HMS Zulu

HMS Zulu was a Tribal-class British destroyer, built in Glasgow by A. Stephens & Sons, her keel laid down on Aug 10th 1936 and launched on Sept 23rd 1937. She was launched with boilers and funnels in place, and this gave her the reputation of a lucky ship. Commissioned on 7th Sept 1938. Just after she was completed, the HMS Zulu moved in Mediterranean and was based in Malta. When she returned home, during 1941, she had a part in the hunt for the German battleship Bismarck. And in June 1941 Zulu sailed for Falmouth, England to begin her refit. Her after funnel was cut down and her mainmast was fitted with a high frequency direction finding (Huff-Duff or HF/DF) outfit. Two, single 2 pounder guns were mounted on the bridge wings. Radar was installed and the depth charge throwers were re-located.

The refit was completed by July. Then she moved back in Mediterranean, where she performed strike attacks against Italian convoys, and later took part in the attack against the Italian base in Tobruk (Libya). Here HMS Zulu's luck turned. On September 14, 1942, she suffered some damages from the Italian coastal batteries on Tobruk coast. And just a few hours later, she was bombed by an Italian aircraft, the bomb exploded in the boiler room, and HMS Zulu couldn't move any more. HMS Croome took off the most part of HMS Zulu's crew, and HMS Hursley took her in tow. But the British destroyer was sinking: just a hundred miles from Alexandria, again she was bombed by an enemy aircraft. HMS Zulu suddenly rolled to starboard and sank. 12 men of the crew died, and 27 more were missing.

General Characteristics

· Armament: eight 4.7 inch guns, seven smaller guns, four 21-inch torpedo tubes

Pennant numbers:
L 18 July 1938 - December 1938
F 18 January 1939 - Autumn 1940
G 18 Autumn 1940 - September 1942

The table below shows the Zulu section career of one particular sailor, Eric Bell. He served aboard Zulu until wounded on the day of her sinking. The first column is the theatre of operations, second in his ship, third is his rank, fourth is the From date, Fifth is the To date, in this case, of the sinking of HMS Zulu. The next is total number of days on that particular duty, at sea. The next is total number of days ashore followed by the whereabouts on shore. I suspect that the 35 days spent at Alexandria were on the strength of a hospital as he recovered from his wounds. My thanks to his son, Howard. He writes. My father served in the Royal Navy from 1938 until 1946. He died in 1984. He originally joined the Navy in August 1938 aged 17 years and 5 months. His full name was William Eric Thomas Bell, called Bill or Eric.

Nile	Zulu	Able Bodied Seaman	17-Jun-42	14-Sep-42	89
Nile		Able Bodied Seaman	15-Sep-42	20-Oct-42		35	Shore establishment Alexandria
Nile/Sphinx		Able Bodied Seaman	21-Oct-42	25-Oct-42		5	Shore establishment Sidi Bishr (outside Alexandria)
Phoenix		Able Bodied Seaman	26-Oct-42	24-Nov-42		30	Shore establishment Portsmonth
Nile/Sphinx		Able Bodied Seaman	25-Nov-42	08-Dec-42		15	Shore establishment Sidi Bishr (outside Alexandria)

January 2007: Got this email from Maurice Dawe. Hi, Just as a matter of interest my brother Leading Seaman William Francis Dawe (Frankie) served in HMS Zulu from its commissioning day until its action with the Bismarck when he was wounded and put ashore in Londonderry to the military hospital where he died on the 2nd June 1941. He was an LST so was at his action station on the torpedo tubes when he was wounded by shrapnel. I guess there are very few survivors still alive but maybe somebody remembers him. He was from Lisburn Northern Ireland. Maurice R. Dawe ex RN, RAN MN.

November 2007: Got an email from Robert Godwin. My uncle (L/Stoker Robert Anderson) was killed on HMS Zulu when the ship was sunk on 14^th September 1942. If any one has further information I would love to know? Email him direct at crana.crana at ntlworld.com.