HMS Sikh
HMS Sikh was a Tribal class destroyer of the Fourth destroyer flotilla of the Royal Navy. She was built by Alexander Stephen and Sons in Glasgow and commissioned in 1938. In 1941, while under the command of Commander Stokes, she took part in the sinking of the German battleship Bismarck in 1941 (see ORP Piorun for the destroyers' role). The night before Bismarck was sunk she fired a salvo of four torpedoes and claimed a hit after hearing underwater explosions, but in actual fact there were no hits.
HMS Sikh transferred to the Mediterranean serving as part of Force H. On 13 December 1941, Sikh together with HMS Legion , HMS Maori and HMNLS Issac Sweers sunk the Italian Cruisers Alberico di Barbiano and Alberto di Giussano.
On 4th August 1942 HMS Sikh together with HMS Zulu, HMS Croome and HMS Trescott sunk the German submarine U-372 off Haifa.
On 14 September 1942 Sikh and HMS Zulu covered a commando raid on Tobruk. HMS Sikh has hit and sunk by shore batteries 115 men were lost. HMS Zulu was damaged and sunk by bombing the following day.
HMS SIKH started her naval life with the 1st Destroyer Flotilla (1st DF). Her builders trials commenced in August 1938 and after being fitted with a gyro-compass and other equipment at Chatham, England she was completed on 2nd November even though she had been commissioned a month earlier. After bringing King Carol and Crown Prince Michael of Romania from Boulogne, France to Dover England, SIKH returned to Portsmouth while the royal party went on a state visit to Buckingham Palace. The Tribal returned the East European royals to Boulogne on 18th November. After more workups, SIKH sailed for the Mediterranean, arriving at Malta on 2 December.
In February 1939, HMS AFRIDI led SIKH and the rest of the flotilla to Gibraltar for exercises followed by individual cruises. On 21st March, SIKH sailed to Cartagena, Spain to embark refugees from the Spanish Civil War. HMS SIKH, HMS GURKHA, HMS AFRIDI and HMS MOHAWK were patrolling in the Red Sea when war broke out. The ships quickly returned back to the Mediterranean for convoy escort duty and blockades. After a short operational period, SIKH was ordered back to home waters but a broken turbine interrupted her departure from Malta. Eventually, the Tribal made it home by 26th December and after a quick refit, she joined the 4th DF in 1940. Anti-submarine patrols, fleet sweeps and convoy escorts occupied SIKH for the next few months. By March, the Tribal found herself involved with the Norwegian campaign. At Nasmos Norway, SIKH and her sister Tribals were attacked from the air almost continuously and usually at meal times. As soon as she returned to Scapa Flow, Scotland, SIKH was detailed for the evacuation of Allied trops from Central Norway at the beginning of May. She then accompanied the 6th DF when they embarked troops in the Andalsnes area of Norway.
More turbine trouble developed, so it was off to Alexander Stephan's Yard at Govan for repairs and refit. Routine screening, North Sea patrols and anti-invasion exercises followed and continued through the autumn and winter months. SIKH escorted convoys in the Western Approaches and protected the capital ships of the Home Fleet in northern waters. It was mostly monotonous work in filthy weather but there were some notable incidents. SIKH escorted one East Coast convoy from the Forth River to the Thames River during the Battle of Britain and without any air or sea attacks. The night of 16/17th October was also eventful when SIKH narrowly avoided following HMS FAME and HMS ASHANTI onto the beach at Whitburn, England. On 21st May 1941, SIKH, HMS COSSACK, HMS MAORI and HMS ZULU left the Clyde River to escort another troop convoy through the Western Approaches. Enroute, these ships were detached to screen Home Fleet capital ships which were attacking the German battleship BISMARCK. The 4th DF witnessed the destruction of BISMARCK at dawn on 27th May. After undergoing two more refits, SIKH helped to escort HMS NELSON back to the UK. The battleship had been temporarily repaired following a torpedo hit during the Halherd Malta convoy.
SIKH rejoined Force H at Gibraltar taking part in various sweeps and exercises. Ordered to reinforce the 14th DF, SIKH, MAORI, and HMS ISAAC SWEERS, they proceeded eastward and off Cape Bon, Tunisia they sank the Italian cruisers ALBERICO BARBIANO and ALBERTO DI GIUSSANO. After calling at Malta, SIKH and MAORI took part in the First Battle of Sirte, then arrived at Alexandria, Egypt on 18/19th December. It was then decided that SIKH and MAORI should return to Malta, join ZULU and form the 22nd DF. This would act as a strike force against Axis supply convoys between Italy and North Africa.
On 12/13th September, SIKH and ZULU were supporting an assault off the coast of Africa. While picking up troops in boats at 0505, a searchlight on shore suddenly lit up SIKH. Quickly, ZULU moved away, then came in bow first into the searchlight. Shore batteries opened fire. One 88mm shell exploded in SIKH'S Gear Room, damaging the lubrication feed system and the steering gear. A second hit forward, blew up the ready-use ammunition locker for 'A' gun and started a fierce fire that killed, burned, or disabled all of the Royal Marines who had just been picked up. It also trapped more Royal Marines who had been waiting in the messdecks. Emergency damage control and first aid parties rescued the wounded, flooded 'A' and 'B' magazines, and dealt with the blaze.
SIKH was steaming in circles at 10 knots and getting slower. A third shell struck her range finder director and from then on, all her guns had to fire under local control. As SIKH came to a stop, Captain Micklethwait, SIKH'S Commanding Officer, ordered all Royal Navy Forces to leave the area while ZULU towed SIKH away from danger. While under tow, a forth shell hit the unlucky destroyer setting off the charges around SIKH'S 'Y' mounting. This started another bad fire aft while a fifth shell struck 'B' mounting killing the gun crew. Others took up their places and the guns continued firing. During the shelling, the towline broke and Zulu made attempts to get a heaving line to SIKH. Captain Micklethwait, went forward to supervise the towing preparations on the fo'c'sle when a sixth shell smashed the bridge. It was now broad daylight and the two ships were getting underway when another 88mm shell hit the towline and severed it. There was no hope of saving SIKH. ZULU laid a smokescreen around SIKH and tried to come in to take SIKH'S crew. It was too dangerous. ZULU was ordered away.
Shells continued to hit SIKH but her 'X' gun kept firing until the ammunition in the ready use locker was exhausted. Captain Micklethwait fired the scuttling charges which flooded the engine and boiler rooms. He made a final tour of his ship and left. SIKH took a long time to die, heeling over to starboard as she sank while shells continued to hit. All the survivors were taken as prisoner of war.
We lost this ship in 14 Sep, 1942. The HMS Sikh was a Tribal class British Destroyer built in Glasgow. At the beginning of World War II she was based in Malta. In 1941 she took part in the chase to hunt down the German battleship Bismark.
