H-Class Fleet
Destroyer ordered from Swan Hunter, Wallsend under
1934 Programme on 13th December 1934. The ship was laid down on 26th March 1935
and launched on 8th April 1936 as the 2nd RN ship to carry this name,
previously used for a 5th Rate In 1807. Her build completed on 3rd December
1936 at a cost of £255,461.10s, excluding Admiralty supplied items such as
guns, ammunition and signalling outfits. Her service prior to WW2 was with the
2nd Destroyer Flotilla, Mediterranean Fleet and included Non-intervention
patrol duties during the Spanish Civil War.
B a t t
l e H o n o u r s
ATLANTIC 1939 - CALABRIA 1940 - SPADA 1940
- LIBYA 1940 - MEDITERRANEAN 1940
H e r a l d i
c D a t a
Badge: On a Field White, a Sun Red, bordered Gold.
M o t t
o
Fulget virtus in arduis : '
Valour shines under difficulties’
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
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1 9 3 9
August Arrived at Portsmouth for refit.
16th Refit restricted to essential repairs.
27th On completion took passage to Freetown for convoy
defence.
September
3rd On passage to take up war station at Freetown.
4th Deployed for patrol duty, trade protection and
search for blockade runners and commerce
raiders in South Atlantic.
October Freetown deployment in continuation including escort of
major units organised in
Hunting Groups for interception of commerce
raiders active in Atlantic.
November Transferred to Bermuda for patrol and escort duty in
Caribbean area.
Established blockade to prevent German
mercantiles leaving ports in Mexico and USA.
December Caribbean deployment in continuation.
19th Intercepted German liner COLUMBUS (32,950 CRT) off
Cape Hatteras during passage to
Germany.
Approached when clear of American water-sand
promptly scuttled.
(Note: Movements of the German ship had been
reported by US Navy
1 9 4 0
January Nominated for return to
UK and took passage to Portsmouth.
25th Taken in hand for refit by HM Dockyard, Portsmouth.
February Under refit.
March Post refit trials.
6th On completion took passage to Scapa Flow to rejoin 2nd Flotilla for service for screening
of Home Fleet major units and patrol duties in
NW Approaches.
31st Nominated with HM Destroyer HERO for simulated
minelay operation off Bud, North
Norway as Force WB (Operation WILFRED).
April
5th Sailed from Scapa Flow as escort for HM Battlecruiser RENOWN during passage to
Norwegian waters.
6th Detached to refuel at Sullom Voe.
7th Passage to Bud in heavy weather.
8th Carried out simulated minelay.
Remained in area to warn shipping until Safety
patrol taken over by Norwegian warship
SLEIPNER.
9th Returned to Sullom Voe to refuel and took passage
to rejoin Fleet off Narvik.
10th Deployed as escort to Fleet units off Norway.
11th Escorted HM Cruiser CALCUTTA with HM Destroyer
ESCORT during tow of the damaged0
destroyer HMS ECLIPSE to
UK
14th Rejoined Fleet off Norway for screening duty and
support to shore operations.
23rd Deployed with HM Destroyers HEREWARD, HASTY,
FEARLESS, FURY and JUNO as
screen for HM Aircraft Carriers GLORIOUS and ARK
ROYAL, H M Cruisers BERWICK
and CURLEW during passage to carry cut Carrier
Group operations off Norway
(Operation DX).
24th Rejoined Fleet on arrival.
27th Escorted HMS ARK ROYAL during Carrier operations
when HMS GLORIOUS detached.
(For details of the disastrous operations in
Norway see NARVIK by D. Macintyre, THE
DOOMED EXPEDITION by J Adams. CARRIER GLORIOUS
by J Winton, NORWAY
1940 by F Kersaudy, ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE
CLOSELY by C Barnett and Naval
Staff History (HMSO-2001).
May Took part in evacuation operations from Andalsnes and
Molde.
4th Returned to Scapa Flow on completion of evacuation deployment.
7th Transferred to Nore Command for patrol and escort
duty.
9th Assisted in evacuation of British nationals and
refugees from Hook of Holland.
12th Nominated to escort HM Destroyer CODRINGTON for
passage to UK with Dutch Royal
family from Holland (Operation J)
(Note: This was later cancelled ).
16th Transferred with ships of Flotilla for Fleet duty in
Mediterranean.
30th Deployed with Flotilla at Alexandria for screening
of major Fleet units.
June Mediterranean Fleet screening duties based at
Alexandria in continuation.
(For details of operations in the Mediterranean
after the entry of Italy in WW2
see THE BATTLE FOR THE MEDITERRANEAN by Donald
MacIntyre, ENGAGE
THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY and Naval Staff History
(HMSO-2002).
July
7th Part of screen for HM Aircraft Carrier EAGLE, HM
Battleships MALAYA, WARSPITE,
and ROYAL SOVEREIGN, HM Cruisers GLOUCESTER,
LIVERPOOL, NEPTUNE,
ORION and SYDNEY (RAN) with HM Destroyers
DAINTY, DEFENDER, HASTY,
HOSTILE, ILEX, IMPERIAL, JANUS, JUNO, VAMPIRE
(RAN), and VOYAGER (RAN)
to provide cover for passage of convoys MF1/MS1
to and from Malta (Operation MA5)
. (Note: This was a repeat of Operation MA3 which
had been cancelled following an
engagement with Italian cruisers. See above
references).
9th Participated in engagement with Italian Fleet off
Punta Stilo. (Battle of Calabria - See above
references).
14th Returned to Alexandria with Fleet.
16th Detached with HM Destroyers HASTY, HERO and ILEX to
carry cut an anti-submarine
search in an area north of Crete.
19th In action with two Italian cruisers which were then
engaged by HMS SYDNEY (RAN)
already deployed in the area.
In subsequent attacks Italian cruiser BARTOLOMEO
COLLEONI was disabled.
Wreck was sunk by torpedoes from HYPERION and
ILEX.
(Battle of Cape Spada - See above references).
. Rescued some survivors from BARTOLOMEO COLLEONI.
August Fleet screening and escort duties in eastern
Mediterranean in continuation.
to (Note: Reinforcement of Fleet at
Alexandria was carried cut
during September.
October (Operation HATS) and Malta convoys exchanged (Operation
MB3).
See above references)
November
6th Deployed with HM Destroyers DECOY, DEFENDER, HASTY, HAVOCK,
HEREWARD,
HERO, ILEX, JANUS, JERVIS, JUNO, MOHAWK and
NUBIAN as screen for HM
Battleships MALAYA, VALIANT, RAMILLIES AND
WARSPITE, HM Aircraft Carrier
ILLUSTRIOUS, HM Cruisers AJAX., ORION,
GLOUCESTER and SYDNEY (RAN) to
provide Distant Cover for passage of Convoy MW3
to Malta and Convoy ME3 to Alexandria
(Operation MB8)
(Note: This was part of a major operation to
pass further reinforcement ships including HM
Battleship BARHAM to the Fleet at Alexandria.
(Operation COAT - See above references).
14th Returned to Alexandria with Fleet.
25th Deployed with Fleet screen
24th Deployed with screen for HM Battleship MALAYA and m
Cruiser BERWICK to provide
cover for passage of convoy to Suda Bay (Operation MB9).
(Note: Part of Operation COLLAR which included
an air attack on Rhodes by HMS
ILLUSTRIOUS and the transfer of HM Cruisers
MANCHESTER and
SOUTHAMPTON to join Mediterranean Fleet at
Alexandria.
Did not take part in the action with Italian
battle group. Battle of Spartivento.
See DESTROYER LEADER by P Smith and references
as above).
29th Passage to Alexandria with Fleet units.
December Deployed for support of military operation by 8th Army.
Carried out bombardments.
14th Participated in sinking of Italian submarine NAIADE
off Bardia with HMS HEREWARD.
16th Joined Force F as escort for HM Battleship MALAYA
and ships of Convoy MW 5 with
Destroyer ILEX for passage to Malta.
(Operation MC2 - Part of Operation HIDE -See
references above)
. (Note: HMS MALAYA was being transferred to
Gibraltar.
Convoy comprised supply ships DEVIS, HOEGH HOOD,
LANARKSHIRE,
PONTFIELD, RODI, TROCAS, VOLO and WAIWERA).
20th Under attack by Italian submarine SERPENTE which
failed.
(Note: Italian reports claimed sinking of this
ship))
Supply ships detached to enter Malta and ss CLAN
FORGES and CLAN FRASER joined
HMS MALAYA in Force F from Malta to take passage
to Gibraltar.
Escort augmented by HM Destroyer HERO, HASTY AND HEREWARD from Fleet
screen.
21st Detached from mercantiles when escort taken over by
HM Destroyers DUNCAN, JAGUAR
ENCOUNTER and ISIS after passage through
Sicilian Narrows.
22nd Took passage through
Narrows with HMS JERVIS and HMS ILEX
Ship struck mine
off Cape Bon and sustained major structural damage.
Two attempts by
HMS ILEX to tow were unsuccessful and ship's company taken on board
HMS ILEX.
Since tow clear
of the area could not be accomplished before dawn and would be in sight
of Pantelleria,
ship was sunk by HM Destroyer JANUS in position 37.04N 11.31E.
Two of the ship's
company were not accounted for and reported missing presumed killed.
(Note: The mine
was laid in Field 4AN between Cape Bon and Pantelleria on 7th October
by Italian
destroyers
Casualty List was
published on 30 June 1941.)
Addendum
CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of
HMS HYPERION
by Don Kindell
This convoy list has not been cross-checked with the text above
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Date convoy sailed
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Joined convoy as escort
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Convoy No.
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Left convoy
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Date convoy arrived
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23/10/39
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23/10/39
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SL 006
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26/10/39
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10/11/39
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04/12/39
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04/12/39
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HX 011
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05/12/39
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18/12/39
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10/12/39
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10/12/39
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TC 001
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17/12/39
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17/12/39
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04/11/40
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09/11/40
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MW 003
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unknown
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10/11/40
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23/11/40
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23/11/40
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MW 004
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26/11/40
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26/11/40
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(Note on Convoys)