HMS Kelly

Sunk

Type	Destroyer
Class	K
War	Second World War
Main guns	6 × 4.7″ guns in 3 twin mounts

Captain Lord Louis Mountbatten's ship, leading the 5th Flotilla. Sunk by dive bombers off Crete on 23 May 1941; Mountbatten survived. Her story was the basis of the film In Which We Serve.

This photograph shows the HMS Kelly (built 1939) on full power trial. HMS Kelly was built at the Hawthorn Leslie yard, Hebburn. Reference: 2931-43-01 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 Photo: Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums, No restrictions · Wikimedia Commons

Armament and specifications

Armament

3 × twin 4.7 in (120 mm) guns
1 × quadruple 2 pdr (40 mm (1.6 in) AA guns
2 × quadruple 0.5 in (12.7 mm) anti-aircraft machineguns
2 × quintuple 21 in (533 mm) torpedo tubes
1 × rack, 2 × throwers for depth charges

Builder	R&W Hawthorn, Leslie & Co. Ltd, Hebburn
Laid down	26 August 1937
Launched	25 October 1938
Commissioned	23 August 1939
Displacement	1,760 tons; 2,400 tons full load
Length	339½ ft p/p; 356½ ft o/a
Speed	36 knots (67 km/h) light; 32 knots (59 km/h) deep
Complement	218

As built, from the ship's Wikipedia article. Figures there may cover later refits too.

Career

Launched

25 October 1938

Battle of Crete

Sunk

20 May – 1 June 1941

Mountbatten's ship; 23 May