F-Class Fleet Destroyer built by Cammell Laird at
Liverpool under 1932 Programme and laid down on 21st July 1933. The ship was launched on 29th June 1934 as the 5th RN
warship to carry this name which was previously used for a cruiser sold in 1921 and introduced in 1570. Build
was completed on 15 May 1935. After a successful WARSHIP WEEK National Savings campaign in November 1941 she
was adopted by the civil community of Penzance, Cornwall.
B a t t
l e H o n o u r s
ARMADA 1588 - PORTLAND 1653 - GABBARD 1653 - SCHEVENINGEN 1653 - PORTO
FARINA 1655 - SANTA CRUZ 1657 - ORFORDNESS 1666 - SCHOONEVELD 1673 - TEXEL 1673
- BELGIAN COAST 1914 - DARDANELLES 1915-16 - ATLANTIC
1941 - MEDITERRANEAN 1941 - MALTA
CONVOYS 1941-42 - ARCTIC 1942
H e r a l d i
c D a t a
Badge: On a Field Black, a Crescent Silver
M o t
t o
Aevos
sequimur: 'We follow our ancestors'
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
August
Passage to Scapa Flow to join 8th Destroyer Flotilla, Hone Fleet at assigned War
Station.
September
Deployed with Flotilla at Scapa Flow for screening of Fleet major units and
anti-
to submarine patrol
December
Carried out anti-submarine patrols in Western Approaches and North Sea with
ships of Flotilla.
(For details of naval activities in Home waters
during 1939 see ENGAGE THE ENEMY
MORE CLOSELY by Corelli Barnett and Naval Staff
History.
1 9 4 0
January
4th Joined HM Destroyers FAULKNOR, FOXHOUND, FAME, ISIS and IMPULSIVE.
for escort of HM
Battleship NELSON from Loch Ewe to Portsmouth
for repair
after mine damage,
9th Return passage to resume Home Fleet duty.
10th Resumed Home Fleet screening and patrol duties
(Note: Major Home Fleet units had moved to Loch
Ewe following the sinking of HM Battleship
ROYAL OAK in Scapa Flow and during escort of
military convoys were screened by Home
Fleet destroyers based in Clyde.)
February
Deployment with Home Fleet in NW Approaches in
continuation.
to
April
May
Transferred to
Humber for duty convoy
defence and patrol in North Sea.
(Note: Period under repair to be investigated)
18th Rescued survivors from HM Auxiliary Minelayer in Hunter estuary with
HM Destroyers
GALLANT and GRAFTON.
Remained in area on completion to warn other
ships of new mine danger.
26th North Sea
deployment continued during Operation DYNAMO and did not include embarkation
of
allied troops from beaches at Dunkirk or northern French ports.)
June
Transferred to Force H for duty with 8th Destroyer
Flotilla at
Gibraltar.
Passage to Gibraltar to rejoin Flotilla.
Joined Force H with ships of Flotilla on
formation at Gibraltar
(For details of all operations in Mediterranean
see ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY
and THE BATTLE FOR THE MEDITERRANEAN by Donald
MacIntyre)
July
3rd Escorted HM Aircraft Carrier ARK ROYAL during attack on French
Fleet at Oran.
(Operation CATAPULT - For details see THE
RELUCTANT ENEMIES by W Tute and
Naval
Staff History).
23rd Deployed with HMS ARK ROYAL for planned air attacks on Bordeaux.
25th Returned to Gibraltar with HMS ARK ROYAL when operation cancelled
due to weather.
31st Joined screen for HM Battlecruiser HOOD,
HMS ARK ROYAL and HM
Cruiser
ENTERPRISE
with HM Destroyers FAULKNOR, FORESTER and FOXHOUND
during
Malta aircraft delivery
as Group 1 (Operation CRUSH).
(This operation was co-incident with an air
attack on Cagliari (Operation HURRY).
August
4th Passage to UK
11th Arrived UK
20th Return passage to Gibraltar.
September
1st
Joined Force B with HM Destroyers FAULKNOR, FURY,
FORTUNE, FIREDRAKE,
FORESTER
and ENCOUNTER as screen for HM Battlecruiser RENOWN,
HMS ARK
ROYAL and HM Cruiser
SHEFFIELD to
cover the passage of HM Aircraft Carrier
ILLUSTRIOUS, H M Battleship
VALIANT, HM Cruiser
COVENTRY and HM Cruiser
CALCUTTA to join Mediterranean Fleet
in
Eastern Mediterranean
(Force F)
(Operation HATS/MB)
(Note: This operation was co-incident with an
air attack on Cagliari.
Operation SMASH/GRAB).
8th Detached with H M Destroyers FAULKNOR, FURY, FORTUNE, FORESTER and
GREYHOUND for
screening of HM Battleship RESOLUTION and HMS ARK
ROYAL on
passage to Freetown.
13th Joined Force M for support of planned French landing at Dakar.
(Operation MENACE - For details see MENACE by
Arthur Harder).
21st Sailed with Force M for Dakar from Freetown.
23rd Deployed off Dakar for landing operations.
Damaged by shore fire.
24th After failure of negotiations carried out Anti-submarine patrol and
support duty.
25th Sank French submarine PERSEE which had attacked and hit HMS
RESOLUTION
Operation abandoned and returned to Freetown
with Force M.
October Deployment at Freetown in continuation of support for
French operations.
3rd Provided cover for Free French landing in Cameroons.
8th After successful landings took passage to UK for refit.
November
Under refit at Liverpool.
December
22nd Damaged in air raid on Liverpool
1 9 4 1
January On completion of post refit trials prepared to sail to
Gibraltar..
18th Passage to Gibraltar to rejoin Flotilla in Force H.
22nd Arrived at Gibraltar.
(Note: Ship brought plans of Tirso Dam to be
used in preparation for attacks by
aircraft from HMS ARK ROYAL. See Naval Staff
History.)
31st Deployed in Group 2 with H M DESTROYERS, FEARLESS, FOXHOUND, FURY,
FIREDRAKE and JERSEY and detached from HMS
RENOWN, HM Battleship
MALAYA, HMS ARK ROYAL and HM Cruiser SHEFFIELD
(Group 1) at lower speed
during air attacks on Tirso Dam, Sardinia
(Operation PICKET – See Naval Staff History).
(Note: Operation RESULT - Planned bombardment
of Genoa co-incident with PICKET
was cancelled).
February
2nd Rejoined Group 1 during the return passage to Gibraltar afer attacks
completed,
4th Arrived at Gibraltar with ships of Group II.
6th Sailed from Gibraltar with ships of Force H for bombardment of Genoa
(Operation GROG)
9th Deployed with HM Destroyers FEARLESS, FOXHOUND, FURY, ENCOUNTER and
JERSEY as Group 2 for escort for HMS RENOWN, HMS
MALAYA, HMS ARK ROYAL
and HMS SHEFFIELD during bombardment of Genoa
March Flotilla deployment in continuation
(Note: Some ships of Flotilla were detached for
Atlantic convoy defence at Freetown.)
30th Joined HM Cruiser SHEFFIELD, HM Destroyers FAULKNOR, FURY, FEARLESS,
FORTUNE
FORESTER, FOXHOUND and FORESIGHT to Intercept
Vichy French
convoy bound for France from West Africa in
Mediterranean.
Attack by Vichy French aircraft during return
passage was unsuccessful. (Operation RATION)
April
2nd Deployed with HM Destroyers FAULKNOR, FEARLESS, FURY and FORTUNE as
escort
for HMS
RENOWN, HMS ARK ROYAL and HMS SHEFFIELD during a
Malta
aircraft
delivery
(Operation WINCH)
4th Deployed in Atlantic for search operation.
24th Joined HM Destroyers FAULKNOR, FEARLESS, FORTUNE and FURY as screen
for HMS
RENOWN.
HMS ARK ROYAL and HMS SHEFFIELD for cover of passage
of HM Cruisers
DIDO, ABDIEL,
HM Destroyers KELLY, KIPLING,
KASHMIR, KELVIN, JERSEY
and
JACKAL to join Fleet in
Eastern
Mediterranean (Operation SALIENT).
(Note: Malta aircraft deliver Operation DUNLOP
was coincident with SALIENT).
May
6th Deployed with HM Destroyers FAULKNOR, FORESTER, FURY, FORTUNE and
FEARLESS as the
escort for HM Battleship QUEEN ELIZABETH, HM Cruisers
GLOUCESTER, FIJI and NAIAD
(Force F) during passage to join Fleet in Eastern
Mediterranean.
(Operation TIGER - This operation included
escort of military convoy taking tanks
to Middle
East by ships of Force H).
9th Sustained damage during air attacks.
12th Under repair in Malta
19th Sailed to rejoin Force H west of Malta during current aircraft
delivery.
(Operation SPLICE).
20th Joined escort for HMS RENOWN, HMS SHEFFIELD, H M Aircraft Carriers
ARK ROYAL
and
FURIOUS, HMS RENOWN for returned to
Gibraltar.
24th Deployed with HM Destroyers FAULKNOR, FORESTER, HESPERUS, FOXHOUND
and
FURY as the
screen for HMS RENOWN, HMS ARK ROYAL and HMS SHEFFIELD
to
cover passage of an Atlantic convoy
against threat from
BISMARCK
Detached to return to Gibraltar because of lack
of fuel with HM Destroyers FOXHOUND
and HMS
FURY.
(Note: Major units of Force H Joined in search
for BISMARCK - See PURSUIT by
L. Kennedy)
June
5th Deployed with HM Destroyers FAULKNOR, FORESTER and FOXHOUND as
screen f or
HMS
RENOWN and HM Aircraft Carrier FURIOUS for
Malta aircraft
delivery.
(Operation ROCKET)
9th Escorted HM Aircraft Carrier VICTORIOUS and HM Cruiser HERMIONE
into Gibraltar at
end of passage from UK.
13th Escorted HMS ARK ROYAL AND HMS VICTORIOUS with HM Destroyers
FAULKNOR, FEARLESS,
FORESTER, FOXHOUND, HESPERUS and W1SHART
during aircraft delivery to Malta.
(Operation TRACER).
15th Deployed in Atlantic with ships of 8th Flotilla for anti-submarine
operations in
Atlantic.
18th Shared credit for sinking U138 West of Gibraltar with HM Destroyers
FAULKNOR,
FEARLESS, FORESTER and FOXHOUND.
Some survivors from U138 were rescued.
July
21st Deployed with HM Destroyers FAULKNOR, FORESTER, FURY, DUNCAN and
LIGHTNING as the
escort for HMS RENOWN, HMS ARK ROYAL and HMS
HERMIONE during cover for the passage
of supply convoy to
Malta .
(Operation SUBSTANCE).
23rd Sank HM Destroyer FEARLESS of 8th Flotilla after damaged during air
attacks.
27th Deployed with HM Destroyers FAULKNOR, FURY, FORESTER, FOXHOUND,
COSSACK, MAORI,
NESTOR (RAN), ENCOUNTER and HM Escort Destroyer
ERIDGE as screen for HM Battleship
NELSON, HMS RENOWN and HMS ARK ROYAL
during cover for passage of personnel convoy to Malta (Operation STYLE).
August
2nd Redeployed as part of Group H as escort for HMS NELSON and HM
Cruisers ARETHUSA
and MANXMAN with HMS FAULKNOR, HMS FURY AND HMS
FOXHOUND for
return passage.
21st Deployed
with HM Destroyers NESTOR, FORESTER, FURY and
FOXHOUND as escort for HMS
NELSON, HMS ARK ROYAL and HMS HERMIONE
during air attack on Teapio, Sardinia
diversionary sweep off Valencia as cover for
minelaying operation.
(Operation MINCEMEAT).
September
8th
Joined Force A with HM Destroyers LEGION and FORESTER
as escort for HMS
FURIOUS
and HMS HERMIONE during
Malta aircraft delivery
(Operation STATUS).
24th Joined Force X with HM Destroyers COSSACK, ZULU, FORESTER, FARNDALE,
HEYTHROP,
ORIBI, LAFOREY and LIGHTNING as escort for HM Cruisers
KENYA, EDINBURGH, SHEFFIELD, HERMIONE and
EURYALUS for passage through
to Malta with supply convoy (Operation HALBERD).
28th On arrival of convoy in Malta took passage to rejoin units of Force
H which had
covered
HALBERD convoy as Force A.
October
16th Deployed with HM Destroyers COSSACK, FORESTER, FURY, LEGION, SIKH
and
ZULU as screen for HMS RODNEY, HMS ARK ROYAL and
HMS HERMIONE in joint
operation to cover
Malta aircraft
delivery and passage of ships of Force K to Malta.
(Note: Force K comprised HM Cruisers AURORA and
PENELOPE with an escort of
Fleet
Destroyers HMS LANCE and LIVELY.
Two supply ships were also passed to Malta).
(Operation CALLBOY).
November
Nominated for return to UK for service with Home Fleet.
16th Joined
military convoy WS12Z with HM Destroyers FORESTER, FURY, DULVERTON and
SOUTHWOLD during passage in Atlantic to Freetown as relief’s for Local Escort by
HM
Destroyers BADSWORTH, EXMOOR, VANQUISHER, WHITEHALL and WITCH from Clyde,
(Note: Ocean Escort was provided by HM Battleship ROYAL SOVEREIGN.
19th Detached
from WS12Z with HMS FORESIGHT and HMS FURY and took passage to
Clyde.
On
arrival joined Home Fleet for Atlantic escort duty.
December Nominated for
special duty.
13th Joined escort for HM Battleship DUKE OF YORK taking Prime Minister
to USA.
17th
Detached from HMS DUKE OF
YORK after weather
damage during passage at high speed..
18th Under repair in Azores
23rd Took passage to Scapa Flow to rejoin 8th Destroyer Flotilla in Home
Fleet
1 9 4 2
January
Deployed with Flotilla in Home Fleet for escort of
major units during interception patrols to
to prevent beak-out of German commerce raiders into
Atlantic and for convoy defence.
February
March
21st Part of screen for HM Battleships KING GEORGE V and DUKE OF YORK,
HM
Battlecruiser
RENOWN, HM Aircraft Carrier VICTORIOUS, HM Cruiser
EDINBURGH
and HM Cruiser KENT
with 15 other destroyers to cover passage of Russian
Convoy PQ13
and the return
convoy OP9.
(Note: This very powerful force was deployed
because of the presence of several German
major units in
Norway .For details of
all Russian Convoy operations and Home Fleet
operations off Norway see ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE
CLOSELY, CONVOYS
TO RUSSIA by R A
Ruegg, ARCTIC CONVOYS by R Woodman and THE
RUSSIAN CONVOYS by B Schoefield).
April
13th Part of Ocean Escort for Russian Convoy PQ14 with HM Cruiser
EDINBURGH and HM
destroyers AMAZON, BEAGLE, BEVERLEY, BULLDOG and
FORESTER with four
corvettes and three trawlers.
(Note: HMS EDINBURGH was carrying steel plate
to Murmansk for repair of damaged
cruiser HMS TRINIDAD).
Two trawlers did not remain with PQ14.
18th Detached from PQ14 with HMS FORESTER as escort for HMS EDINBURGH
when
German
destroyers HERMANN SCHOEMANN, Z24 and Z25 approached
convoy.
No attack was made.
28th Part of escort for return convoy OP 11 with same ships.
30th Detached from escort with HMS FORESTER and two Russian destroyers to
assist HMS
EDINBURGH which had been torpedoed by U456 and
sustained serious damage.
(Note: HMS EDINBURGH was carrying Russian
bullion to UK and had was taking up a
station ahead of convoy after joining escort
from Murmansk).
May
1st Remained with HMS FORESTER to assist in saving damaged cruiser.
In action against German destroyers HERMANN
SCHOEMANN, Z24 and Z25 attacking
HMS
EDINBURGH. Hit
by four shells and disabled with several sustained casualties
. Eight of ship’s company were killed and 11
wounded.
(Note: German destroyer HERMANN SCHOEMANN was
seriously damaged in thie
action and had to be scuttled. See above
references.
Sank EDINBURGH with last available torpedo after
survivors had been rescued.
(For full details of this action see above
references and Naval Staff History.).
4th Under temporary repair at Murmansk.
13th Escorted HM Cruiser TRINIDAD with HM Destroyers FORESTER, SOMALI and
MATCHLESS.
14th Under heavy air attacks.
15th Closed damaged TRINIDAD and took off some of the survivors before
the cruiser was
sunk by HMS MATCHLESS.
16th Passage to UK for permanent repair.
June Under repair
July On completion of post repair trials rejoined
Flotilla in Home Fleet and prepared
for operational service.
August
3rd
Deployed as escort for HM Battleships NELSON and
RODNEY with 11 other Home Fleet
destroyers covering passage of Malta relief
convoy WS21 (Operation PEDESTAL).
(Note: To be deployed in the minesweeping role
in Skerki Channel approach to Malta.)
10th Deployed as part of Force Z (HMS NELSON, HMS RODNEY, HM Aircraft
Carriers
EAGLE, INDOMITABLE
and FURIOUS, HM Cruisers PHOEBE, SIRIUS and
CHARYBDIS on entry to Mediterranean.
12th Under heavy sustained air attacks during and sustained casualties.
One officer and three ratings were killed.
During passage through Sicilian Narrows hit aft
by torpedo from aircraft.
Serious damage and flooding aft immobilised ship
Ship
north of Bizerta in position
37.40N 10.00E
Taken in tow by HM Destroyer TARTAR which later
had to be slipped carry out
anti-submarine operations when HMS EAGLE was
sunk in an attack by U73.
On return of HMS TARTAR it was clear that
further attempt to save ship in a
hazardous situation was not possible.
13th Sunk by torpedo from HMS TARTAR
For full details see PEDESTAL by R Woodman and
above references.
(For details see PEDESTAL by Peter C Smith).
Addendum
CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of
HMS FORESIGHT
by Don Kindell
This convoy list has not been cross-checked with the text above
|
|
|
|
|
Date convoy sailed
|
Joined convoy as escort
|
Convoy No.
|
Left convoy
|
Date convoy arrived
|
|
|
|
|
|
30/01/40
|
05/02/40
|
TC 003
|
07/02/40
|
07/02/40
|
12/06/40
|
12/06/40
|
FN 0194
|
13/06/40
|
14/06/40
|
14/02/41
|
14/02/41
|
SLG 001A
|
16/02/41
|
22/02/41
|
06/05/41
|
06/05/41
|
TIGER
|
12/05/41
|
12/05/41
|
06/08/41
|
06/08/41
|
HG 034FA
|
08/08/41
|
14/08/41
|
30/07/41
|
08/08/41
|
OG 070
|
12/08/41
|
12/08/41
|
24/09/41
|
24/09/41
|
HALBERD
|
27/09/41
|
27/09/41
|
02/10/41
|
02/10/41
|
HG 074
|
06/10/41
|
18/10/41
|
27/09/41
|
09/10/41
|
OG 075
|
12/10/41
|
13/10/41
|
06/11/41
|
24/11/41
|
SL 092
|
25/11/41
|
01/12/41
|
10/03/42
|
27/03/42
|
PQ 013
|
28/03/42
|
31/03/42
|
21/03/42
|
27/03/42
|
QP 009
|
28/03/42
|
03/04/42
|
26/03/42
|
12/04/42
|
PQ 014
|
19/04/42
|
19/04/42
|
28/04/42
|
28/04/42
|
QP 011
|
30/04/42
|
07/05/42
|
|
|
|
|
|
(Note on Convoys)