| Navy | The Royal Navy |
| Type | Destroyer |
| Class | Tribal |
| Pennant | F 36 |
| Built by | Thornycroft (Southampton, U.K.) |
| Ordered | |
| Laid down | 10 Aug, 1936 |
| Launched | 21 Dec, 1937 |
| Commissioned | 6 Dec, 1938 |
| End service | |
| Loss position | |
| History | Pennant numbers: L 36 October 1938- December 1938 F 36 January 1939 - Autumn 1940 G 36 Autumn 1940 - June 1949. In October 1938, Nubian's completion was delayed when it was suggested that she be used in still-water rolling tests. The original idea was to place a ten ton weight on the side of the ship, then suddenly remove it with a crane. During the momentum of righting, measurements could be taken. This plan was eventually discarded as it was deemed to be dubious in nature. Gunsights were late in arriving so Nubian was last to join her flotilla at Malta on 2nd February 1939. She served in Cossack's division which was preparing for war during the Albanian Crisis, cruising the eastern Mediterranean, and practicing fleet and flotilla maneuvers. When war began, she was employed on convoy escort and contraband control in that area. After having turbine problems corrected at Southhampton, England Nubian was called on to carry out balloon trials at Spithead at the end of October 1939. It was hoped that towing a kite balloon would discourage low level air attack. The `Nubians' concluded that the trials were successful as most coastal convoys began flying `barrage' balloons. At the end of 1939, Nubian reported to Scapa Flow and then to her base at Rosyth, England. Here, she started duties as a Norwegian convoy escort and was also actively involved in the Norwegian campaign. This was her first of many battle honours awarded, Norway 1940. By 14 May 1940, Nubian arrived in Alexandria ,Egypt to join the 14th Destroyer Flotilla. The war against Italy began on 10/11 June and the Fleet carried out sweeps in the eastern Mediterranean and along the North African coast. While screening HMS Warspite off the Toe of Italy, the Italian Navy engaged in a skirmish in which the Italians withdrew. Nubian was awarded her second battle honour, Calabria 1940. When she and other British ships destroyed an enemy convoy in the Straits of Otranto, another battle honour was awarded , Mediterranean 1940. The remainder of Nubian's battle honours will be mentioned here without elaboration: Libya 1940, Malta convoys 1941, Matapan 1941, Mediterranean 1941, Greece 1941, Crete 1941, Mediterranean 1943, Sicily 1943, Salerno 1943, Arctic 1944 and finally Burma 1945. Nubian left the United Kingdom in January 1945 on her way to Alexandria in an effort to make her more hospitable for the tropics. Sailing to the Indian Ocean, she rendezvoused with her sister ships HMS Tartar and HMS Eskimo. Jointly, the three ships helped the British Army clear the Japanese out of their small Burmese coastal fortifications. After the war ended, Nubian and Tartar arrived home by way of the Mediterranean. For a while, Nubian served as a Reserve Fleet accommodation ship alongside Whale Island, Portsmouth England. By 1948 she was empty and lifeless. Condemned as a target vessel in Loch Striven, she was eventually scrapped at Briton Ferry, Wales on 25 June 1949. Commanding Officers: HMS Nubian was in Dockyard control during repairs Cdr. Douglas Eric Holland-Martin, DSC, RN HMS Nubian was in Dockyard control during refit Lt.Cdr. Tristram Anthony Pack-Beresford, RN Lt.Cdr. F.C. Brodrick, RN |
| Noteable events involving Nubian include: 17 Aug, 1940 17 Sep, 1940 Illustrious was escorted by the British battleship HMS Valiant (Capt. H.B. Rawlings, OBE, RN) the British heavy cruiser HMS Kent (Capt. D. Young-Jamieson, RN), the British light cruisers HMS Liverpool (Capt. P.A. Read, RN) HMS Gloucester (Capt. H.A. Rowley, RN), HMS Orion (Capt. G.R.B. Back, RN) and the British destroyers HMS Nubian (Cdr. R.W. Ravenhill, RN), HMS Mohawk (Cdr. J.W.M. Eaton, RN), HMS Hero (Cdr. H.W. Biggs, DSO, RN), HMS Hasty (Lt.Cdr. L.R.K. Tyrwhitt, RN), HMS Hyperion (Cdr. H.St.L. Nicolson, DSO and Bar, RN), HMS Hereward (Lt.Cdr. C.W. Greening, RN), HMS Decoy (Cdr. E.G. McGregor, DSO, RN), HMS Jervis (Capt. P.J. Mack, DSO, RN) and the Australian destroyer HMAS Waterhen (Lt.Cdr. J.H. Swain, RAN). After the attack HMS Kent, escorted by HMS Nubian and HMS Mohawk, was detached to bombard Italian positions at Bardia early on the 18th. However before this could materialise HMS Kent was torpedoed and heavily damaged by Italian torpedo bombers just before midnight. Kent was hit in the stern and badly damaged. Kent was towed to Alexandria by HMS Nubian, escorted by light cruiser HMS Orion, AA cruiser HMS Calcutta (Capt. D.M. Lees, DSO, RN) and destroyers HMS Mohawk, HMS Jervis, HMS Juno (Cdr. W.E. Wilson, RN), HMS Janus (Cdr. J.A.W. Tothill, RN) and the Australian destroyer HMAS Vendetta (Lt.Cdr. R. Rhoades, RAN). 8 Oct, 1940 A British convoy with the merchants Memnon (7506 GRT), Lanarkshire (11275 GRT), Clan Macauley (10492 GRT) and Clan Ferguson (7347 GRT) left Alexandria for Malta on 8 October 1940. This convoy was escorted by the British Anti-Aircraft cruisers HMS Calcutta (Capt. D.M. Lees, DSO, RN), HMS Coventry (Capt. D. Gilmour, RN) and the Australian destroyers HMS Stuart (Capt. H.M.L. Waller, DSO, RAN), HMS Voyager (Cdr. J.C. Morrow, DSO, RAN), HMS Waterhen (Lt.Cdr. J.H. Swain, RAN) and the British destroyer HMS Wryneck (Cdr. R.H.D. Lane, RN). Cover was provided by the Mediterranean Fleet (Admiral Cunningham) with the British battleships HMS Warspite (Capt. D.B. Fisher, CBE, RN), HMS Valiant (Capt. H.B. Rawlings, OBE, RN), HMS Malaya (Capt. A.F.E. Palliser, DSC, RN), HMS Ramillies (Capt. H.T. Baillie-Grohman, OBE, DSO, RN), the British aircraft carriers HMS Illustrious (Capt. D.W. Boyd, DSC, RN), HMS Eagle (Capt. A.R.M. Bridge, RN), the British heavy cruiser HMS York (Capt. R.H. Portal, DSC, RN), the British light cruisers HMS Gloucester (Capt. H.A. Rowley, RN), HMS Liverpool (Capt. P.A. Read, RN), HMS Ajax (Capt. E.D. McCarthy, RN), HMS Orion (Capt. G.R.B. Back, RN), the Australian light cruiser HMAS Sydney (Capt. J.A. Collins, CB, RAN)escorted by the British destroyers HMS Hyperion (Cdr. H.St.L. Nicolson, DSO and Bar, RN), HMS Havock (Cdr. R.E. Courage, DSO, DSC, RN), HMS Hero (Cdr. H.W. Biggs, DSO, RN), HMS Hereward (Lt.Cdr. C.W. Greening, RN), HMS Hasty, (Lt.Cdr. L.R.K. Tyrwhitt, RN), HMS Ilex (Lt.Cdr. P.L. Saumarez, DSC, RN), HMS Imperial (Lt.Cdr. C.A.deW. Kitcat, RN), HMS Jervis (Capt. P.J. Mack, DSO, RN), HMS Janus (Cdr. J.A.W. Tothill, RN), HMS Juno (Cdr. W.E. Wilson, RN), HMS Nubian (Cdr. R.W. Ravenhill, RN), HMS Dainty (Cdr. M.S. Thomas, DSO, RN), HMS Decoy (Cdr. E.G. McGregor, DSO, RN), HMS Defender (Lt.Cdr. St.J.R.J. Tyrwhitt, RN) and the Australian destroyers HMAS Vampire (Cdr. J.A. Walsh, RAN) and HMAS Vendetta (Cdr. R. Rhoades RAN). The convoy was not spotted and arrived safe at Malta on 11 October. The only damage sustaned was to the destroyer HMS Imperial that was mined off Malta and was out of action for over 6 months. While on the return trip the Mediterranean Fleet was sighted by an Italian aircraft. The Italian Navy tried to intercept them in the Ionian Sea. In the night of 11/12 October the first Italian torpedo boat flottilla with Airone, Alcione and Ariel attacked HMS Ajax. The attack failed and Ajax sank Airone and Ariel, Alcione escaped. A little while later the Italian 11th destroyer flottilla, with Artigliere, Aviere, Camicia Nera and Geniere arrived at the scene. They were suprised by the radar-directed gunfire from HMS Ajax. Artigliere was heavily damaged and Aviere was lightly damaged. Camicia Nere tried to tow Artigliere away but she was sighted by a British Sunderland aircraft that homed in 3 Swordfish aircraft from HMS Illustrious. However, the torpedoes they fired didn't hit the Italian ships. Later the Britsh heavy cruiser HMS York arrived at the scene. Camicia Nera quickly slipped the towing line and sped off. After her crew had left the ship Artiglire was sunk by York. While the Mediterranean Fleet was still on the return trip aircraft from HMS Illustrious and HMS Eagle attacked Leros and in the evening of the 14th the British light cruiser HMS Liverpool while south-east off Crete was hit in the bow by a torpedo from an Italian aircraft. The cruiser was heavily damaged and was repaired at the Mare Island Navy Yard in the USA. HMS Liverpool was not operational again until January 1942. 8 Jan, 1943 9 Jan, 1943 15 Jan, 1943 19 Jan, 1943 30 Apr, 1943 4 May, 1943 7 May, 1943 12 Jun, 1945 |