HMS Pakenham (G06)

HMS Pakenham (G06) was a P-class destroyer of the British Royal Navy built and operated during World War II. Commissioned in early 1942, she took part in the invasion of Madagascar, and several Malta Convoys, before being disabled in a battle with Italian torpedo boats in April 1943 and scuttled.[2]

For other ships with the same name, see HMS Pakenham.

History
United Kingdom
Name: HMS Pakenham
Namesake: Admiral Sir Thomas Pakenham
Ordered: 20 October 1939
Builder: Hawthorn Leslie, Hebburn
Laid down: 6 February 1940
Launched: 28 January 1941
Completed: 4 February 1942
Honours and
awards:
Fate: Scuttled off Sicily after surface action on 16 April 1943
General characteristics [1]
Class and type: P-class destroyer
Displacement:
Length: 345 ft (105 m) o/a
Beam: 35 ft (10.7 m)
Draught: 9 ft (2.7 m)
Installed power:
Propulsion: 2 shafts; Parsons geared steam turbines
Speed: 36.75 knots (68.06 km/h; 42.29 mph)
Range: 3,850 nmi (7,130 km; 4,430 mi) at 20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph)
Armament:

Service history

Pakenham was ordered from Hawthorn Leslie and Company at Hebburn on 2 October 1939, as part of the War Emergency Programme, and laid down as Onslow on 6 February 1940. She was launched on 28 January 1941. In August 1941, during construction, her name was changed to Pakenham. She was fitted with additional facilities to act as flotilla leader, and was finally completed on 4 February 1942.[2]

Under the command of Captain Eric Barry Kenyon Stevens,[3] Pakenham sailed to the Indian Ocean in April 1942 to take part in Operation Ironclad, the amphibious landing to capture of the port of Diego Suarez, at the start of the British campaign to capture the Vichy French-controlled island of Madagascar.[2]

Pakenham was then transferred to the Mediterranean Fleet based at Alexandria, and took part in Operation Vigorous, a failed attempt to escort a convoy taking supplies to the besieged island of Malta. In August she took part in a diversionary operation during Operation Pedestal, which succeeded in getting several supply ships to Malta despite heavy losses.[2]

In October Pakenham was one the ships that attacked and forced to the surface the German submarine U-559. Abandoned by her crew, the submarine was boarded by men from Petard and vital codebooks were recovered before she sank.[2]

In November and December she took part in two successful convoys to Malta (Operation Stone Age and Operation Portcullis).[2]

Pakenham had a series of successes in January 1943. In company with Hursley she sank the Italian Squalo-class submarine Narvalo on the 14th;[4] sank the Italian naval auxiliary Tanaro on the 16th; and along with Nubian and the Greek Vasilissa Olga, Pakenham sank the Italian transport ship Stromboli on the 18th.[2]

Sinking
Main article: Battle of the Cigno Convoy

Now under the command of Commander Basil Jones,[3] early on 16 April Pakenham and Paladin engaged the Italian Spica-class torpedo boats Cigno and Cassiopea, which were the forward escort of a convoy composed of the transport ship Belluno and the torpedo boat Tifone, which was carrying aviation fuel for Bizerte in her fore holds. While Belluno and Tifone slipped away, the forward escort fought a short action, in which Cigno was disabled by gunfire, then torpedoed and sunk. Cassiopea limped away badly damaged. However, Pakenham was hit by shell fire six times, disabling her engines and a boiler. Ten members of her crew were killed in action. Paladin attempted to tow her to Malta, but by morning the threat of enemy air attacks forced her to embark Pakenham's crew, and then sank her by torpedo southwest of Sicily at position 37°26′N 12°30′E.[5]

Notes
  1. Lenton, H. T. (1998). British and Empire Warships of the Second World War. London: Greenhill Books. ISBN 1-85367-277-7.
  2. Mason, Geoffrey B. (2004). "HMS Pakenham, destroyer". Service Histories of Royal Navy Warships in World War II. Retrieved 23 April 2014.
  3. Helgason, Guðmundur. "HMS Pakenham (G06)". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 23 April 2014.
  4. "United States Submarine Losses World War II, reissued with an Appendix of Axis Submarine Losses". Naval History Division, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations. 1963. Retrieved 23 April 2014.
  5. Evans, Arthur E (2010). Destroyer Down: An Account of HM Destroyer Losses 1939–1945. Pen & Sword Maritime. pp. 157. ISBN 978-1-84884-270-0.

References
  • 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.
  • Connell, G. G. (1982). Arctic Destroyers: The 17th Flotilla. London: William Kimber. ISBN 0-7183-0428-4.
  • English, John (2001). Obdurate to Daring: British Fleet Destroyers 1941–45. Windsor, UK: World Ship Society. ISBN 978-0-9560769-0-8.
  • Friedman, Norman (2006). British Destroyers & Frigates: The Second World War and After. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-86176-137-6.
  • Lenton, H. T. (1998). British & Empire Warships of the Second World War. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-048-7.
  • Raven, Alan & Roberts, John (1978). War Built Destroyers O to Z Classes. London: Bivouac Books. ISBN 0-85680-010-4.
  • 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 Two: An International Encyclopedia. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-87021-326-1.
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