HMS Sikh (F82)

HMS Sikh was a Tribal-class destroyer of the British Royal Navy. The ship entered service in 1938 and served during the Second World War, participating in the sinking of Bismarck and the Battle of Cape Bon. In 1942, while participating in a commando raid, Sikh was sunk by a combination of shore artillery, antiaircraft guns and aerial bombs.

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

Sikh underway after completion
History
United Kingdom
Name: Sikh
Namesake: Sikh
Builder: Alexander Stephen and Sons, Linthouse
Cost: £337,704
Laid down: 24 September 1936[1]
Launched: 17 December 1937
Completed: 12 October 1938
Identification: Pennant numbers: L82/F82/G82
Motto: Sicut leonis: 'Be like the lions'
Honours and
awards:
  • Norway 1940
  • Atlantic 1940–41
  • Bismarck Action 1941
  • Cape Bon 1941
  • Libya 1941
  • Malta Convoys 1941–42
  • Sirte 1942
  • Mediterranean 1942
Fate: Sunk, 14 September 1942
Badge: On a Field Red. a 'Sikh' lion, Gold, behind his head a Sikh quoit, silver.
General characteristics (as built)
Class and type: Tribal-class destroyer
Displacement:
  • 1,891 long tons (1,921 t) (standard)
  • 2,519 long tons (2,559 t) (deep load)
Length: 377 ft (115 m) (o/a)
Beam: 36 ft 6 in (11.13 m)
Draught: 11 ft 3 in (3.43 m)
Installed power:
  • 44,000 shp (33,000 kW)
  • 3 × Admiralty 3-drum boilers
Propulsion: 2 × shafts; 2 × geared steam turbines
Speed: 36 knots (67 km/h; 41 mph)
Range: 5,700 nmi (10,600 km; 6,600 mi) at 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph)
Complement: 190
Sensors and
processing systems:		 ASDIC
Armament:

Description

The Tribals were intended to counter the large destroyers being built abroad and to lend gun support to the existing destroyer flotillas and were thus significantly larger and more heavily armed than the preceding I class.[2] The ships displaced 1,891 long tons (1,921 t) at standard load and 2,519 long tons (2,559 t) at deep load.[3] They had an overall length of 377 feet (114.9 m), a beam of 36 feet 6 inches (11.1 m)[4] and a draught of 11 feet 3 inches (3.4 m).[5] The destroyers 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 44,000 shaft horsepower (33,000 kW) and gave a maximum speed of 36 knots (67 km/h; 41 mph).[4] The ships carried enough fuel oil to give them a range of 5,700 nautical miles (10,600 km; 6,600 mi) at 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph).[5] The ships' complement consisted of 190 officers and ratings, although the flotilla leaders carried an extra 20 officers and men for the Captain (D) and his staff.[6]

The primary armament of the Tribal-class destroyers was eight quick-firing (QF) 4.7-inch (120 mm) Mark XII guns in four twin-gun mounts, designated 'A', 'B', 'X', and 'Y' from front to rear. For anti-aircraft (AA) defence, they carried a single quadruple mount for the 40-millimetre (1.6 in) QF two-pounder Mk II "pom-pom" AA gun and two quadruple mounts for the 0.5-inch (12.7 mm) Mark III machine gun.[7] The ships were fitted with a single above-water quadruple mount for 21-inch (533 mm) torpedoes.[6] The Tribals were not intended as anti-submarine ships, but they were provided with ASDIC, one depth charge rack and two throwers for self-defence, although the throwers were not mounted in all ships;[8] Twenty depth charges were the peacetime allotment, but this increased to 30 during wartime.[9]

Wartime modifications

Heavy losses to German air attack during the Norwegian Campaign demonstrated the ineffectiveness of the Tribals' anti-aircraft suite and the RN decided in May 1940 to replace 'X' mount with two QF 4-inch (102 mm) Mark XVI dual-purpose guns in a twin-gun mount. To better control the guns, the existing rangefinder/director was modified to accept a Type 285 gunnery radar as they became available. The number of depth charges was increased to 46 early in the war, and still more were added later.[10] To increase the firing arcs of the AA guns, the rear funnel was shortened and the mainmast was reduced to a short pole mast.[11]

Construction and career

Sikh was built by Alexander Stephen and Sons in Glasgow and commissioned in 1938. The ship entered service as part of the 4th Destroyer Flotilla of the Royal Navy.

In 1941, while under the command of Commander Stokes, she took part in the sinking of the German battleship Bismarck. The night before Bismarck was sunk, she fired a salvo of four torpedoes and claimed a hit after hearing underwater explosions, but actually there were no hits.

Sikh transferred to the Mediterranean serving as part of Force H. On 13 December 1941, Sikh – together with Legion, Maori and the Dutch vessel HNLMS Isaac Sweers – sank the Italian cruisers Alberico da Barbiano and Alberto di Giussano in the Battle of Cape Bon.

On 4 August 1942, Sikh together with Zulu, Croome and Tetcott sank the German submarine U-372 off Haifa.

On 14 September, Sikh and Zulu landed and then covered Operation Agreement, a commando raid on Tobruk. Sikh was hit and sunk by 152 mm Italian coastal artillery, German 88 mm guns and by a bomb dropped by a Macchi C.200[12] – 115 men were lost and many more were taken prisoner. Zulu was damaged and sunk by bombing the following day.

References
  1. Helgason, Guðmundur. "HMS Sikh (F 82)". Uboat.net. Retrieved 4 August 2009.
  2. Lenton, p. 164
  3. English, p. 14
  4. Lenton, p. 165
  5. English, p. 12
  6. Whitley, p. 99
  7. Hodges, pp. 13–25
  8. Hodges, pp. 30–31, 40
  9. English, p. 15
  10. Friedman, p. 34; Hodges, pp. 41–42
  11. Whitley, p. 116
  12. L'operazione Daffodil nel piano Agreement

Sources
  • Brice, Martin H. (1971). The Tribals. London: Ian Allan. ISBN 0-7110-0245-2.
  • English, John (2001). Afridi to Nizam: British Fleet Destroyers 1937–43. Gravesend, Kent: World Ship Society. ISBN 0-905617-64-9.
  • Friedman, Norman (2006). British Destroyers and Frigates, the Second World War and After. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-86176-137-6.
  • Haarr, Geirr H. (2010). The Battle for Norway: April–June 1940. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 978-1-59114-051-1.
  • Haarr, Geirr H. (2009). The German Invasion of Norway, April 1940. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 978-1-59114-310-9.
  • Hodges, Peter (1971). Tribal Class Destroyers. London: Almark. ISBN 0-85524-047-4.
  • Lenton, H. T. (1998). British & Empire Warships of the Second World War. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-048-7.
  • 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.

Further reading
  • Davies, John. Lower Deck.
  • Landsborough, Gordon. Tobruk Commando. ISBN 1-85367-025-1.
  • Smith, Peter C. Massacre at Tobruk. ISBN 0-7183-0664-3.

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