HMS Jackal (F22)

Template:Use dmy dates Template:Use British English Template:Infobox ship HMS Jackal was a J-class destroyer of the Royal Navy. Completed in 1939, Jackal served in the Norwegian campaign and the Dunkirk evacuation before being deployed to the Mediterranean in 1941. Jackal took part in the Battle of Crete, and was scuttled after being heavily damaged by German bombers on 12 May 1942.

Construction and design

HMS Jackal was ordered, along with the rest of the J class, on 25 May 1937,<ref name="Whitley p118">Whitley 2000, p. 118.</ref> and was laid down by John Brown and Company, Limited, at Clydebank in Scotland on 24 September 1937, launched on 25 October 1938 and commissioned on 13 April 1939,<ref name="Whitley p117">Whitley 2000, p. 117.</ref> the first of the J class to be completed.<ref name="navhis jackal"/>

As completed, Jackal had a main gun armament of six Template:Convert QF Mark XII guns in three twin mountings, two forward and one aft. These guns could only elevate to an angle of 40 degrees, and so were of limited use in the anti-aircraft role, while the aft mount was arranged so that it could fire forwards over the ship's superstructure to maximise the forward firing firepower, but was therefore incapable of firing directly aft. A short range anti-aircraft armament of a four-barrelled 2 pounder "pom-pom" anti-aircraft mount and eight .50 in machine guns in two quadruple mounts was fitted, while torpedo armament consisted of ten Template:Convert torpedo tubes in two quintuple mounts.<ref name="Whitley p117-8">Whitley 2000, p. 117–118.</ref>

In an attempt to strengthen its anti-aircraft armament, one of JackalTemplate:'s banks of torpedo tubes was removed in favour of a single 4 inch Mk V anti-aircraft gun, while four Oerlikon 20 mm cannon replaced the .50 in machine guns.<ref name="Whitley p118"/>

Operational history

Home Fleet

After commissioning and workup, Jackal joined the 7th Destroyer Flotilla, part of the Royal Navy's Home Fleet. On the outbreak of the Second World War, the 7th Flotilla moved to the Humber,<ref name="engp72">English 2001, p. 72.</ref> Duties included carrying out anti-submarine patrols and convoy escort missions in the North Sea, English Channel and the Western Approaches.<ref name="navhis jackal"/> On 6 September 1939, Jackal and sister ships Template:HMS and Template:HMS escorted the Norwegian steamer SS Batavia, carrying the staff of the British embassy in Berlin across the North Sea from Rotterdam to the Tongue lightship in the Thames estuary.<ref name="engp72"/> Jackal collided with Janus at Kirkwall in Orkney on 14 October 1939, and after repair operated off the east coast of Britain for the next few months.<ref name="engp72"/> On 28 February 1940, Jackal was badly damaged in a collision with the Swedish merchant ship Storfors (which was sunk), and was under repair at Blyth Shipbuilding Company, Northumberland until April 1940.<ref name="navhis jackal"/><ref name="engp72"/>

When repaired, Jackal was deployed in support of Allied forces in the Norwegian campaign, escorting troopships and carrying out shore bombardments, before being transferred to Harwich, as part of the Nore Command, carrying out convoy escort and patrol operations.<ref name="navhis jackal"/> In July 1940, Jackal took part in the Dunkirk evacuation, patrolling to protect the evacuation ships.<ref>Winser 1999, p. 112</ref> Following Dunkirk, Jackal returned to the routine of convoy escort and patrols. On 11 October Jackal, together with the battleship Template:HMS and the destroyers Template:HMS, Template:HMS, Template:HMS, Template:HMS, Template:HMS and Template:HMS, shelled Cherbourg harbour.<ref name="Rohwer p38">Rohwer and Hümmelchen 1992, p. 38.</ref> On 29 November 1940, Jackal, Javelin, Jupiter, Template:HMS and Kashmir were deployed to try to intercept a sortie by the German destroyers Karl Galster, Hans Lody and Richard Beitzen that resulted in JackalTemplate:'s sister ship Javelin, commanded by Lord Louis Mountbatten, being torpedoed and badly damaged.<ref name="navhis jackal"/><ref name="Rohwer p44">Rohwer and Hümmelchen 1992, p. 44.</ref>

Mediterranean Fleet

In April 1941, Jackal was transferred to the Mediterranean Fleet. In May 1941 Jackal formed part of the escort for Operation Tiger, a convoy carrying tanks from Gibraltar to Alexandria, before being detached to shell Benghazi together with Template:HMS, Kelvin, Kashmir and Kipling on the night of 10/11 May,<ref name="Rohwer p61-2">Rohwer and Hümmelchen 1992, pp. 61–62.</ref> with Jackal being near missed (at a distance of Template:Convert) by a bomb that failed to explode on 11 May.<ref name="engp72"/> On 20 May, Germany launched an airborne invasion of Crete, and Jackal sailed the next day for the region to intercept German attempts to carry out landings by sea. On 23 May, Jackal, Kelly, Kelvin, Kashmir and Kipling were deployed to search for and attack German invasion forces, but were attacked by German dive bombers, with Kelly and Kashmir being sunk. Jackal evacuated troops from Heraklion and Sphakia on 28 and 31 May, with Allied forces on Crete surrendering on 1 July.<ref name="navhis jackal"/><ref name="Rohwer p64-5">Rohwer and Hümmelchen 1992, pp. 64–65.</ref>

Jackal was next deployed in support of Operation Exporter, the Allied invasion of Vichy French controlled Syria and Lebanon. On 9 June, Jackal and Janus engaged the Vichy French destroyers Template:Ship and Template:Ship when the French ships attacked Australian ground forces. Both Jackal and Janus were hit by shells from the French ships, with Janus sustaining serious damage although Jackal sustained no casualties, before the French ships retired to port.<ref name="navhis jackal"/><ref name="Rohwer p66-7">Rohwer and Hümmelchen 1992, pp. 66–67.</ref> On 4 July Jackal took part in bombardment operations off the coast of Syria.<ref name="engp73">English 2001, p. 73</ref>

In August 1941, the Royal Navy was tasked with the replacement of Australian and Indian troops in besieged Tobruk with fresh troops, with the operation being carried out on moonless nights by destroyers and fast minelayers. On the evening of 21 August, Jackal, Template:HMS and Template:HMS were carrying out a run when their fighter cover of Curtiss Tomahawks of No. 2 Squadron SAAF and Hawker Hurricanes of No. 1 Squadron SAAF were attacked by German Messerschmitt Bf 110 fighters, with one of each side's aircraft being shot down and the pilot of the shot down Tomahawk being picked up by one of the destroyers.<ref>Shores, Massimello and Guest 2012, pp. 246–250.</ref> Jackal formed part of the escort of the battleship Template:HMS when the Template:GS torpedoed and sank Barham on 25 November 1941, with Jackal helping to rescue survivors and unsuccessfully attempting to attack U-331.<ref name="engp73"/><ref name="Rohwer p101">Rohwer and Hümmelchen 1992, p. 101.</ref> On 1 December 1941, Jackal, Template:HMS, Jaguar and Kipling were ordered to intercept three Italian destroyers that were reported to be off Derna, Libya. The British destroyers failed to locate the Italian ships, and were attacked by three Italian SM.79 torpedo bombers. Jackal was hit on the stern by a torpedo, and was badly damaged, with her steering gear wrecked and her judder jammed. Two of the torpedo bombers were damaged by defensive fire from the destroyers, with one having to force land.<ref name="engp73"/><ref>Shores, Massimello and Guest 2012, p. 518.</ref><ref name="Whitley p120">Whitley 2000, p. 120.</ref> and was under repair at Alexandria until April 1942.<ref name="engp73"/>

Loss

On 10 May 1942, the 14th Destroyer Flotilla, consisting of Jackal, Jervis, Kipling and Template:HMS set out from Alexandria to intercept an Italian convoy sailing from Italy to Benghazi.<ref name="Smith p155-6">Smith 1971, pp. 155–156.</ref> The flotilla was sighted by German reconnaissance aircraft on the afternoon of 11 May, and in accordance with orders, as surprise had been lost, the destroyer flotilla abandoned the attack and reversed course. A first wave of German bombers, eight Junkers Ju 88s of I/Lehrgeschwader 1 (I/LG 1) based at Heraklion on Crete, arrived at about 16:31 hrs, sinking HMS Lively with 3 direct hits.<ref name="Smith p159">Smith 1971, p. 159.</ref> A second wave of nine Ju 88s and four Heinkel He 111s of II/LG 1 from Eleusis, Greece, attacked between 18:09 and 18:33, but caused no damage. A third wave, consisting of ten Ju 88s from I/LG 1, attacked at about 20:00 hrs. Kipling was quickly sunk by the attacks,<ref name="Smith p161">Smith 1971, p. 161.</ref> while Jackal was severely damaged by the bomber flown by Gerhard Brenner,<ref>Schumann 2007, p. 35.</ref> with one direct hit and three near misses. Jackal was taken under tow by Jervis, but was suffering from an extensive fire and progressive flooding, and the ship was abandoned on the morning of 12 May and scuttled by Jervis by torpedoing. Nine officers and men from Jackal were killed, while total losses from the three destroyers were 77 killed.<ref name="Smith p163">Smith 1971, p. 163.</ref>

References

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External links

• HMS Jackal F22:The Wreck
• HMS Jackal Template:Webarchive