page_title: HMS Kelly (F01)
section_title: Norwegian campaign (1940)
hierarchical_section_title: HMS Kelly (F01) / Service / Norwegian campaign (1940)
caption_attribution_description: English: This photograph shows the remains of the H.M.S. Kelly arriving on the River Tyne following its severe Torpedo incident Reference: 2931-Unlisted This image is taken from an album produced by the world famous shipbuilding and engineering firm of Hawthorn Leslie. The album gives us a fascinating glimpse of life at the company's shipyard at Hebburn from the late 1930s to the 1960s. There are remarkable images of the men at work in the yard and a poignant series showing the terrible damage caused during the Second World War to HMS Kelly, one of Hawthorn Leslie's best loved ships. This particular collection of images follows the Birth and ultimate Death of a ship. From the craft and pride in its production and the joy in its performance, to the devastation and price of its destruction. A blog about this fascinating collection can been viewed http://www.twmuseums.org.uk/engage/blog/hms-kelly-commemorating-the-men-who-built-her-and-served-on-her/ on the Tyne &amp; Wear Archives &amp; Museums website. (Copyright) We're happy for you to share these digital images within the spirit of The Commons. Please cite 'Tyne &amp; Wear Archives &amp; Museums' when reusing. Certain restrictions on high quality reproductions and commercial use of the original physical version apply though; if you're unsure please email archives@twmuseums.org.uk
context_page_description: HMS Kelly was a K-class destroyer of the British Royal Navy, and flotilla leader of her class. She served through the early years of the Second World War; in Home Waters, off Norway and in the Mediterranean. Throughout her service, Kelly was commanded by Lord Louis Mountbatten, as commander of the 5th Destroyer Flotilla. She was lost in action in 1941 during the Battle of Crete.
  Kelly was built by Hawthorn Leslie and Company at Hebburn on the River Tyne. She was laid down on 26 August 1937, launched on 25 October 1938 and commissioned on 23 August 1939, just 11 days before commencement of hostilities. She was named after Admiral of the Fleet Sir John Kelly.
context_section_description: On the night 9 May/10 May 1940, during the Battle of Norway, Kelly was torpedoed amidships by the German E-boat S 31, under command of Oberleutnant zur See Hermann Opdenhoff (for which action Oblt.z.S. Opdenhoff was awarded the Knight's Cross). Severely damaged, she was taken under tow by the tug Great Emperor and for four days she was attacked by E-boats and bombers as she struggled back to port at three knots. The Navy Controller wrote that she survived "not only by the good seamanship of the officers and men but also on account of the excellent workmanship which ensured the watertightness of the other compartments. A single defective rivet might have finished her." She was repaired and returned to service.
  On return to Hebburn shipyard she was de-commissioned before undergoing extensive repairs; she was not fit for active service until December 1940. Her bad luck had seen her on active service for less than two weeks over the previous 14 months.
  During this period her captain, Louis Mountbatten, as Captain (D), was forced to lead his flotilla from temporary placement in other ships of the flotilla; for a time he led from HMS Javelin, until she too succumbed to damage.
  Kelly re-joined 5th Flotilla after re-commissioning  in December 1940; after working-up trials and some service in the Channel, she and 5th Flotilla sailed for the Mediterranean, arriving at Malta in April 1941.
caption: HMS Kelly returns to the Tyne after the torpedoing
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