Allied Warships

HMS Grenville (i) (H 03)

Destroyer of the G class

HMS Grenville prewar, note the 5th gun between the funnels

Navy	The Royal Navy
Type	Destroyer
Class	G
Pennant	H 03
Mod	Flotilla leader
Built by	Yarrow Shipbuilders Ltd. (Scotstoun, Scotland)
Ordered	5 Mar 1934
Laid down	29 Sep 1934
Launched	15 Aug 1935
Commissioned	1 Jul 1936
Lost	19 Jan 1940
Loss position	51° 39'N, 2° 17'E

History	On 19 January 1940 the 1st DF was operating out of Harwich with six other ships of the Flotilla were returning from an operation off the Dutch coast when in calm weather, she was mined at 1250 hrs in the Thames estuary, 23 nautical miles east of the Kentish Knock lightvessel in position 51º39'N, 02º17'E, on a field laid by the German destroyers of FK Berger: Erich Steinbrinck, Friedrich Ihn and Friedrich Eckoldt. HMS Grenville (Capt. George Elvey Creazy, RN) quickly capsized. Her bow was the last part of the ship to disappear. Two ships from the Flotilla, dispite the danger lowered boats to pluck 118 men from the water. Seventy seven officers and crew lost their life in the sinking.

Commands listed for HMS Grenville (i) (H 03)

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	Commander	From	To
1	Capt. George Elvey Creasy, RN	11 Jun 1938	19 Jan 1940

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Notable events involving Grenville (i) include:

31 Aug 1939
Several ships from the Mediterranean Fleet departed Alexandria for exercises; these were the battleships HMS Warspite (Capt. V.A.C. Crutchley, VC, DSC, RN, flying the flag of A/Admiral A.B. Cunningham, KCB, DSO and 2 Bars, RN), HMS Barham (Capt. H.T.C. Walker, RN, flying the flag of Vice Admiral G. Layton, CB, DSO, RN), HMS Malaya (Capt. I.B.B. Tower, DSC, RN), heavy cruisers HMS Devonshire (Capt. J.M. Mansfield, DSC, RN, flying the flag of Vice-Admiral J.H.D. Cunningham, CB, MVO, RN), HMS Sussex (Capt. A.R. Hammick, RN), light cruiser HMS Galatea (Capt. E.G.H. Bellars, RN, flying the flag of Vice-Admiral J.C. Tovey, CB, DSO, RN) and the destroyers HMS Grenville (Capt. G.E. Creasy, MVO, RN), HMS Gallant (Lt.Cdr. C.P.F. Brown, RN), HMS Grafton (Cdr. M.S. Thomas, RN), HMS Glowworm (Lt.Cdr. G.B. Roope, RN), HMS Greyhound (Cdr. W.R. Marshall-A'Deane, RN), HMS Cossack (Capt. D. de Pass, RN) and HMS Maori (Cdr. G.N. Brewer, RN), HMS Nubian (Cdr. R.W. Ravenhill, RN) and HMS Zulu (Cdr. J.S. Crawford, RN).

At sea they were joined by the aircraft carrier HMS Glorious (Capt. G. D’Oyly-Hughes, DSO and Bar, DSC, RN) and her attendant destroyer HMS Bulldog (Lt.Cdr. J.S.M. Richardson, RN) which had already been exercising off Alexandria since 30 August.

The Fleet returned to Alexandria in the morning of 1 September 1939. (1)

18 Dec 1939
The British destroyers HMS Grenville (Capt. G.E. Creasy, MVO, RN), HMS Greyhound (Cdr. W.R. Marshall-A'Deane, RN), HMS Griffin (Lt.Cdr. J. Lee-Barber, RN) and the Polish destroyer Blyskawica (Lt.Cdr. J. Umecki, ORP) formed the escort of two British minelayers which conducted a night operation off the German coast. Mines were laid between Sylt Island and the harbour of Emden. (2)