HMS MOHAWK
HMS MOHAWK was a Tribal-Class Destroyer ordered on 10th March 1936 from John I Thornycroft at Woolston under the 1935 Build Programme and laid down on 16th July that year. The ship was launched on 5th October 1937 as the 11th RN ship to bear this name. Build was completed on 7th September 1938 for a tender price of £339,585 which excluded supply of weapons and communications outfits by the Admiralty. This price equates to £23,029,118 in 2019 values assuming inflation rate of 5.3% per year.
Fate
15 April 1941…Sailed with HMS JERVIS, JANUS, and NUBIAN from Malta after aircraft reported convoy of five ships believed to be taking troops and stores to Tripoli with an escort of three Italian destroyers LUCA TARIGO, LAMPO and BALERNO.
16 April 1941….After radar detection of convoy took part in night action with other ships of the Flotilla against convoy and sank all ships in convoy and two of the three escorts. The escorts sunk were LUCA TARIGO and BALERNO. Before her sinking LUCA TARIGO launched torpedoes, two of which hit HMS MOHAWK which was totally disabled although remained afloat.
41 of the ship’s company lost their lives and 168 survivors were rescued. Ship was sunk by gunfire from HMS JANUS and settled on a sandbank in position 34.56N 11.42E.
•Baleno 16/4/1941 was badly damaged by gunfire of British destroyers Nubian, Mohawk, Jervis and Janus in the central Mediterranean, and ran aground, 17/4/1941 capsized and sunk.
•Luca Tarigo 16/4/1941 was sunk by British destroyers Nubian, Jervis and Janus in Mediterranean sea.
A German reconnaissance plane later overflew the site and spotted the sunken MOHAWK in shallow water. It was suspected that there may be documents still on board. A party of six volunteer frogmen later recovered documents from the hulk. These provided information about access through the minefields to the harbour at Alexandria which assisted the planning of an attack by the Italians on capital ships of the Mediterranean Fleet. On 18th December 1941 Charges were placed by divers on HMS VALIANT, HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH and the Norwegian tanker SAGONA which resulted in very serious damage.
The photo of Mohawk is dated 1938, the pennant number L31 was changed to F31 by 1939
HMS MOHAWK
HMS MOHAWK was a Tribal-Class Destroyer ordered on 10th March 1936 from John I Thornycroft at Woolston under the 1935 Build Programme and laid down on 16th July that year. The ship was launched on 5th October 1937 as the 11th RN ship to bear this name. Build was completed on 7th September 1938 for a tender price of £339,585 which excluded supply of weapons and communications outfits by the Admiralty. This price equates to £23,029,118 in 2019 values assuming inflation rate of 5.3% per year.
Fate
15 April 1941…Sailed with HMS JERVIS, JANUS, and NUBIAN from Malta after aircraft reported convoy of five ships believed to be taking troops and stores to Tripoli with an escort of three Italian destroyers LUCA TARIGO, LAMPO and BALERNO.
16 April 1941….After radar detection of convoy took part in night action with other ships of the Flotilla against convoy and sank all ships in convoy and two of the three escorts. The escorts sunk were LUCA TARIGO and BALERNO. Before her sinking LUCA TARIGO launched torpedoes, two of which hit HMS MOHAWK which was totally disabled although remained afloat.
41 of the ship’s company lost their lives and 168 survivors were rescued. Ship was sunk by gunfire from HMS JANUS and settled on a sandbank in position 34.56N 11.42E.
•Baleno 16/4/1941 was badly damaged by gunfire of British destroyers Nubian, Mohawk, Jervis and Janus in the central Mediterranean, and ran aground, 17/4/1941 capsized and sunk.
•Luca Tarigo 16/4/1941 was sunk by British destroyers Nubian, Jervis and Janus in Mediterranean sea.
A German reconnaissance plane later overflew the site and spotted the sunken MOHAWK in shallow water. It was suspected that there may be documents still on board. A party of six volunteer frogmen later recovered documents from the hulk. These provided information about access through the minefields to the harbour at Alexandria which assisted the planning of an attack by the Italians on capital ships of the Mediterranean Fleet. On 18th December 1941 Charges were placed by divers on HMS VALIANT, HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH and the Norwegian tanker SAGONA which resulted in very serious damage.
The photo of Mohawk is dated 1938, the pennant number L31 was changed to F31 by 1939