1
9 3 9
August
Prepared for war service and
Reservist personnel joined.
Passage to
Plymouth.
September
Joined Western Approaches
Command
at Plymouth for service in 15th Destroyer Flotilla.
(Note: Other
ships in Flotilla were HM
Destroyers VANITY, VANSITTART,
VOLUNTEER,
WHITEHALL,
WITCH,
WITHERINGTON and WOLVERINE.
13th
Deployed with HM Destroyer
WHIRLWIND as escort for
outward
Convoy OB4 for initial
stage
of passage in SW Approaches.
(Note: In the
early months of WW2 Convoys
were escorted to a Dispersal
point south of
Ireland
from whence they proceeded
independently.
October
Western Approaches convoy
escort and patrol deployment
in continuation.
to
(Note:
Escorts were provided for
inward bound Trade Convoys
which were met after
December
southward convoys dispersed or
by
special arrangement. See
ALLIED CONVOY
SYSTEM by
A Hague for details of
convoy identities.)
1
9 4 0
January
3rd
Relieved HM Destroyer ACTIVE
as escort for inward Convoy
HG13F in SW Approaches with HM
Destroyer
VETERAN for final stage of
passage into Liverpool
from Gibraltar.
5th
Detached from HG13F with
escort on
arrival at
Liverpool.
10th
Deployed with HM Sloop
ENCHANTRESS and HM Destroyer
WARWICK
as escort for outward
Convoy OG14F on
formation in SW Approaches.
Detached with
HMS WARWICK leaving HMS
ENCHANTRESS as escort and took
passage to join
inward
Convoy HG14F in SW Approaches
as escort to
Liverpool
11th
Joined HM Sloops ABERDEEN,
BIDEFORD and
LEITH
in escort of HG14 with HM
Destroyers
WARWICK
and WITCH.
15th
Detached with escort on
arrival at Liverpool.
February
Western Approaches deployment
for convoy defence in
continuation.
(Note: For
details of U-Boat deployments
in 1939-40 see U-BOAT WAR IN
THE ATLANTIC
(HMSO) and
HITLER’S U-BOAT WAR Vol
1 by C
Blair.
March
25th
Deployed with HM Sloop
ABERDEEN,
HM Destroyers CAMPBELL, WALKER
and VOLUNTEER
as
escort for outward Convoy OG23
to
Gibraltar
on formation in SW Approaches
during initial stage
of
passage to
Gibraltar.
26th
Detached from OG23 with HMS
WALKER and HMS VOLUNTEER.
April
Remained in Western
Approaches for convoy defence
after German invasion of
Norway.
(Note: HMS
WOLVERINE was transferred soon
after these attacks.
27th
Transferred to Home Fleet for
support of evacuation of
allied
troops from
Norway
29th
Passage to Andalsnes with HM
Destroyers SOMALI, MASHONA,
SIKH, WALKER and
WESTCOTT as
screen for HM Cruisers
SHEFFIELD, ARETHUSA and
GALATEA for
evacuation
of troops (Operation ALPHABET)
30th
Detached with HMS SIKH on
arrival and took passage to Alfarnes.
After embarking
150 troops grounded and towed
clear by HMS SIKH.
May
1st
Independent passage to Scapa
Flow
with troops.
(For details of
the disastrous operations off
Norway
see NAVAL OPERATIONS OF THE
CAMPAIGN IN
NORMAN (HMSO), NARVIK by D
Macintyre, CARRIER GLORIOUS
by
J Winton and THE DOOMED
EXPEDITION by J
Adams.)
3rd
Resumed Western Approaches
convoy defence duties with
Flotilla based at
Plymouth.
(Note: NOT
deployed for evacuation at
Dunkirk.)
Pennant Number
for visual signalling purposes
changed to I74 to conform to
alterations of
identities
for RN warships.).
June
Deployed for support of
evacuation of allied troops
from French Channel Ports.
(Operation
CYCLE)
6th
Deployed at Boulogne
for support of evacuation.
7th
Provided naval gunfire
support during
evacuation at Treport
with HM Destroyer VESPER.
See BEF SHIPS by
J de Winser,
On release from
CYCLE resumed Western
Approaches convoy defence.
July
Deployed in Channel for
ant-invasion patrol and convoy
defence.
August
Transferred to
Liverpool
in continuation of convoy
defence duties.
(Note: HQ of
Western Approaches was
transferred to
Liverpool after routing arrangements
for
mercantile traffic were
changed to use NW Approaches.
October
30th
Sailed from
Liverpool with ships of Group as escort for outward Convoy OG45
to Gibraltar.
November
11th
Detached from OG45 on
arrival at Gibraltar.
20th
Return Passage to
Liverpool
(Note: Escort
for inward Convoy HG47 to be
confirmed)
December
Liverpool
convoy escort deployment in
continuation.
1
9 4 1
January
Atlantic
convoy defence with Group in
continuation.
to
April
May
31st
Deployed as escort for outward
Convoy OB239 during passage
in Atlantic
to
Newfoundland..
Sailed from
Liverpool
June
2nd
Carried out anti-submarine
operations with HM Corvette
PERIWINKLE and sank U147
in
position 56.38N 10.24W, west
of Skerryvore
in defence of outward Convoy
OB329
of
41 ships.
(Note: U147 had
made a solo attack on OB329.
There were no survivors.
For details see
HITLER’S U-BOAT WAR, Vol. I
and U-BOATS DESTROYED by
P Kemp.)
6th
Detached from OB329 when it
dispersed
and returned to
Liverpool.
(Note: There
were no loses from OB329.
Ship may have
joined an inward convoy as
escort back to
Liverpool.)
July
Atlantic convoy defence
in continuation
12th
Joined military Convoy WS9C in
Bristol
Channel
with Dutch AA cruiser
HEEMSKERCK
Polish destroyer
ORP GARLAND, HM Destroyers
GURKHA and VANOC as Local
Escort for
passage in Irish
Sea
and NW Approaches.
(Note: This
convoy was part of Operation
SUBSTANCE, the passage of a
relief convoy
to
Malta.
Other ships joined later for
Ocean Escort including HM
Destroyers
COSSACK,
LIGHTNING, MAORI, NESTER
(RAN), SIKH, HM Battleship
NELSON, HM
Cruisers MANCHESTER
and ARETHUSA.
See
MALTA
CONVOYS by
R Woodhead
and Naval Staff
History for details.)
15th
Detached from WS9C in NW
Approaches with Local Escort
and
returned to Clyde.
(Note: WS9C
comprised nine ships.)
August
Passage from
Gibraltar
to join inward convoy SL81 of
18 ships during passage from
Freetown
as reinforcement of escort to
Liverpool
with HM Destroyer ST ALBANS
and
HM Corvette HYDRANGEA
2nd
Convoy sighted by U204 which
remained in contact pending
arrival of other submarines
deployed
in the area.
3rd
SL81 under attack by U204
and U401.
Carried out
depth charge attacks on U401
with HMS ST ALBANS and HMS
HYDRANGEA
which
was sunk without survivors.
4th
Took part in defence of SL81
against submarine and aircraft
attacks
6th
Enemy attacks ceased after
additional air support
provided
by RAF Coastal Command.
(Note: Five
ships in SL81 were sunk. See
above references.)
September
Atlantic
deployment in continuation.
to
December
1
9 4 2
January
Atlantic convoy defence in
continuation
to
August
(Note:
No notable operations have
been traced but a number of
convoys were escorted by
the
group without any loss. See
ALLIED CONVOYS.)
During this
period Atlantic convoys were
escorted throughout passage
and refitted
in
Canadian and US shipyards.)
September
Under
refit or repair in US Navy
Yard, Brooklyn,
New
York.
(Note:
Photograph in MAN O’WAR, Arms and Armour Press 1979.)
October
Resumed Atlantic escort duties
on completion.
to
November
December
Nominated for conversion as
Long
Range Escort.
See V&W
Class Destroyers by A
Preston
and BRITISH DESTROYERS by E
March)
1
9 4 3
January
Taken in hand for refit and
conversion by HM Dockyard,
Devonport.
February
Under conversion
to
(Note:
For details of the development
of new antisubmarine weapons
and of new tactics
April
see SEEK
AND
STRIKE by
W
Hackmann,
THE BATTLE OF THE ATLANTIC by
D
MacIntyre and BUSINESS IN
GREAT WATERS by J Terraine.
May
Post refit trials and
work-up at Tobermory for
operational service.
June
Resumed Atlantic convoy
defence with 1st British
Escort Group.
Nominated
for service in support of
planned allied landings in Sicily
(Operation
HUSKY).
July
1st
Sailed from
Clyde as part of escort for Follow-up military convoy KMF19
in support of allied
landings
in
Sicily.
9th
Detached from KMF19 and took
passage to join Escort Group V
of Support Force Eastern
for
deployment in support of HUSKY
operations.
For details see
BRITISH INVASION FLEETS by J
de Winser
and the Naval
Staff History.
On
release from HUSKY deployed
with Group for convoy defence
in western
Mediterranean
and
Atlantic with HM Destroyers HURRICANE and WATCHMAN.
August
Convoy
defence deployment in
continuation.
Escorted
outward joint Convoy
OG92/KMS24 during passage in
Atlantic
to Gibraltar.
23rd
Carried out anti-submarine
operations in defence of
convoy
after receipt of sighting and
attack
on U523 by
WELLINGTON
aircraft of 179 Squadron RAF
25th
Following radar and sonar
contact on U523 carried out
depth
charge and Hedgehog attacks
with
HM Corvette WALLFLOWER.
Submarine forced to surface
engaged by main armament.
Submarine crew
abandoned and 37survivors
rescued U523 sank in position
43.02N 18.002W
west
of
Vigo.
See HITLER’S U-BOAT WAR Vol
2 and U-BOATS DESTROYED for
details.
September
Detached deployment for convoy
defence in continuation.
to
October
November
Released from detached service
23rd
Joined inward Convoy MKS31G as
escort during passage from
Gibraltar
to
Liverpool
December
12th
Convoy MKS 31 arrived at
Liverpool.
(Note: This
convoy had merged with inward
Convoy SL140 from
Sierra
Leone.
Ship may have
detached before arrival at
Liverpool.)
Resumed
convoy defence in North
Atlantic with Group.
20th
Deployed with HM Destroyers
WHITEHALL,
WRESTLER, HM Fleet
Minesweepers HYDRA,
HOUND, HM
Corvettes HONEYSUCKLE and
OXLIP as Local Escort for
Russian Convoy
JW55B during
passage from Loch Ewe to join
Ocean Escort
(Note: This ship
may have detached after a
seaman was rescued after
falling overboard.
See
ARCTIC
CONVOYS by R Woodman.)
1
9 4 4
January
Atlantic convoy defence in
continuation and deployed in
the Support role with HM
Frigate
GLENARM and HM
Corvette GERANIUM
17th
During search for German
blockade runner in Atlantic
intercepted U305 which was on
return
passage
to base in
France.
Carried
out
HEDGEHOG attack after weak
sonar contact.
Despite current
Admiralty policy remained in
area and continued attacks.
U305 was sunk
in
position 49.39N 20.10W south
west of
Cape
Clear.
(Note: Credit
was shared with another ship,
variously quoted as GERANIUM
and GLENARM.
See references
and THE U-BOAT PERIL by R F Whinney.
This author
commanded this destroyer after
her conversion and the book
includes
further
details of the period after
April 1943.
February
Nominated for deployment with
HM Destroyer WATCHMAN, HM
Frigates BYRON
and
STRULE as escort
for HM Escort Aircraft Carrier
CHASER to join Russian Convoy
JW57
during
passage to provide air cover.
22nd
Joined JW57.
27th
Detached from JW57 and took
passage to Faeroes to refuel.
March
2nd
Return Convoy RA57 sailed from
Kola Inlet with HMS CHASER.
(Note: Return of
this ship as part of RA57
defence is to be confirmed.)
10th
RA57 arrived at Kola Inlet.
Resumed support
duties in Atlantic.
April
Nominated for escort duty
with Escort Group 105 during
allied landings in
Normandy.
(Operation
NEPTUNE)
Transferred to
English
Channel
and prepared for
NEPTUNE
on release from Western
Approaches.
May
Deployed
in English
Channel.
28th
Escorted HM ML10 during
menially off
Brittany
(Operation HOSTILE 38).
(Note: This was
the last minelaying operation
before D Day. See Naval Staff
History.)
June
Passage to Milford Haven
to join HM Frigate TAVY, HM
Corvettes DIANELLA and
GERANIUM
as
EG105
4th
Escorted Convoy EBM2
comprising 30 MT Ships and
five others
for passage from Bristol
Channel
to
the
Solent with EG105 and HM Canadian Corvettes SUMMERSIDE,
WOODSTOCK
and
REGINA
5th
Passage delayed by 24 hours.
6th
On completion of loading of
nine MT ships escorted EMB2
through swept channel to
Eastern
Task Force
unloading area off Normandy.
7th
Return passage to
Falmouth.
9th
Deployed with Group for
escort of
Build-up convoys.
25th
After termination of
NEPTUNE
retained in Channel for escort
of convoys.
July
5th
During escort of northbound
convoy off
Pointe de Barfleur
with HMS TAVY detected submarine
and
carried out joint HEDGEHOG
anti-submarine operations.
Sank U390 in
position 49.52N 00.48W from
which there was only one
survivor.
See
HITLER’S U-BOAT WAR Vol
2 and U-BOATS DESTROYED.
August
Channel
deployment in continuation.
to
(Note:
Increased submarine activity
against coastal traffic in
Home waters made
necessary
December
additions
to escort and support
requirements. See BUSINESS IN GREAT WATERS,
HITLER’S U-BOAT
WAR and HOLD
THE NARROW
SEA
by P Smith.)
1
9 4 5
January
Channel and SW Approaches
deployment in continuation
to
(Note:
With the removal of the air
threat from French bases Ocean
convoys were re-routed
April
via
English Channel
and St
George’s
Channel.)
May
After VE Day deployed
for support of re-occupation
requirements.
Nominated
for reduction to Reserve
status.
June
Paid-off and de-stored.
July
Laid up pending
decision on disposal.
to
August
