HMS Paladin (G69)
Encyclopedia
HMS Paladin (G69) was a P-class
O and P class destroyer
The O and P class was a class of destroyers of the British Royal Navy. Ordered in 1939, they were the first ships in the War Emergency Programme, also known as the 1st and 2nd Emergency Flotilla, respectively...
destroyer
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 British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
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...
that saw service during the Second World War
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...
. She was built by John Brown and Co. Ltd., Clydebank
Clydebank
Clydebank is a town in West Dunbartonshire, in the Central Lowlands of Scotland. Situated on the north bank of the River Clyde, Clydebank borders Dumbarton, the town with which it was combined to form West Dunbartonshire, as well as the town of Milngavie in East Dunbartonshire, and the Yoker and...
. She saw action in the Mediterranean and Far East
Far East
The Far East is an English term mostly describing East Asia and Southeast Asia, with South Asia sometimes also included for economic and cultural reasons.The term came into use in European geopolitical discourse in the 19th century,...
.
Post-war, she was converted into a type 16 frigate
Type 16 frigate
The Type 16 frigates were a class of British anti-submarine frigates of the Royal Navy. They were based on the hulls of World War II-era destroyers that had been rendered obsolete by rapid advances in technology...
.
She was scrapped in 1962.
First time in the Far East
She was laid down on 22 July 1940, launched on 11 June 1941 and completed on 12 December of that year. She was allocated to the Eastern Fleet which was then under the command of Admiral Sir James Somerville, leaving Greenock on 17 February 1942, arriving in ColomboColombo
Colombo is the largest city of Sri Lanka. It is located on the west coast of the island and adjacent to Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte, the capital of Sri Lanka. Colombo is often referred to as the capital of the country, since Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte is a satellite city of Colombo...
via the Cape
Cape of Good Hope
The Cape of Good Hope is a rocky headland on the Atlantic coast of the Cape Peninsula, South Africa.There is a misconception that the Cape of Good Hope is the southern tip of Africa, because it was once believed to be the dividing point between the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. In fact, the...
on 24 March. She was at sea with the fleet when the Japanese made their Indian Ocean raid with air attacks on Ceylon, now Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
. Paladin took part in rescue operations following the sinking of the heavy cruiser
Heavy cruiser
The heavy cruiser was a type of cruiser, a naval warship designed for long range, high speed and an armament of naval guns roughly 203mm calibre . The heavy cruiser can be seen as a lineage of ship design from 1915 until 1945, although the term 'heavy cruiser' only came into formal use in 1930...
s Cornwall
HMS Cornwall (56)
HMS Cornwall was a County class heavy cruiser of the Kent subclass built for the Royal Navy in the mid-1920s. She was built at Devonport Dockyard .-History:...
and Dorsetshire
HMS Dorsetshire (40)
HMS Dorsetshire was a heavy cruiser of the County class of the Royal Navy, named after the English county . She was launched on 29 January 1929 at Portsmouth Dockyard, UK. During the Second World War, she was last commanded by Captain Augustus Agar V.C....
on 5 April and assisted in the recovery of approximately 1,120 men from both crews, many of whom were in the water for 30 hours in a shark-infested sea. In the first week of May 1942, she took part in Operation 'Ironclad', the capture of Diego Suarez
Antsiranana
Antsiranana , named Diego-Suarez prior to 1975, is a city at the northern tip of Madagascar.Antsiranana is the capital of Diana Region.-Transports:...
, Madagascar
Madagascar
The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...
, from Vichy
Vichy France
Vichy France, Vichy Regime, or Vichy Government, are common terms used to describe the government of France that collaborated with the Axis powers from July 1940 to August 1944. This government succeeded the Third Republic and preceded the Provisional Government of the French Republic...
French forces, forming part of the screen for the heavy ships.
First time in the Mediterranean
In June 1942, she was among the ships loaned from the Eastern Fleet to the Mediterranean for Operation 'Vigorous', the passage of a convoy to MaltaMalta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
from Alexandria
Alexandria
Alexandria is the second-largest city of Egypt, with a population of 4.1 million, extending about along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea in the north central part of the country; it is also the largest city lying directly on the Mediterranean coast. It is Egypt's largest seaport, serving...
; at the same time, Operation 'Harpoon
Harpoon
A harpoon is a long spear-like instrument used in fishing to catch fish or large marine mammals such as whales. It accomplishes this task by impaling the target animal, allowing the fishermen to use a rope or chain attached to the butt of the projectile to catch the animal...
', the passage of another convoy from the west, sailed from 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...
. While the latter got through, the 'Vigourous' convoy was prevented from doing so by the appearance of the Italian battle fleet, coupled with heavy air attacks. Paladin, along with a force of two cruisers and four destroyers, bombarded shipping and harbour facilities at Mersa Matruh on the night of 19/20 July. Very early in the morning of 14 September, she, along with four other destroyers and the cruiser Dido
HMS Dido (37)
HMS Dido was the name ship of her class of light cruisers for the Royal Navy. She was built by Cammell Laird Shipyard , with the keel being laid down on 26 October 1937. She was launched on 18 July 1939 and commissioned on 30 September 1940.-Mediterranean:On 18 August 1942 Captain H. W. U...
, bombarded the Daba area to good effect.
Paladin also took part in other Mediterranean operations, including the passage of convoys to Malta from Egypt after the relief of the island in November. On 17 February 1943, she sank the German submarine U-205 north-west of Derna, assisted by a Bisley
Bristol Blenheim
The Bristol Blenheim was a British light bomber aircraft designed and built by the Bristol Aeroplane Company that was used extensively in the early days of the Second World War. It was adapted as an interim long-range and night fighter, pending the availability of the Beaufighter...
aircraft of the South African air force. She was escorting a convoy from Tripoli
Tripoli
Tripoli is the capital and largest city in Libya. It is also known as Western Tripoli , to distinguish it from Tripoli, Lebanon. It is affectionately called The Mermaid of the Mediterranean , describing its turquoise waters and its whitewashed buildings. Tripoli is a Greek name that means "Three...
at the time.
In the early morning of 16 April 1943, she and Pakenham
HMS Pakenham
Three ships of the Royal Navy have been named HMS Pakenham, after Admiral Sir Thomas Pakenham: was a 1-gun gunvessel purchased in 1797. She was in service in 1800 and may have been sold in 1802....
were on a sweep in the Sicilian narrows
Narrows
Narrows is a term for restricted land or water passages. Most commonly it refers to a strait, though it can also refer to a water gap....
when two Italian destroyers were encountered. In the ensuing action, the Cigno was sunk and the other destroyer was severely damaged. Pakenham received some direct hits from gunfire and was disabled. Paladin took her in tow, but two hours later they were bombed by an enemy aircraft and Pakenham had to be scuttled.
On the night of 29/30 April, Paladin and Nubian
HMS Nubian
Three ships of the Royal Navy have been named HMS Nubian after the people of Nubia.* Nubian, launched 1909, was a Tribal-class destroyer.* Nubian , launched 1937, was a destroyer of another Tribal class....
made a sweep along the south coast of Sicily
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
and sank a 2,000 ton merchant ship escorted by E boats, without damage or casualties to themselves. On the night of 3/4 May, Paladin, with Nubian and Petard, on another sweep from Malta, sank the Italian torpedo boat
Torpedo boat
A torpedo boat is a relatively small and fast naval vessel designed to carry torpedoes into battle. The first designs rammed enemy ships with explosive spar torpedoes, and later designs launched self-propelled Whitehead torpedoes. They were created to counter battleships and other large, slow and...
Perseo and the large merchant ship she was escorting, which was loaded with bombs, land-mines and motor transport. At dusk on 8 May, Paladin, with the Jervis and Nubian bombarded Kelibia
Kelibia
Kelibia is a coastal town on the Cap Bon peninsula, Nabeul province in the far northeastern part of Tunisia. Its sand beaches are considered one the finest of the Mediterranean sea....
, the most easterly point of the Cape Bon peninsula. This bombardment was repeated at dawn on the ninth.
From 1 June 1943, Paladin was among the ships which bombarded Pantellaria, prior to the main assault on that island on 11 June. The island surrendered at about midday.
Sicily
Paladin was present at the Sicily landings - Operation 'HuskyHusky
Husky is a general name for a type of dog originally used to pull sleds in northern regions, differentiated from other sled dog types by their fast hard pulling style...
’, on 10 July 1943. She subsequently took part in various other operations off the Italian coast, which included bombarding Vibo Valentia
Vibo Valentia
Vibo Valentia is a city and comune in the Calabria region of southern Italy, near the Tyrrhenian Sea. It is the capital of the province of Vibo Valentia, and is an agricultural, commercial and tourist center . There are also several large manufacturing industries, including the tuna district of...
on the night of 13/14 August..
Italy
In September 1943, she took part in operations connected with the invasion of the Italian mainland and the landings at SalernoSalerno
Salerno is a city and comune in Campania and is the capital of the province of the same name. It is located on the Gulf of Salerno on the Tyrrhenian Sea....
, Operation 'Avalanche
Avalanche
An avalanche is a sudden rapid flow of snow down a slope, occurring when either natural triggers or human activity causes a critical escalating transition from the slow equilibrium evolution of the snow pack. Typically occurring in mountainous terrain, an avalanche can mix air and water with the...
'. The assault was made on 9 September. On the 10th, Vice Admiral Power transferred his flag temporarily from the battleship Howe
HMS Howe
Several ships of the Royal Navy have been named HMS Howe, after Admiral Richard Howe:* HMS Howe was the ex-Indian merchantman Kaikusroo; renamed to Dromedary in 1806 and sold in Bermuda in 1864 after many years service as a prison hulk....
to Paladin. In November, supporting the 5th Army on the west coast of Italy, Paladin was among the ships which carried out bombardments in the Minturno
Minturno
Minturno is a city and comune in the southern Lazio, Italy, situated on the north west bank of the Liris , with a suburb on the opposite bank c...
area in the Gulf of Gaeta
Gulf of Gaeta
The Gulf of Gaeta is a body of water on the west coast of Italy and part of the Tyrrhenian Sea. It is bounded by Cape Circeo in the north, Ischia and the Gulf of Naples in the south, and the Pontine Islands in the west....
. She provided more fire support in the same place on the night of 1/2 December.
The Far East
In January 1944, Paladin returned to the Eastern Fleet, arriving in TrincomaleeTrincomalee
Trincomalee is a port city in Eastern Province, Sri Lanka and lies on the east coast of the island, about 113 miles south of Jaffna. It has a population of approximately 100,000 . The city is built on a peninsula, which divides the inner and outer harbours. Overlooking the Kottiyar Bay,...
on the 28th, escorting the battleships Queen Elizabeth
HMS Queen Elizabeth
HMS Queen Elizabeth could refer to one of three ships named in honour of Elizabeth I of England: was the lead ship of the Queen Elizabeth class of battleships, launched in 1913 and scrapped in 1948....
, Valiant
HMS Valiant
Six vessels of the British Royal Navy have been named HMS Valiant.* Valiant, launched in 1759 at Chatham, was a Third rate ship of the line of 74 guns.* Valiant, launched in 1807, was a Repulse Class Third rate....
and the aircraft carrier Illustrious
HMS Illustrious
There have been five ships in the Royal Navy to bear the name HMS Illustrious. The ship's motto is "Vox Non Incerta" which translates as "No Uncertain Voice"....
.
Sinking the I-27
On 12 February 1944, she formed part of the screen accompanying the troop convoy KR-8 from Kilindini to Ceylon (now Sri LankaSri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
). During this task she helped her sister ship Petard
HMS Petard (G56)
HMS Petard was a "P"-class destroyer of the British Royal Navy that saw service during World War II. She was one of the three "P" class ships, out of the original eight, to survive the war in a serviceable condition....
destroy the Japanese submarine I-27
Japanese submarine I-27
I-27 was a submarine of the Imperial Japanese Navy which saw service during the Pacific Campaign of World War II. I-27 was commissioned at Sasebo, Japan on February 24, 1942. The sub's commander, Commander Fukumura, had a history of machine-gunning survivors of ships she had sunk, including the...
after she had sunk the Khedive Ismail
SS Khedive Ismail
The SS Khedive Ismail was a steamship sunk with great loss of life in 1944.The 7,513 ton steamship was launched as the Aconcagua by Scotts of Greenock in 1922. The Aconcagua passed into Egyptian ownership in 1935 and was renamed after Isma'il Pasha, the Khedive of Egypt from 1863 until 1879...
south of Addu Atoll
Addu Atoll
Addu City is a city in Maldives consisting of the inhabited islands of the southernmost atoll of the archipelago....
with the loss of 1,297 lives. The Japanese submarine fired a salvo of torpedoes, two of which hit and sank the vessel. This was a rare case of a troopship being lost. Paladin and her sister-ship Petard
HMS Petard (G56)
HMS Petard was a "P"-class destroyer of the British Royal Navy that saw service during World War II. She was one of the three "P" class ships, out of the original eight, to survive the war in a serviceable condition....
promptly counter-attacked; I-27 was sunk that day by depth charges, gunfire and ramming.
Repairs and crew replacements
Paladin sustained underwater damage in the ramming of the submarine and was put out of action for five months. She underwent repairs at Simonstown in South Africa, where she arrived on 22 March 1944. After being joined by new crew-members in July. Departing from Durban on 29 July, she returned to various escort duties in the Indian Ocean, via Diego SuarezDiego Suarez
Diego Suarez was a garden designer known for his work at James Deering's Villa Vizcaya in Miami, Florida. He also served as a press attaché and minister counselor for Chile in Washington, D.C...
(Antsiranana), Madagascar and Dar es Salaam
Dar es Salaam
Dar es Salaam , formerly Mzizima, is the largest city in Tanzania. It is also the country's richest city and a regionally important economic centre. Dar es Salaam is actually an administrative province within Tanzania, and consists of three local government areas or administrative districts: ...
.
The Far East revisited
In January 1945, she joined Force 65 for the landing of Royal MarinesRoyal Marines
The Corps of Her Majesty's Royal Marines, commonly just referred to as the Royal Marines , are the marine corps and amphibious infantry of the United Kingdom and, along with the Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary, form the Naval Service...
on Cheduba island on the 26th, a useful contribution to the campaign in Burma. During February, she took part in the Burma coast operations which included the taking of Ramree Island
Ramree Island
Ramree Island is an island off the coast of Rakhine State, Burma. The area of the island is about 1350 km². The Battle of Ramree Island took place here for six weeks during January and February 1945, as part of the British Fourteenth Army 1944/45 offensive on the Southern Front of the Burma...
. Paladin and Pathfinder
HMS Pathfinder
Two ships of the Royal Navy have borne the name HMS Pathfinder., launched in 1904, was a light cruiser, the lead ship of her class. She was sunk at the start of World War I by U-21, becoming the first ship to ever be sunk by a torpedo fired by submarine., launched in 1941, was a P-class destroyer...
anchored in a chaung between Ramree Island and the mainland; Paladin destroyed 450 Japanese troops attempting to escape by raft. Two Japanese aircraft attacked both ships on 11 February 1945. Paladin suffered damage to her bridge, foremast and crew's quarters; a near miss from a bomb damaged Pathfinder beyond repair.
In April and May 1945, she was present in the operation that took Rangoon, where a landing was made on 2 May. On 10 May, when a Japanese cruiser was sighted in the Malacca Strait, Paladin was among the ships which left Trincomalee to round her up. This cruiser, the Haguro, was eventually sunk by other destroyers on 16 May. During June Paladin took part in sweeps in the Nicobar Channel.
In the last week of July, Paladin took part in Operation 'Livery
Livery
A livery is a uniform, insignia or symbol adorning, in a non-military context, a person, an object or a vehicle that denotes a relationship between the wearer of the livery and an individual or corporate body. Often, elements of the heraldry relating to the individual or corporate body feature in...
', the object of which was removing mines near Phuket Island and the Malay Peninsula
Malay Peninsula
The Malay Peninsula or Thai-Malay Peninsula is a peninsula in Southeast Asia. The land mass runs approximately north-south and, at its terminus, is the southern-most point of the Asian mainland...
and bombarding appropriate targets. A platoon of crew members was sent ashore to help maintain order and prevent looting in George Town
George Town, Penang
George Town was voted as one of the best cities in Asia by Asiaweek, ranked 6th in 1998 and 9th in 2000. More recently, George Town has improved a notch to rank as the 9th most liveable city in Asia in a survey of 254 cities worldwide according to an international location ratings survey by , an...
after the Japanese withdrawal.
At the end of August, after the Japanese surrender, Paladin was included in the force that proceeded to Penang
Penang
Penang is a state in Malaysia and the name of its constituent island, located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia by the Strait of Malacca. It is bordered by Kedah in the north and east, and Perak in the south. Penang is the second smallest Malaysian state in area after Perlis, and the...
, which was occupied on 3 September 1945, by Royal Marines.
Home, conversion and scrapping
Paladin left the East Indies Station in October, arriving in PortsmouthPortsmouth
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...
in November 1945 and was placed in reserve.
In 1954 she was converted to a Type 16
Type 16 frigate
The Type 16 frigates were a class of British anti-submarine frigates of the Royal Navy. They were based on the hulls of World War II-era destroyers that had been rendered obsolete by rapid advances in technology...
fast anti-submarine frigate
Frigate
A frigate is any of several types of warship, the term having been used for ships of various sizes and roles over the last few centuries.In the 17th century, the term was used for any warship built for speed and maneuverability, the description often used being "frigate-built"...
, with a new pennant number
Pennant number
In the modern Royal Navy, and other navies of Europe and the Commonwealth, ships are identified by pennant numbers...
, F169. Twin 4" (102mm)/45 QF Mk.XVI guns guided by a Simple Tachymetric Director replaced her five 4"/45 QF Mk.V main armament. A Type 293 surface/air search radar was fitted, the depth charges were superseded by twin Squid
Squid (weapon)
Squid was a British World War II ship-mounted anti-submarine weapon. It consisted of a three-barrelled mortar which launched depth charges. It replaced the Hedgehog system, and was in turn replaced by the Limbo system....
Mk.3 ASW mortars; Mk.5 40mm Bofors and Mk.9 AA guns replaced the ship's original anti-aircraft fit.
The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh paid a state visit to Holland in HM yacht Britannia in March 1958, Paladin was one of the escorts for the passage to Amsterdam. In May the same year Paladin fired a 21 gun salute when she and two other frigates took over escort duties outside French territorial waters from the French destroyer Jaureguiberry.
She was scrapped in 1961, handed over to 'BISC'
What Is It?
What Is It? is the name of a 2005 dramatic film written, starring, funded and directed by Crispin Hellion Glover. It is described by IMDb as "The adventures of a young man whose principal interests are snails, salt, a pipe, and how to get home...
on 22 October 1962 and broken up.