HMS Ivanhoe (D16) facts for kids
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Ivanhoe in September 1938, as part of 3rd Destroyer Flotilla
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Quick facts for kids History |
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 United Kingdom |
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| Name | HMS Ivanhoe |
| Namesake | Ivanhoe |
| Ordered | 30 October 1935 |
| Builder | Yarrow Shipbuilders, Scotstoun |
| Cost | £259,371 |
| Laid down | 12 February 1936 |
| Launched | 11 February 1937 |
| Completed | 24 August 1937 |
| Identification | Pennant number: D16 |
| Fate | Mined and later scuttled, 31 August–1 September 1940 |
| General characteristics (as built) | |
| Class and type | I-class destroyer |
| Displacement | |
| Length | 323 ft (98.5 m) |
| Beam | 33 ft (10.1 m) |
| Draught | 12 ft 6 in (3.8 m) |
| Installed power |
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| Propulsion | 2 shafts, 2 geared steam turbines |
| Speed | 35.5 knots (65.7 km/h; 40.9 mph) |
| Range | 5,500 nmi (10,200 km; 6,300 mi) at 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph) |
| Complement | 145 |
| Sensors and processing systems |
ASDIC |
| Armament |
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| Service record | |
| Operations: | |
| Victories: | U-45 |
HMS Ivanhoe was a destroyer built for the Royal Navy in the 1930s. She was part of the I-class of destroyers. Before World War II began, Ivanhoe helped patrol waters during the Spanish Civil War. She also had some of her weapons removed so she could carry and lay mines.
When World War II started, Ivanhoe was sent to protect ships in the Western Approaches. She even helped sink a German submarine in October 1939. The ship was then changed into a minelayer, laying minefields near Germany and off the British coast. Later, she was changed back into a destroyer.
Ivanhoe returned to minelaying during the Norwegian Campaign in April 1940. She also laid many mines off the Dutch coast in May. The ship played a big part in the Dunkirk evacuation, helping to rescue soldiers. Sadly, she was badly damaged by German aircraft on June 1, 1940. After repairs, on her first new mission, she hit a German mine and had to be sunk on September 1, 1940. This event was part of what became known as the Texel Disaster.
Contents
About the Ivanhoe Destroyer
The I-class ships, like Ivanhoe, were improved versions of earlier destroyers. They were designed to be fast and powerful.
Size and Speed
Ivanhoe was about 323 feet (98.5 m) long. This is roughly the length of a football field! She was 33 feet (10.1 m) wide. The ship weighed about 1,370 long tons (1,390 t) when empty and 1,888 long tons (1,918 t) when fully loaded.
The ship was powered by two steam turbines. These engines used steam from three large boilers. They could produce 34,000 shp (25,000 kW) of power. This allowed Ivanhoe to reach a top speed of about 35.5 knots (65.7 km/h; 40.9 mph), which is very fast for a ship. She could travel about 5,500 nautical miles (10,200 km; 6,300 mi) (over 6,300 miles) at a slower speed of 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph) before needing to refuel. A crew of 145 officers and sailors worked on board.
Weapons and Equipment
Ivanhoe had four main guns, each 4.7-inch (119.4 mm) (120 mm) in size. These guns were placed at the front and back of the ship. For defense against airplanes, she had two mounts with four 0.5-inch (12.7 mm) machine guns each.
The ship also carried ten torpedo tubes in two groups of five. These fired large 21-inch (533 mm) torpedoes. She also had equipment to drop depth charges, which were used to attack submarines. Ivanhoe could carry 16 depth charges at first, but this was later increased to 35.
Minelaying Ability
Ivanhoe was one of four I-class destroyers that could also lay mines. This change was made in late 1938 and early 1939. Special rails were added to the deck to carry the mines. An electric winch helped move the mines into the sea. To make sure the mines didn't hit the ship's propellers, special extensions were added to the back.
When carrying mines, some of her guns and torpedo tubes could be removed. This helped balance the ship's weight. Ivanhoe could carry up to 72 mines.
Submarine Detection
The ship was also fitted with an ASDIC system. This system used sound waves to find submarines underwater. It was an important tool for anti-submarine warfare.
Building and Service
Ivanhoe was ordered on October 30, 1935. She was built by Yarrow Shipbuilders in Scotstoun, Scotland. The ship was started on February 12, 1936, and launched on February 11, 1937. She was completed on August 24, 1937, costing £259,371.
Early Service and Spanish Civil War
After being finished, Ivanhoe joined the 3rd Destroyer Flotilla in the Mediterranean Fleet. She took part in training exercises with the French Navy. She had some engine problems early on, which were fixed in Malta.
Later, Ivanhoe was sent to Gibraltar. Here, she patrolled Spanish waters during the Spanish Civil War. Her job was to help enforce a rule that stopped weapons from reaching either side of the conflict. In early 1939, she was in Cartagena to help protect British citizens as people left the city.
World War II Begins
When World War II started in September 1939, Ivanhoe was moved to Plymouth, England. She joined the Western Approaches Command to help protect convoys. On October 14, 1939, along with her sister ships Inglefield, Intrepid, and Icarus, Ivanhoe helped sink the German submarine German submarine U-45.
The ship then went to Sheerness Dockyard for a refit. From November 14 to December 13, she was changed into a minelayer. Ivanhoe joined the 20th Destroyer Flotilla, a special group for laying mines. She laid her first minefield near the Ems estuary in Germany on December 17, 1939. She laid more minefields in January 1940, including some to protect against submarines. In February 1940, her minelaying equipment was removed, and she became a destroyer again.
Norwegian Campaign and Dutch Coast Operations
In April 1940, Ivanhoe and three other minelayers took part in Operation Wilfred. This plan involved laying mines in the Vestfjord to stop Germany from getting Swedish iron ore. The mines were laid on April 8, just before Germany invaded Norway.
Ivanhoe was also present when the British battlecruiser HMS Renown briefly fought German battleships on April 9. Later that month, Ivanhoe carried soldiers to Åndalsnes, Norway. She then laid more mines near Trondheim with other ships on April 29.
After some maintenance, Ivanhoe laid 164 mines off the Hook of Holland on May 15, 1940. These mines later sank three German minesweepers. She laid five more minefields off the Dutch coast before the end of May.
Dunkirk Evacuation
On May 29, 1940, Ivanhoe was sent to help with the Dunkirk evacuation. This was a huge effort to rescue Allied soldiers trapped on the beaches of Dunkirk, France. That day, she carried 930 troops safely to Dover, England. She also rescued the crew of the damaged destroyer Grafton and then sank Grafton to prevent it from falling into enemy hands.
Ivanhoe was briefly pulled from the evacuation because she was considered too valuable to risk. But this decision was quickly changed. On May 31, she evacuated 1,290 more men to Dover.
Damage at Dunkirk
On the morning of June 1, 1940, while loading troops off Dunkirk, Ivanhoe was attacked by German aircraft. A bomb exploded above her deck, flooding two of her boiler rooms. This attack tragically killed 26 people, including five soldiers, and wounded many others. Most of the troops and wounded were transferred to other ships. Even with damage, Ivanhoe managed to reach Dover under her own power.
Final Mission and Sinking
Repairs to Ivanhoe lasted until August 28. She was then changed back into a minelayer and rejoined the 20th Destroyer Flotilla. On the night of August 31, she sailed with other ships to lay a minefield off the Dutch coast, north of Texel.
During this mission, another ship, Express, hit a newly laid German mine and lost her front section. Ivanhoe went to help and then hit another mine herself. The explosion caused her to lose power for several hours. She managed to get her engines working again and tried to steam backward to reduce stress on her damaged front.
However, in the early morning of September 1, her propellers or propeller shafts broke, and she lost all speed. Around 8:00 AM, four small motor torpedo boats arrived. They took most of Ivanhoe's crew off the ship. Ivanhoe continued to take on water and began to tilt.
Later that afternoon, she lost power to her pumps. Her captain ordered the ship to be abandoned and opened her valves to help her sink faster. A German aircraft then found and damaged Ivanhoe, but she still didn't sink. Finally, the destroyer Kelvin had to fire a torpedo to sink Ivanhoe. The ship quickly sank at position 53°26′42″N 03°45′24″E / 53.44500°N 3.75667°E.
See also
In Spanish: HMS Ivanhoe (D16) para niños
