Janus 1940
Jupiter 1940
Jupiter 1941
Napier 1942
Jervis 1945
| Name | No | Builder | Laid down | Launched | Comp | Fate |
| "J" group | ||||||
| Jackal | F22 - G22 | John Brown, Clydebank | 9/1937 | 25/10/1938 | 4/1939 | sunk 12/5/1942 |
| Jaguar | F34 - G34 | Denny, Dumbarton | 11/1937 | 22/11/1938 | 9/1939 | sunk 26/3/1942 |
| Janus | F53 - G53 | Swan Hunter, Wallsend | 9/1937 | 10/11/1938 | 8/1939 | sunk 23/1/1944 |
| Javelin | F61 - G61 | John Brown, Clydebank | 10/1937 | 21/12/1938 | 6/1939 | BU 6/1949 |
| Jersey | F72 -G72 | White, Cowes | 9/1937 | 26/9/1938 | 4/1939 | sunk 2/5/1941 |
| Jervis | F00 - G00 | Hawthorn Leslie, Hebburn | 8/1937 | 9/9/1938 | 8/1939 | TS 5/1946, BU 1/1949 |
| Juno | F46 - G46 | Fairfield, Govan | 10/1937 | 8/12/1938 | 8/1939 | sunk 21/5/1941 |
| Jupiter | F85 - G85 | Yarrow, Scotstoun | 9/1937 | 27/10/1938 | 6/1939 | sunk 27/2/1942 |
| "K" group | ||||||
| Kandahar | F28 | Denny, Dumbarton | 1/1938 | 21/3/1939 | 10/1939 | sunk 20/12/1941 |
| Kashmir | F12 | Thornycroft, Woolston | 10/1937 | 4/4/1939 | 10/1939 | sunk 23/5/1941 |
| Kelly | F01 | Hawthorn Leslie, Hebburn | 8/1937 | 25/10/1938 | 8/1939 | sunk 23/5/1941 |
| Kelvin | F37 | Fairfield, Govan | 10/1937 | 19/1/1939 | 11/1939 | BU 4/1949 |
| Khartoum | F45 | Swan Hunter, Wallsend | 10/1937 | 6/2/1939 | 11/1939 | internal explosion 23/6/1940 |
| Kimberley | F50 | Thornycroft, Woolston | 1/1938 | 1/6/1939 | 12/1939 | BU 3/1949 |
| Kingston | F64 | White, Cowes | 10/1937 | 9/1/1939 | 9/1939 | CTL 11/4/1942 |
| Kipling | F91 | Yarrow, Scotstoun | 10/1937 | 19/1/1939 | 12/1939 | sunk 11/5/1942 |
| "N" group | ||||||
| Napier (RAN 11/1941 - 10/1945) | G97 - D13 - D297 | Fairfield, Govan | 7/1939 | 22/5/1940 | 12/1940 | BU 1/1956 |
| Nepal (ex-Norseman) | G25 - D14 - D125 | Thornycroft, Woolston | 9/1939 | 4/12/1941 | 5/1942 | BU 1/1956 |
| Nestor (RAN 2/1941) | G02 | Fairfield, Govan | 7/1939 | 9/7/1940 | 2/1941 | sunk 15/6/1942 |
| Nizam (RAN 1/1941 - 10/1945) | G38 - D15 - D38 | John Brown, Clydebank | 7/1939 | 4/7/1940 | 1/1941 | BU 11/1955 |
| Noble | G84 | Denny, Dumbarton | 7/1939 | 17/4/1941 | ---// 2/1942 | to Netherlands at completion 2/1942 (Van Galen) |
| Nerissa, 1946 - Noble | G65 - D165 | John Brown, Clydebank | 7/1939 | 7/5/1940 | ---// 11/1940 // 10/1946 | to Poland before completion 10/1940 - 8/1946 (Piorun), BU 12/1955 |
| Nonpareil | G16 | Denny, Dumbarton | 5/1940 | 25/6/1941 | ---// 10/1942 | to Netherlands before completion 5/1942 (Tjerk Hiddes) |
| Norman (RAN 9/1941 - 10/1945) | G47 - D16 - D149 | Thornycroft, Woolston | 7/1939 | 30/10/1940 | 9/1941 | BU 5/1958 |
|
Displacement standard, t |
1760 - 1773 |
|
Displacement full, t |
2330 - 2384 (later 2540 - 2555) |
|
Length, m |
103.5 pp 108.7 oa |
|
Breadth, m |
10.9 |
|
Draught, m |
4.16 - 4.22 (later 4.34) |
|
No of shafts |
2 |
|
Machinery |
Parsons geared steam turbines, 2 Admiralty 3-drum boilers |
|
Power, h. p. |
40000 |
|
Max speed, kn |
36 |
|
Fuel, t |
oil 464 |
| Endurance, nm(kts) | 5500(15) |
|
Armament |
"J", "K" classes: 3 x 2 - 120/45 QF Mk XII, 1 x 4 - 40/39 pompom, 2 x 4 - 12.7/62, 2 x 5 - 533 TT, 2 DCT, 1 DCR (20 DC), sweeps Norman: 3 x 2 - 120/45 QF Mk XII, 1 x 1 - 102/45 QF Mk V HA, 1 x 4 - 40/39 pompom, 2 x 4 - 12.7/62, 2 x 2 - 12.7/62, 1 x 5 - 533 TT, 2 DCT, 1 DCR (45 DC) other ships of "N" class: 3 x 2 - 120/45 QF Mk XII, 1 x 1 - 102/45 QF Mk V HA, 1 x 4 - 40/39 pompom, 4 x 1 - 20/70 Oerlikon, 2 x 2 - 12.7/62, 1 x 5 -533 TT, 2 DCT, 1 DCR (45 DC) |
|
Sensors |
presumably Napier, Nizam, Nestor, Norman: type 285, 286 radars, sonar presumably Nepal: type 271, 285, 290 radars, sonar |
|
Complement |
183 - 218 |
Ship project history: Destroyers of "J" class became in many respects landmark ships, having exceeded in this quality even well-known "Tribals". All the subsequent destroyers of Royal Navy (behind a small exception) before occurrence in the end of war of "Battle" class were to some extent modifications of this successful project. Changes concerned basically armament while the hull and machinery remained practically invariable.
Even at designing of "Tribal" class destroyers a number of Admiralty chiefs expressed as against an excessive enlarging, and cost of these ships (one "Tribal" managed almost in one and a half time more expensively, than "standard" "I" class destroyer) at too weak torpedo armament. The decision on return on destroyers of 1936 program to more balanced gun-torpedo armament at a little smaller displacement and two-boiler-room machinery with one funnel became corollary of it. At early phases of designing it was offered to return to four single 120mm mounts and 2 quadruple TTs, that is actually to simple modified "I" class, but the choice has been made in favour of the design with three twin 120mm mounts (two in a bow and one on an aft superstructure) and 2 quintuple TTs. Similar placing of main artillery has exempted quarterdeck for the anti-submarine and minesweeping equipment and has allowed to outline additional spaces for a flotilla headquarters in an aft superstructure without a ship enlarging as it practised earlier. Therefore since "J" class flotilla leaders had the same dimensions as destroyers, and the number of the ships of a flotilla was shrank from 9 to 8. The electrical drive on new ships was more widely applied. Transition to a longitudinal hull framing system became the important innovation.
The order for building of eight ships of "J" class was given in March, 1937, a month later 8 units of "K" class of 1937 program have ordered. The decision on building of 8 more destroyers of this type ("N" class) have accepted in 1939, when in connection with growth of the sizes and costs of the ships of "L" and "M" classes of 1937 and 1939 programs 1937 and 1939 a protraction of terms of their availability begun to show. The similar course has appeared true, and majority of destroyers of "N" class of 1939 program have become operational earlier than ships of "L" and "M" classes.
Modernizations: 1940 - 1941, Jackal, Jaguar, Janus, Javelin, Jersey, Jervis, Jupiter, Kashmir, Kelly, Kelvin, Kimberley, Kingston, Kipling: - 1 x 5 - 533 TT; + 1 x 1 - 102/45 QF Mk V HA
1941, "J" and "K" classes but Khartoum: - 2 x 4 - 12.7/62; + 4 x 1 - 20/70 Oerlikon
1942, Norman: - 1 x 1 - 102/45, 2 x 4 - 12.7/62, 2 x 2 - 12.7/62; + 4 x 2 - 20/70 Oerlikon, 2 x 1 - 20/70 Oerlikon, 1 x 5 - 533 TT
1942, "N" class but Norman: - 1 x 1 - 102/45, 2 x 1 - 20/70, 2 x 2 - 12.7/62; + 4 x 2 - 20/70 Oerlikon, 1 x 5 - 533 TT
1942 - 1943, all survived ships of "J" and "K" classes: - 1 x 1 - 102/45, 2 x 1 - 20/70, sweeps; + 2 x 2 - 20/70 Oerlikon, 1 x 5 - 533 TT, DC stowage was increased up to 45 pcs.
1943, Jervis (temporarily): - 1 x 5 - 533 TT; + 1 x 4 - 533 TT
1943 - 1944, all survived: + 2 DCT, 1 DCR (DC stowage was 45 pcs)
1945, Nizam: - 1 x 5 - 533 TT; + 1 x 1 - 40/56 Bofors
Naval service: Jackal has received hit by an air torpedo in December, 1941, and 11/5/1942 she was badly damaged by German Ju 88 bomber in 80nm NW of Mersa-Matruh. She was 12/5/1942 abandoned by crew and sunk by destroyer Jervis. Jaguar 26/3/1942 was sunk by German submarine U652 N of Sollum. Janus was sunk by German Ju 88 bomber at Anzio 23/1/1944. Javelin 29/11/1940 was badly damaged by hit of two torpedoes from German destroyer Hans Lody: bow and stern ship ends were broken off by explosions, repair lasted till January 1942. Jersey 7/12/1939 was torpedoed by German destroyer Erich Giese and repaired till to September, 1940; she was stricken by German mine and lost in La-Valetta harbour (Malta) 4/5/1941. Jervis in March, 1940 was damaged in collision and repaired till July. Juno was sunk by Italian Z.1007 bomber S of Crete 21/5/1941. Jupiter was sunk by torpedoes from Japanese cruisers and destroyers in Java sea 28/2/1942. Kandahar was stricken by Italian mine 19/12/1941 at Tripoli and next day she was sunk by gunfire of destroyer Jaguar. Kashmir 23/5/1941 was sunk by German Ju 87 bomber at Crete. Kelly 14/12/1939 was mined on not-contact mine in a mouth of Tyne, repair lasted till the end of February, 1940; 10/5/1940 she has received hit of a torpedo from German MTB S31 and repaired till the middle of December, 1940; she was sunk by German Ju 87 bomber at Crete 23/5/1941. Khartoum 23/6/1940 in Red sea in battle against Italian submarine Toriccelli received damages, blown up after the fire and completely destroyed. Kingston 11/4/1942 was badly damaged by German Ju 88 bomber on Malta, she turned over and never repaired. Kipling was sunk by German Ju 88 bomber 11/5/1942 in East Mediterranean. Nestor was sunk by Italian Ju 87 bomber in East Mediterranean 15/6/1942.
Jackal 1939
© Ivan Gogin, 2008-10