HMS Penylan (L89)

Destroyer of the Royal Navy

History
United Kingdom
NameHMS Penylan
Ordered23 August 1940
BuilderVickers-Armstrongs, Barrow-in-Furness
Laid down4 June 1941
Launched17 March 1942
Commissioned25 August 1942
Honours and
awards
English Channel, 1942
FateSunk on 3 December 1942
BadgeOn a Field per pale Red and Green, within a horseshoe inverted Gold and a spear head White
General characteristics
Class and typeHunt-class destroyer
Displacement1,050 tons standard; 1,435 tons full load
Length280 ft (85 m)
Beam33 ft 4 in (10.16 m)
Draught8 ft 3 in (2.51 m)
Propulsion
  • Two x Admiralty 3 drum boilers
  • Two shaft Parsons geared turbines
  • 19,000 shp
Speed27 knots (25½ knots full)
Range2,350 nmi (4,350 km) at 20 knots (37 km/h)
Complement168
Armament
  • 4 × QF 4 in Mark XVI on twin mounts Mk. XIX
  • 4 × QF 2 pdr Mk. VIII on quad mount MK.VII
  • 2 × 20 mm Oerlikons on single mounts P Mk. III
  • 2 × tubes for 21 inch (533 mm) torpedoes
  • 110 depth charges, 4 throwers, 3 racks

HMS Penylan was a Hunt-class destroyer of the Royal Navy. She was a member of the third subgroup of the class, and saw service in the Second World War, before being sunk by German E-boats in 1942.

Construction and commissioning

Penylan was ordered on 23 August 1940 under the 1940 War Emergency Programme from Vickers-Armstrongs, Barrow-in-Furness. She was laid down as Job No J3585 on 4 June 1941 and launched on 17 March 1942. She was commissioned into service on 25 August 1942, and after working up, was assigned to the 1st Destroyer Flotilla. She was adopted by the civil community of the Borough and Rural District of Carmarthen as part of Warship Week during 1942.

Service

Penylan sailed to Scapa Flow in September and spent the rest of the month working up with ships of the Home Fleet, after which she sailed to Portsmouth. She had to put into a commercial shipyard in London on 22 October after a number of defects came to light. She was under repair until 9 November when she sailed to Portsmouth and joined the 1st Destroyer Flotilla on patrol in the English Channel. She was deployed on 1 December to escort convoy PW-257. The convoy was attacked by E-boats on 3 December, and Penylan was torpedoed and sunk five miles south of Start Point by the E-boat S115. Five officers and 112 ratings were rescued. She was the shortest lived of the Hunts, spending only 30 days on active service. The wreck is designated as a protected place under the Protection of Military Remains Act 1986.

References

Publications

External sources

  • HMS Penylan's wartime career
  • Penylan at Uboat.net
  • SI 2008/0950 Designation under the Protection of Military Remains Act 1986
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Type I
 Royal Navy
  • Atherstone
  • Berkeley
  • Blencathra
  • Brocklesby
  • Cattistock
  • Cleveland
  • Cotswold
  • Cottesmore
  • Eglinton
  • Exmoor (L61)
  • Fernie
  • Garth
  • Hambledon
  • Holderness
  • Liddesdale
  • Mendip
  • Meynell
  • Pytchley
  • Quantock
  • Quorn
  • Southdown
  • Tynedale
  • Whaddon
 Republic of China Navy
  • Lin Fu (ex-Mendip)
 Ecuadorian Navy
  • Presidente Alfaro (ex-Quantock)
  • Presidente Velasco Ibarra (ex-Meynell)
 Egyptian Navy
  • Mohamed Ali el-Kebir (1949) / Ibrahim el-Awal (1951) (ex-Mendip)
  • Ibrahim el-Awal (1950) / Mohamed Ali el-Kebir (1951)/ Port Said (ex-Cottesmore)
 Israeli Navy
  • Haifa (ex-Ibrahim el-Awal (1951))
Type II
 Royal Navy
  • Avon Vale
  • Badsworth
  • Beaufort
  • Bedale
  • Bicester
  • Blackmore
  • Blankney
  • Bramham
  • Burton / Exmoor (L08)
  • Calpe
  • Chiddingfold
  • Cowdray
  • Croome
  • Dulverton
  • Eridge
  • Farndale
  • Grove
  • Heythrop
  • Hursley
  • Hurworth
  • Lamerton
  • Lauderdale
  • Ledbury
  • Middleton
  • Oakley (L72)
  • Puckeridge
  • Southwold
  • Silverton
  • Tetcott
  • Tickham / Oakley (L98)
  • Wheatland
  • Wilton
  • Zetland
 Royal Danish Navy
  • Esbern Snare (ex-Blackmore)
  • Rolf Krake (ex-Calpe)
  • Valdemar Sejr (ex-Exmoor (L08))
 German Navy
  • Gneisenau (ex-Oakley (L98))
 Royal Hellenic Navy
  • Aigaion (ex-Lauderdale)
  • Admiral Hastings (L52) (ex-Cowdray)
  • Themistoklis (ex-Bramham)
  • Kriti (ex-Hursley)
 Indian Navy
  • Godavari (ex-Bedale)
  • Gomati (ex-Lamerton)
  • Ganga (ex-Chiddingfold)
 Royal Norwegian Navy
  • Arendal (ex-Badsworth)
  • Haugesund (ex-Beaufort)
  • Tromsø (ex-Zetland)
 Free Polish Navy
  • Krakowiak (ex-Silverton)
  • Kujawiak (ex-Oakley (L72))
  • Ślązak (ex-Bedale)
Type III
 Royal Navy
  • Airedale
  • Albrighton
  • Aldenham
  • Belvoir
  • Blean
  • Bleasdale
  • Bolebroke
  • Border
  • Catterick
  • Derwent
  • Easton
  • Eggesford
  • Eskdale
  • Glaisdale
  • Goathland
  • Haldon
  • Hatherleigh
  • Haydon
  • Holcombe
  • Limbourne
  • Melbreak
  • Modbury
  • Penylan
  • Rockwood
  • Stevenstone
  • Talybont
  • Tanatside
  • Wensleydale
 Free French Naval Forces
  • La Combattante (ex-Haldon)
 German Navy
  • Raule (ex-Albrighton)
  • Brommy (ex-Eggesford)
 Royal Hellenic Navy
  • Adrias (L67) (ex-Border)
  • Adrias (D06) (ex-Tanatside)
  • Hastings (L81) (ex-Catterick)
  • Kanaris (ex-Hatherleigh)
  • Miaoulis (ex-Modbury)
  • Pindos (ex-Bolebroke)
 Royal Norwegian Navy
  • Eskdale
  • Narvik (ex-Glaisdale)
Type IV
 Royal Navy
  • Brecon
  • Brissenden
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Shipwrecks and maritime incidents in December 1942
Shipwrecks
  • 1 Dec: HMAS Armidale
  • 2 Dec: Lupo, HMS Quentin
  • 3 Dec: Empire Dabchick, HMS Penylan
  • 4 Dec: Muzio Attendolo, HMS Traveller
  • 6 Dec: USS Grebe
  • 7 Dec: Ceramic
  • 8 Dec: U-254, U-611
  • 9 Dec: I-3, HMS Marigold
  • 11 Dec: HMS Blean
  • 12 Dec: HMS P222, Teruzuki
  • 14 Dec: Canberra Maru
  • 15 Dec: U-626
  • 16 Dec: USS S-49
  • 17 Dec: HMS Firedrake
  • 18 Dec: HMS Partridge, Tenryū
  • 21 Dec: I-4
  • 23 Dec: Sperrbrecher 138
  • 25 Dec: HMS P48
  • 26 Dec: U-357
  • 27 Dec: U-336
  • 28 Dec: Choyo Maru
  • 29 Dec: USS Wasmuth
  • 30 Dec: HMS Fidelity
  • 31 Dec: HMS Achates, HMS Bramble, Friedrich Eckoldt, USS Rescuer
  • Unknown date: HMS P311
Other incidents
  • 7 Dec: USS R-16
  • 9 Dec: HMS Porcupine
  • 12 Dec: Empire Centaur, Tannenfels
  • 14 Dec: HMS Argonaut
  • 19 Dec: Donau
  • 21 Dec: USS S-35
  • 25 Dec: Nankai Maru, Uzuki