HMS Khartoum (F45)
Encyclopedia
HMS Khartoum (F45) was a K-class destroyer
of the Royal Navy
, ostensibly named after the capital of Sudan
, Khartoum
.
, when she was subject to an unsuccessful torpedo
attack by a submarine
near Holy Isle
. She then carried out an anti-submarine search for 24 hours without success. In February 1940, she was deployed for escort
of convoy
s to Norway
based at Rosyth
where she sustained structural damage during anti-submarine operations at high speed in heavy weather and was sent to Falmouth
for repair. On completion in May 1940, she took passage to assist in operations in Nore Command
for evacuation of personnel from Holland and Belgium
but developed a machinery defect and was taken to Portsmouth
for two days of repair, where her pennant number
for visual signaling purposes changed to G45.)
On May 8 she was nominated for service with the British 14th Destroyer Flotilla in the Mediterranean Sea
and on the 16th, took passage from Plymouth
for Gibraltar
with sister destroyer Kandahar. On May 23, they joined the flotilla at Alexandria, Egypt, and deployed for screening and patrol duties with the Flotilla. The Khartoum and Kandahar detached with other K Class destroyers Kimberley
and Kingston
for surveillance of Italian warship movements from Massawa
on the Red Sea
.
In June 1940, The Khartoum deployed in the Red Sea with sloops of the East Indies Squadron
and her other sister destroyers and prepared for war service in defense of Red Sea shipping. On the 10th, after outbreak of war, she deployed for patrol and convoy defense based at Aden
. On the 21st she carried out attack on Italian submarine Torricelli
, a Brin class submarine
, which was unsuccessful. Then on the 23rd she was deployed with HMS Kandahar, HMS Kingston and the sloop Shoreham in search for Torricelli near Perim Island. After interception, she took part in surface engagement with these ships, during which, the Torricelli was sunk. However, during the battle, she was hit by return fire which damaged the after torpedo tube
mounting. Subsequently, a torpedo's compressed air chamber exploded, causing a serious uncontrollable fire resulting in an explosion of the ship's artillery magazine
, killing one of the ship’s company, injuring three others and wrecking the stern
structure aft
of the engine room
while causing extensive flooding. The ship beached on an even keel
with forward structure awash and the ship’s company was rescued by the HMS Kandahar and taken to Aden, Yemen
. The ship’s equipment was dismantled and other security measures were implemented before the ship was abandoned. The shipwreck, in position 12º38'N, 43º24'E, remained visible after the end of World War II
.
Destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...
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...
, ostensibly named after the capital of Sudan
Sudan
Sudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...
, Khartoum
Khartoum
Khartoum is the capital and largest city of Sudan and of Khartoum State. It is located at the confluence of the White Nile flowing north from Lake Victoria, and the Blue Nile flowing west from Ethiopia. The location where the two Niles meet is known as "al-Mogran"...
.
History
Khartoum was launched on 6 February 1939. Her initial action occurred on 19 December 1939, during deployment in the Firth of ClydeFirth of Clyde
The Firth of Clyde forms a large area of coastal water, sheltered from the Atlantic Ocean by the Kintyre peninsula which encloses the outer firth in Argyll and Ayrshire, Scotland. The Kilbrannan Sound is a large arm of the Firth of Clyde, separating the Kintyre Peninsula from the Isle of Arran.At...
, when she was subject to an unsuccessful torpedo
Torpedo
The modern torpedo is a self-propelled missile weapon with an explosive warhead, launched above or below the water surface, propelled underwater towards a target, and designed to detonate either on contact with it or in proximity to it.The term torpedo was originally employed for...
attack by a submarine
Submarine
A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...
near Holy Isle
Holy Isle, Firth of Clyde
The Holy Isle, Firth of Clyde is one of a number of islands in the United Kingdom which go under the name "Holy Island". It is located in the Firth of Clyde off the west coast of central Scotland, inside Lamlash Bay on the larger island of Arran.- Details :The island is around long and around ...
. She then carried out an anti-submarine search for 24 hours without success. In February 1940, she was deployed for escort
Destroyer escort
A destroyer escort is the classification for a smaller, lightly armed warship designed to be used to escort convoys of merchant marine ships, primarily of the United States Merchant Marine in World War II. It is employed primarily for anti-submarine warfare, but also provides some protection...
of convoy
Convoy
A convoy is a group of vehicles, typically motor vehicles or ships, traveling together for mutual support and protection. Often, a convoy is organized with armed defensive support, though it may also be used in a non-military sense, for example when driving through remote areas.-Age of Sail:Naval...
s to Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
based at Rosyth
Rosyth
Rosyth is a town located on the Firth of Forth, three miles south of the centre of Dunfermline. According to an estimate taken in 2008, the town has a population of 12,790....
where she sustained structural damage during anti-submarine operations at high speed in heavy weather and was sent to Falmouth
Falmouth, Cornwall
Falmouth is a town, civil parish and port on the River Fal on the south coast of Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It has a total resident population of 21,635.Falmouth is the terminus of the A39, which begins some 200 miles away in Bath, Somerset....
for repair. On completion in May 1940, she took passage to assist in operations in Nore Command
Nore Command
The Commander-in-Chief, The Nore was an operational commander of the Royal Navy. His subordinate units, establishments, and staff were sometimes informally known as the Nore Command.-History:The Nore is a sandbank at the mouth of the River Medway...
for evacuation of personnel from Holland and Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
but developed a machinery defect and was taken to Portsmouth
Portsmouth
Portsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island...
for two days of repair, where her pennant number
Pennant number
In the modern Royal Navy, and other navies of Europe and the Commonwealth, ships are identified by pennant numbers...
for visual signaling purposes changed to G45.)
On May 8 she was nominated for service with the British 14th Destroyer Flotilla in the Mediterranean Sea
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...
and on the 16th, took passage from Plymouth
Plymouth
Plymouth is a city and unitary authority area on the coast of Devon, England, about south-west of London. It is built between the mouths of the rivers Plym to the east and Tamar to the west, where they join Plymouth Sound...
for Gibraltar
Gibraltar
Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. A peninsula with an area of , it has a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region...
with sister destroyer Kandahar. On May 23, they joined the flotilla at Alexandria, Egypt, and deployed for screening and patrol duties with the Flotilla. The Khartoum and Kandahar detached with other K Class destroyers Kimberley
HMS Kimberley (F50)
HMS Kimberley was a K-class destroyer of the Royal Navy. She served in the Second World War and survived it, being one of only two of the K-class to do so. So far she has been the only ship of the Royal Navy to bear the name Kimberley, after the town of Kimberley, Northern Cape, site of the Siege...
and Kingston
HMS Kingston (F64)
HMS Kingston was a K-class destroyer of the Royal Navy laid down by J. Samuel White and Company at Cowes on the Isle of Wight on 6 October 1937 as part of an order for six similar destroyers....
for surveillance of Italian warship movements from Massawa
Massawa
Massawa, also known as Mitsiwa Massawa, also known as Mitsiwa Massawa, also known as Mitsiwa (Ge'ez ምጽዋዕ , formerly ባጽዕ is a city on the Red Sea coast of Eritrea. An important port for many centuries, it was ruled by a succession of polities, including the Axumite Empire, the Umayyad Caliphate,...
on the Red Sea
Red Sea
The Red Sea is a seawater inlet of the Indian Ocean, lying between Africa and Asia. The connection to the ocean is in the south through the Bab el Mandeb strait and the Gulf of Aden. In the north, there is the Sinai Peninsula, the Gulf of Aqaba, and the Gulf of Suez...
.
In June 1940, The Khartoum deployed in the Red Sea with sloops of the East Indies Squadron
East India Squadron
The East India Squadron, or East Indies Squadron, was a squadron of American ships which existed in the nineteenth century, it focused on protecting American interests in the Far East while the Pacific Squadron concentrated on the western coasts of the Americas and in the South Pacific Ocean...
and her other sister destroyers and prepared for war service in defense of Red Sea shipping. On the 10th, after outbreak of war, she deployed for patrol and convoy defense based at Aden
Aden
Aden is a seaport city in Yemen, located by the eastern approach to the Red Sea , some 170 kilometres east of Bab-el-Mandeb. Its population is approximately 800,000. Aden's ancient, natural harbour lies in the crater of an extinct volcano which now forms a peninsula, joined to the mainland by a...
. On the 21st she carried out attack on Italian submarine Torricelli
Torricelli
-People:* Evangelista Torricelli, an Italian physicist and mathematician* Robert Torricelli, a former United States politician* Moreno Torricelli, a former Italian football player* Giuseppe Antonio Torricelli, an Italian sculptor-Science:* Torricelli's Law...
, a Brin class submarine
Brin class submarine
The Brin-class submarines were five Italian submarines that served in the Regia Marina during World War II. All ships were built by Tosi. Two boats were replacements for Archimede-class submarines secretly transferred to the Nationalists during the Spanish Civil War in 1937. The class were...
, which was unsuccessful. Then on the 23rd she was deployed with HMS Kandahar, HMS Kingston and the sloop Shoreham in search for Torricelli near Perim Island. After interception, she took part in surface engagement with these ships, during which, the Torricelli was sunk. However, during the battle, she was hit by return fire which damaged the after torpedo tube
Torpedo tube
A torpedo tube is a device for launching torpedoes. There are two main types of torpedo tube: underwater tubes fitted to submarines and some surface ships, and deck-mounted units installed aboard surface vessels...
mounting. Subsequently, a torpedo's compressed air chamber exploded, causing a serious uncontrollable fire resulting in an explosion of the ship's artillery magazine
Magazine (artillery)
Magazine is the name for an item or place within which ammunition is stored. It is taken from the Arabic word "makahazin" meaning "warehouse".-Ammunition storage areas:...
, killing one of the ship’s company, injuring three others and wrecking the stern
Stern
The stern is the rear or aft-most part of a ship or boat, technically defined as the area built up over the sternpost, extending upwards from the counter rail to the taffrail. The stern lies opposite of the bow, the foremost part of a ship. Originally, the term only referred to the aft port section...
structure aft
Aft
Aft, in naval terminology, is an adjective or adverb meaning, towards the stern of the ship, when the frame of reference is within the ship. Example: "Able Seaman Smith; lay aft!". Or; "What's happening aft?"...
of the engine room
Engine room
On a ship, the engine room, or ER, commonly refers to the machinery spaces of a vessel. To increase the safety and damage survivability of a vessel, the machinery necessary for operations may be segregated into various spaces, the engine room is one of these spaces, and is generally the largest...
while causing extensive flooding. The ship beached on an even keel
Keel
In boats and ships, keel can refer to either of two parts: a structural element, or a hydrodynamic element. These parts overlap. As the laying down of the keel is the initial step in construction of a ship, in British and American shipbuilding traditions the construction is dated from this event...
with forward structure awash and the ship’s company was rescued by the HMS Kandahar and taken to Aden, Yemen
Yemen
The Republic of Yemen , commonly known as Yemen , is a country located in the Middle East, occupying the southwestern to southern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the north, the Red Sea to the west, and Oman to the east....
. The ship’s equipment was dismantled and other security measures were implemented before the ship was abandoned. The shipwreck, in position 12º38'N, 43º24'E, remained visible after the end 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...
.
Confusion over cause of sinking
Some sources deny that Khartoum was damaged by gunfire from the Italian submarine Torricelli. According to them, the fire aboard Khartoum broke out 5 and a half hours after the sinking of the Torricelli. Torricelli was sunk at 0624 local time. The fire aboard Khartoum started at 1150. A torpedo air flask exploded propelling the warhead through the deck house of number 3 4.7" mount. A ruptured oil tank for the mount started the fire which led eventually to the loss of the ship. Her loss seems more due to inexperienced damage control. The Admiralty inquest ruled out damage from enemy action and sabotage, even though captured members of the Torricellis crew were housed aboard.External links
- Service Histories of Royal Navy Warships in World War 2, by Lt Cdr Geoffrey B Mason RN (Rtd) (c) 2002, HMS Khartoum (F45) - K-class Destroyer, including Convoy Escort Movements. Edited by Gordon Smith, Naval-History.net
- Uboat.net: HMS Khartoum (F 45)- Destroyer of the K class
- The Resin Shipyard: Model of HMS Khartoum from the Matchbox kit with Hawk Graphics 1/700 WWII RN decals applied.
- WW2 Losses: HMS Khartoum
- Warships Launched or Completed by N.E.Shipyards 1939-41 © Copyright Brian Pears 1994-2010