Ilex 1937 HMS - Destroyer

[Woody]

HMS Ilex
Destroyer G, H, and I Class - D61, I.61
Laid down 16/3/1936 and launched by John Brown Clydebank, Yard No 548, on 28/1/1937. Sold 1947 in Malta for BU in Sicily by Ugo Pace.
1335-1370t standard; 1854-1890t deep load
323ft oa x 33ft x 12ft 5in
2 shaft Parsons geared turbines, 3 Admiralty 3-drum boilers, oil, 34,000shp giving 36 knots
4 x 4.7in/45 QF Mk IX (4 x 1), 10 x 21in TT (2 x 5) and DC throwers
Crew 145

Commissioned 7/7/1937 and then served in the Mediterranean.
In September 1939 she was with the 3rd DF in the Mediterranean
5/9/1939 Flotilla transferred to the Western Approaches
13/10/1939 sank U-42 South-west of Ireland, with depth charges, assisted by HMS Imogen.
November 1939 transferred to the Home Fleet at Scapa Flow
3/1/1940 taken in hand for repairs at Liverpool
2/2/1940 rejoined the Flotilla
9/4/1940 deployed as part of screen for major units supporting the Norwegian Landings
8/5/1940 towed the damaged HMS ISIS from Balangen Fjord
17/5/1940 left Plymouth to join the 2nd DF at Alexandria, via Malta, for escort and screening duties
27/6/1940 sank the Italian submarine Uebi Scebeli, south-west off Crete, in a surface gun action with HMS Dainty.
29/6/1940 depth charged the Italian submarine Console Generale Liuzzi which scuttled herself South off Crete also assisted by HMS Dainty
9/7/1940 took part in the Battle of Calabria
19/7/1940 Action off Cape Spada. HMAS Sydney and the destroyers HMS Hasty, HMS Havock, HMS Hero, HMS Hyperion and HMS Ilex were on a sweep into the Aegean Sea. They were sent to intercept two reported Italian cruisers. In the action that followed, the Italian light cruiser Bartolomeo Colleoni is halted off Cape Spada, at the North West tip of Crete, by Sydney's gunfire. Later she was finished off with torpedoes from the destroyers and Ilex rescued 230 survivours. The Italian light cruiser Giovanni delle Bande Nere manages to escape.
23/8/1940 bombarded Italian Seaplane Base at Bomba
4/9/1940 bombarded Scarpanto airfield, Rhodes
3/1/1941 screened battleships for bombardment of Bardia
20/3/1941 took part in the Battle of Matapan
20/5/1941 support for military operations in Crete
23/5/1940 suffered propeller damage from a near miss bomb off Crete requiring repairs at Alexandria
12/6/1941 deployed for supporting military operations in Syria
14/6/1941 suffered severe structural damage from two near misses in a dive bomb attack. She underwent several temporary repairs at Haifa, Alexandria, Aden, Mombasa, Durban and finally at Charlestown USA arriving 14/3/1942
October 1942 work-up in the West Indies before taking passage to Freetown for Convoy Defence Duties in the Atlantic
1/2/1943 passage to Gibraltar to join 6th DF for Escort Duties in the Mediterranean
3/6/1943 bombarded Pantellaria
July 1943 transferred to 8th DF for Sicily landings
10/7/1943 arrived at the beachhead screening the Major Supporting units
13/7/1943 sank the Italian submarine Nereide off Augusta, Sicily assisted by HMS Echo
August 1943 part of screen for supporting units during the landings at Salarno
October 1943 Convoy Escort and Patrols in the Central and Western Mediterranean
December 1943 withdrawn from service, due to defects and poor availability, and laid-up at Bizerta
June 1944 transferred to Ferryville, Tunisia for lay-up
March 1945 towed to Malta for repair
April 1945 laid-up in Reserve at Malta

Battle Honours: ATLANTIC 1939 - CALABRIA 1940 - SPADA 1940 - MEDITERRANEAN 1940-43 - CRETE 1941 - MATAPAN 1941 - MALTA CONVOYS 1941 - SICILY 1943 - SALERNO 1943

[E28]

Centre picture of the 3 above, a typical 'tween wars shot of a peaceful looking Malta, one suspects. The 3 black bands on the aft funnel denote her being part of the 3rd DF, destroyer flotilla, at this time.
However note on her B 4.7" mount, directly ahead of the bridge, the familiar red, white and blue stripes. Painted on grey navy ships during the time of the Spanish Civil War, to denote their neutrality to both sides.
The carrier behind is either Courageous or Glorious.
Thank. E28

[Deepol]

Leaving Clydebank on trials.