HMS Nadder (K392)

HMS Nadder was a River-class frigate of the Royal Navy during the Second World War. She was transferred to the Royal Indian Navy in 1945 and renamed Shamsher.

History
United Kingdom
Name:	HMS Nadder
Namesake:	River Nadder
Builder:	Smiths Dock Company, South Bank-on-Tees
Laid down:	11 March 1943
Launched:	15 September 1943
Commissioned:	20 January 1944
Out of service:	Transferred to the Royal Indian Navy in 1945
British India
Name:	HMIS Shamsher
Acquired:	1945
Out of service:	Transferred to the Pakistani Navy in 1947
Pakistan
Name:	Shamsher
Acquired:	1947
Fate:	Sold for breaking up on 2 March 1959
General characteristics
Class and type:	River-class frigate
Displacement:	1,370 long tons (1,390 t; 1,530 short tons) 1,830 long tons (1,860 t; 2,050 short tons) (deep load)
Length:	283 ft (86.3 m) p/p 301.25 ft (91.8 m)o/a
Beam:	36 ft 6 in (11.1 m)
Draught:	9 ft (2.7 m); 13 ft (4.0 m) (deep load)
Propulsion:	2 × Admiralty 3-drum boilers, 2 shafts, reciprocating vertical triple expansion, 5,500 ihp (4,100 kW) Parsons single reduction steam turbines, 6,500 shp (4,800 kW)
Speed:	20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph) 20.5 knots (38.0 km/h; 23.6 mph) (turbine ships)
Range:	646 long tons (656 t; 724 short tons) oil fuel; 7,500 nautical miles (13,890 km) at 15 knots (27.8 km/h)
Complement:	107
Armament:	2 × QF 4 in (102 mm) /40 Mk.XIX guns, single mounts CP Mk.XXIII Up to 10 × QF 20 mm Oerlikon A/A on twin mounts Mk.V and single mounts Mk.III 1 × Hedgehog 24 spigot A/S projector Up to 150 depth charges

Construction

HMS Nadder was built by Smiths Dock Co., Ltd., South Bank-on-Tees in 1943. Nadder was powered by two Admiralty 3-drum type boilers providing a top speed of 20 knots and carried a complement of 118. She was armed with two 4 inch dual-purpose guns and eight 20 mm anti-aircraft guns. She also carried one Anti-Submarine Projector, known as a Hedgehog, and two slides to launch depth charges.

She was commanded by T/Lt. Philip Edward Kitto from 15 October 1943 until October 1945.

War Service

On 10 April 1944 Nadder joined as an escort to Convoy UGS 37 through the straits of Gibraltar. The convoy came under heavy dive bomber and torpedo attack. One ship was damaged during the encounter. But the escorts did keep German submarines U-421, U-471 and U-969 at bay.[1]

In April 1944 Nadder was involved with the Greek Naval Mutiny, and captured the corvette Apostolis.[2]

On 12 August 1944 Nadder took part in the sinking of U-198 [3] near the Seychelles, in position 03°35′S 52°49′E. On 10 September 1944 Nadder rescued survivors from a U-boat attack on the British merchant SS Troilus. Carrying coconut oil, tea and copra for the Ministry of Food, Troilus was homeward bound from Colombo. She was sailing independently via Suez but was torpedoed and sunk by U-859 300 miles north east of Socotra Island on 1 September 1944. HMS Taff and Nadder were sent to search for survivors. On 10 September they rescued 95 survivors of the attack and landed them at Aden 10 days later.

On 7 August 1945 Nadder was involved in an OSS operation off the west coast of Sumatra. The National Archives have an admiralty document reference ADM 1/30567 mentioning awards to three of Nadder's ratings of Nadder for services during search for a missing OSS team on the west coast of Sumatra 7–11 August 1945 (Operation CAPRICE V). Temporary Acting Lieutenant-Commander Kitto is mentioned in despatches along with Engine Room Artificer Third Class Quintrell and Petty Officer Eustis "for bravery, skill and determination whilst serving in Nadder, in successfully beating off an enemy air attack on l0 August 1945, whilst engaged in a special operation many hundreds of miles from any supporting force".[4]

Reports from veteran Nadder crew members indicate that the ship may have been one of the last ships to be bombed after the Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Post-war service

For other ships with the same name, see PNS Shamsheer.

In 1945, Naddar was transferred into Royal Indian Navy and renamed HMIS Shamsher. In February 1946, the Indian Navy mutinied. Shamsher was the only ship in Bombay not to mutiny.[5] Shamsher was underway at sea during the mutiny, however, her commanding officer, Lt. N Krishnan, submitted testimony to the Commission of Inquiry stating that the fact that the ship's officers were primarily of Indian origin, unlike many ships of the RIN, may also have been a reason for the ratings not joining the mutiny.[6] From there she passed to the Pakistani Navy in 1947 being used as a training ship. She was eventually sold for breaking up on 2 March 1959.[7]

References

1. http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USN/USN-Chron/USN-Chron-1944.html
2. http://muse.jhu.edu/login?uri=/journals/journal_of_modern_greek_studies/v020/20.2jones.pdf
3. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 October 2010. Retrieved 13 September 2010.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
4. http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/37358/supplements/5659
5. http://indiannavy.nic.in/book/under-two-ensigns Under Two Ensigns
6. RIN Mutiny Papers - National Archives of India 'RIN Mutiny Papers' Sr. No. 13 - Memos of witnesses submitted to the commission
7. Raymond V B Blackman (ed.). Jane's Fighting Ships 1963-4,. London: Sampson Low, Marston & Co. Ltd. p. 19.

Publications

• Colledge, J. J.; Warlow, Ben (2006) [1969]. Ships of the Royal Navy: The Complete Record of all Fighting Ships of the Royal Navy (Rev. ed.). London: Chatham Publishing. ISBN 978-1-86176-281-8.

External links

• Reference in Tempest, Fire And Foe By Lewis M. Andrews
• Overview of HMS Nadder (K392)
• Details of striking
• HMS Nadder on U-boat.net
• Possible OSS mission including reference to being bombed
• Time Magazine Article about the Greek Mutiny