B-Class Fleet Destroyer ordered on 4th March 1929 under the 1928 Programme with sister ship HMS BEAGLE from
John Brown at Clydebank, Glasgow, The ship was laid down on 19th August 1929
and launched on 6th August 1930 as
the 10th RN ship to carry this name. It had been introduced in 1695 and was
last used by a destroyer sold in 1921.
Build completion was 4th March 1931 at a cost of £220,342 which excluded items
supplied by the Admiralty such as
guns, ammunition and communications equipment. In September 1939 the ship was
deployed as part of the
Plymouth Local Flotilla.
B a t t
l e H o n o u r s
CAPE PASSARO
1718 - MARTINIQUE 1762 - HAVANA 1762 - BALTIC 1854 - DARDANELLES
1915-16 - NORWAY 1940 - DUNKIRK
1940
H e r a l d i
c D a t a
Badge: On a Field Red, a
Basilisk Gold
M o t t
o
Mil irritarare: 'Do not irritate me'
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 3 9
September Took passage from Plymouth to take up War Station and
joined 19th Destroyer Flotilla based
at Dover for convoy escort and patrol in English
Channel and North Sea,
(Note: Including routine mercantile traffic
many convoys carried troops of the BEF to French ports)
October Channel deployment in continuation.
November
12th Deployed with HM Destroyer BLANCHE as escort for HM
Cruiser Minelayer ADVENTURE
during passage from Humber to Portsmouth.
13th Rescued survivors from HMS BLANCHE after both HMS
BLANCHE and HMS ADVENTURE
detonated magnetic mines.
Embarked wounded from HMS ADVENTURE.
(Note: HMS BLANCHE was sunk and HMS ADVENTURE
sustained major structural damage
December
15th Escorted HM Auxiliary Minelayer PRINCESS VICTORIA
with HM Destroyers EXPRESS,
ESK and BASILISK (Operation EF)
For details of all minelaying operations see
Naval Staff History (Mining).
1 9 4 0
January Channel and North Sea escort and patrol duty in continuation.
to
March
April
17th Detached for duty with Home Fleet for convoy escort
and support of military operation in
Norwegian waters.
24th Deployed with HM Destroyers WREN and HESPERUS as
escort for HM Battleship RESOLUTION
during passage to Narvik.
May Home Fleet deployment off Norway in continuation.
5th Escorted ss EMPRESS OF AUSTRALIA during passage to
Tjalander Fjord.
12th Deployed with HMS RESOLUTION, HM Cruisers EFFINGHAM,
VINDICTIVE, AURORA, HM
Destroyers SOMALI, HAVELOCK, FAME, WREN and HM
Netlayer PROTECTOR for support
of planned landings at Bjervik in preparation
for an attack on Narvik.
13th On arrival took part in support of landings in
Herjangs Fjords.
For details see NAVAL OPERATIONS OF THE CAMPAIGN
IN NORWAY 1940
(HMSO, 2000)
20th Detached from Home Fleet duties for support of
evacuation of troops from Dunkirk
(Operation DYNAMO)
Passage to Dover.
30th Deployed at Dover
For details see BEF TROOPS by J de Winser, NINE
DAYS AT DUNKIRK by A Divine and
Naval Staff History DYNAMO (HMSO, 2002)
31st Carried out two trips to embark troops
(Note 338 troops were carried on first trip and
357 on the second.).
June
1st Returned to La Panne to continue evacuation and
came under air attacks
Sustained major damage and immobilised with many
casualties
Towing attempt by HM Destroyer WHITEHALL and
Belgian Trawler LA JOLIE MASCOTTE
failed and ship came under dive-bombing attacks
with further damage.
Ship sank in position 51.08N 02.35E.
131 survivors were rescue by LA JOLIE MASCOTTE.
Wreck was destroyed by gunfire from HMS
WHITEHALL.
Addendum
CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of
HMS BASILISK
by Don Kindell
no escort information is available