HMAS Napier (G97)

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HMAS Napier (G97/D13) was an N-class destroyer serving in the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) during World War II. Built during 1939 and 1940, the destroyer was commissioned into the RAN, although she was ordered and owned by the British government. During 1941, Napier operated in the Mediterranean, before being transferred to the British Eastern Fleet at the start of 1942, then to south Atlantic operations in early 1944. In 1945, Napier was assigned to the British Pacific Fleet, and spent the rest of World War II in the fight against Japan. After the war's end, the destroyer was decommissioned and returned to the British. She was sold off in 1955, and broken up in 1956.

Design and construction

The N-class destroyer had a displacement of 1,760 tons at standard load, and 2,353 tons at full load.<ref name=Cassells51>Cassells, The Destroyers, p. 51</ref> Napier was Template:Convert long overall and Template:Convert long between perpendiculars, had a beam of Template:Convert, and a maximum draught of Template:Convert.<ref name=Cassells51/> Propulsion was provided by Admiralty 3-drum boilers connected to Parsons geared steam turbines, which provided 40,000 shaft horsepower to the ship's two propellers.<ref name=Cassells52>Cassells, The Destroyers, p. 52</ref> Napier was capable of reaching Template:Convert.<ref name=Cassells51/> The ship's company consisted of 226 officers and sailors.<ref name=Cassells52/>

The ship's armament consisted of six 4.7-inch QF Mark XII guns in three twin mounts, a single 4-inch QF Mark V gun, a 2-pounder 4-barrel Pom Pom, four 0.5-inch machine guns, four 20 mm Oerlikon anti-aircraft guns, four .303 Lewis machine guns, two Pentad dual torpedo launcher tube sets (with 8 torpedoes carried), two depth-charge throwers and one depth-charge chute (with 45 charges carried).<ref name=Cassells51.2>Cassells, The Destroyers, pp. 51–2</ref> The 4-inch gun was removed later in NapierTemplate:'s career.<ref name=Cassells51/>

Napier was the first of the eight-ship N class laid down under the War Emergency Programme when construction started at the Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company shipyard in Govan, Scotland on 26 July 1939.<ref name=Cassells51.2/> The destroyer was launched on 22 May 1940 by the wife of one of the company directors, and was commissioned into the RAN on 28 November 1940.<ref name=Cassells52/> Although commissioned as an Australian warship, Napier remained the property of the Royal Navy.<ref name=SPC>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The ship was named after Scottish Admiral Sir Charles Napier, with the ship's badge taken from the family coat of arms, and cost 403,960 pounds to build.<ref name=Cassells52/>

Operating history

During the ship's first weeks of operation, several sailors threatened to mutiny by refusing to leave the mess decks; this was defused when the ship's first lieutenant humorously threatened to "flog 'em out of the mess decks with ropes' ends".<ref>Frame & Baker, Mutiny!, pp. 153–4</ref>

In January 1941, "Napier" carried Winston Churchill to the Royal Navy base at Scapa Flow from nearby Scrabster when Churchill accompanied Lord Halifax there for his departure for the United States to serve as British Ambassador.<ref>Larson, Erik. (2020). The Splendid and the Vile. New York. Crown.</ref>

After completing sea trials, Napier spent the first part of her career operating as a convoy escort in the North Atlantic.<ref name=Cassells52/> Napier and sister ship Template:HMAS were transferred to the Mediterranean, arriving in time to participate in the evacuation of Crete.<ref name=Cassells52/> Napier was then assigned to Port Said for Template:Frac months, serving as control ship for the harbour's defence at night, while undergoing repairs and refits in the day.<ref name=Cassells52/> On completion in August, the destroyer was assigned as lead ship of the 7th Destroyer Flotilla.<ref name=Cassells52/> During the remainder of the year, Napier participated in the Tobruk Ferry Service, escorted convoys through the Mediterranean and the Red Sea, and transferred troops between Cyprus and Hafia.<ref name=Cassells52/>

At the start of 1942, Napier, Nestor, and Template:HMAS were transferred to the British Eastern Fleet.<ref name=Cassells52/> The ships' first task was to escort the carrier Template:HMS to the Malaya-Java area.<ref name=Cassells52/> In June, Napier and Nestor returned to the Mediterranean for Operation Vigorous, a major convoy to support besieged Malta.<ref name=Cassells52/> Napier returned to duties with the Eastern Fleet after the unsuccessful convoy run, and in September participated in the Madagascar campaign, particularly the surrender of Majunga and the occupation of Tamatave.<ref name=Cassells52/>

The destroyer commenced patrols of the East Indian Ocean in October, which she continued until March 1943, when she joined the Atlantic anti-submarine force based in South Africa.<ref name="Cassells52" /> At the start of 1944, Napier was assigned to Indian waters.<ref name="Cassells52" /> Later in the year, the ship sailed to Australia for a long period of refitting at Williamstown, but returned to the Eastern Fleet in early November.<ref name="Cassells52" /> During December, Napier supported operations of the 74th Indian Infantry Brigade.<ref name="Cassells52" /> In January 1945, Napier took part in landings at Akyab and Ramree.<ref>Gillett & Graham, Warships of Australia, p. 162</ref>

In early 1945, Napier was reassigned to the British Pacific Fleet, changing her pennant from G97 to D13.<ref name=Cassells51.2/> During May, the destroyer was part of the escort screen for the carrier air raids on Sakishima.<ref name=Cassells53>Cassells, The Destroyers, p. 53</ref> Napier was present in Tokyo Bay on Victory over Japan Day (2 September 1945), when the Japanese Instrument of Surrender was signed.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> After supporting the occupation landings, the destroyer sailed to Sydney.<ref name=Cassells53/>

Napier earned six battle honours for her wartime service: "Crete 1941", "Libya 1941", "Indian Ocean 1942–44", "Burma 1944–45", "Pacific 1945", and "Okinawa 1945".<ref name=newhonours>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=honourslist>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Decommissioning and fate

The Australian ship's company left on 25 October 1945, and Napier was returned to the RN.<ref name=SPC/> The ship was not recommissioned, and was sold to Thos. W. Ward for scrap in 1955. She arrived at Briton Ferry in January 1956 for breaking.<ref name=Cassells53/>

References

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Further reading

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|_exclude=case, year, _debug
| last1 = Colledge
| first1 = J. J. 
| author-link1= J. J. Colledge
| last2 = Warlow
| first2 = Ben
| date = 2006
| orig-date = 1969
| title = Ships of the Royal Navy: {{#if:|The Complete Record of All Fighting Ships of the Royal Navy|The Complete Record of all Fighting Ships of the Royal Navy}}
| edition = Rev.
| location = London
| publisher = Chatham Publishing
| isbn = 978-1-86176-281-8

}}

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External links

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