HMAS Nizam (G38)
HMAS Nizam in May 1945
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History | |
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Australia | |
Name | Nizam |
Namesake | Sir Osman Ali Khan, The Last Nizam of Hyderabad |
Builder | John Brown & Company |
Laid down | 27 July 1939 |
Launched | 4 July 1940 |
Commissioned | 19 December 1940 |
Decommissioned | 17 October 1945 |
Honours and awards |
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Fate | Returned to RN, not returned to service, scrapped in 1956 |
General characteristics (as built) | |
Class and type | N-class destroyer |
Displacement | 1,773 standard ) |
Length | 356 ft 6 in (108.7 m) (o/a) |
Beam | 35 ft 9 in (10.9 m) |
Draught | 12 ft 6 in (3.8 m) |
Installed power |
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Propulsion | 2 shafts; 2 steam turbines |
Speed | 36 knots (67 km/h; 41 mph) |
Range | 5,500 nmi (10,200 km; 6,300 mi) at 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph) |
Complement | 183 |
Sensors and processing systems |
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Armament |
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HMAS Nizam (G38/D15) was an
Nizam spent the early part of her service in the Atlantic, then was reassigned to the Mediterranean, where she was involved in the
After returning to Australia in late 1945, Nizam was decommissioned and returned to the Royal Navy. The ship was not returned to active service, and was broken up for scrap in 1956.
Design and construction
The
The ship's armament consisted of six
HMAS Nizam was laid down by John Brown and Company, Limited, at Clydebank in Scotland on 27 July 1939.
Operational history
After completing sea trials, Nizam was assigned to Scapa Flow, where she was assigned to fleet duties, then retasked as an escort for convoys crossing the Atlantic.[2] In April 1941, the destroyer joined a convoy sailing to Gibraltar, then sailed around Africa to meet the troop transports Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth, which Nizam helped escort to Alexandria.[2] Around the same time, all watchkeeping sailors staged a mutiny in response to alterations to watchkeeping and messing arrangements by locking themselves into their messdeck compartments.[7] Following mediation between the sailors and the officers, the captain agreed to restore the original arrangements and decided not to charge the sailors, after which the watchkeepers returned to duty.[7]
On 21 May, Nizam participated in the shelling of
After repairs were completed, Nizam spent the rest of 1941 escorting
At the start of 1942, Nizam and her sister ship,
After refitting, Nizam was attached to the
During 1945, Nizam was assigned to the Philippines and New Guinea theatres as part of the British Pacific Fleet, during which, her pennant number was changed from G38 to D15.[9] On 15 August 1945, Nizam received orders to cease hostilities; shortly after this, the ship was attacked by a Japanese fighter, which was shot down.[8] Nizam was present in Tokyo Bay for the Japanese surrender, and served as duty destroyer on 2 September, the day the Japanese Instrument of Surrender was signed.[8][10] The destroyer left for Australia on 24 September.[8]
Nizam earned seven battle honours for her wartime service: "Malta Convoys 1941–42", "Crete 1941", "Libya 1941", "Mediterranean 1941", "Indian Ocean 1942–44", "Pacific 1943", and "Okinawa 1945".[11][12]
Decommissioning and fate
Nizam was decommissioned on 17 October 1945 and returned to the Royal Navy; her ship's company transferred to HMAS Quadrant, and the N-class destroyer was temporarily recommissioned as HMS Nizam for the voyage to England.[8] The ship was not returned to active service and was passed to the British Iron & Steel Corporation in 1955 who allocated her to Thos. W. Ward for scrapping at their yard in Grays.[13]
Citations
- ^ a b c d Cassells, The Destroyers, p. 65
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v Cassells, The Destroyers, p. 66
- ^ Cassells, The Destroyers, pp. 65–6
- ^ a b c Royal Australian Navy, HMAS Nizam
- ^ Cassells, The Destroyers, pgs 66, 239
- ^ "HMAS Nizam". Royal Australian Navy. Archived from the original on 26 July 2020. Retrieved 19 July 2020.
- ^ a b Frame & Baker, Mutiny, p. 154
- ^ a b c d e f g h Cassells, The Destroyers, p. 67
- ^ Cassells, The Destroyers, pgs. 65, 67
- ^ "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.
- ISBN 0-905617-64-9.
References
- Cassells, Vic (2000). The Destroyers: Their Battles and Their Badges. East Roseville, New South Wales: Simon & Schuster. OCLC 46829686.
- Frame, Tom; Baker, Kevin (2000). Mutiny! Naval Insurrections in Australia and New Zealand. St. Leonards, New South Wales: Allen & Unwin. OCLC 46882022.
- "HMAS Nizam". Royal Australian Navy. Retrieved 24 March 2015.
Further reading
- Colledge, J. J.; Warlow, Ben & Bush, Steve (2020). Ships of the Royal Navy: The Complete Record of all Fighting Ships of the Royal Navy from the 15th Century to the Present (5th revised and updated ed.). Barnsley, UK: Seaforth Publishing. ISBN 978-1-5267-9327-0.
- English, John (2001). Afridi to Nizam: British Fleet Destroyers 1937–43. Gravesend, Kent: World Ship Society. ISBN 0-905617-64-9.
- ISBN 1-86176-137-6.
- Gillett, Ross; Graham, Colin (1977). Warships of Australia. Adelaide, South Australia: Rigby. ISBN 0-7270-0472-7.
- 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.
- 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.
- ISBN 1-59114-119-2.
- Rose, Andrew; Rose, Sandra (2006). Man Overboard!: The HMAS Nizam Tragedy. Augusta, Western Australia: Red Rose Books. ISBN 0-9775238-0-2.
- ISBN 1-85409-521-8.