 May, when the Haguro was sighted in the Malacca Strait, Paladin was among the ships that left Trincomalee to intercept the Japanese cruiser.[34] Haguro was eventually sunk by other destroyers on 16 May.[46] On 5 June Paladin took part in sweeps in the Nicobar Channel, with Paladin and Penn sinking a Japanese landing craft off Sumatra.[47][48]

In the last week of July, Paladin took part in Operation Livery, the object of which was removing mines near Phuket Island and the Malay Peninsula and bombarding appropriate targets.[42]

At the end of August, after the Japanese surrender, Paladin was included in the force that proceeded to Penang, which was occupied on 3 September 1945 in Operation Jurist.[34][49][50] A platoon of crew members was sent ashore to help maintain order and prevent looting in George Town after the Japanese withdrawal.[citation needed]

Home, conversion and scrapping edit

 
Paladin in 1958 after conversion to a Type 16 Frigate (IWM)

Paladin left the East Indies Station in October 1945,[32] arriving in Portsmouth in November 1945 and was placed in reserve. In January 1946, she replaced the old destroyer Brilliant as submarine target ship.[34] On 24 August 1946, the Dutch motorship Nigerstroom was in collision with the French freighter Ernest L. Dawson in the English Channel. Paladin towed Nigerstroom to Spithead, leaving the damaged ship in the care of two tugs while the destroyer took 40 passengers from Nigerstroom to Portsmouth.[51] Paladin continued serving as a target ship until March 1947 when she was laid up at Harwich in Category B2 reserve.[c][34] In September 1951, Paladin was refitted at Chatham, remaining in Category II reserve[d] at Chatham after completion of this refit.[34]

In 1953–1954, Paladin was converted to a Type 16 fast anti-submarine frigate at Rosyth Dockyard.[34] The ship's main gun armament was removed and replaced by a single QF 4-inch naval gun Mk XVI mount directed by a Simple Tachymetric Director, while close-in anti-aircraft armament consisted of five 40mm Bofors, with one twin Mk 5 mount amidships, and three single Mk 7 mounts on the bridge wings and on the ship's quarterdeck.[53] Anti submarine armament consisted of two Squid ASW mortars, while a single quadruple 21-inch torpedo-tube mount was retained, giving an anti-surface ship capability, although the hoped for anti-submarine homing torpedoes failed to become available. A Type 293Q surface/air search radar and Type 974 navigation sonar was fitted, while the sonar outfit consisted of Type 146B search, Type 147P depth finder, Type 162 target classification and Type 174 Squid control.[54][55] After completion of this refit, Paladin returned to reserve.[34] Paladin was converted to a minelayer in 1957,[34] with the remaining torpedo tubes and three of the Bofors guns removed to allow up to 30 mines to be carried. Displacement was now 1,800 long tons (1,829 t) standard and 2,300 long tons (2,337 t) full load.[56][57]

On 10 January 1958, Paladin commissioned as part of the Nore Local Squadron,[34] with duties including fishery protection patrols near Iceland.[58] The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh paid a state visit to the Netherlands in the royal yacht Britannia in March 1958, Paladin was one of the escorts for the passage to Amsterdam.[59] In May the same year Paladin fired a 21 gun salute when she and two other frigates took over escort duties outside French territorial waters from the French destroyer Jauréguiberry.[citation needed]

She was placed on the disposal list in 1961,[58] and arrived at Dunston, Tyne and Wear for scrapping by Clayton and Davie on 22 October 1962.[60]

Battle honours edit

Paladin was awarded the following battle honours: 'Diego Suarez 1942', 'Mediterranean 1943', 'Sicily 1943' and 'Burma 1944–45'.

Notes edit

  1. ^ Mark III guns according to English.[7]
  2. ^ 1222 according to Shores et al..[13]
  3. ^ Category B2 reserve meant that the ship was to be preserved for possible service in a future emergency, but would require an extensive refit before entering service.[52]
  4. ^ Category II reserve were dehumidified and held at 30 days readiness.[52]

Citations edit

  1. ^ a b Whitley 2000, p. 124
  2. ^ Lenton 1970, p. 3
  3. ^ English 2008, p. 11
  4. ^ a b c Lenton 1970, p. 9
  5. ^ a b Gardiner & Chesneau 1980, p. 42
  6. ^ Whitley 2000, p. 125
  7. ^ a b English 2008, p. 13
  8. ^ Lenton 1970, pp. 5, 9
  9. ^ Friedman 2008, p. 57
  10. ^ a b Lenton 1970, p. 7
  11. ^ Friedman 2008, p. 327
  12. ^ a b c d e f g h English 2008, p. 28
  13. ^ a b Shores, Cull & Izawa 1993, p. 406
  14. ^ Rohwer & Hümmelchen 1992, p. 132
  15. ^ Rohwer & Hümmelchen 1992, p. 136
  16. ^ Winser 2002, pp. 8, 49
  17. ^ Roskill 1956, pp. 63, 67–71
  18. ^ Rohwer & Hümmelchen 1992, pp. 145–146
  19. ^ Rohwer & Hümmelchen 1992, p. 151
  20. ^ Rohwer & Hümmelchen 1992, p. 164
  21. ^ Sebag-Montefiore 2000, pp. 227–230
  22. ^ Blair 2000, pp. 211–212
  23. ^ Roskill 1956, pp. 430–431
  24. ^ a b Roskill 1956, p. 440
  25. ^ Rohwer & Hümmelchen 1992, p. 203
  26. ^ H.M. Ships Damaged or Sunk by Enemy Action 1952, p. 230
  27. ^ a b Rohwer & Hümmelchen 1992, p. 209
  28. ^ Rohwer & Hümmelchen 1992, p. 214
  29. ^ Winser 2002, pp. 27, 94
  30. ^ Rohwer & Hümmelchen 1992, p. 222
  31. ^ Rohwer & Hümmelchen 1992, p. 225
  32. ^ a b c d e Mason, Geoffrey (19 November 2011). "HMS Paladin (G 69) - P-class Destroyer including Convoy Escort Movements". Service Histories of Royal Navy Warships in World War 2. Naval-history.net. Retrieved 9 June 2020.
  33. ^ Rohwer & Hümmelchen 1992, p. 248
  34. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n English 2008, p. 29
  35. ^ Rohwer & Hümmelchen 1992, p. 255
  36. ^ a b H.M. Ships Damaged or Sunk by Enemy Action 1952, p. 253
  37. ^ English 2008, pp. 29, 35
  38. ^ Roskill 1960, p. 349
  39. ^ Barnett 2000, p. 870
  40. ^ Rohwer & Hümmelchen 1992, p. 329
  41. ^ Kirby 1965, p. 219
  42. ^ a b c d "Eastern Fleet - January to October 1945". Admiralty War Diaries of World War 2. Naval-history.net. 15 July 2011. Retrieved 23 April 2022.
  43. ^ H.M. Ships Damaged or Sunk by Enemy Action 1952, p. 271
  44. ^ English 2008, pp. 32–33
  45. ^ Winser 2002, p. 124
  46. ^ Rohwer & Hümmelchen 1992, pp. 354–355
  47. ^ Rohwer & Hümmelchen 1992, p. 355
  48. ^ English 2008, p. 34
  49. ^ Winser 2002, pp. 43, 138
  50. ^ Rohwer & Hümmelchen 1992, p. 363
  51. ^ "News in Brief: Dutch Ship Holed in Channel Collision". The Times. No. 50539. 26 August 1946. p. 2.
  52. ^ a b English 1987, p. 6
  53. ^ English 2008, p. 15
  54. ^ Gardiner & Chumbley 1995, p. 513
  55. ^ Marriott 1983, p. 41
  56. ^ Friedman 2008, p. 224
  57. ^ Blackman 1960, p. 30
  58. ^ a b "H.M.S. Paladin placed on disposal list" (PDF). Navy News. September 1961. p. 7. Retrieved 6 June 2020.
  59. ^ Critchley 1981, p. 22
  60. ^ Marriott 1983, p. 42

References edit

  • Barnett, Correlli (2000). Engage the Enemy More Closely: The Royal Navy in the Second World War. Classic Penguin. ISBN 0-141-39008-5.
  • Blackman, Raymond V. B. (1960). Jane's Fighting Ships 1960–1961. London: Sampson Low, Marston & Co., Ltd.
  • Blair, Clay (2000). Hitler's U-Boat War: The Hunted, 1942–1945. New York: Modern Library. ISBN 0-679-64033-9.
  • 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.
  • Gardiner, Robert; Chumbley, Stephen, eds. (1995). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1947–1995. Annapolis, Maryland, USA: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-132-7.
  • Chumbley, Stephen; Budzbon, Przemysław (1995). Gardiner, Robert (ed.). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1947–1995. London: Conway Maritime. ISBN 0-85177-605-1. OCLC 34284130.
  • Critchley, Mike (1981). British Warships Since 1945: Part 3, Destroyers. Liskeard, UK: Maritime Books. ISBN 0-9506323-9-2.
  • Crabb, Brian James (2015). Passage to Destiny. The sinking of the SS Khedive Ismail in the sea war against Japan. Donington, UK: Shaun Tyas. ISBN 978-1-907730-41-2.
  • English, John (2008). Obdurate to Daring: British Fleet Destroyers 1941–45. Windsor, UK: World Ship Society. ISBN 978-0-9560769-0-8.
  • English, John (1987). The Hunts: A history of the design, development and careers of the 86 destroyers of this class built for the Royal and Allied Navies during World War II. World Ship Society. ISBN 0-905617-44-4.
  • Friedman, Norman (2008). British Destroyers & Frigates: The Second World War and After. Barnsley, UK: Seaforth Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84832-015-4.
  • Gardiner, Robert; Chesneau, Roger, eds. (1980). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1922–1946. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-146-7.
  • H.M. Ships Damaged or Sunk by Enemy Action: 3rd. SEPT. 1939 to 2nd. SEPT. 1945. Admiralty. 1952. Retrieved 7 June 2020.
  • Kirby, S. Woodburn (1965). The War Against Japan: Volume IV: The Reconquest of Burma. History of the Second World War: United Kingdom Military Series. London: Her Majesties Stationery Office.
  • Lenton, H. T. (1970). Navies of the Second World War: British Fleet and Escort Destroyers: Volume Two. London: Macdonald & Co. (Publishers) Ltd. ISBN 0-356-03122-5.
  • Lenton, H. T. (1998). British & Empire Warships of the Second World War. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-048-7.
  • Marriott, Peter (1983). Royal Navy Frigates 1945–1983. London: Ian Allan. ISBN 0-7110-1322-5.
  • Raven, Alan & Roberts, John (1978). War Built Destroyers O to Z Classes. London: Bivouac Books. ISBN 0-85680-010-4.
  • Rohwer, Jürgen; Hümmelchen, Gerhard (1992). Chronology of the War at Sea 1939–1945. London: Greenhill Books. ISBN 1-85367-117-7.
  • 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.
  • Roskill, S. W. (1956). The War at Sea 1939–1945: Volume II: The Period of Balance. History of the Second World War: United Kingdom Military Series. London: HMSO. Retrieved 7 June 2020 – via Hyperwar.
  • Roskill, S. W. (1960). The War at Sea 1939–1945: Volume III: The Offensive: Part I, 1st June 1943–31st May 1944. History of the Second World War: United Kingdom Military Series. London: HMSO.
  • Sebag-Montefiore, Hugh (2000). Enigma: The Battle for the Code. London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson. ISBN 0-297-84251-X.
  • Shores, Christopher; Cull, Brian; Izawa, Yasuho (1993). Bloody Shambles: Volume Two: The Defence of Sumatra to the Fall of Burma. London: Grub Street. ISBN 0-948817-67-4.
  • Whitley, M. J. (2000). Destroyers of World War Two: An International Encyclopedia. London: Cassell & Co. ISBN 1-85409-521-8.
  • Winser, John de S. (2002). British Invasion Fleets: The Mediterranean and beyond 1942–1945. Gravesend, UK: World Ship Society. ISBN 0-9543310-0-1.

January 01, 1970
paladin, other, ships, with, same, name, paladin, paladin, class, destroyer, royal, navy, that, served, second, world, built, john, brown, clydebank, action, mediterranean, east, after, converted, into, type, frigate, eventually, scrapped, 1962, paladin, 1954h. For other ships with the same name see HMS Paladin HMS Paladin was a P class destroyer of the Royal Navy that served in the Second World War She was built by John Brown and Co Ltd Clydebank She saw action in the Mediterranean and Far East After the war she was converted into a type 16 frigate and was eventually scrapped in 1962 Paladin in 1954History United Kingdom NameHMS Paladin Ordered2 October 1939 BuilderJohn Brown Laid down22 July 1940 Launched11 June 1941 CommissionedDecember 1941 DecommissionedJune 1961 IdentificationPennant number G69 later F169 Honours andawardsDiego Suarez 1942 Sicily 1943 Mediterranean 1943 Burma 1944 45 FateScrapped in 1962 BadgeOn a Field Blue a sword erect White pommel and hilt Gold enfiled with two spurs in Saltire also Gold General characteristics as P class Class and typeP class destroyer Displacement1 690 tons 1 717 tonnes standard 1 640 tons 1 666 tonnes 2 250 tons 2 286 tonnes full load Length345 ft 105 m o a Beam35 ft 11 m Draught9 ft 2 7 m Propulsion2 Admiralty 3 drum water tube boilers Parsons geared steam turbines 40 000 shp on 2 shafts Speed36 75 knots 68 06 km h Range3 850 nautical miles 7 130 km at 20 knots 37 km h Complement176 Armament5 QF 4 in Mk V 102 mm L 45 single mounts HA Mk III 4 QF 2 pdr Mk VIII 40 mm L 39 quad mount Mk VII Up to 6 QF 20 mm Oerlikon single mount P Mk III 4 1 4 tubes for 21 inch 533 mm torpedoes Mk IX 4 throwers and 2 racks for 70 depth charges General characteristics as Type 16 class Class and typeType 16 frigate Displacement1 800 long tons 1 800 t standard 2 300 long tons 2 300 t full load Length362 ft 9 in 110 57 m o a Beam37 ft 9 in 11 51 m Draught14 ft 6 in 4 42 m Propulsion2 Admiralty 3 drum boilers Steam turbines 40 000 shp 2 shafts Speed32 knots 37 mph 59 km h full load Complement175 Sensors and processing systemsType 293Q target indication Radar Type 974 navigation Radar Type 1010 Cossor Mark 10 IFF Type 146B search Sonar Type 147 depth finder Sonar Type 162 target classification Sonar Type 174 attack Sonar Armament1 twin QF 4 inch 102 mm gun Mk XVI 1 twin 40 mm Bofors gun Mk 5 5 single 40 mm Bofors gun Mk 9 2 Squid A S mortar 1 quad 21 inch 533 mm tubes for Mk 9 torpedoes Contents 1 Design 2 Construction and service 2 1 First time in the Far East 2 2 First time in the Mediterranean 2 3 Sicily 2 4 Italy 2 5 The Far East 2 6 The Far East revisited 2 7 Home conversion and scrapping 3 Battle honours 4 Notes 5 Citations 6 ReferencesDesign editThe P class and the preceding O class destroyers were designed prior to the outbreak of the Second World War to meet the Royal Navy s need for large numbers of destroyers in the event of war occurring They were an intermediate between the large destroyers designed for fleet operations such as the Tribal class and the smaller and slower Hunt class escort destroyers 1 2 It was originally planned for both classes of destroyers to have a main gun armament of 4 7 inch 120 mm guns but supply problems with the 4 7 inch mounts resulted in the decision to complete the eight P class ships with 4 inch 102 mm dual purpose capable of both anti ship and anti aircraft fire guns 3 Paladin was 345 ft 105 16 m long overall 337 ft 102 72 m at the waterline and 328 ft 9 in 100 20 m between perpendiculars with a beam of 35 ft 10 67 m and a draught of 9 ft 2 74 m mean and 13 ft 6 in 4 11 m full load 1 4 Displacement was 1 550 long tons 1 570 t standard and 2 250 long tons 2 290 t full load 4 Two Admiralty three drum boilers fed steam at 300 psi 2 100 kPa and 620 F 327 C to two sets of Parsons single reduction geared steam turbines which drove two propeller shafts The machinery was rated at 40 000 shp 30 000 kW giving a maximum speed of 36 75 kn 42 3 mph 68 1 km h corresponding to 33 kn 38 mph 61 km h at deep load 500 long tons 510 t of oil was carried giving a radius of 3 850 nmi 4 430 mi 7 130 km at 20 kn 23 mph 37 km h The ship had a crew of 176 officers and men 4 5 Paladin had a main gun armament of five 4 inch 102 mm QF Mark V anti aircraft guns in single mounts 6 5 a Close in anti aircraft armament of one quadruple 2 pounder pom pom mount together with four single Oerlikon 20 mm cannon with two on the bridge wings and two further aft abreast the searchlight platform 8 7 9 A single quadruple 21 inch 533 mm torpedo tubes was carried while a second bank of four tubes was later added instead of one of the 4 inch guns 10 Four depth charge throwers were fitted with 70 depth charges carried 10 Construction and service editPaladin was laid down at John Brown s Clydebank shipyard on 22 July 1940 launched on 11 June 1941 and completed on 12 December of that year 11 First time in the Far East edit Paladin was allocated to the Eastern Fleet which was then under the command of Admiral Sir James Somerville leaving Greenock on 17 February 1942 arriving in Colombo via the Cape on 24 March where she joined the 12th Destroyer Flotilla 12 At the end of March warned of a prospective raid by Japanese carrier forces Summerville took the Eastern Fleet to sea dividing it into two main part with Paladin attached to the fast group with the battleship Warspite and the aircraft carriers Indomitable and Formidable On 5 April the Japanese force struck at Colombo and later that day Japanese aircraft spotted the British heavy cruisers Cornwall and Dorsetshire which were sunk by Japanese dive bombers Paladin together with the destroyer Panther and the cruiser Enterprise rescued 1122 survivors b from the two ships many of whom were in the water for 30 hours in a shark infested sea 12 14 13 In the first week of May 1942 Paladin took part in Operation Ironclad the capture of Diego Suarez Madagascar from Vichy French forces forming part of the screen for the heavy ships and after resistance at Diego Suarez collapsed on 7 May entered Diego Suarez harbour with Panther the battleship Ramillies and the cruiser Hermione 15 16 First time in the Mediterranean edit Following the completion of Operation Ironclad Paladin was transferred to the Mediterranean Fleet arriving at Alexandria on 13 June 1942 12 Shortly after arrival in the Mediterranean she formed part of the covering force for Operation Vigorous the passage of a convoy to Malta from Alexandria at the same time Operation Harpoon the passage of another convoy from the west sailed from Gibraltar While the latter got through the Vigorous convoy was prevented from doing so by the appearance of the Italian battle fleet coupled with heavy air attacks 12 17 18 Paladin together with the cruisers Dido and Euryalus and the destroyers Pakenham Javelin and Jervis bombarded Mersa Matruh on 19 July 1942 12 19 On 14 September Paladin along with the destroyers Pakenham Javelin and Jervis and the cruiser Dido bombarded the Daba area 20 Paladin also took part in other Mediterranean operations including the passage of convoys to Malta from Egypt after the relief of the island in November and providing anti aircraft protection for Alexandria 12 On 17 February 1943 Paladin was part of the escort of a convoy between Tripoli and Alexandria The convoy was off Derna Libya when it was spotted by the German submarine U 205 Paladin detected the submarine on her sonar and dropped a pattern of five depth charges These badly damaged the submarine forcing its commander to surface the submarine On surfacing U 205 was attacked by a Bisley aircraft of 15 Squadron of the South African Air Force and came under heavy fire from Paladin and the destroyer Jervis forcing her crew to quickly abandon ship and disrupting attempts to scuttle the submarine Paladin and Jervis picked up 42 survivors while a boarding party from Paladin attempted to recover codebooks from U 205 with the submarine s short signal code book and bigram tables recovered The corvette Gloxinia took U 205 in tow but the submarine sank under tow before reaching the shore 12 21 22 From early 1943 the British intensified attempts to stop supply traffic from Italy to the German and Italian forces in North Africa with operations including patrols by destroyers 23 On 8 March 1943 Paladin and Pakenham sank several ferry barges near Pantellaria 12 In the early morning of 16 April 1943 Paladin and Pakenham were on a sweep in the Sicilian narrows when they met an Italian convoy with a close escort of two torpedo boats Cigno and Cassiopea The Italian torpedo boats engaged the two British destroyers while the rest of the convoy escaped In the ensuing action the Battle of the Cigno Convoy Cigno was sunk and Cassiopea damaged but Pakenham was hit several times by Italian shells which cut her steam lines and flooded her engine room Paladin took her in tow but after being attacked by enemy aircraft Paladin was ordered to scuttle Pakenham and sank her with torpedoes 24 25 26 On 30 April Paladin and the destroyer Nubian sank the transport Fauna off Sicily and on the night of 3 4 May Paladin with Nubian and the destroyer Petard on another sweep from Malta sank the Italian torpedo boat Perseo and the merchant ship Campobasso 27 24 On 7 May Paladin with Jervis and Nubian bombarded Kelibia the most easterly point of the Cape Bon peninsula This bombardment was repeated on 9 May 27 Paladin was among the ships which bombarded Pantellaria on 1 June on the night of 2 3 June and on 5 June 1943 prior to the main assault on that island on 11 June when Paladin escorted the landing force The island surrendered without further fighting 28 Sicily edit Paladin formed part of the reserve covering force Force Z that waited to the West of Sicily during Operation Husky the Anglo American invasion of Sicily on 10 July 1943 29 30 She subsequently took part in various other operations off the Italian coast bombarding Vibo Valentia on 13 August along with the cruisers Aurora and Penelope and the destroyer Jervis and Scalea on 17 August with Euryalus Penelope and Jervis 31 Italy edit In September 1943 she took part in operations connected with the invasion of the Italian mainland and the landings at Taranto Operation Slapstick on 9 September and after the fast minelayer Abdiel was sunk by a mine in Taranto harbour Paladin served as headquarters ship and guardship at Taranto 32 On 26 November Paladin together with the cruiser Orion and the destroyers Teazer and Troubridge shelled targets north of the Garigliano river 33 Paladin also carried out bombardments in the Gulf of Gaeta on 1 December 32 34 The Far East edit In January 1944 Paladin returned to eastern waters as part of a major reinforcement of the Eastern Fleet joining the 16th Destroyer Flotilla arriving in Trincomalee on 28 January escorting the battleships Queen Elizabeth Valiant and the aircraft carrier Illustrious 34 35 On 12 February 1944 Paladin together with Petard and the cruiser Hawkins were escorting the troop convoy KR 8 from Kilindini to Ceylon Sri Lanka through the One and a Half Degree Channel in the Maldives when the Japanese submarine I 27 torpedoed and sank the troop ship Khedive Ismail with heavy loss of life up to 1300 were killed The two destroyers retaliated with depth charges and when I 27 came to the surface Paladin attempted to ram the Japanese submarine but was badly damaged with one of I 27 s hydroplanes tearing a 80 feet 24 m long and up to 2 feet 0 61 m wide gash in Paladin s hull causing heavy flooding I 27 was eventually torpedoed and sunk by Petard 36 37 38 39 The flooding meant that Paladin was in danger of sinking with her crew jettisoning topweight including the ship s torpedoes and transferring half her crew and the survivors she had picked up from Khedive Ismail to Petard in order to control her list before being towed by Petard to Addu Atoll 32 34 After temporary repair at Addu Atoll Paladin was ordered to Simonstown in South Africa where she arrived on 22 March 1944 to receive full repairs and a refit 36 34 Departing from Durban on 29 July she returned to escort duties in the Indian Ocean via Diego Suarez Antsiranana Madagascar and Dar es Salaam The Far East revisited edit In January 1945 Paladin joined Force 65 for the landing of 500 Royal Marines on Cheduba island on 26 January providing gunfire support for the landings 34 40 although the Marines found that the island was deserted 41 In February she took part in Operation Block to prevent the escape of Japanese troops from Ramree Island 32 42 On 11 February 1945 Paladin and Pathfinder were attacked by Japanese fighter bombers off Ramree Island While Paladin received only minor splinter damage a near miss badly damaged Pathfinder which was later written off as not worth repairing 42 43 44 In March 1945 Paladin s duties included escorting troopships and on 26 30 April took part in Operation Bishop a bombardment of Car Nicobar and Port Blair in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands by the heavy ships of the Eastern Fleet with Paladin escorting the oiler Olwen 42 In May 1945 she took part in Operation Dracula the Anglo Indian landings at Rangoon 45 On 10 May when the Haguro was sighted in the Malacca Strait Paladin was among the ships that left Trincomalee to intercept the Japanese cruiser 34 Haguro was eventually sunk by other destroyers on 16 May 46 On 5 June Paladin took part in sweeps in the Nicobar Channel with Paladin and Penn sinking a Japanese landing craft off Sumatra 47 48 In the last week of July Paladin took part in Operation Livery the object of which was removing mines near Phuket Island and the Malay Peninsula and bombarding appropriate targets 42 At the end of August after the Japanese surrender Paladin was included in the force that proceeded to Penang which was occupied on 3 September 1945 in Operation Jurist 34 49 50 A platoon of crew members was sent ashore to help maintain order and prevent looting in George Town after the Japanese withdrawal citation needed Home conversion and scrapping edit nbsp Paladin in 1958 after conversion to a Type 16 Frigate IWM Paladin left the East Indies Station in October 1945 32 arriving in Portsmouth in November 1945 and was placed in reserve In January 1946 she replaced the old destroyer Brilliant as submarine target ship 34 On 24 August 1946 the Dutch motorship Nigerstroom was in collision with the French freighter Ernest L Dawson in the English Channel Paladin towed Nigerstroom to Spithead leaving the damaged ship in the care of two tugs while the destroyer took 40 passengers from Nigerstroom to Portsmouth 51 Paladin continued serving as a target ship until March 1947 when she was laid up at Harwich in Category B2 reserve c 34 In September 1951 Paladin was refitted at Chatham remaining in Category II reserve d at Chatham after completion of this refit 34 In 1953 1954 Paladin was converted to a Type 16 fast anti submarine frigate at Rosyth Dockyard 34 The ship s main gun armament was removed and replaced by a single QF 4 inch naval gun Mk XVI mount directed by a Simple Tachymetric Director while close in anti aircraft armament consisted of five 40mm Bofors with one twin Mk 5 mount amidships and three single Mk 7 mounts on the bridge wings and on the ship s quarterdeck 53 Anti submarine armament consisted of two Squid ASW mortars while a single quadruple 21 inch torpedo tube mount was retained giving an anti surface ship capability although the hoped for anti submarine homing torpedoes failed to become available A Type 293Q surface air search radar and Type 974 navigation sonar was fitted while the sonar outfit consisted of Type 146B search Type 147P depth finder Type 162 target classification and Type 174 Squid control 54 55 After completion of this refit Paladin returned to reserve 34 Paladin was converted to a minelayer in 1957 34 with the remaining torpedo tubes and three of the Bofors guns removed to allow up to 30 mines to be carried Displacement was now 1 800 long tons 1 829 t standard and 2 300 long tons 2 337 t full load 56 57 On 10 January 1958 Paladin commissioned as part of the Nore Local Squadron 34 with duties including fishery protection patrols near Iceland 58 The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh paid a state visit to the Netherlands in the royal yacht Britannia in March 1958 Paladin was one of the escorts for the passage to Amsterdam 59 In May the same year Paladin fired a 21 gun salute when she and two other frigates took over escort duties outside French territorial waters from the French destroyer Jaureguiberry citation needed She was placed on the disposal list in 1961 58 and arrived at Dunston Tyne and Wear for scrapping by Clayton and Davie on 22 October 1962 60 Battle honours editPaladin was awarded the following battle honours Diego Suarez 1942 Mediterranean 1943 Sicily 1943 and Burma 1944 45 Notes edit Mark III guns according to English 7 1222 according to Shores et al 13 Category B2 reserve meant that the ship was to be preserved for possible service in a future emergency but would require an extensive refit before entering service 52 Category II reserve were dehumidified and held at 30 days readiness 52 Citations edit a b Whitley 2000 p 124 Lenton 1970 p 3 English 2008 p 11 a b c Lenton 1970 p 9 a b Gardiner amp Chesneau 1980 p 42 Whitley 2000 p 125 a b English 2008 p 13 Lenton 1970 pp 5 9 Friedman 2008 p 57 a b Lenton 1970 p 7 Friedman 2008 p 327 a b c d e f g h English 2008 p 28 a b Shores Cull amp Izawa 1993 p 406 Rohwer amp Hummelchen 1992 p 132 Rohwer amp Hummelchen 1992 p 136 Winser 2002 pp 8 49 Roskill 1956 pp 63 67 71 Rohwer amp Hummelchen 1992 pp 145 146 Rohwer amp Hummelchen 1992 p 151 Rohwer amp Hummelchen 1992 p 164 Sebag Montefiore 2000 pp 227 230 Blair 2000 pp 211 212 Roskill 1956 pp 430 431 a b Roskill 1956 p 440 Rohwer amp Hummelchen 1992 p 203 H M Ships Damaged or Sunk by Enemy Action 1952 p 230 a b Rohwer amp Hummelchen 1992 p 209 Rohwer amp Hummelchen 1992 p 214 Winser 2002 pp 27 94 Rohwer amp Hummelchen 1992 p 222 Rohwer amp Hummelchen 1992 p 225 a b c d e Mason Geoffrey 19 November 2011 HMS Paladin G 69 P class Destroyer including Convoy Escort Movements Service Histories of Royal Navy Warships in World War 2 Naval history net Retrieved 9 June 2020 Rohwer amp Hummelchen 1992 p 248 a b c d e f g h i j k l m n English 2008 p 29 Rohwer amp Hummelchen 1992 p 255 a b H M Ships Damaged or Sunk by Enemy Action 1952 p 253 English 2008 pp 29 35 Roskill 1960 p 349 Barnett 2000 p 870 Rohwer amp Hummelchen 1992 p 329 Kirby 1965 p 219 a b c d Eastern Fleet January to October 1945 Admiralty War Diaries of World War 2 Naval history net 15 July 2011 Retrieved 23 April 2022 H M Ships Damaged or Sunk by Enemy Action 1952 p 271 English 2008 pp 32 33 Winser 2002 p 124 Rohwer amp Hummelchen 1992 pp 354 355 Rohwer amp Hummelchen 1992 p 355 English 2008 p 34 Winser 2002 pp 43 138 Rohwer amp Hummelchen 1992 p 363 News in Brief Dutch Ship Holed in Channel Collision The Times No 50539 26 August 1946 p 2 a b English 1987 p 6 English 2008 p 15 Gardiner amp Chumbley 1995 p 513 Marriott 1983 p 41 Friedman 2008 p 224 Blackman 1960 p 30 a b H M S Paladin placed on disposal list PDF Navy News September 1961 p 7 Retrieved 6 June 2020 Critchley 1981 p 22 Marriott 1983 p 42References editBarnett Correlli 2000 Engage the Enemy More Closely The Royal Navy in the Second World War Classic Penguin ISBN 0 141 39008 5 Blackman Raymond V B 1960 Jane s Fighting Ships 1960 1961 London Sampson Low Marston amp Co Ltd Blair Clay 2000 Hitler s U Boat War The Hunted 1942 1945 New York Modern Library ISBN 0 679 64033 9 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 Gardiner Robert Chumbley Stephen eds 1995 Conway s All the World s Fighting Ships 1947 1995 Annapolis Maryland USA Naval Institute Press ISBN 1 55750 132 7 Chumbley Stephen Budzbon Przemyslaw 1995 Gardiner Robert ed Conway s All the World s Fighting Ships 1947 1995 London Conway Maritime ISBN 0 85177 605 1 OCLC 34284130 Critchley Mike 1981 British Warships Since 1945 Part 3 Destroyers Liskeard UK Maritime Books ISBN 0 9506323 9 2 Crabb Brian James 2015 Passage to Destiny The sinking of the SS Khedive Ismail in the sea war against Japan Donington UK Shaun Tyas ISBN 978 1 907730 41 2 English John 2008 Obdurate to Daring British Fleet Destroyers 1941 45 Windsor UK World Ship Society ISBN 978 0 9560769 0 8 English John 1987 The Hunts A history of the design development and careers of the 86 destroyers of this class built for the Royal and Allied Navies during World War II World Ship Society ISBN 0 905617 44 4 Friedman Norman 2008 British Destroyers amp Frigates The Second World War and After Barnsley UK Seaforth Publishing ISBN 978 1 84832 015 4 Gardiner Robert Chesneau Roger eds 1980 Conway s All the World s Fighting Ships 1922 1946 London Conway Maritime Press ISBN 0 85177 146 7 H M Ships Damaged or Sunk by Enemy Action 3rd SEPT 1939 to 2nd SEPT 1945 Admiralty 1952 Retrieved 7 June 2020 Kirby S Woodburn 1965 The War Against Japan Volume IV The Reconquest of Burma History of the Second World War United Kingdom Military Series London Her Majesties Stationery Office Lenton H T 1970 Navies of the Second World War British Fleet and Escort Destroyers Volume Two London Macdonald amp Co Publishers Ltd ISBN 0 356 03122 5 Lenton H T 1998 British amp Empire Warships of the Second World War Annapolis Maryland Naval Institute Press ISBN 1 55750 048 7 Marriott Peter 1983 Royal Navy Frigates 1945 1983 London Ian Allan ISBN 0 7110 1322 5 Raven Alan amp Roberts John 1978 War Built Destroyers O to Z Classes London Bivouac Books ISBN 0 85680 010 4 Rohwer Jurgen Hummelchen Gerhard 1992 Chronology of the War at Sea 1939 1945 London Greenhill Books ISBN 1 85367 117 7 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 Roskill S W 1956 The War at Sea 1939 1945 Volume II The Period of Balance History of the Second World War United Kingdom Military Series London HMSO Retrieved 7 June 2020 via Hyperwar Roskill S W 1960 The War at Sea 1939 1945 Volume III The Offensive Part I 1st June 1943 31st May 1944 History of the Second World War United Kingdom Military Series London HMSO Sebag Montefiore Hugh 2000 Enigma The Battle for the Code London Weidenfeld amp Nicolson ISBN 0 297 84251 X Shores Christopher Cull Brian Izawa Yasuho 1993 Bloody Shambles Volume Two The Defence of Sumatra to the Fall of Burma London Grub Street ISBN 0 948817 67 4 Whitley M J 2000 Destroyers of World War Two An International Encyclopedia London Cassell amp Co ISBN 1 85409 521 8 Winser John de S 2002 British Invasion Fleets The Mediterranean and beyond 1942 1945 Gravesend UK World Ship Society ISBN 0 9543310 0 1 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title HMS Paladin G69 amp oldid 1184504397, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

article

, read, download, free, free download, mp3, video, mp4, 3gp, jpg, jpeg, gif, png, picture, music, song, movie, book, game, games.