- HMS Kempenfelt (R03)
HMS "Kempenfelt" was a W Class destroyer
flotilla leader of theRoyal Navy that served in the Second World War. She was the second destroyer of her name to have served in the war; the first "Kempenfelt" was transferred to theRoyal Canadian Navy in October 1939 and renamed HMCS "Assiniboine".Construction and commissioning
"Kempenfelt" was ordered in December 1941 and was laid down at the
Clydebank yards ofJohn Brown and Company . She was built as HMS "Valentine", but this was changed to "Kempenfelt" as part of a rationalisation of the names used for the later wartime classes of destroyers. She was launched on8 May 1943 and commissioned into service on25 October 1943 . During her time under construction she had been adopted by the civil community ofHammersmith after a successful Warship Week national savings campaign.Wartime career
Mediterranean
"Kempenfelt" joined the 24th Destroyer Flotilla in the Mediterranean in December 1943, and in January was assigned to support the Allied landings at
Anzio (Operation Shingle ). On21 January she and the destroyers HMS "Inglefield" and the Free French "Le Malin" bombardedGaeta , before deploying the next day with a number of destroyers as a screen for the cruisers HMS "Orion" and HMS "Spartan". On27 January "Kempenfelt" shelled a train nearFormia . After the completion of Operation Shingle she was released, and spent between February and April escorting convoys and patrolling in the central Mediterranean.Normandy
In May "Kempenfelt" returned to the UK, joining the 26th Destroyer Flotilla in preparation for the
invasion of Normandy . The flotilla were assigned to Force J, with orders to bombard the beach defences at Lagrune sur Mer. On5 June she sailed as part of an escort for one of the invasion convoys, and on6 June stood off the beach with Force J and provided fire support for the landings. Later in the day she moved to join HMS "Diadem" in supporting the landings atBeny sur Mer . "Kempenfelt" returned to Britain in July, and was assigned to theHome Fleet atScapa Flow . She was then nominated to undergo a refit atCardiff to prepare her to join theBritish Eastern Fleet as the leader of the 27th Destroyer Flotilla. On22 August she deployed with the flotilla as a screen for theaircraft carrier s HMS "Indefatigable", HMS "Furious" and HMS "Formidable", thebattleship HMS "Duke of York" and thecruiser s HMS "Berwick" and HMS "Devonshire" for the air attacks on the German battleship "Tirpitz" (Operation Goodwood). After being released from this service on24 August , "Kempenfelt" sailed to Cardiff.Far East
She spent September under refit, and after working up, sailed in October to join the Eastern Fleet at
Ceylon . She joined the fleet atTrincomalee on22 November , and in December was nominate to screen the major fleet units as they carried out air attacks on oilfields onSumatra (Operation Outflank). She sailed on17 December with the destroyers HMS "Wessex", "Wrangler", "Whirlwind" and "Wakeful", escorting the carriers HMS "Illustrious" and "Indomitable", and the cruisers HMS "Black Prince", "Argonaut" and "Newcastle", and arrived in position on20 December . The attacks were carried out and the fleet returned to Trincomalee."Kempenfelt" took part in further screening operations in January, covering fleet units for
Operation Meridian , before sailing for Fremantle at the end of the month with the ships of Force 63. They arrived on4 February , before transferring toSydney , where they carried out exercises with elements of theUS Navy . They sailed on28 February to join theBritish Pacific Fleet at its forward base at Manus, in theAdmiralty Islands . The force, designated Task Force 113 carried out screening duties throughout March, before being assigned to theUnited States Fifth Fleet on22 March . The force then supported the US Fleet in its preparation for theBattle of Okinawa (Operation Iceberg). "Kempenfelt" remained on station throughout April, before sailing for the US Forward-base atLeyte , arriving there on24 April .On
1 May "Kempenfelt" and a number of British destroyers screened operations off Okinawa, before "Kempenfelt" was deployed on11 May as a screen for HMS "Swiftsure", to provide advance warning of incomingkamikaze attacks. She was detached on22 May to escort HMS "Formidable" to Manus, after the "Formidable" had been damaged by a kamikaze. She escorted "Formidable" to Sydney in June, after which "Kempenfelt" underwent a refit. On its completion, she returned to Manus in August, and on15 August she sailed toSubic Bay to join the taskforce assembling to reoccupyHong Kong . She sailed on27 August with the destroyers "Whirlwind", "Quadrant" and "Ursa" screening the carriers HMS "Indomitable" and "Venerable", and the cruisers HMS "Swiftsure", "Eurylaus" and "Black Prince" to oversee the surrender.Post war
"Kempenfelt" remained with the British Pacific Fleet until December 1945. She returned to Chatham in January 1946 where she was reduced to the reserve. She spent two years in the reserve, before transferring to
Simonstown ,South Africa . She returned to Britain in 1953 and was laid up atPortsmouth , before being placed on the disposal list. She and her sister, HMS "Wager", were sold to Yugoslavia in 1956, being towed to Yugoslavia for a refit in October. "Kempenfelt" was renamed "Kotor" and served until being decommissioned and scrapped in 1971.References
*Colledge
* [http://www.naval-history.net/xGM-Chrono-10DD-62W-Kempenfelt2.htm HMS Kempenfelt's career]
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