HMS St. James (D65)
{{Short description|Battle-class destroyer}}
{{other ships|HMS St James}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2015}}
{{Use British English|date=August 2015}}
| {{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image |Ship image=HMS St James.jpg |Ship image size=300px |Ship caption= }} {{Infobox ship career |Hide header= |Ship country=United Kingdom |Ship flag={{shipboxflag|United Kingdom|naval}} |Ship name=HMS St. James |Ship namesake= |Ship ordered= 12 August 1942 |Ship awarded= |Ship builder=Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company |Ship original cost= |Ship yard number= |Ship way number= |Ship laid down= 20 May 1943 |Ship launched= 7 June 1945 |Ship sponsor= |Ship christened= |Ship completed= |Ship acquired= |Ship commissioned=12 July 1946 |Ship recommissioned= |Ship decommissioned= |Ship in service= |Ship out of service= |Ship renamed= |Ship reclassified= |Ship refit= |Ship struck= |Ship reinstated= |Ship homeport= |Ship identification=Pennant number: R65 (later D65) |Ship motto= |Ship nickname= |Ship honours= |Ship captured= |Ship fate= Scrapped in 1961 |Ship notes= |Ship badge= }} {{Infobox ship characteristics |Hide header= |Header caption= |Ship class={{sclass2|Battle|destroyer}} |Ship displacement=*2,315 tons standard
|Ship length={{convert|379|ft|m|abbr=on}} |Ship beam= {{convert|40|ft|m|abbr=on}} |Ship draught= {{convert|15.3|ft|m|abbr=on}} |Ship propulsion=2 steam turbines, 2 shafts, 2 boilers, {{convert|50,000|shp|MW|abbr=on}} |Ship speed= {{convert|35.75|kn|km/h}} |Ship range= {{convert|4,400|nmi|km}} at {{convert|12|kn|km/h}} |Ship endurance= |Ship boats= |Ship capacity= |Ship troops= |Ship complement=308 |Ship crew= |Ship sensors= |Ship EW= |Ship armament=*2 × dual 4.5-inch (114 mm) gun
|Ship armour= |Ship notes= }} {{Infobox service record |is_ship=yes |label= |partof=5th Destroyer Flotilla |codes= |commanders= |operations= |victories= |awards= }} |
HMS St. James was a {{sclass2|Battle|destroyer|}} of the Royal Navy. She was named in honour of the Battle of St. James Day which took place in 1666.
St. James was built by Fairfields at Govan. She was launched on 7 June 1945 and commissioned on 12 July 1946.
Operational service
In 1946, St. James joined the 5th Destroyer Flotilla, part of the Home Fleet. On 25 August 1946, while undergoing calibration trials off the Isle of Portland, she accidentally hit and sank the tug Buccaneer with a 4.5-inch shell, while aiming at the target Buccaneer was towing. St. James{{'}}s captain, Commander J. Lee Barber, went alongside and took off Buccaneer{{'}}s crew without loss, but St. James suffered a damaged propeller when the tug capsized. An inquiry was held aboard the cruiser {{HMS|Superb|25|2}} on 28 August, at which it was decided that no further action would be taken.{{cite book |last=Boniface|title=Battle Class Destroyers|pages=91–2}}
In 1950, St. James deployed on a Home Fleet Spring Cruise, which saw her, as well as many other vessels, including the aircraft carrier {{HMS|Victorious|R38|2}} and two other carriers, as well as the battleship {{HMS|Vanguard|23|2}}, visit the Mediterranean, which included stops in Italy. The group performed the usual naval exercises in the region, as well as undertaking 'fly-the-flag' visits to a number of ports.
In 1953, St. James was placed in reserve along with a number of her sister ships. However she did take part in the Fleet Review to celebrate the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II.Souvenir Programme, Coronation Review of the Fleet, Spithead, 15th June 1953, HMSO, Gale and Polden
In 1957, St. James finally began a refit to modernise the destroyer, but just the following year, her refit was cancelled, and she was subsequently placed on the disposal list. In 1961, at Newport, St. James was broken up.
References
{{reflist}}
Publications
- {{Cite Colledge2006}}
- {{cite book|last=Boniface|first=Patrick|title=Battle Class Destroyers|publisher=Maritime Books|location=Liskeard|year=2007|isbn=978-1-904459-28-6}}
- {{cite book|last=Hodges|first=Peter|title=Battle Class Destroyers|publisher=Almark Publishing|location=London|year=1971|isbn=0-85524-012-1}}
{{Battle class destroyer}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:St. James (D65)}}