HMS Kipling (F91)

History
United Kingdom
Name:	HMS Kipling
Builder:	Yarrow, Scotstoun
Laid down:	20 October 1937
Launched:	19 January 1939
Commissioned:	12 December 1939
Identification:	Pennant number: F91
Fate:	Sunk on 11 May 1942, by Luftwaffe bombers at 32°23′24″N 26°11′24″E / 32.39000°N 26.19000°E / 32.39000; 26.19000Coordinates: 32°23′24″N 26°11′24″E / 32.39000°N 26.19000°E / 32.39000; 26.19000
General characteristics (as built)
Class and type:	K-class destroyer
Displacement:	1,690 long tons (1,720 t) (standard) 2,330 long tons (2,370 t) (deep load)
Length:	356 ft 6 in (108.66 m) o/a
Beam:	35 ft 9 in (10.90 m)
Draught:	12 ft 6 in (3.81 m) (deep)
Installed power:	44,000 shp (33,000 kW) 2 × Admiralty 3-drum boilers
Propulsion:	2 × shafts; 2 × geared steam turbines
Speed:	36 knots (67 km/h; 41 mph)
Range:	5,500 nmi (10,200 km; 6,300 mi) at 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph)
Complement:	183 (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 QF 0.5-inch (12.7 mm) Mk III anti-aircraft machineguns 2 × quintuple 21-inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes 20 × depth charges, 1 × rack, 2 × throwers

HMS Kipling (F91) was a K-class destroyer built for the Royal Navy during the 1930s.

Description

The K-class destroyers were repeats of the preceding J class, except that they were not fitted for minesweeping gear. They displaced 1,690 long tons (1,720 t) at standard load and 2,330 long tons (2,370 t) at deep load. The ships had an overall length of 339 feet 6 inches (103.5 m), a beam of 35 feet (10.7 m) and a draught of 9 feet (2.7 m). They were powered by two Parsons geared steam turbines, each driving one propeller shaft, using steam provided by two Admiralty three-drum boilers. The turbines developed a total of 40,000 shaft horsepower (30,000 kW) and gave a maximum speed of 36 knots (67 km/h; 41 mph). The ships carried a maximum of 484 long tons (492 t) of fuel oil that gave them a range of 5,500 nautical miles (10,200 km; 6,300 mi) at 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph). The ships' complement was 183 officers and men.^[1]

The ships were armed with six 4.7-inch (120 mm) Mark XII guns in twin mounts, two superfiring in front of the bridge and one aft of the superstructure. For anti-aircraft (AA) defence, they had one quadruple mount for 2-pounder "pom-pom" guns and two quadruple mounts for the 0.5 inch Vickers Mark III anti-aircraft machinegun. The K-class ships were fitted with two above-water quintuple mounts for 21-inch (533 mm) torpedoes.^[2] The ship was fitted with two depth charge throwers and one rack for 20 depth charges.^[1]

Construction and career

HMS Kipling, named after the author and poet Rudyard Kipling, was laid down by Yarrow, Scotstoun on 20 October 1937, launched on 19 January 1939, by Kipling's daughter, and commissioned on 12 December 1939. On 11 October 1940, Kipling, along with another six destroyers, escorted the battleship HMS Renown to bombard the French port of Cherbourg. On 17 December 1941, she was lightly damaged by splinters from a 203 mm round from the Italian cruiser Gorizia during the First Battle of Sirte.^[3] The British assessment concluded instead that Kipling was hit by near-misses from 305 mm shells fired by the battleships Andrea Doria and Giulio Cesare. Her wireless aerials were knocked down, her structure, hull and attached boats holed. One crewmember was killed in action.^[4] On 28 December 1941 Kipling sank the German submarine U-75. Kipling was attacked by German Ju-88 bombers of Lehrgeschwader 1 north-west of Mersa Matruh in Egypt on 11 May 1942 and sunk by Joachim Helbig. 29 of her crew were killed and 221 men were rescued. ^[5]

Notes

References

• Bragadin, Marc'Antonio: The Italian Navy in World War II, United States Naval Institute, Annapolis, 1957. ISBN 0-405-13031-7
• Colledge, J. J.; Warlow, Ben (2006) [1969]. Ships of the Royal Navy: The Complete Record of all Fighting Ships of the Royal Navy (Rev. ed.). London: Chatham Publishing. ISBN 978-1-86176-281-8. OCLC 67375475. 
• English, John (2001). Afridi to Nizam: British Fleet Destroyers 1937–43. Gravesend, Kent: World Ship Society. ISBN 0-905617-64-9. 
• Friedman, Norman (2006). British Destroyers & Frigates: The Second World War and After. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-86176-137-6. 
• Haarr, Geirr H. (2010). The Battle for Norway: April–June 1940. Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 978-1-59114-051-1. 
• Haarr, Geirr H. (2009). The German Invasion of Norway, April 1940. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 978-1-59114-310-9. 
• Langtree, Charles (2002). The Kelly's: British J, K, and N Class Destroyers of World War II. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-422-9. 
• Lenton, H. T. (1998). British & Empire Warships of the Second World War. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-048-7. 
• March, Edgar J. (1966). British Destroyers: A History of Development, 1892–1953; Drawn by Admiralty Permission From Official Records & Returns, Ships' Covers & Building Plans. London: Seeley Service. OCLC 164893555. 
• Rohwer, Jürgen (2005). Chronology of the War at Sea 1939–1945: The Naval History of World War Two (Third Revised ed.). Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-59114-119-2. 
• Whitley, M. J. (1988). Destroyers of World War 2. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-87021-326-1. 
• Winser, John de D. (1999). B.E.F. Ships Before, At and After Dunkirk. Gravesend, Kent: World Ship Society. ISBN 0-905617-91-6. 

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to HMS Kipling (F91).

• HMS Kipling (F91)
• HMS Kipling (F91) @ uboat.net
• IWM Interview with survivor Len Chivers
• IWM Interview with survivor Eric Clark
• IWM Interview with survivor John Bainbridge

J-, K- and N-class destroyers
Royal Navy	J class Jervis [leader] Jackal Jaguar Jamaica / Juno Janus Jersey Jubilant Jupiter Kashmir / Javelin K class Kelly [leader] Kandahar Javelin / Kashmir Kelvin Khartoum Kimberley Kingston Kipling N class Nerissa / Noble (G65) Noble (G84) Nonpareil
Royal Australian Navy	N class Napier [leader] Nizam Nestor Norman Norseman / Nepal
Indonesian Navy	N class Gadjah Mada (ex-Tjerk Hiddes)
Royal Netherlands Navy	N class Van Galen (ex-Noble (G84)) Tjerk Hiddes (ex-Nonpareil)
Polish Navy	N class Piorun (ex-Nerissa)
Preceded by: Tribal class Followed by: L class
List of destroyers of the Royal Navy List of destroyers of the Royal Australian Navy

Shipwrecks and maritime incidents in May 1942
Shipwrecks	1 May: HMS Punjabi 2 May: USS Cythera, HMS Edinburgh, Hermann Schoemann, ORP Jastrząb, USS Mindanao, Mizuho, U-74 4 May: USS Pigeon, USS Tanager 5 May: Bévéziers, Kikuzuki, USS Genesee, Maryann 6 May: Alcoa Puritan, D'Entrecasteaux, Empire Buffalo, USS Luzon, USS Oahu, USS Quail 7 May: Shōhō, USS Sims 8 May: USS Lexington, HMS Olympus 9 May: U-352 10 May: HMHS Ramb IV 11 May: HMT Bedfordshire, HMS Kipling, HMS Lively, USS Neosho 12 May: Empire Dell, HMS Jackal, Okinoshima 13 May: Norlantic 14 May: Potrero del Llano 15 May: HMS Trinidad 17 May: Challenger, I-28 20 May: George Calvert 21 May: Faja de Oro, Elizabeth 24 May: L-21 25 May: Asahi 27 May: Alamar 28 May: Sylvan Arrow 29 May: U-568
Other incidents	1 May: U-573 7 May: USS Neosho 20 May: Sylvan Arrow
1941 1942 1943 April 1942 June 1942