HMS Isis was one of nine I-class destroyers built for the Royal Navy during the 1930s.

Description

The I-class ships were improved versions of the preceding H-class. They displaced 1370 LT at standard load and 1888 LT at deep load. The ships had an overall length of 323 ft, a beam of 33 ft and a draught of 12 ft. They were powered by two Parsons geared steam turbines, each driving one propeller shaft, using steam provided by three Admiralty three-drum boilers. The turbines developed a total of 34000 shp and were intended to give a maximum speed of 35.5 kn. Isis reached a speed of 35.3 kn from 33849 shp during her sea trials. The ships carried enough fuel oil to give them a range of 5500 nmi at 15 kn. Their crew numbered 145 officers and ratings. The ships mounted four 4.7-inch (120 mm) Mark IX guns in single mounts, designated 'A', 'B', 'X' and 'Y' from bow to stern. For anti-aircraft (AA) defence, they had two quadruple mounts for the 0.5 inch Vickers Mark III machine gun. The I class was fitted with two above-water quintuple torpedo tube mounts amidships for 21 in torpedoes. One depth charge rack and two throwers were fitted; 16 depth charges were originally carried, but this increased to 35 shortly after the war began. The I-class ships were fitted with the ASDIC sound detection system to locate submarines underwater.

Construction and career

Isis, named for the Egyptian goddess, was laid down by the Yarrow and Company, at Scotstoun in Glasgow on 6 February 1936, launched on 12 November 1936 and commissioned on 2 June 1937. Isis took part in the evacuation of Greece in April 1941. On 19 February 1943 she and the escort destroyer HMS Hursley (L84) and a Vickers Wellington medium bomber attacked and sank the GS U-562 in the Mediterranean Sea north-east of Benghazi. Isis was hit in 1941 off Beirut, Lebanon after the Battle of Crete. She pursued two Vichy French destroyers which escaped. A Junkers Ju 88 aircraft then attacked and severely damaged her. HMS Hero (H99) attempted to tow her to Haifa, Palestine. The tow rope snapped, however the engines were restarted and she successfully reached Haifa. Isis struck a mine and sank on 20 July 1944 at the position 49.45°N, -0.68333°W in channel 'T' off the western sector of the Normandy landing beaches. She was the last interwar standard destroyer lost in the war, with eleven officers and 143 ratings lost.