One
of two Prototype Fleet Destroyers intended to determine the design of first new
destroyers to
be ordered for the Royal Navy after the end of WW1. Tenders invited from
British shipbuilders which
specialised in construction of this type of warship and this ship was that
accepted from Yarrow &
Co of Glasgow. Ordered on 12th June 1924 this destroyer was laid down on 8th
December that year.
She was launched on 15th January 1926 as the sixth RN warship to carry the
name, which was
introduced for the 5th Rate French EMBUSCADE taken as Prize in 1746. It had
last been used by a
destroyer built in 1913 and sold in 1921. Commissioned on 9th April 1927 she
was deployed for Fleet
duties in Home waters and in the Mediterranean until 1937 when Paid-Off after a
succession of problems
with her turbine machinery. Replacement of these items of propulsion machinery
was deferred
until 1939 and on completion in 1940 her war service was interrupted by further
machinery problems
and she was relegated to non-operational use. Whilst deployed as a Trials ship
in June1945 she
was reduced to Reserve status and used for shock trials before being broken-up
in 1947. In February 1942,
following a successful WARSHIP WEEK National Savings campaign the ship was
adopted by the civil
community of Crewe, Cheshire.
B a t t l e H o n o u r s
FINISTERRE I 1747 - LAGOS 1759 - JUTLAND 1916 - ATLANTIC 1940-44
- ARCTIC 1942 - FALKLANDS 1982 *
(*Awarded to 7th AMBUSCADE.
Manning
quotes CHESAPEAKE 1781 but this is
not included in later standard references.)
H e r a l d i c D a t a
On a Field Black, a
blunderbuss Red with barrel and mounts Gold.
M o t t o
Tempore insidier :
'bide my
time'
M
a n n i n g D i v i s i o n
Chatham till 1937
Portsmouth 1939 to 1945
S u m m a r y o f S e r v i c
e
1 9 2 7
March Harbour trials
April
8th Build completion and commenced Acceptance Trials
9th Commissioned for special trials attached to
Atlantic Fleet
15th Worked-up at Portland.
May Deployed for special trials
September Withdrawn from service for refit and modifications.
to
November
December Resumed Home Fleet duties with Flotilla.
1 9 2 8
January Home Fleet duties in continuation
to Nominated for special duty with sister ship HMS
AMAZON.
February (Note: These ships were to carry out a series of trials
off coast of South
America to establish effect of operating in
various climates.)
April Passage to Pernambuco with HMS AMAZON.
May Carried out planned series of trials in South America
waters
to Deployed in South Pacific and called at
Valparaiso, Chile and Callao,
Peru.
June
July Trials deployment in continuation off South
American Pacific coast.
Passage through Panama Canal for deployment in
Caribbean.
August Return passage to UK from Bermuda with call at Fayal,
Azores.
16th Arrived at Chatham
September Under refit at Chatham
October
16th Re-commissioned with full complement for service in
3rd Destroyer Flotilla,
Mediterranean
Passage to Malta to join Flotilla.
1 9 2 9
January Carried out Flotilla duties in Mediterranean including
exercises and visits.
to
July
August Sustained damage to propellers and starboard hull
structure after being hit
by Practice torpedo during exercise. Taken in
hand for repair by HM Dockyard
Malta
October Resumed duties with 3rd Flotilla.
November Flotilla deployment ion continuation.
to
December
1 9 3 0
January Transferred to 4th Destroyer Flotilla, Mediterranean
Fleet as relief for HM
Destroyer VANSITTART.
August Withdrawn from Flotilla duties for turbine repair in
Malta.
September Under repair
to
December
1 9 3 1
March On completion of repair in Malta took passage to
Chatham for
reduction to Reserve status.
May Laid-up in Nore Reserve as Tender to HM Destroyer
MALCOLM
October Taken in hand for refit by HM Dockyard Chatham
November Under refit
to
December
1 9 3 2
January Under refit
to
April
May Returned to Reserve after post refit trials
June Nominated for further service and brought forward
from Reserve.
22nd Recommissioned for special Home Fleet service.
July Home Fleet deployment including service in Irish
Sea and SW Approaches.
to
December
1 9 3 3
January Home Fleet duties in continuation.
to
July
August Nominated for service at Portsmouth as training and
trials ship attached to
Torpedo school, HMS VERNON.
Withdrawn from special duties.
October Passage to Portsmouth for refit
5th Taken in hand for refit and prepared for new
duties.
December
9th Carried out post refit trials and completion of
dockyard work.
1 9 3 4 t o 1 9 3 6
Deployed as Tender to HMS VERNON in the VERNON
Flotilla.
(Note: These ship were use for Torpedo School
sea training, support
of research carried out by the establishment and
trials
on equipment prior to production.
HMS AMAZON was also attached to HMS VERNON with
several
other destroyers.
1 9 3 7
January VERNON Flotilla duties in continuation.
February Withdrawn from service because of poor condition of
turbines
and nominated for their replacement by HM
Dockyard, Portsmouth
28th Paid-off and placed under Dockyard control for
extended refit.
March Under refit
to
September
October Future employment under consideration.
18th Refit suspended and laid up at Portsmouth
November Laid-up at Portsmouth.
to
December
1 9 3 8
Lay-up in continuation
1 9 3 9
January Future requirement in line with war plan deployments
to Refit work to be re-started to allow operational
deployment.
August
September Refit work resumed
to
December
D e t a i l s o f W a r S e r v
i c e
(for more ship information,
go
to
Naval History Homepage
and type name in Site Search)
1 9 4 0
January Under refit
to
April
May Harbour trials and prepared for service
Pennant No changed to I38 to conform with
changes throughout the RN.
(Note: This identity was used for visual
signalling purposes and was marked on
both sides of forward bow structure and on
stern.)
27th Recommissioned for service in 16th Destroyer
Flotilla based at Harwich.
Carried out post refit sea trials before work-up
at Portland.
June Passage to Portland
Deployed at Portland for work-up
8th On completion diverted from planned programme and
deployed for support of
evacuation of troops from Le Havre area
(Operation CYCLE.)
10th Deployed at St Valery and embarked troops of 51st
Highland Division for passage
to UK. Under shore fire and sustained structural
damage but remained operational.
During return passage in poor visibility sighted
HM Destroyer BOADICEA which
had been hit during dive bombing attacks and was
totally disabled.
Took HMS BOADICEA in tow and resumed passage.
11th Transferred tow to Dutch tug KROOMAN and resumed
passage to Portsmouth.
Taken in hand for repairs after disembarking
troops.
29th Passage to join Flotilla at Harwich.
30th Escorted HM Destroyer WHITSHED under tow by HM
Destroyer WILD SWAN into
Harwich with HM Corvette PUFFIN.
(Note: HMS WHITSHED had lost part of her bow
structure after striking a mine
off Harwich.
July Deployed at Harwich with Flotilla for convoy escort
and anti -invasion patrols
in North Sea.
Came under air attack whilst assisting HM
Trawler TURQUOISE which had
been disabled in an earlier attack.
August Escorted coastal convoy between Nore and Rosyth.
27th Joined Convoy OA205 as escort for passage to NW
Approaches via north
of Scotland.
30th Detached from OA205 when convoy dispersed in NW
Approaches.
September Transferred to 12th Destroyer Flotilla based at Greenock
for convoy
escort for passage to and from Dispersal points.
12th Withdrawn from operational use due to turbine
defects and took
passage to Tyne.
13th Taken in hand for repair at commercial shipyard.
October Under repair.
November
8th On completion of post repair trials took passage to
rejoin Flotilla
then based in Iceland for convoy escort.
December Deployed with Flotilla in Iceland for escort of convoys.
(Note: Regular convoy traffic between
Iceland and Clyde together
Atlantic merchant traffic was escorted by ships
based in Iceland.
1 9 4 1
January Icelandic deployment with Flotilla in continuation.
to
April
May Passage to Clyde for refit.
9th Taken in hand for refit in commercial shipyard.
June Under refit
to
July
August
7th On completion of post refit trials took passage
from Clyde to resume
Flotilla duties in Iceland.
September Deployed for convoy defence based in Iceland.
October Withdrawn from operational duties and took passage to
Portsmouth
for repairs to condensers providing steam for
propulsion equipment.
15th Taken in hand for repair by HM Dockyard, Portsmouth.
November Under repair
to
December
1 9 4 2
January
10th On completion of post repair trials took passage to
resume convoy
escort duties with Flotilla.
February Convoy escort duties in Iceland in continuation.
March Passage to Clyde as escort for routine convoy.
26th Joined HM Destroyers BEVERLEY, RICHMOND and Polish
destroyer
BLYSKAWICA at Oban for escort of Convoy PQ14
during passage to
Reykjavik.
Passage in extreme weather conditions during
which some mercantiles
left convoy.
Detached from PQ14 and took passage to join
return Convoy QP9 as
escort during final stage of passage from
Murmansk into Reykjavik.
April
3rd Detached from QP9 on arrival at Reykjavik
May Iceland convoy escort deployment in continuation.
Future deployment as Ocean Escort affected by
increasing
incidence of defects with machinery.
Withdrawn from future operational use for
repair.
Passage to Liverpool for repair in commercial dockyard .
June Under repair
Nominated for use as an Air Target Ship,
(Note: Warships which were unfit for
operational use were
deployed at specific positions in British
coastal waters to
act as targets for aircrew during
training. These were intended to improve ship
recognition
and to act as targets during exercises in
procedures to be
used in attacks against ships.
16th Commenced duties as Air Target Ship.
July Deployed as Air Target. Position to be
investigated.
to
October
November Selected for use as trials ship and to be fitted with
prototype anti-submarine
weapons which were under development for
immediate use to counter the increasing
scale of attacks on convoys by German U-Boats.
30th Taken in hand for refit by HM Dockyard, Portsmouth
December Under refit
1 9 4 3
January Under refit including fit of an Ahead Throwing Mortar.
February Carried out post refit trials and prepared for first
weapon firing.
Completed satisfactory trials firing of a
Modified Fairlie Mortar (PARSNIP)
on Depth Charge range.
(Note: This design was shelved. For further
details see THE TORPEDOMEN
by E N Poland.)
March Trials deployment based at Portsmouth in continuation.
to (Note: During this period ship was taken in hand
for fit of new ASDIC Type 147X
April designed for measurement of depth of submerged
submarines and
to provide continuous data to the new design
SQUID Ahead Throwing Mortar.
Two SQUID mountings were also fitted..
May Carried out firing trials on Prototype Type 147X
ASDIC and SQUID Mortar off Portland.
(See SEEK AND STRIKE by W Hackmann)
(Note: This was successful and production
orders were placed for these two equipments
which formed the first anti-submarine weapon
system to be used by the RN)
June Nominated for service as Weapon Trials ship in Clyde
based at Greenock.
(Note: The Underwater Research Establishment
responsible for development of new
weapons was at Fairlie on the Firth of Clyde)
6th Sailed from Portsmouth to commence duties based at
Greenock
July Deployed at Greenock for trials and training in use of new weapon system to meet
to
December requirements of URE and the VERNON Trials Department at HMS
VERNON Leigh
Park, Havant.
1 9 4 4
January Trials and training duties at Greenock in continuation.
to
May
June
16th Taken in hand for refit at Portsmouth
(Note: New equipment was fitted and
modifications were carried out to existing
weapon system fit.
August Resumed duties in Greenock on completion.
September Trials and training duties in continuation.
1st During trials deployment in NW Approaches rescued
107 survivors from HM Corvette
HURST CASTLE that had been sunk by an
acoustic torpedo fired from U482 earlier
this day.)
October Nominated for series of trials in Mediterranean for
anti-submarine weapon system.
Took passage to Gibraltar with call at Milford Haven.
November Deployed for trials in Mediterranean.
December Passage to Greenock on completion of trials serials.
11th Returned to Clyde for further training of personnel
and trials.
1 9 4 5
January Trials and training duties in continuation.
February Passage to Portsmouth for fit of new equipment by HM
Dockyard
(Note: Production design Type 147B Depth
Finding ASDIC and Type
147F with SWORD Transducer. See SEEK
AND STRIKE.)
March Resumed trials duties at Greenock on completion.
April Trials and training duties at Greenock in
continuation.
to
May
June Nominated for reduction to Reserve status on relief
by ship from Training
Flotilla based at Londonderry.
July Passage to Barrow to reduce to Reserve.
Paid-off and de-stored at Barrow.
27th Accepted into Reserve Fleet at Barrow
P o s t W a
r N o t e s
HMS
AMBUSCADE, despite the machinery problems which persisted throughout her life, provided
invaluable service during 1939 to 1943 when availability of escorts was
limited. She was
placed on the Disposal List and then sold for demolition after use in a series
of Shock Trials in
the Clyde area to obtain data for use in future warships builds. Several ships
and submarines were
also used prior to being broken-up. Sold to BISCO on 23rd November 1946 she was
towed to
Troon during March 1947 for demolition by West of Scotland Shipbreakers.
History
was repeated on 18th January 1973 when the name was given to a Type 21 Frigate
on launch
at Scotstoun by Yarrow Shipbuilders. This ship had been designed in conjunction with
Messrs Thornycroft at Woolston who built sister ship HMS AMAZON and were again
builders of the
first two ships of a new Class of warship.
Addendum
CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of
HMS AMBUSCADE
by Don Kindell
These convoy lists have not been cross-checked with the text above
|
|
|
|
|
Date convoy
sailed |
Joined convoy
as escort |
Convoy No. |
Left convoy |
Date convoy
arrived
|
|
|
|
|
|
01/01/40
|
03/01/40
|
OA 064
|
04/01/40
|
04/01/40 |
31/07/40
|
02/08/40
|
FS 0238
|
02/08/40
|
02/08/40 |
31/08/40
|
31/08/40
|
MP
|
01/09/40
|
14/09/40 |
27/08/40
|
02/09/40
|
TC 007
|
04/09/40
|
04/09/40 |
04/09/40
|
06/09/40
|
OB 209
|
08/09/40
|
09/09/40 |
28/08/40
|
09/09/40
|
HX 069
|
11/09/40
|
12/09/40 |
28/11/40
|
18/12/40
|
SL 057S
|
22/12/40
|
22/12/40 |
30/12/40
|
30/12/40
|
OB 267
|
02/01/41
|
02/01/41 |
15/12/40
|
05/01/41
|
SL 059S
|
07/01/41
|
07/01/41 |
12/01/41
|
12/01/41
|
OB 273
|
16/01/41
|
16/01/41 |
05/01/41
|
17/01/41
|
HX 101
|
20/01/41
|
22/01/41 |
27/02/41
|
27/02/41
|
OB 292
|
06/03/41
|
06/03/41 |
18/02/41
|
06/03/41
|
SC 023
|
09/03/41
|
09/03/41 |
03/03/41
|
17/03/41
|
HG 055
|
22/03/41
|
22/03/41 |
28/03/41
|
28/03/41
|
OB 303
|
02/04/41
|
03/04/41 |
21/03/41
|
04/04/41
|
HX 116
|
09/04/41
|
09/04/41 |
01/09/41
|
04/09/41
|
ON 012
|
04/09/41
|
14/09/41 |
14/03/42
|
19/03/42
|
TA 012
|
unknown
|
25/03/42 |
27/03/42
|
27/03/42
|
UR 017
|
31/03/42
|
31/03/42 |
03/04/42
|
03/04/42
|
RU 017
|
07/04/42
|
07/04/42 |
28/09/43
|
28/09/43
|
DS 045
|
02/10/43
|
02/10/43 |
03/10/43
|
03/10/43
|
SD 045
|
05/10/43
|
05/10/43
|
|
|
|
|
|
(Note
on Convoys)