HMAS Nestor
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HMAS ''Nestor'' (G02) was an N-class
destroyer In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast, maneuverable, long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy, or carrier battle group and defend them against a wide range of general threats. They were conceived i ...
of the
Royal Australian Navy The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) is the navy, naval branch of the Australian Defence Force (ADF). The professional head of the RAN is Chief of Navy (Australia), Chief of Navy (CN) Vice admiral (Australia), Vice Admiral Mark Hammond (admiral), Ma ...
(RAN). Built in Scotland, ''Nestor'' was commissioned in February 1941; although manned by Australians and commissioned as an Australian warship, she remained the property of the
Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King of the United Kingdom, King. Although warships were used by Kingdom ...
. Entering service in 1941, ''Nestor'' spent most of her career as a patrol and escort vessel in the Atlantic Ocean, the Mediterranean, and the Far East. In December 1941, the destroyer located and sank the . In June 1942, ''Nestor'' sailed as part of the
Operation Vigorous Operation Vigorous (known in Italy as 1942, "the Battle of mid-June 1942") was a British operation during the Second World War, to escort supply Convoy MW 11 from the eastern Mediterranean to Malta, which took place from 11 to 16 June 1942. Vigo ...
escort force, protecting a supply
convoy A convoy is a group of vehicles, typically motor vehicles or ships, traveling together for mutual support and protection. Often, a convoy is organized with armed defensive support and can help maintain cohesion within a unit. It may also be used ...
to
Malta Malta, officially the Republic of Malta, is an island country in Southern Europe located in the Mediterranean Sea, between Sicily and North Africa. It consists of an archipelago south of Italy, east of Tunisia, and north of Libya. The two ...
. On the evening of 15 June, the ship was heavily damaged by air attack. Despite attempts to tow the ship to base, ''Nestor'' was abandoned and
scuttled Scuttling is the act of deliberately sinking a ship by allowing water to flow into the hull, typically by its crew opening holes in its hull. Scuttling may be performed to dispose of an abandoned, old, or captured vessel; to prevent the vesse ...
off
Crete Crete ( ; , Modern Greek, Modern: , Ancient Greek, Ancient: ) is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the List of islands by area, 88th largest island in the world and the List of islands in the Mediterranean#By area, fifth la ...
the next morning. ''Nestor'' is the only ship of the RAN that never operated in Australian waters.


Design and construction

The
N-class destroyer The J, K and N class consisted of 24 destroyers built for the Royal Navy beginning in 1938. They were a return to a smaller vessel, with a heavier torpedo A modern torpedo is an underwater ranged weapon launched above or below the water sur ...
had a
displacement Displacement may refer to: Physical sciences Mathematics and physics *Displacement (geometry), is the difference between the final and initial position of a point trajectory (for instance, the center of mass of a moving object). The actual path ...
of 1,773 tons at standard load, and 2,550 tons at full load.Cassells, ''The Destroyers'', p. 61 ''Nestor'' was
long overall Length overall (LOA, o/a, o.a. or oa) is the maximum length of a vessel's hull measured parallel to the waterline. This length is important while docking the ship. It is the most commonly used way of expressing the size of a ship, and is also u ...
and long
between perpendiculars Length between perpendiculars (often abbreviated as p/p, p.p., pp, LPP, LBP or Length BPP) is the length of a ship along the summer load line from the forward surface of the stem, or main bow perpendicular member, to the after surface of the ster ...
, had a
beam Beam may refer to: Streams of particles or energy *Light beam, or beam of light, a directional projection of light energy **Laser beam *Radio beam *Particle beam, a stream of charged or neutral particles **Charged particle beam, a spatially lo ...
of , and a maximum draught of . Propulsion was provided by
Admiralty 3-drum boiler Three-drum boilers are a class of water-tube boiler used to generate steam, typically to power ships. They are compact and of high evaporative power, factors that encourage this use. Other boiler designs may be more efficient, although bulkier, an ...
s connected to Parsons geared steam turbines, which provided to the ship's two
propeller A propeller (often called a screw if on a ship or an airscrew if on an aircraft) is a device with a rotating hub and radiating blades that are set at a pitch to form a helical spiral which, when rotated, exerts linear thrust upon a working flu ...
s.Cassells, ''The Destroyers'', p. 62 ''Nestor'' was capable of reaching . The
ship's company A ship's company or complement comprises all officers, non-commissioned officers and enlisted personnel aboard a naval vessel, excluding civilians and guests. United States Aircraft-capable ships An exception to this rule is the definition of shi ...
consisted of 249 officers and sailors at the time she was sunk. The ship's armament consisted of six 4.7-inch QF Mark XII guns in three twin mounts, a single 4-inch QF Mark V gun, a 2-pounder 4-barrel "pom pom", four 0.5-inch machine guns, four 20 mm Oerlikon anti-aircraft guns, four .303 Lewis machine guns, two Pentad torpedo launcher tube sets (with 10
torpedo A modern torpedo is an underwater ranged weapon launched above or below the water surface, self-propelled towards a target, with an explosive warhead designed to detonate either on contact with or in proximity to the target. Historically, such ...
es carried), two
depth-charge A depth charge is an anti-submarine warfare (ASW) weapon designed to destroy submarines by detonating in the water near the target and subjecting it to a destructive hydraulic shock. Most depth charges use high explosives with a fuze set to deto ...
throwers and one depth-charge chute (with 45 charges carried). The 4-inch gun was removed later in ''Nestor''s career. ''Nestor'' was
laid down Laying the keel or laying down is the formal recognition of the start of a ship's construction. It is often marked with a ceremony attended by dignitaries from the shipbuilding company and the ultimate owners of the ship. Keel laying is one ...
by the
Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company, Limited The Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company, Limited, was a Scottish shipbuilding company in the Govan area on the Clyde in Glasgow. Fairfields, as it is often known, was a major warship builder, turning out many vessels for the Royal Na ...
, at
Govan Govan ( ; Cumbric: ''Gwovan''; Scots language, Scots: ''Gouan''; Scottish Gaelic: ''Baile a' Ghobhainn'') is a district, parish, and former burgh now part of southwest Glasgow, Scotland. It is situated west of Glasgow city centre, on the sout ...
, Scotland in 1939. She was launched on 9 July 1940 by the daughter of one of the shipyard directors. ''Nestor'' was commissioned into the RAN on 3 February 1941; although manned and commissioned as an Australian warship, the destroyer remained the property of the
Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King of the United Kingdom, King. Although warships were used by Kingdom ...
. The destroyer's name came from the mythological ruler. The ship cost 398,960 pounds to build.


Operational history

During
sea trial A sea trial or trial trip is the testing phase of a watercraft (including boats, ships, and submarines). It is also referred to as a "shakedown cruise" by many naval personnel. It is usually the last phase of construction and takes place on op ...
s, ''Nestor'' was called on to make several deployments north of the British Isles, in poor conditions.Frame & Baker, ''Mutiny!'', p. 155 On 14 May, the sailors aboard mutinied in response to the heavy drinking sessions of the ship's captain and two other senior officers: they locked themselves in their accommodations and refused to man the ship until the officers were removed. The ship's doctor visited the admiral at
Scapa Flow Scapa Flow (; ) is a body of water in the Orkney Islands, Scotland, sheltered by the islands of Mainland, Graemsay, Burray,S. C. George, ''Jutland to Junkyard'', 1973. South Ronaldsay and Hoy. Its sheltered waters have played an impor ...
(where the ship was based); the admiral sent
marines Marines (or naval infantry) are military personnel generally trained to operate on both land and sea, with a particular focus on amphibious warfare. Historically, the main tasks undertaken by marines have included Raid (military), raiding ashor ...
to arrest the three officers, and appointed a new commander to ''Nestor''. After completing sea trials, ''Nestor'' was assigned to escort and patrol duties in the North Atlantic. During May, she was involved in the pursuit of the , but had diverted to Iceland for fuel when the Allied force encountered and sank the German ship. ''Nestor'' was transferred to the Mediterranean in July, and was involved in the Malta Convoys, then performed escort duties in the South Atlantic before returning to England for refit in October. The destroyer returned to service as a Malta Convoy escort in December. On 15 December, ''Nestor'' encountered the off Cape St. Vincent; the destroyer successfully hunted down and destroyed the submarine with depth charges. In January 1942, ''Nestor'' was reassigned to the Far East. During the voyage, ''Nestor'' and several sister ships escorted the
aircraft carrier An aircraft carrier is a warship that serves as a seagoing airbase, equipped with a full-length flight deck and hangar facilities for supporting, arming, deploying and recovering carrier-based aircraft, shipborne aircraft. Typically it is the ...
during attempts to deliver aircraft to
Malaya Malaya refers to a number of historical and current political entities related to what is currently Peninsular Malaysia in Southeast Asia: Political entities * British Malaya (1826–1957), a loose collection of the British colony of the Straits ...
. After this, ''Nestor'' joined the
British Eastern Fleet The East Indies Station was a formation and command of the British Royal Navy. Created in 1744 by the Admiralty, it was under the command of the Commander-in-Chief, East Indies. Even in official documents, the term ''East Indies Station'' wa ...
, and was based at
Colombo Colombo, ( ; , ; , ), is the executive and judicial capital and largest city of Sri Lanka by population. The Colombo metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of 5.6 million, and 752,993 within the municipal limits. It is the ...
. In March 1942, the town of
Andover, Hampshire Andover ( ) is a town in the Test Valley district of Hampshire, England. The town is on the River Anton, a major tributary of the River Test, Test, and lies alongside the major A303 road, A303 trunk road at the eastern end of Salisbury Plain, ...
adopted ''Nestor'' after they raised £214,467 during a
Warship Week Warship Weeks were British National savings campaigns during the Second World War, with the aim of a Royal Navy warship being adopted by a civil community. During the early parts of the war, the Royal Navy not only had lost many capital ships but ...
. In May 1942, the destroyer was assigned back to the Mediterranean.


Loss

On 12 June 1942, ''Nestor'' sailed from
Haifa Haifa ( ; , ; ) is the List of cities in Israel, third-largest city in Israel—after Jerusalem and Tel Aviv—with a population of in . The city of Haifa forms part of the Haifa metropolitan area, the third-most populous metropolitan area i ...
as part of the large escort force for
Operation Vigorous Operation Vigorous (known in Italy as 1942, "the Battle of mid-June 1942") was a British operation during the Second World War, to escort supply Convoy MW 11 from the eastern Mediterranean to Malta, which took place from 11 to 16 June 1942. Vigo ...
, a Malta Convoy consisting of 11 merchant ships carrying food, fuel, and supplies for the besieged island. Air harassment of the convoy began almost immediately after leaving port. During the afternoon of 15 June, the convoy received word that a second convoy ( Operation Harpoon) sailing from the west had successfully arrived, and based on the quantity of air attacks and intelligence that an Italian fleet was in the area, it was decided to return the ''Vigorous'' convoy to
Alexandria Alexandria ( ; ) is the List of cities and towns in Egypt#Largest cities, second largest city in Egypt and the List of coastal settlements of the Mediterranean Sea, largest city on the Mediterranean coast. It lies at the western edge of the Nile ...
. According to one source, at around 18:00, while off
Crete Crete ( ; , Modern Greek, Modern: , Ancient Greek, Ancient: ) is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the List of islands by area, 88th largest island in the world and the List of islands in the Mediterranean#By area, fifth la ...
, an Italian
bomber A bomber is a military combat aircraft that utilizes air-to-ground weaponry to drop bombs, launch aerial torpedo, torpedoes, or deploy air-launched cruise missiles. There are two major classifications of bomber: strategic and tactical. Strateg ...
attacked ''Nestor'', killing four sailors and seriously damaging the destroyer's engine rooms. Other sources assert the attack was carried out by
Junkers Ju 87 The Junkers Ju 87, popularly known as the "Stuka", is a German dive bomber and ground-attack aircraft. Designed by Hermann Pohlmann, it first flew in 1935. The Ju 87 made its combat debut in 1937 with the Luftwaffe's Condor Legion during the ...
dive bombers from
Sturzkampfgeschwader 3 ''Sturzkampfgeschwader 3'' (StG 3—Dive Bomber Wing 3) was a Dive bomber wing in the German ''Luftwaffe'' during World War II and operated the Junkers Ju 87 ''Stuka''. The wing was activated on 9 July 1940 using personnel from German medium bo ...
.Smith 2011, p. 277. began to tow ''Nestor'', but by 05:30 on 16 June, the quantity of water taken on by the Australian ship meant that recovery was no longer practical. The ship's company transferred to ''Javelin'', and ''Nestor'' was
scuttled Scuttling is the act of deliberately sinking a ship by allowing water to flow into the hull, typically by its crew opening holes in its hull. Scuttling may be performed to dispose of an abandoned, old, or captured vessel; to prevent the vesse ...
with depth charges. ''Nestor'' was the only major RAN ship to never visit Australia.Bastock, ''Australia's Ships of War'', p. 152 ''Nestor''s wartime service was recognised with four
battle honours A battle honour is an award of a right by a government or sovereign to a military unit to emblazon the name of a battle or operation on its flags ("colours"), uniforms or other accessories where ornamentation is possible. In European military ...
: "''Bismarck'' 1941", "Atlantic 1941", "Malta Convoys 1941–42", and "Indian Ocean 1942". The
ship's bell A ship's bell is a bell on a ship that is used for the indication of time as well as other traditional functions. The bell itself is usually made of brass or bronze, and normally has the ship's name engraved or cast on it. Strikes Timing of shi ...
was recovered, and is on display at the museum at .


Citations


References

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Further reading

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External links


Cardstock paper model plan for HMAS Nestor
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nestor (G02) N-class destroyers of the Royal Australian Navy Ships built in Govan 1940 ships World War II destroyers of Australia World War II shipwrecks in the Mediterranean Sea Destroyers sunk by aircraft Maritime incidents in June 1942 Naval mutinies Ships sunk by Italian aircraft