GREYHOUND or G-Class Fleet Destroyer ordered
from John I Thornycroft at Woolston, Southampton in the 1933 Programme on 5th March 1934. The ship was
laid down on 30th August 1934 as Yard No. 1126 and launched on 18th September 1935. She was
the 7th RN ship to carry the name, introduced in 1679 and previously used by a
cruiser sold in 1920. Build was completed on 20th March 1936 for a cost of £248,485
except Admiralty supplied items such as guns, ammunition and communication
equipment. She joined the 1st Destroyer Flotilla in the Mediterranean in June
1936 and served on there until Sept. 1939.
B a t t l e H o n o u r s
BEACHY HEAD 1690 - BARFLEUR 169 - VIGO
1702 - GIBRALTAR 1704 - VELEZ MALAGA 1704 - CAPE PASSARO 1718 - PORTO NOVA 1759
- MANILA 1761 - GRENADA 1779 - OFF MARTINIQUE 1780 - DARDANELLES 1915-16 - ATLANTIC 1939 - DUNKIRK 1940
H e
r a l d i c D a t a
Badge: On a Field Green., a
Lion's mask Gold, crowned Silver,
with collar red and silver.
M o t t o
Decus
pretutis pretium : 'Glory is the reward of valour'.
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 Deployed with
1st Destroyer Flotilla and under repair in Malta.
Nominated for service with Flotilla in Home Fleet.
October Under
repair.
22nd Arrived at
Plymouth and deployed on convoy escort and anti-submarine patrol duty
in SW
Approaches with HM Destroyers GALLANT GREYHOUND and GLOWWORM
November Nominated for
transfer to 22nd Destroyer Flotilla based at Harwich.
Passage to Harwich for convoy escort and contraband control in North Sea and
English
Channel.
Replaced HM Destroyer KEITH.
December Harwich
deployment in continuation.
1 9 4 0
January Harwich
deployment in continuation.
10th
Transferred to reformed 1st Destroyer Flotilla based at Harwich.
Deployed for interception of mercantile traffic between German and Dutch ports.
16th Escorted
Latvian ship GRADA into Dover for detailed examination.
February Contraband
control in continuation.
March Contraband
control in continuation.
26th Taken in
hand for refit at Hull.
April Under
refit.
Nominated for duty with Home Fleet on completion.
14th Post
refit trials.
15th Passage to Scapa Flow
to commence duty off Norway with Home Fleet.
17th Deployed on convoy
defence and support of operations in Norway.
Carried out
patrol and anti-aircraft defence duties.
May Norwegian
support in continuation.
12th Returned
to Scapa Flow for screening of major units of Home Fleet.
18th Took part
in rescue of survivors from HM Auxiliary
Minelayer PRINCESS
VICTORIA with
HM
Destroyers GALLANT and FORESIGHT.
(Note: This ship sank after detonating a mine off the Humber. See Naval Staff History
(Mining) for details.)
24th Deployed
in Nore Command with HM Destroyers GALLANT, GREYHOUND and Polish
destroyer ORP BLYSKAWICA as Force B for patrol in southern North Sea. See THE
BATTLE OF THE EAST COAST by J P Foynes.
Detached for support of evacuation of troops from France and the Low countries.
(Operation DYNAMO). Deployed in Nore Command.
26th Escorted
HM Cruisers ARETHUSA and GALATEA during bombardment of Pas de-Calais
area
in support of
military defence.
28th Carried
277 troops from La Panne and Eayne (?Bray) to
Dover.
29th Torpedoed
when assisting in recovery of survivors from HM Destroyer WAKEFUL.
For
details of DYNAMO see Naval Staff History and BEF SHIPS by J de Winser.)
Ship
had embarked troops and was returning to Dover.
Sustained major damage aft and later a second explosion wrecked forward
structure,
including part of Bridge, killing the captain and
another officer.
Ship's back was broken but vessel remained afloat long enough for all troops and
survivors of ship's company to be rescued by HM
Destroyer IVANHOE.
Sixteen
of the crew were killed, including the captain, the officer, 13 ratings and the
Canteen Manager.
Sunk
by gunfire from HMS IVANHOE in position 51-22N 02.39E.
Addendum
CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of
HMS GRAFTON
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
|
|
|
|
|
|
05/09/39
|
13/09/39
|
RED 1
|
16/09/39
|
27/09/39
|
28/09/39
|
03/10/39
|
GREEN 3
|
07/10/39
|
07/10/39
|
11/10/39
|
17/10/39
|
BLUE 004
|
18/10/39
|
21/10/39
|
17/10/39
|
28/10/39
|
HX 005
|
29/10/39
|
29/10/39
|
02/11/39
|
14/11/39
|
HX 007
|
17/11/39
|
17/11/39
|
18/11/39
|
18/11/39
|
OA 037
|
20/11/39
|
21/11/39
|
25/11/39
|
25/11/39
|
OA 041
|
unknown
|
unknown
|
17/11/39
|
29/11/39
|
SL 009F
|
29/11/39
|
29/11/39
|
|
|
|
|
|
(Note on Convoys)