I-Class
Fleet Destroyer ordered from Hawthorn
Leslie, Newcastle on 30th October 1935 under the
1935 Build Programme with delivery by 30th
April 1937.
The ship was laid down on 18th January 1936 and
was launched on 30th December
that year. She was the 6th RN warship to carry the
name, dating from 1800 when
used for the French Prize DIABLE A QUATRE and last
carried by a steam yacht
purchased in 1882 and sold In 1919.. Her build was
completed on 2nd June 1937
at a contract price of £256,917, excluding items
supplied by Admiralty such as
guns and communications outfits. This Class of
destroyer was designed for use
as minelayers (See BRITISH DESTROYERS by Edgar
March and the Naval Staff
History (MINING) for more Information). Her
pre-war service was with the Third
Destroyer Flotilla in the Mediterranean and she
took part in patrols off Spain
during the Spanish civil war.
B
a t t
l e H o n o u r s
ATLANTIC
1939 - NORTH SEA 1940
H
e r a l d i
c D a t a
Badge:
On a Field
Blue., a hand
Proper
holding a Gold looking glass
reflecting
the sky and waves of the sea also
Proper.
M
o t t
o
'Quit
you like a man.'
D
e t a i
l s o f W a
r
S e r v i c e
(for more ship
information,
go
to
Naval History Homepage
and
type name in Site Search)
1
9 3 9
September
On passage to
Malta
to rejoin 3rd Destroyer Flotilla after
refitting.
3rd
Arrived In Malta and joined Flotilla.
Nominated for transfer to Western Approaches
with Flotilla for convoy escort duty and
anti-submarine patrol.
5th
Passage to
Plymouth.
to join Western Approaches Command.
10th
Arrived at
Plymouth
and deployed in Channel and SW Approaches.
Assumed duty as Senior Officer’s Ship from HM
Destroyer INGLEFIELD.
13th
Participated in sinking of U42 with ILEX in
Western Approaches during escort of
ss STONEPOOL
For details see U-BOATS DESTROYED by P Kemp.
Rescued 17 survivors from submarine which sank
in position 49.12 16.00W.
15th
Escorted ss STONEPOOL (?) to Barry and
rescued survivors from mercantiles ss
LOUISIANE and BRETAGNE, torpedoed off Fastnet.
October
SW Approaches deployment in continuation.
22nd Taken
in hand for repair in commercial shipyard in
Liverpool.
November
Under repair.
7th
On completion carried out post repair trials.
8th
Passage to
Scapa
Flow to rejoin Flotilla for Fleet screening and
convoy defence in
North
Sea
and NW Approaches.
December
Home Fleet deployment with Flotilla in
continuation
22nd
Assisted defence during passage of HM Battleship
BARHAM to
Clyde after being hit by
a torpedo fired by U30 off Butt of Lewis.
1
9 4 0
January
Deployed in
North
Sea and NW Approaches for Fleet screening and
convoy defence.
February
25th
Part of escort for Convoy HN14 to
Norway
with HM Destroyers ESCORT, INGLEFIELD
and HM Submarine NARWHAL
After U63 was sighted by HMS NARWHAL took part
in sinking submarine was forced to
surface after depth charge attacks.
Abandoned by crew and scuttled in position
58.40N 00.10W off Shetland.
24 survivors were rescued by the destroyers. See
U BOATS DESTROYED
March
Flotilla deployment with Hone Fleet in
continuation.
31st
Nominated with HM Destroyers INGLEFIELD, ILEX
and ISIS for escort of HM Auxiliary
Minelayer TEVIOT BANK during minelay off
Stadtlandet,
Norway
(Operation WILFRED/R4 - See Naval Staff History
(Mining) and Naval Staff
History (HMSO -2001).
April
5th
Sailed from
Scapa
Flow aa Force US for minelay.
7th
Minelay by TEVIOT BANK cancelled when German
warships ware reported on passage
in Heligoland Bight.
8th
Joined Home Fleet unite on passage to support
defence of allied landings in
Norway.
.
9th
Deployed in support of military operations and
for escort duties.
For details of the disastrous operations off
Norway
see NARVIK by D. Macintyre, CARRIER
GLORIOUS by J. Winton, THE DOOMED EXPEDITION by
Adams and Naval Staff
History)
May
Norwegian deployment in continuation and part of
escort for return convoys.
On completion of evacuation deployed with Home
Fleet based at
Scapa Flow for screening of
major unite in NW Approaches.
Pennant Number for visual signalling purposes
changed to I44.
June
Detached for duty at Plymouth.
18th
Escorted HM Aircraft Carrier ILLUSTRIOUS for
initial part of passage to
Bermuda for
work up.
Rejoined Home Fleet in continuation on return.
July
Home Fleet duties in continuation.
10th
Detached for escort of HM Auxiliary Minelayers
PORT
NAPIER, PORT QUEBEC,
SOUTHERN PRINCE and MENESTHEUS of 1st Minelaying
Squadron from Kyle of
Lochalsh for first minelay in Northern Barrage
at southern end of Orkney - Faeroes gap.
Rejoined Home Fleet on completion
(Operation SN1 - See above reference).
16th
In collision with HM Cruiser GLASGOW in thick
fog off Duncansby Head.
Extensive damage was caused and fires started
which forced abandonment of ship.
Ship's company rescued by GLASGOW.
Vessel sank in position 58.34 N 02.54 W.
Addendum
CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of
HMS IMOGEN
by
Don Kindell
This convoy list has not been cross-checked
with the text above
|
|
|
|
|
Date
convoy sailed
|
Joined
convoy as escort
|
Convoy
No.
|
Left
convoy
|
Date
convoy arrived
|
|
|
|
|
|
29/09/39
|
29/09/39
|
OB
012
|
02/10/39
|
02/10/39
|
02/10/39
|
02/10/39
|
OG
001
|
03/10/39
|
08/10/39
|
26/09/39
|
03/10/39
|
HG
001
|
04/10/39
|
06/10/39
|
09/10/39
|
09/10/39
|
OB
017
|
12/10/39
|
12/10/39
|
12/11/39
|
12/11/39
|
ON
002/1
|
14/11/39
|
15/11/39
|
15/11/39
|
15/11/39
|
HN
002
|
18/11/39
|
18/11/39
|
19/01/40
|
19/01/40
|
HN
008
|
22/01/40
|
22/01/40
|
24/01/40
|
25/01/40
|
ON
009/1
|
27/01/40
|
27/01/40
|
27/01/40
|
27/01/40
|
HN
009A
|
31/01/40
|
31/01/40
|
05/02/40
|
05/02/40
|
ON
010/1
|
08/02/40
|
08/02/40
|
08/02/40
|
08/02/40
|
HN
010
|
11/02/40
|
11/02/40
|
13/02/40
|
15/02/40
|
ON
012/1
|
16/02/40
|
16/02/40
|
16/02/40
|
16/02/40
|
HN
012
|
17/02/40
|
19/02/40
|
22/02/40
|
24/02/40
|
HN
014
|
26/02/40
|
26/02/40
|
02/03/40
|
04/03/40
|
HN
016
|
05/03/40
|
05/03/40
|
01/05/40
|
01/05/40
|
HK
001
|
09/05/40
|
09/05/40
|
|
|
|
|
|
(Note
on Convoys)
|