HMS Imperial (D09)

{{short description|Destroyer of the Royal Navy}}

{{Other ships|HMS Imperial}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2016}}

{{Use British English|date=December 2016}}

{{Infobox ship begin}}

{{Infobox ship image

|Ship image=File:HMS Imperial (D09) IWM FL 14057.jpg

|Ship caption=HMS Imperial in September 1937, wearing the three black bands of the 3rd Destroyer Flotilla on her aft funnel

}}

{{Infobox ship career

|Hide header=

|Ship country=United Kingdom

|Ship flag={{shipboxflag|United Kingdom|naval}}

|Ship name=Imperial

|Ship ordered= 30 October 1935

|Ship builder=Hawthorn Leslie and Company

|Ship original cost= £257,117

|Ship laid down= 22 January 1936

|Ship launched= 11 December 1936

|Ship sponsor=

|Ship christened=

|Ship completed=

|Ship acquired=

|Ship commissioned= 30 June 1937

|Ship identification=Pennant number: D09/I09

|Ship motto=*Deum cole Regem serva

  • ("Honour God, Serve the King")

|Ship nickname=

|Ship honours=*Atlantic 1939

  • Mediterranean
  • Norway 1940
  • Crete 1941

|Ship fate= Scuttled, 29 May 1941

|Ship notes=

|Ship badge=On a Field Purple, two sceptres in saltire, surrmounted by an orb gold.

}}

{{Infobox ship characteristics

|Hide header=

|Header caption=(as built)

|Ship class={{sclass2|I|destroyer}}

|Ship displacement=*{{convert|1370|LT|t|lk=on}} (standard)

|Ship length={{convert|323|ft|m|1|abbr=on}}

|Ship beam={{convert|33|ft|m|1|abbr=on}}

|Ship draught={{convert|12|ft|6|in|m|1|abbr=on}}

|Ship power=*3 Admiralty 3-drum boilers

  • {{cvt|34000|shp|lk=on}}

|Ship propulsion=2 shafts, 2 geared steam turbines

|Ship speed={{convert|35.5|kn|lk=in}}

|Ship range={{convert|5500|nmi|lk=in|abbr=on}} at {{convert|15|kn}}

|Ship complement=145

|Ship sensors=ASDIC

|Ship armament=*4 × single 4.7 in (120 mm) guns

}}

{{Infobox service record

|is_ship=yes

|label=

|partof=

|codes=

|commanders=Lt.Cmdr. Charles Arthur de Winton Kitcat

|operations=*Norwegian Campaign

|victories=

|awards=

}}

HMS Imperial was one of nine {{sclass2|I|destroyer}}s built for the Royal Navy during the 1930s. She was scuttled by {{HMS|Hotspur|H01|6}} in 1941 after she had been crippled by Italian bombers.

Description

The I-class ships were improved versions of the preceding H-class. They displaced {{convert|1370|LT|t|lk=on}} at standard load and {{convert|1888|LT|t}} at deep load. The ships had an overall length of {{convert|323|ft|m|1}}, a beam of {{convert|33|ft|m|1}} and a draught of {{convert|12|ft|6|in|m|1}}. They were powered by two Parsons geared steam turbines, each driving one propeller shaft, using steam provided by three Admiralty three-drum boilers. The turbines developed a total of {{convert|34000|shp|lk=on}} and were intended to give a maximum speed of {{convert|35.5|kn|lk=in}}. Icarus reached a speed of {{convert|35.1|kn}} from {{cvt|33880|shp}} during her sea trials.March, p. 315 The ships carried enough fuel oil to give them a range of {{convert|5500|nmi|lk=in}} at {{convert|15|kn}}. Their crew numbered 145 officers and ratings.Lenton, p. 161

The ships mounted four 4.7-inch (120 mm) Mark IX guns in single mounts, designated 'A', 'B', 'X' and 'Y' from bow to stern. For anti-aircraft (AA) defence, they had two quadruple mounts for the 0.5 inch Vickers Mark III machine gun. The I class was fitted with two above-water quintuple torpedo tube mounts amidships for British 21 inch torpedo torpedoes.Whitley, p. 111 One depth charge rack and two throwers were fitted; 16 depth charges were originally carried, but this increased to 35 shortly after the war began.English, p. 141 The I-class ships were fitted with the ASDIC sound detection system to locate submarines underwater.Hodges & Friedman, p. 16

Construction and career

The ship was ordered under the 1935 Build Programme from Hawthorn Leslie, Hebburn, on 30 October 1935 with a delivery date of 30 April 1937. The ship was laid down on 26 January 1936 and launched on 11 December the same year, and was the first RN warship to carry the name. Imperial was completed late, on 30 June 1937, after a delay in the delivery of the gun mountings. The contract price was £257,117 excluding items supplied by Admiralty such as guns and communication equipment.{{cite web |url= http://www.naval-history.net/xGM-Chrono-10DD-29I-Imperial.htm |title=HMS Imperial, destroyer |first=Geoffrey B. |last=Mason |work=Service Histories of Royal Navy Warships in World War II |year=2010 |access-date=12 March 2011}}

{{stack|

File:1938 Navy 18 (HMS Imperial).jpg

File:1938 Navy 6 (HMS Imperial).jpg

}}

Imperial took part in the Norwegian Campaign and in August 1940 was redeployed to escort convoys to Malta. On 28 May 1941, Italian bombers from 41 Gruppo attacked Imperial and inflicted severe damage. Once it was ascertained that the vessel was damaged beyond repair, she was scuttled {{convert|55|nmi|lk=in}} east of Kassos.

Notes

{{reflist|30em}}

Bibliography

  • {{Cite Colledge2006}}
  • {{cite book|last=English|first=John|title=Amazon to Ivanhoe: British Standard Destroyers of the 1930s|year=1993|publisher=World Ship Society|location=Kendal, England|isbn=0-905617-64-9}}
  • {{cite book|last=Friedman|first=Norman|title=British Destroyers & Frigates: The Second World War and After|publisher=Naval Institute Press|location=Annapolis, Maryland|date=2006|isbn=1-86176-137-6|author-link=Norman Friedman}}
  • {{cite book |last=Hodges |first=Peter |author2=Friedman, Norman |title=Destroyer Weapons of World War 2 |year=1979 |publisher=Conway Maritime Press |location=Greenwich |isbn=978-0-85177-137-3|name-list-style=amp }}
  • {{cite book|last=Lenton|first=H. T.|author-link=Henry Trevor Lenton|title=British & Empire Warships of the Second World War|publisher=Naval Institute Press|location=Annapolis, Maryland|year=1998|isbn=1-55750-048-7}}
  • {{cite book|last=March|first=Edgar J.|title=British Destroyers: A History of Development, 1892-1953; Drawn by Admiralty Permission From Official Records & Returns, Ships' Covers & Building Plans|year=1966|publisher=Seeley Service|location=London |oclc=164893555}}
  • {{cite book|last=Rohwer|first=Jürgen|title=Chronology of the War at Sea 1939–1945: The Naval History of World War Two|publisher=Naval Institute Press|location=Annapolis, Maryland|year=2005|edition=Third Revised|isbn=1-59114-119-2|author-link=Jürgen Rohwer}}
  • {{cite book|last=Whitley|first=M. J.|title=Destroyers of World War Two: An International Encyclopedia|publisher=Naval Institute Press|year=1988|isbn=0-87021-326-1|location=Annapolis, Maryland|author-link=Michael J. Whitley}}

{{I class destroyer}}

{{May 1941 shipwrecks}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Imperial (D09)}}

Category:I-class destroyers of the Royal Navy

Category:Ships built on the River Tyne

Category:1936 ships

Category:World War II destroyers of the United Kingdom

Category:World War II shipwrecks in the Mediterranean Sea

Category:Maritime incidents in May 1941

Category:Destroyers sunk by aircraft

Category:Ships sunk by Italian aircraft

Category:Shipwrecks of Greece