HMS Martin (G44)
{{short description|Destroyer of the Royal Navy}}
{{other ships|HMS Martin}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2017}}
{{Use British English|date=February 2017}}
| {{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image |Ship image=HMS Martin FL2181.jpg |Ship caption=Martin }} {{Infobox ship career |Hide header= |Ship country=United Kingdom |Ship flag={{shipboxflag|United Kingdom|naval}} |Ship name=HMS Martin |Ship ordered= |Ship awarded= |Ship builder=Vickers-Armstrong, Newcastle upon Tyne |Ship laid down=23 October 1939 |Ship launched=12 December 1940 |Ship christened= |Ship commissioned= |Ship in service= |Ship refit= |Ship struck= |Ship fate=Sunk by {{GS|U-431 | 2}}, 10 November 1942
|Ship motto= |Ship nickname= |Ship honours= |Ship notes= }} {{Infobox ship characteristics |Hide header= |Header caption=(as built) |Ship class=M-class destroyer |Ship displacement=*{{convert|1920|LT|t}} (standard)
|Ship length={{convert|362|ft|3|in|m|1|abbr=on}} (o/a) |Ship beam={{convert|37|ft|m|1|abbr=on}} |Ship draught={{convert|14|ft|m|1|abbr=on}} |Ship power=*{{convert|48000|shp|kW|lk=in|abbr=on}} |Ship propulsion=*2 × shafts
|Ship speed={{convert|36|kn|lk=in}} |Ship range={{convert|5500|nmi|lk=in|abbr=on}} at {{convert|15|kn}} |Ship complement=190 |Ship sensors=*ASDIC |Ship armament=*3 × twin QF 4.7 inch Mark XI gun dual-purpose guns
}} |
HMS Martin was an M-class destroyer of the Royal Navy, launched at the Tyneside yard of Vickers-Armstrongs on 12 December 1940. She had a busy but brief wartime career, being sunk by the German submarine {{GS|U-431||2}} on 10 November 1942 off Algiers.
Service history
=Convoy PQ 17=
Martin was an escort for the Home Fleet during the ill-fated Convoy PQ 17, sailing from Scapa on 30 June and cruising off Bear Island, arriving back at Scapa Flow on 11 July. Martin left Scapa Flow on 15 July for Seidisfjord and left there on 20 July in company with {{HMS|Marne|G35|2}}, {{HMS|Middleton|L74|2}} and {{HMS|Blankney|L30|2}} for Archangel loaded with replenishments for the escorts and merchant ships. They arrived at Kola Inlet on 24 July and Archangel some days later. Martin sailed from Archangel on 14 August and joined the US cruiser {{USS|Tuscaloosa|CA-37|6}}. After calling at Kola Inlet, whence she sailed on 24 August in company with Marne and {{HMS|Onslaught|G04|2}}, Martin participated in sinking of the German minelayer {{ship|German minelayer|Ulm||2}} on 25 July and taking 54 prisoners-of-war. She arrived at Scapa Flow on 30 August, having survived a minor collision with {{HMS|Vidette|D48|2}} on that day.
=Convoy PQ18=
Martin sailed from Scapa Flow on 4 September to join the escorts of convoy PQ 18. In the convoy she was part of Force "B", and joined the convoy with the cruiser {{HMS|Scylla|98|2}}, and the escort aircraft carrier {{HMS|Avenger|D14|2}} southwest of Jan Meyen Island on 9 September. PQ 18 was heavily attacked by aircraft and lost ten ships, which were sunk, by torpedo bomber attacks and two others by U-boat, out of an original convoy of 40 ships. On 16 September, Martin with Scylla and the rest of the destroyers transferred to the westbound convoy, QP 14. This convoy escaped air attack, but lost three ships out of fifteen to U-boats, which in addition sank two of the escort and a fleet oiler. Martin arrived back at Scapa Flow on 27 September with survivors from four merchant ships.
=Loss=
Martin was allocated to the escort group for Force "H" in Operation “Torch”, the landings in North Africa. She sailed from Scapa Flow on 30 October as part of the escort for Force "H", and after fuelling at Gibraltar on 5 November re-joined Force "H"- the covering force to the landings at Algiers and Oran, on 8 November. The task of Force "H" was to guard against action by the Italian fleet, during the landings. Martin was torpedoed by {{GS|U-431||2}} under command of Wilhelm Dommes on the morning of 10 November as a result of which she blew up and sank in position {{coord|37|53|N|003|57|E}}.{{cite web|url=http://www.uboat.net/allies/warships/ship/4473.html|title=HMS Martin at UBoat.net|access-date=2009-11-16}} The only survivors were five officers{{cite web |title=Crew |url=http://www.hmsmartin-g44.co.uk/ |website=HMS Martin-G44 |access-date=9 December 2019}} and 59 ratings picked up by the destroyer {{HMS|Quentin|G78|2}}.
Notes
{{Reflist|30em}}
References
- {{Cite Colledge2006}}
- {{cite book|last=English|first=John|title=Afridi to Nizam: British Fleet Destroyers 1937–43|publisher=World Ship Society|location=Gravesend, Kent|year=2001|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}}
- {{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}}
- {{cite book|last=Whitley|first=M. J.|title=Destroyers of World War 2|publisher=Naval Institute Press|date=1988|isbn=0-87021-326-1|location=Annapolis, Maryland}}
External links
- {{Commons category-inline|HMS Martin (ship, 1940)}}
- [http://www.hmsmartin-g44.co.uk/ HMS Martin website]
- [http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/80010541 IWM Interview with survivor George Nye]
{{coord|37|53|N|003|57|E|display=title}}
{{L and M class destroyers}}
{{November 1942 shipwrecks}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Martin}}
Category:L and M-class destroyers of the Royal Navy
Category:Ships built on the River Tyne
Category:Maritime incidents in November 1942
Category:Ships sunk by German submarines in World War II