HMS Juno (F46)

HMS Juno was a J class destroyer of the Royal Navy laid down by the Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company, Limited, at Govan in Scotland on 5 October 1937, launched on 8 December 1938 and commissioned on 25 August 1939. Juno participated in the Battle of Calabria in July 1940 and the Battle of Cape Matapan in March 1941.

Attacked and Sunk
Juno was attacked by an Italian CANT Z.1007 aircraft from 50th group, flown by a Lt. Morassuti), as she steamed with the Mediterranean Fleet against the German sea-borne invasion of Crete and sank 30 nautical miles south-east of Crete on 21 May 1941.

At the time of her attack and sinking HMS Juno was commanded by Cdr. St. John Reginald Joseph Tyrwhitt and would have had a complement of 183 to 218 seamen and officers. It is figured that 116 souls lost their lives after 3 high-power explosions split her in two, sinking in around 97 seconds.