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HMSAiredale

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On the horizon HMS Airedale seen blowing up after a direct hit from enemy bombers during a convoy from Alexandria to Malta.
History
United Kingdom
NameHMSAiredale
Ordered4 July 1940
BuilderJohn Brown & Company,Clydebank
Laid down20 November 1940
Launched12 August 1941
Commissioned8 January 1942
IdentificationPennant number:L07
FateSunk 15 June 1942, 33° 50'N, 23° 50'E
General characteristics
Class and typeType III Hunt-classdestroyer
Displacement
  • 1,050 long tons (1,067 t) standard,
  • 1,490 long tons (1,514 t) full load
Length
  • 264 ft 3 in (80.54 m)pp,
  • 280 ft (85.34 m)oa
Beam31 ft 6 in (9.60 m)
Draught7 ft 9 in (2.36 m)
Propulsion
Speed27 kn (50 km/h; 31 mph)
Range3,700 nmi (6,900 km; 4,300 mi) at 14 kn (26 km/h; 16 mph)
Complement168
Armament

HMSAiredalewas aHunt-class destroyerbuilt for use by the BritishRoyal Navyduring theSecond World War.She entered service in early 1942 as a convoy escort, being assigned to theMediterranean Fleetin May.Airedalewas sunk whileescorting a convoyfromAlexandriatoMaltaon 15 June 1942 bySturzkampfgeschwader 3.

Construction and design

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Airedalewas one of sevenType III Hunt-classdestroyers ordered for theRoyal Navyon 4 July 1940, as part of the 1940 War Emergency Programme.[1]The Hunt class was meant to fill the Royal Navy's need for a large number of small destroyer-type vessels capable of both convoy escort and operations with the fleet. The Type III Hunts differed from the previousType IIships in replacing a twin 4-inch gun mount by two torpedo tubes to improve their ability to operate as destroyers.[2][3]

The Type III Hunts were 264 feet 3 inches (80.54 m) longbetween perpendicularsand 280 feet (85.34 m)overall,with abeamwas 31 feet 6 inches (9.60 m) anddraught7 feet 9 inches (2.36 m). Displacement was 1,050long tons(1,067t)standardand 1,490 long tons (1,514 t) under full load. TwoAdmiralty boilersraising steam at 300 pounds per square inch (2,100 kPa) and 620 °F (327 °C) fedParsonssingle-reduction gearedsteam turbinesthat drove two propeller shafts, generating 19,000 shaft horsepower (14,000 kW) at 380 rpm. This gave a design maximum speed of 27 knots (50 km/h; 31 mph).[4]345 long tons (351 t) of oil fuel were carried, giving a range of 3,700 nautical miles (6,900 km; 4,300 mi) at 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph).[5]

Main gun armament was four4 inch (102 mm) QF Mk XVIdual purpose (anti-ship and anti-aircraft) guns in two twin mounts, with a quadruple2-pounder "pom-pom"and threeOerlikon 20 mm cannonproviding close-in anti-aircraft fire.[6][4]Two 21-inch (533 mm)torpedo tubeswere fitted in a single twin mount, while twodepth chargechutes, four depth charge throwers and 70 depth charges comprised the ship's anti-submarine armament.Type 291andType 285 radarwas fitted, as was Type 128sonar.[6][7]

Airedalewaslaid downat theClydebankshipyard of the shipbuildersJohn Brown & Companyon 20 November 1940 waslaunchedon 12 August 1941 and was completed on 8 January 1942.[1][8]

Service

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Airedalejoined the Home Fleet atScapa Flowfor workup after commissioning, and on 14 February 1942 leftKirkwallinOrkneyas part of the escort of theArctic convoyPQ 11on the first stage of its journey toMurmanskin Northern Russia.[9][10]During March she escorted the SSQueen VictoriatoGibraltarand then the cruiserDauntlessto theCape of Good Hope.She was then assigned to theMediterranean Fleet,arriving inAlexandriaon 1 May, joining the5th Destroyer Flotilla.[9][11]On 10 May, the14th Destroyer Flotilla(Jackal,JervisKiplingandLively) set out from Alexandria to intercept an Italian convoy sailing from Italy to Benghazi.[12]The flotilla was sighted by German reconnaissance aircraft on the afternoon of 11 May, and despite abandoning the mission and turning back towards Alexandria, came under heavy air attack from German bombers.LivelyandKiplingwere sunk andJackalwas badly damaged by the attacks, withJackalbeing taken under tow byJervis.[13]Airedale,along with sister shipsBeaufort,DulvertonandHurworthand the destroyersSikhandHasty,were ordered out from Alexandria to escortJervisandJackalto the port. By the time thatAiredalemet up withJervisandJackal,it had been decided to abandon the tow, andJackalwasscuttledbyJervis.[14][9]

On 13 JuneAiredaleset out from Alexandria as part of the escort of a large convoy toMalta(Operation Vigorous), while a second convoy (Operation Harpoon) was sailing to Malta from Gibraltar.[15][16]On 14 June the Vigorous convoy came under heavy air attack, sinking one merchant ship and damaging another. The convoy turned back towards Alexandria on receiving reports of the Italian fleet sailing to intercept, and in the night of 14/15 June, German motor torpedo boats took advantage of the disruption caused by the course change to successfully attack the convoy, damaging the cruiserNewcastleand sinking the destroyerHasty.[15][17]Air attacks continued on 15 June, with the cruiserBirminghambeing damaged by a bomb, and then at about 15:20, twelveJunkers Ju 87dive bombers ofStG 3.She was near missed by three bombs and hit by two bombs near the aft 4-inch gun mount. One of these bombs caused one of the ship's magazines (either the aft 4-inch magazine or the depth charge storage) to explode, and starting a large fire aft.[9][15][18]Airedale's crew abandoned ship and the ship was scuttled by gunfire fromHurworthand a torpedo fromAldenham.45 ofAiredale's crew were killed with 133 rescued.[9][19][20]

Notes

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  1. ^abEnglish 1987,p. 17
  2. ^English 1987,pp. 7, 12
  3. ^Lenton 1970,pp. 83, 85
  4. ^abLenton 1970,p. 97
  5. ^Whitley 2000,p. 147
  6. ^abGardiner & Chesneau 1980,p. 46
  7. ^English 1987,pp. 12–13
  8. ^Friedman 2008,p. 331
  9. ^abcdeEnglish 1987,p. 27
  10. ^Ruegg & Hague 1992,pp. 26–27
  11. ^Mason, Geoffrey B. (12 August 2011)."HMS AIREDALE (L 07) - Type III, Hunt-class Escort Destroyer including Convoy Escort Movements".Service Histories of Royal Navy Warships in World War 2.naval-history.net.Retrieved5 December2018.
  12. ^Smith 1971,pp. 155–156
  13. ^Smith 1971,pp. 159–161, 163
  14. ^Smith 1971,p. 163
  15. ^abcRohwer & Hümmelchen 1992,pp. 145–146
  16. ^Barnett 2000,pp. 505, 510–511
  17. ^Barnett 2000,pp. 511–512
  18. ^Barnett 2000,pp. 513–514
  19. ^Kemp 1999,p. 186
  20. ^Kindell, Don (18 April 2009)."1st - 30th June 1942 - in date, ship/unit & name order".Casualty Lists of the Royal Navy and Dominion Navies, World War 2.naval-history.net.Retrieved5 December2018.

References

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  • Barnett, Corelli (2000).Engage The Enemy More Closely.London: Penguin.ISBN0-141-39008-5.
  • 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.ISBN0-905617-44-4.
  • Friedman, Norman(2008).British Destroyers and Frigates: The Second World War and After.Barnsley, UK: Seaforth Publishing.ISBN978-1-84832-015-4.
  • Gardiner, Robert; Chesneau, Roger, eds. (1980).Conway's All The World's Fighting Ships 1922–1946.London: Conway Maritime Press.ISBN0-85177-146-7.
  • Kemp, Paul (1999).The Admiralty Regrets: British Warship Losses of the 20th Century.Stroud, UK: Sutton Publishing.ISBN0-7509-1567-6.
  • Lenton, H.T.(1970).Navies of the Second World War: British Fleet & Escort Destroyers Volume Two.London: Macdonald & Co.ISBN0-356-03122-5.
  • Rohwer, Jürgen;Hümmelchen, Gerhard (1992).Chronology of the War at Sea 1939–1945.London: Greenhill Books.ISBN1-85367-117-7.
  • Ruegg, Bob; Hague, Arnold (1992).Convoys to Russia 1941–1945.Kendal, UK: World Ship Society.ISBN0-905617-66-5.
  • Smith, Peter C. (30 June 1971). "A Needless Tragedy: A Tragic Loss to the Royal Navy".Warship International.Vol. VIII, no. 2. pp. 154–169.
  • Whitley, M. J. (2000).Destroyers of World War Two: An International Encyclopedia.London: Cassell & Co.ISBN1-85409-521-8.

Further reading

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