HMAS Nizam (G38) - Operational History

Operational History

After completing sea trials, Nizam was assigned to Scapa Flow, where she was assigned to fleet duties, then retasked as an escort for convoys crossing the Atlantic. In April 1941, the destroyer joined a convoy sailing to Gibraltar, then sailed around Africa to meet the troop transports Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth, which Nizam helped escort to Alexandria. Around the same time, all watchkeeping sailors staged a mutiny in response to alterations to watchkeeping and messing arrangements by locking themselves into their messdeck compartments. Following mediation between the sailors and the officers, the captain agreed to restore the original arrangements and decided not to charge the sailors, after which the watchkeepers returned to duty.

On 21 May, Nizam participated in the shelling of Scarpanto, then became involved in the Battle of Crete. Twice, she escorted the minelayer HMS Abdiel, which was carrying reinforcements to the island, and later took part in the evacuation of the Allied forces. Following the unsuccessful campaign, Nizam was assigned to the Syria-Lebanon Campaign for three weeks, then retasked to the Tobruk Ferry Service, a force of British and Australian warships making supply runs to the Allied forces under siege in Tobruk. Nizam made fourteen runs before receiving damage on 14 September; the destroyer was towed away from the area by the destroyer HMS Kingston, then was able to make temporary repairs and reach Alexandria.

After repairs were completed, Nizam spent the rest of 1941 escorting Malta Convoys, on bombardment operations in north Africa, and transporting troops to Cyprus and Haifa. At the start of 1942, Nizam and sister ship Napier sailed for Singapore to join sister ship Nestor as escort for the aircraft carrier HMS Indomitable. In June, the N class ships joined the escort of a large convoy to Malta, during which Nestor was sunk by aircraft. Nizam and her sisters were assigned to the Madagascar Campaign during September. On 22 September, Nizam was assigned to Durban to patrol for Vichy French merchant ships, capturing one and forcing another to scuttle during the week spent in this role. The destroyer then sailed to Simon's Town in South Africa for a refit, which lasted until the end of the year.

After refitting, Nizam was attached to the British Eastern Fleet, and participated in sweeps of the Indian Ocean for enemy ships. She was then reassigned to the South Atlantic for shipping protection. On 13 July 1943, the destroyer rescued survivors from an American liberty ship sunk by German submarine U-511. On 31 July, Nizam rescued survivors from a British merchant ship sunk by German submarine U-177. After delivering the British survivors ashore, Nizam made for Australia, and docked in Melbourne on 18 August for an eight-week refit. The ship returned to operations in the Indian Ocean, and on 17 October was unsuccessfully fired on by a German U-boat. Between late 1943 and early 1944, the destroyer was based in Kenya, then was transferred on 8 March to the Bay of Bengal. During her time based here, Nizam participated in Operation Cockpit, a carrier air raid on Japanese assets in south-east Asia. In November, the destroyer sailed to Melbourne for another refit. On 11 February 1945, while crossing the Great Australian Bight in poor weather after the refit, Nizam was hit by a freak wave which caused the ship to roll almost eighty degrees to port, and washed ten sailors overboard, none of whom were ever seen again.

During 1945, Nizam was assigned to the Philippines and New Guinea theatres as part of the British Pacific Fleet, during which, her pennant number was changed from G38 to D15. On 15 August 1945, Nizam received orders to cease hostilities; shortly after this, the ship was attacked by a Japanese fighter, which was shot down. Nizam was present in Tokyo Bay for the Japanese surrender, and served as duty destroyer on 2 September, the day the Japanese Instrument of Surrender was signed. The destroyer left for Australia on 24 September.

Nizam earned seven battle honours for her wartime service: "Malta Convoys 1941–42", "Crete 1941", "Libya 1941", "Mediterranean 1941", "Indian Ocean 1942–44", "Pacific 1943", and "Okinawa 1945".