1 9 3 9
August
Commissioned and took passage to Portland.
Attended Royal Review.
Passage to
Gibraltar to take up War Station
September
Joined 13th Destroyer Flotilla and deployed for convoy defence and Contraband
Control in Western
Mediterranean.
October
Flotilla duties at Gibraltar in continuation.
to
November
December
18th Joined outward Convoy HG11 as
escort for initial stage of passage to Liverpool
with HM Sloop
SANDWICH and two French Navy destroyers
19th Detached from HG11with escort and
returned to
Gibraltar
1 9 4 0
January
Deployed with Flotilla at
Gibraltar for Atlantic convoy escort and patrol
Flotilla deployment in continuation
February
18th Deployed as escort for inward
Convoy OG15F during passage in Atlantic to
Gibraltar with HM Sloop
ABERDEEN.
22nd Detached from OG15F ob arrival at Gibraltar
March
Gibraltar Flotilla deployment in continuation.
to
April
May Gibraltar deployment with Flotilla in continuation
Pennant Number for visual signalling purposes changed to I90
June
Nominated for duty with Force H as required after formation.
July
Deployed for reconnaissance of French naval activities at
Oran after
French surrender.
(Note: This deployment was made before the attempt to
negotiate
the future role of the French warships at Oran.. For details
see
RELUCTANT ENEMIES by W Tute and
ENGAGE
THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY by C Barnett).
Transferred to Home Fleet and took passage to
Scapa Flow.
August
Deployed at Scapa Flow for Fleet screening and patrol duties.
to November
December
Escorted ships of 1st Minelaying Squadron with HM Destroyer
BATH, ST
ALBANS and KEPPEL during
minelay in NW
Approaches with cover from Home Fleet (Operation SN10A)
(For details of all minelaying operations see Naval Staff History (Mining).
1 9 4 1
January
Escorted ships of 1st Minelaying Squadron with HM Destroyers
BEAGLE, KEPPEL and Free French destroyer OURAGON for
minelaying
operations north and south of Faeroes covered by Home
Fleet ships (Operation SN6).
February
Transferred to Western Approaches Command for service with 2nd
to
Escort Group for Atlantic convoy escort with HM Destroyers
March
VETERAN, LEAMINGTON, SKATE, SALADIN, HM Corvettes
ABELIA, ANEMONE and VERONICA.
April;
Part of escort for Convoy OB314 and detached with HM Destroyers
LEAMINGTON and ROXBOROUGH to reinforce escort for
Convoy HX121 by HM Destroyers MAORI and INGLEFIELD.
(Note:
HX121 was under attack by group of U-Boats.)
(For details of U-BOAT deployments see U-BOAT WAR IN THE
ATLANTIC (HMSO) and for current tactics and weapons used in
defence of convoys THE BATTLE OF THE ATLANTIC by D.
MacIntyre.)
28th Carried out depth charge attacks
which sank U65
(Note:
Credit for sinking of U65 was originally given to HM
Corvette GLADIOLUS but subsequently to this ship.
(Note: See U-BOATS DESTROYED by P Kemp and HITLER’S
U-BOAT WAR, Volume 1 by C Blair.)
May
Atlantic convoy defence with Group in continuation.
to August
September
10th Deployed in Iceland area.
11th Despatched with HM Destroyers
LEAMINGTON, VETERAN,
HM Corvettes GLADIOLUS, WETASKIWIN (RCN), HM
Trawlers BUTTERMERE and WINDERMERE to reinforce
escort of Convoy SC42 which was under sustained and heavy
attacks by U-Boat Group MARKGRAF.
(Note: The Trawlers were Whalers requisition in 1939
for use as
minesweeping
escorts.)
Air cover was also provided by CATALINA aircraft of
209 Squadron RAF based in Iceland.)
Directed anti-submarine operations in defence of SC42 with
ships of Group during which U207 was sunk
(Note: This sinking was not recognised until after the
end of
WW2 and then credited to HMS LEAMINGTON and
HMS VETERAN.
See HITLER’S U-BOAT WAR.) 1.)
October
Deployed with Group for escort of Convoys ONS25 and HX154.
November
Atlantic convoy defence with Group in continuation.
to
December
1 9 4 2
January
Escorted Convoy ON55 with US destroyer MAYO and sustained
damage when these two ships collided in extreme weather
conditions. See HITLER’S U-BOAT WAR.
Detached from ON55 and rook passage to Iceland for repair.
Nominated for conversion to Short Range Escort. See V & W
DESTROYERS by A Preston and BRITISH DESTROYERS
by E March.
February
Passage to UK for repair and refit
Taken in hand for refit and conversion.
March
Under refit.
to
(Note: Escorts were being fitted with Surface warning radar
April
Type 271 by this period, Fit during refit to be confirmed)
May
On completion of post refit trials took passage to
Scapa Flow for
deployment
with Home Fleet.
June
Nominated for support of passage to Convoys PQ17 and QP13
during
passage in Arctic Ocean.
(For details of all Russian Convoy operations see CONVOYS
TO RUSSIA by RA Ruegg, CONVOY ! by P Kemp. ARCTIC
CONVOYS by R Woodman, THE RUSSIAN CONVOYS by
B Schoefield and Naval Staff History.)
Passage to Iceland to join Convoy PQ17.
27th Sailed from
Reykjavik with PQ17 as escort for RFA GREY
RANGER.
July
2nd Detached from PQ17 with RFA
GREY RANGER on completion
of fuelling for escorts and took passage to join QP13 for fuelling.
4th Remained with QP13
when PQ17 was scattered on orders from
Admiralty because of perceived threat of attack by German
major
warships.
(For details see above references and THE CONVOY IS TO
SCATTER by J Broome.)
7th Detached from QP13 on
arrival in Icelandic waters.
8th Resumed Atlantic
convoy defence duties in Western Approaches
Command.
August
Atlantic convoy defence in continuation.
to
December
1 9 4 3
January
Western Approached deployment in continuation.
to
June
July
Deployed with HM Canadian Destroyer IROQUOIS and HM
Frigate MOYOLA for escort of military convoy during
Atlantic
passage to Gibraltar.
11th Under attack 300 miles west of
Portuguese coast by He177
aircraft
using radio controlled Glider Bomb Hs293 (but see addenda) during
which troopships
DUCHESS OF YORK and CALIFORNIA were hit
and sunk with PORT FAIRY damaged.
Took part in rescue operations.
(Note: This was first successful attack by German
aircraft using
these
weapons and received little publicity. 694
passengers
were rescued and 57 perished.)
August
Convoy escort in continuation.
to
(Note: A significant increase of military convoys took place in 1943
September
due to the military operations in the Mediterranean area.)
October
Deployed for defence of UK –
Gibraltar route convoys.
31st Shared credit for sinking
U732 with HM Trawler IMPERIALIST in
position
35.54N 05.53W west of Gibraltar. Rescued eight survivors.
(Note: This submarine had been attacked by HMS
IMPERIALIST
and forced to submerge. After resurfacing U752 was
detected on radar by an aircraft and abandoned. See
HITLER’S U-BOAT WAR and U-BOATS DESTROYED,)
November
Convoy defence in continuation.
to
December
1 9 4 4
January
Deployed in Home waters for convoy defence
to
(Note: This ship was not deployed for escort of assault or build-up
December
convoys during allied landings in Normandy. See
LANDINGS IN NORMANDY. June 1944 (HMSO).
1 9 4 5
January
Home waters deployment in continuation.
February
Withdrawn from operational service, Paid-off and reduced to
Reserve status.
March
Placed on Disposal List
20th Sold to BISCO for demolition.
by
T W Ward.
