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)