Allied Warships

HMS Paladin (G 69)

Destroyer of the P class


HMS Paladin refueling at sea from an aircraft carrier in the Indian Ocean in 1945.

Photograph with thanks to Howard Bell, whose father served aboard HMS Paladin during that time.

NavyThe Royal Navy
TypeDestroyer
ClassP 
PennantG 69 
Built byJohn Brown Shipbuilding & Engineering Company Ltd. (Clydebank, Scotland) 
Ordered20 Oct 1939 
Laid down22 Jul 1940 
Launched11 Jun 1941 
Commissioned12 Dec 1941 
End service 
Loss position
 
HistoryScrapped at Dunston on 25 October 1962.

Commanding Officers:
Cdr. Anthony Follett Pugsley, RN
25 September 1941 – 4 January 1943

Lt.Cdr. Lawrence St George Rich, RN
4 January 1943 – 14 July 1943

Lt. Edward Anthony Savile Bailey, DSC, RN
14 July 1943 – June 1944

Lt.Cdr. Michael Charles Morris, RN
June 1944 – Early 1945

Lt. Rodney John Rowley Cundall, RN
Early 1945 – 24 April 1945

Lt. Henry Reynardson Hewlett, RN
24 April 1945 – still in command in October 1945 according to the Navy List
Promoted to A/Lt.Cdr. on ??? 

Commands listed for HMS Paladin (G 69)

Please note that we're still working on this section.

CommanderFromTo
1Cdr. Anthony Follett Pugsley, RN25 Sep 19414 Jan 1943
2Lt.Cdr. Lawrence St George Rich, RN4 Jan 194314 Jul 1943
3Lt. Edward Anthony Savile Bailey, DSC, RN14 Jul 1943Jun 1944
4Lt.Cdr. Michael Charles Morris, RNJun 1944Early 1945

5Lt. Rodney John Rowley Cundall, RN1 Feb 194524 Apr 1945
6Henry Reynardson Hewlett, RN24 Apr 1945Oct 1945 ?

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Noteable events involving Paladin include:


17 Feb 1943
The German submarine U-205 was sunk in the Mediterranean near the northernmost point of Cyrene, in position 32º56'N, 22º01'E, by depth charges from the British destroyer HMS Paladin, assisted by a South African Bisley (Blenheim) aircraft (see map)

16 Apr 1943
While intercepting an Italian convoy south-west of Marsala the British destroyers HMS Pakenham (Cdr. Basil Jones, DSC, RN) and HMS Paladin (Lt.Cdr. L.St.G. Rich, RN) were engaged in a battle with the Italian torpedo boats Cigno and Cassiopea. In the resulting battle the Cigno was sunk and the Cassiopea was damaged but not before Pakenham was badly damaged herself. Paladin took Pakenham in tow but as Pakenham was beyond salvage she was eventually scuttled by Paladin north of Pantelleria.

30 Apr 1943
The British destroyers HMS Nubian (Cdr. D.E. Holland-Martin, DSC, RN) and HMS Paladin (Lt.Cdr. L.StG. Rich, RN) intercept the small Italian transport ship Fauna (575 GRT) about 20 nautical miles south of Capo San Marco, Sicily, Italy and sink it with gunfire.

4 May 1943
The British destroyers HMS Nubian (Cdr. D.E. Holland-Martin, DSC, RN), HMS Paladin (Lt.Cdr. L.St.G. Rich, RN) and HMS Petard (Lt.Cdr. R.C. Egan, RN) sinks the Italian transport ship Campo Basso (3566 GRT) and its escort the Italian torpedo boat Perseo (652 tons) about 8 nautical miles east of Kelibia, Tunisia.

1945

Crew of HMS Paladin 1945/1946.

Photograph with thanks to Howard Bell, whose father served aboard HMS Paladin during that time.

15 Jun 1945
HMS Penn (Lt.Cdr. A.H. Diack, DSC, RN) and HMS Paladin (Lt. H.R. Hewlett, RN) intercept a Japanese landing craft and sink it with gunfire off the north-west coast of Sumatra.

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