1 9 3 9
September Deployed as Leader of 16th
Destroyer Flotilla based at Portsmouth of
convoys and antisubmarine
patrol in English
Channel and SW Approaches
(Note: 18th
Flotilla comprised HM Destroyers AMAZON, AMBUSCADE, ACHATES,
ANTELOPE, ARROW
and ANTHONY)
October Channel escort and patrol
duties in continuation.
to (For details of
naval activities in Home Waters in 1939-40 see ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE
December CLOSELY
by Corelli Barnett).
1 9 4 0
January Channel escort and patrol duties
in continuation.
to
April
May Transferred to Dover
Command to assist in evacuation from Dutch ports..
15th Deployed at Hook
of Holland during evacuation
(Operation ORDNANCE)..
26th Assisted in evacuation of allied troops from Dunkirk until 4th June,
Pennant Number
for visual signalling purposes changed to I19.
(For details see
THE NINE DAYS OF DUNKIRK by AD Divine. BEF SHIPS by J de
Windsor and Naval Staff History (HMSO – 2002).
June Rejoined Flotilla at
Harwich on release from DYNAMO.
Deployed on North Sea convoy escort and anti-invasion patrol duties.
(For details see
HMS WILD SWAN by P Smith and ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE
CLOSELY and above references.).
July Deployed
with HM Cruiser CARDIFF, HM Destroyers ANTHONY, VETERAN, WILD SWAN
WIVERN,
HM Corvettes MALLARD, PINTAIL, PUFFIN and SHELDRAKE on anti-invasion
patrols in Group 3 and convoy defence in North Sea
with ships of 18th Flotilla.
August Anti-invasion patrol and
convoy defence in continuation.
1st On completion of patrol with HMS WILD SWAN and HMS
AMBUSCADE reinforced escort
for Convoy FS38 southbound from Forth.
4th Anti-invasion patrol with Group 3.
September
10th Attacked invasion barges off Ostend with HMS WILD SWAN and HMS VETERAN.
12th Searched for invasion barges off Boulogne with HMS WILD SWAN and HMS VETERAN.
22nd Nominated for transfer with HMS VETERAN, HMS WILD SWAN and HMS
WYVERN to
Western
Approaches Command for Atlantic convoy escort duty.
30th Deployed at Liverpool
October Deployed for Atlantic convoy
defence.
to (For details of
Atlantic convoy operations see U-BOAT WAR IN THE ATLANTIC (HMSO),
December THE
BATTLE OF THE ATLANTIC by D Macintyre and ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE
CLOSELY).
1 9 4 1
January Atlantic
convoy escort in continuation.
to Joined HM
Destroyers WATCHMAN, SARDONYX, SCIMITAR, ROCKINGHAM,
May HM Corvettes ARABIS,
VERBENA, VIOLET, MONKSHOOD, PETUNIA and DAHLIA in
8th Escort Group.
June Deployed with escort for
Convoy HX133,
29th Shared credit for sinking of U651 in position 59.32N 18.36W
with HMS VIOLET, HMS
SCIMITAR, HMS
ARABIS and HM Minesweeper SPEEDWELL during defence of HX133-
See U-0BOATS
DESTROYED by P Kemp.
July Atlantic
convoy defence with Group In continuation.
to (For details of
development of new weapons and tactics see SEEK AND
STRIKE by
December W. HACKMANN and RADAR AT SEA by D Howse).
1 9 4 2
January Atlantic
convoy defence in continuation.
February Converted for use as Short Range
Escort (See V AND W DESTROYERS by A Preston).
3rd In collision with BURNHAM during
defence of Atlantic convoy.
March Atlantic convoy defence in
continuation.
to (Note: 8th Escort
Group identity discontinued in re organisation of Groups)
July
August Detached for duty in support
of Malta relief operations based at Gibraltar
11th Deployed with HM Destroyers KEPPEL, VENOMOUS, WOLVERINE and
WRESTLER to
escort HM Aircraft Carrier FURIOUS for return passage to Gibraltar
after SPITFIRE Malta
aircraft delivery (Operation BELLOWS).
(Note: This was part of Operation PEDESTAL, passage of
relief convoyWS21S.
HMS FURIOUS had
been part of relief convoy prior to arrival at flying off position.
For details see
PEDESTAL by P. Smith, ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY by
C Barnett, MALTA CONVOYS by R Woodman and me Naval Staff History.)
12th Under attack by Italian submarine DAGABUR which was rammed
and sunk in a position NW of
Algiers by HMS WOLVERINE.
See U-BOATS
DESTROYED by P Kemp.
16th Part of screen
for HM Aircraft Carrier FURIOUS and HM Cruiser CHARYBDIS with HM
Destroyers
LAFOREY, LOOKOUT, LIGHTNING, ANTELOPE, WISHART, DERWENT
. KEPPEL, BICESTER,
ESKIMO, SOMALI and VENOMOUS for Malta aircraft delivery
(Operation
BARITONE).
September Deployed with Horns Fleet for
escort of Russian Convoy.
2nd Escorted Convoy PQ18 from Loch Ewe until arrival of Ocean
Escort off Iceland, with HM
Destroyers CAMPBELL, ESKDALE and FARNDALE
(See CONVOYS TO RUSSIA by RA Ruegg)
7th Detached from PQ18 and resumed Atlantic convoy escort duty.
October Atlantic escort duty In continuation.
Nominated for support of allied landings in North Africa.
Part of escort for military convoys to Gibraltar prior to landings.
November Deployed with British Task Force
for cover of landings hi Algeria and damaged by shore
batteries
(Operation TORCH
– For details see Naval Staff History and BRITISH
INVASION FLEETS
by J de Winser.)
December On release from TORCH returned to UK for repair.
Under repair.
1 9 4 3
January After repair deployed for
Atlantic convoy defence.
to (Note: Fitted with
Surface warning radar Type 271.HEDGEHOG weapon and H/F DF outfit.
February. See SEEK and STRIKE by W Hackmann for details of weapons developed in WW2.)
March Passage to Gibraltar.
21st Joined military convoy WS28 with HM Destroyers QUADRANT,
WITCH and WOLVERINE
for escort to Freetown after WS28 had detached from convoy KMF 11 in 36.09N 09
.00W.
27th Detached from WS28 on arrival at Freetown.
April Deployed at Freetown for Atlantic convoy defence.
May
6th Joined military convoy WS29 on departure from Freetown with H M Destroyers RAPID and
WOLVERINE for escort during passage to Capetown from Freetown.
17th Detached from WS29 for return passage to
Freetown with same escorts.
June Deployed at Freetown for convoy defence.
to
December
1 9 4 4
January Convoy defence in
continuation,
to Returned to UK for coastal convoy defence.
December (Note:
Did not take part in support or convoy escort during Normandy landings in
June 1944
(Operation NEPTUNE.) )
1 9 4 5
January Coastal
Convoy defence in continuation.
to (Note: Some sources
suggest deployment in a training role)
April
May Withdrawn from
operational use after VE Day.
to Paid-off Placed in
Reserve.
June Placed on Disposal List
July Sold to BISCO for
demolition at Barrow by T W Ward
27th Arrived in tow at Breaker's Yard.