HMS Jackal (F22)

Coordinates: 32°38′N 26°20′E / 32.633°N 26.333°E / 32.633; 26.333
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
For other ships with the same name, see HMS Jackal.

HMS Jackal in May 1939
History
United Kingdom
NameJackal
BuilderJohn Brown & Company, Clydebank
Laid down24 September 1937
Launched25 October 1938
Commissioned13 April 1939
IdentificationPennant number: F22[1]
FateDamaged by the Luftwaffe's Lehrgeschwader 1 and scuttled at 36°30′N 26°30′E / 36.500°N 26.500°E / 36.500; 26.500
General characteristics (as built)
Class and typeJ-class destroyer
Displacement
  • 1,690 long tons (1,720 t) (
    standard
    )
  • 2,330 long tons (2,370 t) (
    deep load
    )
Length356 ft 6 in (108.66 m) o/a
Beam35 ft 9 in (10.90 m)
Draught12 ft 6 in (3.81 m) (deep)
Installed power
  • 44,000 shp (33,000 kW)
  • 2 ×
    Admiralty 3-drum boilers
Propulsion2 × shafts; 2 × geared 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 (218 for flotilla leaders)
Sensors and
processing systems
ASDIC
Armament
  • 3 × twin
    QF 4.7-inch (120 mm) Mk XII guns
  • 1 × quadruple
    QF 2-pounder (40 mm) anti-aircraft guns
  • 2 × quadruple
    anti-aircraft machineguns
  • 2 × quintuple
    torpedo tubes
  • 20 × depth charges, 1 × rack, 2 × throwers

HMS Jackal was a

J-class destroyer of the Royal Navy. Completed in 1939, Jackal served in the Norwegian campaign and the Dunkirk evacuation before being deployed to the Mediterranean in 1941. Jackal took part in the Battle of Crete
, and was scuttled after being heavily damaged by German bombers on 12 May 1942.

Construction and design

HMS Jackal was ordered, along with the rest of the J class, on 25 May 1937,[2] and was laid down by John Brown and Company, Limited, at Clydebank in Scotland on 24 September 1937, launched on 25 October 1938 and commissioned on 13 April 1939,[3] the first of the J class to be completed.[1]

As completed, Jackal had a main gun armament of six 4.7 in (120 mm)

2 pounder "pom-pom" anti-aircraft mount and eight .50 in machine guns in two quadruple mounts was fitted, while torpedo armament consisted of ten 21 inches (533 mm) torpedo tubes in two quintuple mounts.[4]

In an attempt to strengthen its anti-aircraft armament, one of Jackal's banks of torpedo tubes was removed in favour of a single

4 inch Mk V anti-aircraft gun, while four Oerlikon 20 mm cannon replaced the .50 in machine guns.[2]

Operational history

Home Fleet

After commissioning and workup, Jackal joined the

Orkneys on 14 October 1939, and after repair operated off the east coast of Britain for the next few months.[5] On 28 February 1940, Jackal was badly damaged in a collision with the Swedish merchant ship Storfors (which was sunk), and was under repair at Blyth Shipbuilding Company, Northumberland until April 1940.[1][5]

When repaired, Jackal was deployed in support of Allied forces in the Norwegian campaign, escorting troopships and carrying out shore bombardments, before being transferred to Harwich, as part of the Nore Command, carrying out convoy escort and patrol operations.[1] In July 1940, Jackal took part in the Dunkirk evacuation, patrolling to protect the evacuation ships.[6] Following Dunkirk, Jackal returned to the routine of convoy escort and patrols. On 11 October Jackal, together with the battleship HMS Revenge and the destroyers Javelin, Jaguar, Jupiter, Kelvin, Kipling and Kashmir, shelled Cherbourg harbour.[7] On 29 November 1940, Jackal, Javelin, Jupiter, Jersey and Kashmir were deployed to try to intercept a sortie by the German destroyers Karl Galster, Hans Lody and Richard Beitzen that resulted in Jackal's sister ship Javelin, commanded by Lord Louis Mountbatten, being torpedoed and badly damaged.[1][8]

Mediterranean Fleet

In April 1941, Jackal was transferred to the

Sphakia on 28 and 31 May, with Allied forces on Crete surrendering on 1 July.[1][10]

Jackal was next deployed in support of

Operation Exporter, the Allied invasion of Vichy French controlled Syria and Lebanon. On 9 June, Jackal and Janus engaged the Vichy French destroyers Valmy and Guépard when the French ships attacked Australian ground forces. Both Jackal and Janus were hit by shells from the French ships, with Janus sustaining serious damage although Jackal sustained no casualties, before the French ships retired to port.[1][11] On 4 July Jackal took part in bombardment operations off the coast of Syria.[12]

In August 1941, the Royal Navy was tasked with the replacement of Australian and Indian troops in

No. 1 Squadron SAAF were attacked by German Messerschmitt Bf 110 fighters, with one of each side's aircraft being shot down and the pilot of the shot down Tomahawk being picked up by one of the destroyers.[13] Jackal formed part of the escort of the battleship HMS Barham when the German submarine U-331 torpedoed and sank Barham on 25 November 1941, with Jackal helping to rescue survivors and unsuccessfully attempting to attack U-331.[12][14] On 1 December 1941, Jackal, Jervis, Jaguar and Kipling were ordered to intercept three Italian destroyers that were reported to be off Derna, Libya. The British destroyers failed to locate the Italian ships, and were attacked by three Italian SM.79 torpedo bombers. Jackal was hit on the stern by a torpedo, and was badly damaged, with her steering gear wrecked and her judder jammed. Two of the torpedo bombers were damaged by defensive fire from the destroyers, with one having to force land.[12][15][16] and was under repair at Alexandria until April 1942.[12]

Loss

On 10 May 1942, the

Gerhard Brenner,[20] with one direct hit and three near misses. Jackal was taken under tow by Jervis, but was suffering from an extensive fire and progressive flooding, and the ship was abandoned on the morning of 12 May and scuttled by Jervis by torpedoing. Nine officers and men from Jackal were killed, while total losses from the three destroyers were 77 killed.[21]

Notes

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h Mason, Geoffrey B. (19 November 2011). "HMS JACKAL (F 22) – J-class Destroyer". Service Histories of Royal Navy Warships in World War 2. naval-history.net. Retrieved 8 June 2012.
  2. ^ a b Whitley 2000, p. 118.
  3. ^ Whitley 2000, p. 117.
  4. ^ Whitley 2000, p. 117–118.
  5. ^ a b c d e English 2001, p. 72.
  6. ^ Winser 1999, p. 112
  7. ^ Rohwer and Hümmelchen 1992, p. 38.
  8. ^ Rohwer and Hümmelchen 1992, p. 44.
  9. ^ Rohwer and Hümmelchen 1992, pp. 61–62.
  10. ^ Rohwer and Hümmelchen 1992, pp. 64–65.
  11. ^ Rohwer and Hümmelchen 1992, pp. 66–67.
  12. ^ a b c d English 2001, p. 73
  13. ^ Shores, Massimello and Guest 2012, pp. 246–250.
  14. ^ Rohwer and Hümmelchen 1992, p. 101.
  15. ^ Shores, Massimello and Guest 2012, p. 518.
  16. ^ Whitley 2000, p. 120.
  17. ^ Smith 1971, pp. 155–156.
  18. ^ Smith 1971, p. 159.
  19. ^ Smith 1971, p. 161.
  20. ^ Schumann 2007, p. 35.
  21. ^ Smith 1971, p. 163.

References

External links

32°38′N 26°20′E / 32.633°N 26.333°E / 32.633; 26.333

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