NARVIK 1940 - NORWAY 1940-41
- ATLANTIC 1940-41 - ARCTIC 1941-42
- MALTA CONVOYS 1942
H e r a l d i c
D a t a
Badge: On a
Field Blue a Bedouin dagger proper.
M o t t o:
'Honour and Chivalry'
Manning Division: Chatham
R e c o r d o f
S e r v i c e
1 9 3 9
March Contractors
trials
15th Build completion and commenced
Acceptance Trials
April On completion of trials and
storing took passage to Portland to work-up
for service with
the 6th Destroyer Flotilla in Home Fleet.
(Note Flotilla
identity had been changed.)
Worked up in
Channel area with units based at Portland.
May Deployment at Portland in
continuation.
June
1st Despatched from Portland to assist
in search for HM Submarine THETIS which
had failed to
surface after diving trials in Liverpool Bay.
2nd Arrived in search area and joined
ships taking part in rescue operations.
On release from
THETIS rescue requirements resumed Home Fleet Summer
Programme.
July Deployed with Flotilla in
Home Fleet for exercises and visits.
August Passage to Scapa Flow to
take-up war station.
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)
September Deployed for screening
,anti-submarine patrol duties and interception
of mercantiles
attempting to return to Germany in NE Approaches based
at Scapa Flow.
October Took part in unsuccessful
search for ss CITY OF FLINT which had been
captured by German
cruiser DEUTSCHLAND.
(Note: This ship was later interned in Norway.)
Deployed as part
of screen for HM Battlecruiser RENOWN and HM Aircraft
Carrier ARK ROYAL during
their passage to Freetown prior to their joining
Hunting Group X
in search for German battleship ADMIRAL GRAF SPEE
Returned escort
and patrol duties with Flotilla.
November Flotilla duties in continuation
including escort of Canadian Troop convoys
to December in NW Approaches
1 9 4 0
January Withdrawn
from operational use because of high incidence of defects.
Passage to Tyne for
repair and refit in commercial shipyard.
23rd Taken in hand for repair.
February Under
repair and refit
(Note: Work included installation of Degaussing.
Defect repair of propulsion machinery turbines to be confirmed.)
March
16th Post refit trials and passage to
resume Flotilla duties at Scapa Flow.
Rejoined Flotilla on arrival.
(Note: Other ships in 6th Flotilla were HM Destroyers SOMALI (Leader),
ASHANTI, MATABELE, MASHONA, PUNJABI, ESKIMO
and TARTAR.)
April
Deployed at Scapa Flow for screening of major Home Fleet units
7th Deployed with HM Destroyers
CODRINGTON, GRIFFIN, JUPITER,
ELECTRA, ESCAPADE, BRAZEN, PUNJABI, ESKIMO and KIMBERLEY
as
screen for HM Battleships RODNEY and VALIANT, HM Battlecruiser
REPULSE. HM Cruisers SHEFFIELD, PENELOPE and French cruiser
EMIL BERTIN in search for German warships
reported by aircraft as on
passage in North Sea.
8th Detached to carry out patrol off
Skomvaer Light with HMS REPULSE,
HMS PENELOPE, HMS ESKIMO, PUNJABI and KIMBERLEY.
Rejoined Home Fleet units after German occupation of Narvik confirmed.
9th Deployed as screen for Home Fleet
ships.
10th Deployed for Patrol in Ofot Fjord
area.
12th Joined screen for HMS WARSPITE, HMS
RENOWN and HM Aircraft
Carrier FURIOUS with HM Destroyers PUNJABI, KIMBERLEY and
ICARUS during passage into Vest Fjord.
13th Took part in engagement with German
destroyers with HMS WARSPITE,
HM
Destroyers ICARUS, HERO, FOXHOUND, KIMBERLEY, FORESTER,
PUNJABI, ESKIMO and COSSACK during which she sank the German
destroyer ERICH KOELLER (Second Battle of Narvik.)
(For details of this battle and of naval activities off Norway in
April-May 1940
see NAVAL OPERATIONS IN THE CAMPAIGN IN
NORWAY, April-June
1940 (HMSO), NARVIK by D Macintrye and THE DOOMED EXPEDITIONS
by
D Adams.)
15th Escorted damaged HMS ESKIMO to
Skelfjord for repair with HMS HOSTILE
and HMS IVANHOE.
Resumed support of military operations and patrol duties off Narvik.
May
4th Rescued survivors from Polish
destroyer ORP GROM sunk by air attacks in
Ofotfjord.
Passage to UK on release from Norwegian support duties.
Taken in hand for repair in Glasgow commercial shipyard.
On completion resumed Flotilla duties at Scapa Flow.
Pennant Number changed to G67.
June
7th Deployed with HM Destroyers
TARTAR, MASHONA and ASHANTI as screen
for HM Battleship VALIANT to provide cover against attack on Group 1
Evacuation convoy from Norway during passage.
8th Met Group 1 ships off Faeroes.
July Home Fleet
deployment in continuation.
August Deployed in North Sea for
anti-invasion patrol and screening duties.
29th Deployed with HM
Destroyer TARTAR as escort for ships of 1st Minelaying
Squadron
during minelay in Northern Barrage (Operation SN14)
For details
of all minelaying operations see The Naval Staff History (Mining).
September Rescued crew of Norwegian
fishing boat in North Sea.
Nominated for
refit.
October Passage to Southampton for
refit.
10th Taken in hand for
refit during which Twin 4in mounting was fitted in place of
4.7in mounting
in X position.
November
17th On completion of
post refit trials took passage to resume Flotilla duties at
Scapa Flow
with Flotilla.
December Flotilla duties for screen of
Home Fleet ships and patrol in NW Approaches.
1 9 4 1
January
3rd Escorted HM Destroyers ICARUS and
INTREPID with HM Destroyers
MASHONA, MATABELE and TARTAR during lay of minefield in coastal
shipping route off Norwegian coast.
During passage accidentally
discharged torpedo which ships in company were
able to avoid.
(For details of all minelaying operations se The Naval Staff History
(Mining).
On return to Scapa Flow resumed Home Fleet duties.
February
Deployed at Scapa Flow with Flotilla.
March Sailed for support of
planned commando raid on Lofoten Islands. by 3 & 4 Cdo
as escort for HM Landing Ships PRINCESS EMMA and PRINCESS BEATRIX
during passage. (Operation CLAYMORE).
4th Provided support during landings.
For details see THE WATERY MAZE by B Fergusson
Sank Norwegian coastal steamer MIRA.
6th
Return passage to Scapa Flow as escort and resumed Home Fleet duties.
April
Scapa Flow deployment with Flotilla in continuation.
May Nominated for special operation to intercept German weather ship in
a reporting station east of Iceland (Operation EB).
(Note: This operation was intended to capture a German ENIGMA Coding
machine and its associated documentation.
6th Escorted HM Cruisers EDINBURGH,
MANCHESTER and BIRMINGHAM
with HM Destroyers NESTOR (RAN), SOMALI and ESKIMO during search for
weather ship.
7th Took part in capture of German
MUNCHEN during which the machine was
thrown overboard and only the documentation was obtained.
For details see BREAKING THE ENIGMA by D Kahn.)
On release from EB resumed Flotilla duties.
June Nominated for further special operation to intercept another German
weather ship
stationed off Jan
Mayen Island in Arctic Sea.
25th Deployed with HM Cruiser NIGERIA and HMS
TARTAR during search.
28th Intercepted and enemy vessel which
scuttled. Boarding Party were able to
recover associated documentation. See above reference.
(Note: The documentation recovered from these two ships enabled the
Bletchley Park establishment to read signals
for period up to
August and was an invaluable possession. See ULTRA GOES TO
WAR by R Lewin.)
July Nominated for refit and took
passage to Immingham from Scapa Flow.
19th Taken in hand at Commercial shipyard in
Immingham during which Radar Type
286M was fitted.
(Note: This RAF Air/Surface
radar had been modified for naval use but
had a fixed aerial which restricted its vale since ship had to be
moved to determine the bearing of any contacts. For details of the
development and use of radar in the RN see RADAR AT SEA by
D Howse. This equipment was later replaced by a naval design using
a rotating aerial. See reference.)
August
31st On completion carried out post refit
trials before resuming Flotilla duties in
Home Fleet.
September Home
Fleet Flotilla deployment in continuation.
to October
November
14th Joined Russian convoy PQ3 with HM Cruiser
KENYA and HM Destroyer
INTREPID as Ocean Escort during passage to North Russia.
For details of all Russian convoy operations see CONVOYS TO RUSSIA
by RA Ruegg, CONVOY 1
by P Kemp, ARCTIC CONVOYS by R Woodman
and THE RUSSIAN CONVOYS by B Schoefield.
20th Detached from PQ3 on arrival of Local
Escort for final stage of passage.
25th Deployed with HMS KENYA, HMS INTREPID and
two Soviet destroyers
for bombardment of enemy batteries at Vardo.
28th Joined return convoy QP3 with same ships
as Ocean Escort for return passage
to Iceland.
December
3rd Detached from QP3 with HMS KENYA and HMS
INTREPID and resumed
Flotilla duties in Home Fleet.
22nd Escorted HM Cruiser ARETHUSA, HM Landing
Ships PRINZ ALBERT and
PRINCESS CHARLOTTE with HMS SOMALI and HMS ESKIMO,
WHEATLAND, LAMERTON , Polish destroyers ORP KRAKOWIAK and
ORP KUJAWIAK, HM Norwegian Corvettes ACANTHUS and EGLANTINE
during passage to the Lofoten Islands for Commando raid
(Operation ANKLET – See THE WATERY MAZE by B Fergusson.)
(Note: This operation also included another landing from a separate
force
including HM Cruiser KENYA and Home Fleet destroyers with two
Landing Ships. Two submarines were also deployed as markers to
assist in passage off Norway.)
26th During landing operations destroyers
carried out search of Vestfijord.
28th Under air attacks during which HMS
ARETHUSA was damaged by a near miss.
1 9 4 2
January Resumed Flotilla duties
on return to Scapa Flow from ARCHERY.
February Home Fleet deployment with
Flotilla in continuation.
March
1st Deployed as part of screen for HM
Battleships KING GEORGE V and DUKE
OF YORK, HM
Aircraft Carrier VICTORIOUS, HM Cruisers BERWICK and
KENYA with
HM Destroyers ASHANTI, ECHO, ECLIPSE, FAULKNOR,
FURY,
GROVE, ICARUS, INCONSTANT, INTREPID, JAVELIN,
LANCASTER,
LEDBURY, LOOKOUT, ONSLOW, PUNJABI, TARTAR,
VERDUN,
WELLS and WOOLSTON to provide cover for passage of Russian
convoys
PQ12, PQ12 and return convoy QP8.
(Note: These convoys were under
the perceived threat of attack by the German
battleship TIRPITZ with destroyer escort. See above references.)
9th Detached from covering force.
11th Took part in search operation to
intercept enemy ships.
13th Search discontinued and resumed Fleet
duties on return to Scapa Flow.
April
10th Deployed with HM Destroyers BELVOIR,
ESCAPADE, ESKIMO, FAULKNOR,
LEDBURY, MATCHLESS, MIDDLETON, OFFA, ONSLOW, SOMALI and
WHEATLAND as
screen for HM Battleships KING GEORGE V and
DUKE OF
YORK, HMS VICTORIOUS, HM Cruisers NIGERIA and KENT to
provide
Distant Cover for passage of Russian convoy PQ14 and return convoy
QP10
Returned to Scapa Flow with Fleet units after arrival of QP10 in
Iceland.
20th Passage to Humber for refit.
21st Taken in hand by Amos & Smith
shipyard in Immingham.
May Under refit.
31st On completion carried out post refit
trials before resuming Home Fleet duties
with
Flotilla.
June Nominated for
escort of military convoy to Malta. (Operation HARPOON)
5th Sailed from Clyde as Ocean
Escort for Convoy WS19Z during passage to
Gibraltar with HMS KENYA, HM Cruiser LIVERPOOL. HM Destroyers
ONSLOW, ICARUS, MARNE, MATCHLESS, ESCAPADE, BLANKNEY,
MIDDLETON, BADSWORTH and ORP KUJAWIAK
deployed as Force T.
10th Detached with HMS KENYA
and ORP KUJAWIAK to refuel in Gibraltar.
11th Joined HM Minesweepers
HEBE, SPEEDY, HYTHE and RYE with HM
Destroyers MARNE, MATCHLESS, BADSWORTH, ITHURIEL,
PARTRIDGE BLANKNEY and MIDDLETON to form Force X for Close
Escort of convoy from Sicilian Channel into Malta
Deployed with escort of WS19Z during passage in western Mediterranean,
14th Under air attacks during
which HMS LIVERPOOL was hit by a torpedo and
sustained serious
damage.
HM Cruiser CAIRO joined Force X and detached from WS19Z.
Deployed with HMS CAIRO and ships of Force X as Close escort during
passage in
Sicilian Narrows to Malta.
15th Under attack by Italian force comprising
cruisers MONTECUCCOLI and
DI
SAVOIA with destroyers ORIANI, ASCARI, VIVALDI, MALOCELLO
and
Ex-Yugoslav PREMUDA.
Led by
HMS CAIRO took part in attack on Italian ships with HM Destroyers
MARNE,
MATCHLESS, ITHURIEL and PARTRIDGE.
Came
under 6in gunfire and hit by 12 shells causing severe damage and
fire in
gearing room. with structural damage forward. Ship disabled.
Taken in tow by HMS
PARTRIDGE which had also been damaged.
Came under torpedo attack by aircraft during which two were shot down
after having dropped their weapon one of which hit the ship.
Sank quickly in position 36.12N,
11.37E SW of Pantellaria.
28 of ships company lost their lives and the remaining 213 were rescued
by an Italian
hospital ship and became prisoner of war.
(Note: The account given in THE NAVAL WAR IN THE
MEDITERRANEAN 1940-43 is at variance with other sources
which include Supplement to LONDON GAZETTE dated
11 August 1948, THE BATTLE FOR THE MEDITERRANEAN
by D Macintyre and ENGAGE
THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY.
Addendum
CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of HMS
BEDOUIN
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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10/12/39
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unknown
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TC 001
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17/12/39
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17/12/39
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22/12/39
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28/12/39
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TC 002
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30/12/39
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30/12/39
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27/03/40
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29/03/40
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ON 023/1
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31/03/40
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31/03/40
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31/03/40
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31/03/40
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HN 023B
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04/04/40
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04/04/40
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03/08/40
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04/08/40
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OA 193
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04/08/40
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07/08/40
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09/11/41
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14/11/41
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PQ 003
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20/11/41
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22/11/41
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27/11/41
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28/11/41
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QP 003
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02/12/41
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12/12/41
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01/03/42
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06/03/42
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PQ 012
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10/03/42
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12/03/42
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10/03/42
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23/03/42
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PQ 013
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28/03/42
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31/03/42
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21/03/42
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23/03/42
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QP 009
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28/03/42
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03/04/42
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26/03/42
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12/04/42
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PQ 014
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18/04/42
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19/04/42
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10/04/42
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12/04/42
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QP 010
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18/04/42
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21/04/42
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12/06/42
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12/06/42
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HARPOON
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15/06/42
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16/06/42
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(Note on Convoys)
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