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HMAS Nizam (G38)
Encyclopedia
HMAS Nizam (G38/D15) was an N class destroyer of the Royal Australian Navy
Royal Australian Navy
The Royal Australian Navy is the naval branch of the Australian Defence Force. Following the Federation of Australia in 1901, the ships and resources of the separate colonial navies were integrated into a national force: the Commonwealth Naval Forces...
(RAN). The destroyer, named after Sir Osman Ali Khan, The Last Nizam of Hyderabad, was commissioned into the RAN in 1940, although the ship remained the property of the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
for her entire career.
Nizam spent the early part of her service in the Atlantic, then was reassigned to the Mediterranean, where she was involved in the Crete
Battle of Crete
The Battle of Crete was a battle during World War II on the Greek island of Crete. It began on the morning of 20 May 1941, when Nazi Germany launched an airborne invasion of Crete under the code-name Unternehmen Merkur...
and Syria-Lebanon
Syria-Lebanon campaign
The Syria–Lebanon campaign, also known as Operation Exporter, was the Allied invasion of Vichy French-controlled Syria and Lebanon, in June–July 1941, during World War II. Time Magazine referred to the fighting as a "mixed show" while it was taking place and the campaign remains little known, even...
Campaigns, the Tobruk Ferry Service
Tobruk Ferry Service
The Tobruk Ferry Service was the name given to the force of Royal Navy and Royal Australian Navy ships involved in the supply of Allied forces involved in the Siege of Tobruk...
, and the Malta Convoys
Malta Convoys
The Malta Convoys were a series of Allied supply convoys that sustained the besieged island of Malta during the Mediterranean Theatre of the Second World War...
. During 1942, the destroyer was involved in Operation Vigorous
Operation Vigorous
Operation Vigorous was a World War II Allied operation to deliver a supply convoy that sailed from Haifa and Port Said on 12 June 1942 to Malta. The convoy encountered heavy Axis air and sea opposition and returned to Alexandria on 16 June....
and the Madagascar Campaign
Battle of Madagascar
The Battle of Madagascar was the Allied campaign to capture Vichy-French-controlled Madagascar during World War II. It began on 5 May 1942. Fighting did not cease until 6 November.-Geo-political:...
. The next year saw the ship involved in patrols of the Indian and South Atlantic oceans, searching for German ships and submarines, and rescuing the survivors of U-boat
U-boat
U-boat is the anglicized version of the German word U-Boot , itself an abbreviation of Unterseeboot , and refers to military submarines operated by Germany, particularly in World War I and World War II...
attacks. After returning to Australia for a refit at the end of 1944, ten sailors were washed overboard in January 1945, with none ever seen again. The rest of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
was spent operating in the Philippines and New Guinea regions.
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
Ship breaking
Ship breaking or ship demolition is a type of ship disposal involving the breaking up of ships for scrap recycling. Most ships have a lifespan of a few decades before there is so much wear that refitting and repair becomes uneconomical. Ship breaking allows materials from the ship, especially...
for scrap in 1956.
Design and construction
The N class destroyer had a displacementDisplacement (ship)
A ship's displacement is its weight at any given time, generally expressed in metric tons or long tons. The term is often used to mean the ship's weight when it is loaded to its maximum capacity. A number of synonymous terms exist for this maximum weight, such as loaded displacement, full load...
of 1,773 tons at standard load, and 2,554 tons at full load. Nizam was 356 in 6 in (108.66 m) long overall and 229 in 6 in (69.95 m) long between perpendiculars, had a beam of 35 in 8 in (10.87 m), and a maximum draught of 16 in 4 in (4.98 m). Propulsion was provided by Admiralty 3-drum boilers connected to Parsons geared steam turbines, which provided 40,000 shaft horsepower to the ship's two propellers. Nizam was capable of reaching 36 knots (19.6 m/s). The ship's company consisted of 226 officers and sailors.
The ship's armament consisted of six 4.7-inch QF Mark XII guns
4.7 inch QF Mark XII
The 4.7 inch QF Mark IX and Mark XII were 120-mm 45-calibre naval guns which armed the majority of Royal Navy and Commonwealth destroyers in World War II, and were exported to many countries after World War II as the destroyers they were mounted on were sold off.-Description and history:These guns...
in three twin mounts, a single 4-inch QF Mark V gun
QF 4 inch Mk V naval gun
The QF 4 inch Mk V gun was a Royal Navy gun of World War I which was adapted on HA mountings to the heavy anti-aircraft role both at sea and on land, and was also used as a coast defence gun.-Naval service:...
, a 2-pounder 4-barrel Pom Pom
QF 2 pounder naval gun
The 2-pounder gun, officially designated the QF 2-pounder and universally known as the pom-pom, was a 1.575 inch British autocannon, used famously as an anti-aircraft gun by the Royal Navy. The name came from the sound that the original models make when firing...
, four 0.5-inch machine guns, four 20 mm Oerlikon anti-aircraft guns, four .303 Lewis machine guns
Lewis Gun
The Lewis Gun is a World War I–era light machine gun of American design that was perfected and widely used by the British Empire. It was first used in combat in World War I, and continued in service with a number of armed forces through to the end of the Korean War...
, and a complement of depth charge
Depth charge
A depth charge is an anti-submarine warfare weapon intended to destroy or cripple a target submarine by the shock of exploding near it. Most use explosives and a fuze set to go off at a preselected depth in the ocean. Depth charges can be dropped by either surface ships, patrol aircraft, or from...
s.
Nizam was laid down by John Brown and Company, Limited, at Clydebank in Scotland on 27 July 1939. She was launched by the wife of Lord Holbery Mensforth, a director of John Brown, on 4 July 1940. The ship was commissioned on 19 December 1940; an error in a file at Navy Office caused some sources to incorrectly record the commissioning date as 8 January 1941. Although commissioned into the RAN, the destroyer was on loan from the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
. Nizam was named after Sir Osman Ali Khan, The Last Nizam of Hyderabad, who helped pay for construction of the ship.
Operational history
After completing sea trials, Nizam was assigned to Scapa FlowScapa Flow
right|thumb|Scapa Flow viewed from its eastern endScapa Flow is a body of water in the Orkney Islands, Scotland, United Kingdom, sheltered by the islands of Mainland, Graemsay, Burray, South Ronaldsay and Hoy. It is about...
, where she was assigned to fleet duties, then retasked as an escort for convoys crossing the Atlantic. In April 1941, the destroyer joined a convoy sailing to Gibraltar, then sailed around Africa to meet the troop transports Queen Mary
RMS Queen Mary
RMS Queen Mary is a retired ocean liner that sailed primarily in the North Atlantic Ocean from 1936 to 1967 for the Cunard Line...
and Queen Elizabeth
RMS Queen Elizabeth
RMS Queen Elizabeth was an ocean liner operated by the Cunard Line. Plying with her running mate Queen Mary as a luxury liner between Southampton, UK and New York City, USA via Cherbourg, France, she was also contracted for over twenty years to carry the Royal Mail as the second half of the two...
, which Nizam helped escort to Alexandria. 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. 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.
On 21 May, Nizam participated in the shelling of Scarpanto, then became involved in the Battle of Crete
Battle of Crete
The Battle of Crete was a battle during World War II on the Greek island of Crete. It began on the morning of 20 May 1941, when Nazi Germany launched an airborne invasion of Crete under the code-name Unternehmen Merkur...
. Twice, she escorted the minelayer , which was carrying reinforcements to the island, and later took part in the evacuation of the Allied forces. Following the unsuccessful campaign, Nizam was assigned to the Syria-Lebanon Campaign
Syria-Lebanon campaign
The Syria–Lebanon campaign, also known as Operation Exporter, was the Allied invasion of Vichy French-controlled Syria and Lebanon, in June–July 1941, during World War II. Time Magazine referred to the fighting as a "mixed show" while it was taking place and the campaign remains little known, even...
for three weeks, then retasked to the Tobruk Ferry Service
Tobruk Ferry Service
The Tobruk Ferry Service was the name given to the force of Royal Navy and Royal Australian Navy ships involved in the supply of Allied forces involved in the Siege of Tobruk...
, a force of British and Australian warships making supply runs to the Allied forces under siege in Tobruk
Siege of Tobruk
The siege of Tobruk was a confrontation that lasted 240 days between Axis and Allied forces in North Africa during the Western Desert Campaign of the Second World War...
. Nizam made fourteen runs before receiving damage on 14 September; the destroyer was towed away from the area by the destroyer , then was able to make temporary repairs and reach Alexandria.
After repairs were completed, Nizam spent the rest of 1941 escorting Malta Convoys
Malta Convoys
The Malta Convoys were a series of Allied supply convoys that sustained the besieged island of Malta during the Mediterranean Theatre of the Second World War...
, on bombardment operations in north Africa, and transporting troops to Cyprus and Haifa. At the start of 1942, Nizam and sister ship sailed for Singapore to join sister ship as escort for the aircraft carrier . In June, the N class ships joined the escort of a large convoy to Malta
Operation Vigorous
Operation Vigorous was a World War II Allied operation to deliver a supply convoy that sailed from Haifa and Port Said on 12 June 1942 to Malta. The convoy encountered heavy Axis air and sea opposition and returned to Alexandria on 16 June....
, during which Nestor was sunk by aircraft. Nizam and her sisters were assigned to the Madagascar Campaign
Battle of Madagascar
The Battle of Madagascar was the Allied campaign to capture Vichy-French-controlled Madagascar during World War II. It began on 5 May 1942. Fighting did not cease until 6 November.-Geo-political:...
during September. On 22 September, Nizam was assigned to Durban to patrol for Vichy French merchant ships, capturing one and forcing another to scuttle
Scuttle
Scuttle may refer to:*Scuttling, the deliberate sinking of one's own ship*Coal scuttle, a bucket-like container for coal*Shaving scuttle, a teapot-like container for hot water*Scuttle, a fictional character in Disney's The Little Mermaid...
during the week spent in this role. The destroyer then sailed to Simon's Town
Simon's Town
Simon's Town , sometimes spelled Simonstown; is a town in South Africa, near Cape Town which is home to the South African Navy. It is located on the shores of False Bay, on the eastern side of the Cape Peninsula. For more than two centuries it has been an important naval base and harbour...
in South Africa for a refit, which lasted until the end of the year.
British Eastern Fleet
The British Eastern Fleet was a fleet of the Royal Navy which existed from 1941 to 1971...
, and participated in sweeps of the Indian Ocean for enemy ships. She was then reassigned to the South Atlantic for shipping protection. On 13 July 1943, the destroyer rescued survivors from an American liberty ship
Liberty ship
Liberty ships were cargo ships built in the United States during World War II. Though British in conception, they were adapted by the U.S. as they were cheap and quick to build, and came to symbolize U.S. wartime industrial output. Based on vessels ordered by Britain to replace ships torpedoed by...
sunk by German submarine U-511. On 31 July, Nizam rescued survivors from a British merchant ship sunk by German submarine U-177
German submarine U-177
German submarine U-177 was a Type IXD2 U-boat of the German Kriegsmarine during World War II. The submarine was laid down on 25 November 1940 at the AG Weser yard at Bremen, launched on 1 October 1941, and commissioned on 14 March 1942 under the command of Kapitänleutnant Wilhelm Schulze...
. After delivering the British survivors ashore, Nizam made for Australia, and docked in Melbourne on 18 August for an eight-week refit. The ship returned to operations in the Indian Ocean, and on 17 October was unsuccessfully fired on by a German U-boat
U-boat
U-boat is the anglicized version of the German word U-Boot , itself an abbreviation of Unterseeboot , and refers to military submarines operated by Germany, particularly in World War I and World War II...
. Between late 1943 and early 1944, the destroyer was based in Kenya, then was transferred on 8 March to the Bay of Bengal. During her time based here, Nizam participated in Operation Cockpit
Operation Cockpit
Operation Cockpit was a bombing raid by aircraft from two Allied naval forces on 19 April 1944. The forces were made up of 22 warships, including two aircraft carriers, from the Royal Navy, Royal Australian Navy, French Navy, Royal Netherlands Navy, Royal New Zealand Navy, and United States Navy...
, a carrier air raid on Japanese assets in south-east Asia. In November, the destroyer sailed to Melbourne for another refit. On 11 February 1945, while crossing the Great Australian Bight
Great Australian Bight
The Great Australian Bight is a large bight, or open bay, off the central and western portions of the southern coastline of mainland Australia.-Extent:...
in poor weather after the refit, Nizam was hit by a freak wave which caused the ship to roll almost eighty degrees to port, and washed ten sailors overboard, none of whom were ever seen again.
During 1945, Nizam was assigned to the Philippines and New Guinea theatres as part of the British Pacific Fleet
British Pacific Fleet
The British Pacific Fleet was a British Commonwealth naval force which saw action against Japan during World War II. The fleet was composed of British Commonwealth naval vessels. The BPF formally came into being on 22 November 1944...
, during which, her pennant number
Pennant number
In the modern Royal Navy, and other navies of Europe and the Commonwealth, ships are identified by pennant numbers...
was changed from G38 to D15. 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. Nizam was present in Tokyo Bay
Tokyo Bay
is a bay in the southern Kantō region of Japan. Its old name was .-Geography:Tokyo Bay is surrounded by the Bōsō Peninsula to the east and the Miura Peninsula to the west. In a narrow sense, Tokyo Bay is the area north of the straight line formed by the on the Miura Peninsula on one end and on...
for the Japanese surrender, and served as duty destroyer on 2 September, the day the Japanese Instrument of Surrender
Japanese Instrument of Surrender
The Japanese Instrument of Surrender was the written agreement that enabled the Surrender of Japan, marking the end of World War II. It was signed by representatives from the Empire of Japan, the United States of America, the Republic of China, the United Kingdom, the Union of Soviet Socialist...
was signed. The destroyer left for Australia on 24 September.
Nizam earned seven battle honour
Battle honour
A battle honour is an award of a right by a government or sovereign to a military unit to emblazon the name of a battle or operation on its flags , uniforms or other accessories where ornamentation is possible....
s for her wartime service: "Malta Convoys 1941–42", "Crete 1941", "Libya 1941", "Mediterranean 1941", "Indian Ocean 1942–44", "Pacific 1943", and "Okinawa 1945".
Decommissioning and fate
Nizam was decommissioned on 17 October 1945 and returned to the Royal Navy; her ship's company transferred to , and the N class destroyer was temporarily recommissioned as HMS Nizam for the voyage to England. The ship was not returned to active service, and was sold in 1955. Nizam was broken upShip breaking
Ship breaking or ship demolition is a type of ship disposal involving the breaking up of ships for scrap recycling. Most ships have a lifespan of a few decades before there is so much wear that refitting and repair becomes uneconomical. Ship breaking allows materials from the ship, especially...
for scrap in 1956.