HMS Jersey, Malta

On 25 March 1937, the British Admiralty placed orders for the eight destroyers of the J class, including one ship. Jersey was laid down on 20 September 1937 and launched on 26 September 1938.Jersey was commissioned on 28 April 1939.

 She was kitted up and ready for war.
2 × Admiralty 3-drum boilers

Propulsion: 2 × shafts; 2 × geared steam turbines

Speed: 36 knots (67 km/h; 41 mph)

Range: 5,500 nmi (6,300 mi) at 15 knots (17 mph)

Armament:  3 × twin QF 4.7-inch (120 mm) Mk XII guns, 1 × quadruple QF 2-pounder (40 mm) anti-aircraft guns,2 × quadruple QF 0.5-inch (12.7 mm) Mk III anti-aircraft machineguns, 2 × quintuple 21-inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes, 20 × depth charges, 1 × rack, 2 × throwers

She was ready in April 1939 and she set sail for war in Sept, along wih HMS Jervis to intercept navy in Norway, and was involved in several campaigns till she was hit by mine on 6th Dec 1939 and was then under repair till Oct 1940. When she return to active duty she was then sent on a British raid on Genova Italy, 6 feb 1941, with battle group of ships,Battlecruiser HMS Renown, Battleship HMS Malaya,Aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal & 6 Destroyers left from Gibraltar, and head over to italy to cause menace on Genova, Livorno  and la Spesia and lay mines and engage any enemy encountered, Fleet returned safe on the 11 Feb 1941 mission successful.
Then they were moved and stationed in Malta for the Mediterranean campaigns running,

2nd May 1941 Jersey struck an Italian aircraft-dropped mine off Malta's Grand Harbour  sank next to the Grand Harbour breakwater. Thirty-five crew members were killed.

When Jersey sank it blocked the entrance to Malta's Grand Harbour, meaning movements into and out of the harbour were impossible for several days. The destroyers Kelly, Kelvin and Jackal were left marooned in the harbour until the wreck was cleared. Some of the ships that rescued the surviving crew had to take passage to Gibraltar.

On 5 May the wreck broke into two sections. It was only until after 1946 that the after section was cleared from the entrance, in a series of controlled demolitions carried out between 1946 and 1949. Further salvage and clearance work was done in 1968& 1971 to make the harbour safe for large vessels