M-Class destroyer ordered from Scott’s Shipbuilders of Greenock under the
Programme on 7th July 1939 with HMS MYRMIDON of the same Class. The ship was laid
down on 24th January 1940 and she was launched on 30th December 1941 as the 2nd
RN ship to bear this name, introduced for a destroyer built in 1914 and sold in 1921. Build was completed on 6th August 1942
at a cost of £659.512, including items such as armament and communications outfits supplied by the Admiralty.
She was fitted for use as a Flotilla Leader. Following a successful WARSHIP WEEK National Savings campaign in
February 1942 this destroyer was adopted by the civil community of Croydon, Surrey.
B a t t l
e H o n o u r s
DOGGER BANK 1915 - BELGIAN COAST 1916 - ARCTIC 1942 - NORTH AFRICA 1942-43
H e r a l d i c D a
t a
Badge: On a Field Blue, a cross moline Gold.
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 4 2
July Contractors trials
August
6th Build completion and
commenced Acceptance Trials
Commissioned for
service as Leader of the 3rd Destroyer Flotilla in Home Fleet.
On completion of
trials and storing took passage to Scapa Flow
Commenced work-up
with ships of Home Fleet.
September
Joined 3rd Destroyer Flotilla.
Nominated for duty
with Fighting Escort of Russian Convoy PQ18.
(Note: Following
the disastrous defence of the previous convoy PQ17 the escort for this
convoy
had been strengthened by the addition of a Fighting Escort.
For
details of all Russian Convoys see CONVOYS TO RUSSIA by RA Ruegg, THE
RUSSIAN
CONVOYS by B Schoefield, CONVOY! by P Kemp and ARCTIC
CONVOYS
by R Woodman,
9th Deployed with HM
Cruiser SCYLLA, HM Destroyers ASHANTI, ESKIMO, FAULKNOR,
FURY, IMPULSIVE,
INTREPID, MARNE, MARTIN, METEOR, ONSLAUGHT, ONSLOW,
OPPORTUNE, SOMALI
and TARTAR. as Fighting Escort for Russian Convoy PQ18.
(Note: HM Escort
Aircraft Carrier AVENGER was also deployed to provide air cover and had
a separate escort
of two HUNT-Class Escort Destroyers.
This
convoy cane under sustained air attacks and U-Boats attacks. It was ordered to
disperse
by the Admiralty. In all 12 of the 40 mercantiles were sunk.
Cover
against attacks by German surface warships was provided by HM Cruisers
LONDON,
NORFOLK, SUSSEX, JAMAICA, HM Battleships ANSON and DUKE
OF YORK
and withdrew as did the escort. The episode has been under criticism for
many
years. See THE CONVOY IS TO SCATTER and above references.)
12th
Detached from PQ18 with HMS SCYLLA, HMS MARNE, HMS MARTIN and HMS
METEOR to refuel at
Spitzbergen.
13th Rejoined PQ18 with
same ships.
17th Detached from PQ18
with above ships except for HMS FURY and HMS IMPULSIVE.
Joined return Convoy
OP14 with above ships from QP18.
Detached from QP14
with HM Destroyers MARNE, METEOR, OFFA, ONSLAUGHT and
OPPORTUNE.
22nd Detached from Fighting Escort and
returned to Scapa Flow wearing the Flag of Rear Admiral
(Destroyers) who had
transferred from HMS SCYLLA on 20th September.)
October Deployed with Flotilla for Fleet
screening and Atlantic
Nominated for
support of planned allied landings in North Africa (Operation TORCH)
30th Joined HM Cruiser HERMIONE, HM Battleships
DUKE OF YORK and NELSON with HM
Destroyers MARTIN and METEOR as part
of screen during passage to Gibraltar.
November
5th Deployed at Gibraltar and prepared for
planned landings
8th Part of screen for major ships of Force
H and Home Fleet providing cover against interference
to TORCH landings by
Vichy French or Italian warships.
December Deployed for
screening and convoy escort in western Mediterranean
25th Joined escort for military Convoy MKF5
with HM Destroyer METEOR during passage to
Clyde.
28th Detached from escort of KM convoy with
HMS METEOR to assist defence of mercantile
Convoy ONS154 which
was under attacks by SPITZ and UNGESTUM U-Boat Groups.
29th Joined escort for ONS154.
Drove off night
attacks with HMS METEOR
Rescued 143
survivors from three mercantiles sunk during U-Boat attacks
(Note: 13 ships in
ONS154 were sunk out of the 46 mercantiles in the convoy.)
1 9 4 3
January
1st Detached from ONS154 and
took passage to Ponta Delgardo, Azores to refuel.
3rd Passage to UK.
8th Taken in hand for routine
docking and repairs at Jarrow.
February
8th Took passage to Scapa Flow
to resume Flotilla duties in Home Fleet
19th Deployed with HM
Destroyer BOADICEA, FAULKNOR, INGLEFIELD, OBDURATE,
OBEDIENT, OPPORTUNE
and ORWELL as Ocean escort during transit of Russian Convoy
JW53 to Murmansk.
21st HM Cruiser SCYLLA
joined escort with HM Destroyers
ECLIPSE, FURY, IMPULSIVE,
INTREPID and Polish
destroyer ORP ORKAN.
27th Detached from JW53 on
arrival at Murmansk.
(Note: This convoy
comprised 29 ships and arrived without loss during transit mainly because
of the
appalling weather conditions. HM Cruiser SHEFFIELD and HM Escort Aircraft
Carrier
DASHER were unable to join the convoy and had to return after structural
damage.
Cover was
provided by HM Battleships KING GEORGE V, ANSON, HM Cruisers
BERWICK,
BELFAST, CUMBERLAND and NORFOLK with Home Fleet destroyer
screens.
March
1st Deployed with same ships
as escort during passage of return Convoy RA53.
10th Detached from RA53 with HMS
ORWELL and ORP ORKAN and took passage to Scapa Flow.
Transferred to
Plymouth Command for interception of blockade runners and convoy escort.
(Note: During this
period she was deployed with HM Cruiser CHARYBDIS for interception
duties
and escorted Convoys OS45 during part of outward passage to Canada ad later
military
convoys MKS10 and MKS11 during passage in SW Approaches from
Gibraltar.
April Transferred to Western
Approaches for convoy defence in support role.
Deployed with HM
Escort Aircraft Carrier ARCHER, HM Destroyers MILNE, ECLIPSE and
FURY as 4th Support
Group.
May Atlantic convoy defence in
continuation with air support from HM Escort Carrier ARCHER.
For details of Atlantic
convoy defence at this critical period in the Atlantic Confrontation see U
BOAT WAR IN THE ATLANTIC (HMSO), THE BATTLE OF THE ATLANTIC
by D
MacIntyre) and
HITLER’S U-BOAT WAR by C Blair.)
22nd
Deployed with Group in support of escort for inward Convoy SC130 and
HX239 under threat
of
attacks by DONAU and MOSEL U-Boat Groups
25th Deployed with Group in Western Approaches
for support of Atlantic convoys.
June Resumed Flotilla duties in
Home Fleet based at Scapa Flow.
(Note: One source
records routine boiler clean with essential defect repair possibly in
commercial shipyard.)
July Home Fleet duties in continuation.
7th Deployed with seven other Home Fleet and
five US Navy Destroyers for screening of
HM Battleships ANSON,
MALAYA, USS ALABAMA, USS SOUTH DAKOTA, HM
Aircraft Carrier FURIOUS and seven cruisers for
diversionary operation off Norwegian coast.
(Operation CAMERA –
Convoy of miscellaneous ships was deployed to represent a possible
assault force during
the planned landings in Sicily (Operation HUSKY.).)
9th On completion of simulated approaches to
coast took passage to return to Scapa Flow.
27th Deployed with Home Fleet destroyers as
screen for HM Aircraft Carriers ILLUSTRIOUS and
UNICORN during air operations as part
of further diversionary operation off Norway.
(Operation GOVERNOR).
29th Return passage to Scapa Flow
(Note: Neither
diversionary operation met concentrated air attacks since German aircraft based
in Norway
had been used to reinforce defence against allied operations in Mediterranean.)
August
Nominated for refit and took passage to Humber
7th
Taken in hand for refit at Commercial shipyard in Hull,
September
27th Carried out post refit
trials and took passage to Scapa Flow to resume Home Flotilla duties.
October Home Fleet deployment with
Flotilla,
20th Passage to North Russia
with HM Destroyers MAHRATTA, MATCHLESS MUSKETEER of
Flotilla, HM
Destroyers SAUMAREZ, SAVAGE, SCOURGE and SCORPION of 23rd
Destroyer Flotilla,
HM Destroyer WESTCOTT, HM Corvette EGLANTINE, HM
Minesweepers HARRIER
and SEAGULL (Operation FR).
(Note: Five small
minesweepers and six Motor Launches manned by Russians accompanied
this convoy.)
November
Flotilla duties in c0ontinuation with Home Fleet
1st Joined Ocean Escort for
return Russian convoy RA54A to UK from Murmansk with HM
Destroyers MAHRATTA,
MATCHLESS, MUSKETEER, SAUMAREZ, SAVAGE,
SCORPION, SCOURGE and
WESTCOTT
Cover was provided by
HMS LONDON and US Navy USS AUGUSTA.
13th Detached with other
ships of escort during passage in NW Approaches and returned to Scapa
Flow.
December
Under repair
15th Joined Russian Convoy
JW55A during passage to Kola Inlet with HM Destroyers
ASHANTI, MUSKETEER,
METEOR, MATCHLESS, , OPPORTUNE, VIRAGO and
ATHABASKAN (RCN)
21st Detached from JW55A
with Ocean Escort when Eastern Local Escort joined.
23rd Deployed with HM
Destroyers MATCHLESS, OPPORTUNE and VIRAGO as part of Ocean
Escort for return
Convoy RA55A with HM Destroyers BEAGLE. WESTCOTT,
MATCHLESS, METEOR,
MUSKETEER, OPPORTUNE, VIRAGO and
ATHABASKAN (RCN).
31st Detached from RA55A
with HMS METEOR and returned to Scapa Flow.
(Note: HM
Corvettes DIANELLA, POPPY and Norwegian ACANTHUS were also part of
the
escort.)
1 9 4 4
January
26th Joined Ocean Escort
for Russian Convoy JW56B with HM Destroyers
MAHRATTA, SCOURGE,
MUSKETEER, OPPORTUNE and HURON (RCN).
Cover was provided by HM
Cruisers BERMUDA, BERWICK and KENT.
See above
references.
29th HM Destroyers HARDY,
INCONSTANT, OFFA, SAVAGE, VENUS, VIGILANT
and Norwegian STORD
joined escort from Kola Inlet during passage.
30th Under sustained
U-Boat attacks during which HMS HARDY was sunk.
See HITLER'S U-BOAT
WAR by C Blair for details.)
February
1st Detached from JW56B on arrival at Kola
Inlet.
3rd Joined escort for
return Convoy RA56 with same ships for passage.
(Note: Departure
delayed until escorts for JW56A and JW56B were available for use as Ocean
Escort
in view of known U-Boat threat.)
9th Detached from RA56
with HM Destroyers INCONSTANT, METEOR, MAHRATTA
MUSKETEER, SCOURGE,
HMCS HURON and Norwegian STORD to take passage to Scapa
Flow.
22nd Joined escort for Russian Convoy JW57
with HM Cruiser BLACK PRINCE, HM Destroyers
MATCHLESS,
MAHRATTA, METEOR, OBEDIENT, OFFA, ONSLAUGHT, ORIBI,
SAVAGE, SERAPIS,
SWIFT, VERULAM and VIGILANT (Operation FX).
25th HM Destroyer MAHRATTA sunk by torpedo
from U956.
28th Detached from JW57 on arrival at Kola
Inlet
March
2nd Joined escort for returning Convoy
RA57 with HMS BLACK PRINCE, HM Escort Carrier
CHASER, HM
Destroyer IMPULSIVE and destroyers from Convoy JW57, except HMS
MAHRATTA (See 25th
February).
8th Detached from RA57 With HM
Destroyers MATCHLESS, OFFA, ONSLAUGHT, ORIBI,
SAVAGE, SERAPIS and
VIGILANT before arrival of convoy at Loch Ewe.
Resumed Flotilla
duties at Scapa Flow.
30th Sailed from Scapa Flow with HM
Destroyers URSA, ONSLAUGHT, VERULAM,
METEOR, UNDAUNTED,
VIGILANT, VIRAGO, SWIFT, JAVELIN, WAKEFUL,
ALGONQUIN (RCN),
SIOUX (RCN) and Polish ORP PIORUN s screen for HM
Battleships ANSON,
DUKE OF YORK, HM Aircraft Carriers VICTORIOUS and FURIOUS,
HM Cruisers
BELFAST, ROYALIST, SHEFFIELD and JAMAICA, HM Escort Aircraft
Carriers EMPEROR, FENCER. PURSUER and
SEARCHER to provide Distant Cover
for transit of
Russian Convoy JW58 to Kola Inlet and cover during air attacks on
German battleship
TIRPITZ at Altenfjord (Operation
TUNGSTEN)
April
2nd HMS DUKE OF YORK and two destroyers
detached to provide Distant Cover for JW58.
3rd Provided cover during strikes by
aircraft from carriers. (For details see CONVOY!
by P Kemp)
4th Second series of strikes abandoned
and took return passage to Scapa Flow.
6th Arrived at Scapa Flow with Fleet
units.
18th Independent passage
to Kola Inlet with HM Cruiser DIADEM, HM Escort Aircraft Carriers
ACTIVITY, FENCER,
15 other destroyers and five RCN Frigates for escort of return convoy
of empty ships
(Note: A Personnel
ship NEA HELLAS also sailed from UK but had to return with defects.
This
ship was intended for embarking Russian naval personnel for passage to UK for
manning
warships being provided under Lease/Lend to Russia..
As this
ship was no available the Russian personnel were embarked in warships of the
escort
and in the mercantiles forming the convoy.)
See
CONVOYS TO RUSSIA.).
28th Joined escort of
return Convoy RA59 with HM Escort Carrier ACTIVITY, HM Destroyers
MARNE, METEOR,
MUSKETEER and MATCHLESS of Flotilla.
May
6th Detached from RA59 with same ships
before arrival of convoy at Loch Ewe.
7th Resumed Flotilla duties with Home
Fleet.
12th Deployed with Home
Fleet for offensive sweep against shipping off Norway
(Operation POT
LUCK)
18th Returned to Scapa
Flow on completion
(Note: Further air
attacks were made on TIRPITZ during later period in operations BRAWN
and
TIGER CLAW. Participation in screen deployment is to be confirmed)
27th Took part in
offensive sweep off Norwegian coast as part of screen for Home Fleet major
units (Operation
LOMBARD)
31st Sank U289 in
position 73.32 N 00.28 E in position
east of Jan Mayen Island
(Note: There were
no survivors.
It is
presumed that ship was taking part in LOMBARD)
June
Deployed as screen
for major units of Home Fleet.
(Note: Major units
were retained in northern waters to provide cover against any
interference by major German warships during for allied landings in
Normandy
(Operation NEPTUNE).
Ship was not deployed
in direct support of landings. See LANDINGS IN NORMANDY,
June 1944 (HMSO)
and OPERATION NEPTUNE by K Edwards for details of Home Fleet
ships directly used in support of NEPTUNE,)
July
Home Fleet deployment in
continuation
(Note: No Russian
Convoys were carried out because of detachment of Home Fleet ships
in
other areas.)
August
17th Escorted Russian Convoy JW59 from
Loch Ewe with HM Cruiser JAMAICA, HM Escort
Carriers STRIKER
and VINDEX, HM Destroyers CAPRICE, MARNE, METEOR and
MUSKETEER.
24th Detached from JW59 on arrival at
Kola Inlet. and joined return Convoy RA59A from Kola
Inlet with same
ships for passage to Home waters.
September
17th Escorted Russian Convoy JW60 with H
M Battleship RODNEY, H M Cruiser DIADEM,
HM Escort Carriers CAMPANIA and STRIKER, HM Destroyers MARNE,
,METEOR,
MUSKETEER, VENUS, SAUMAREZ, SCORPION, VERULAM, VIRAGO, VOLAGE,
ALGONQUIN (RCN) and SIOUX (RCN)
(Note: Close escort was
provided by HM Sloop CYGNET, HM Destroyers BULLDOG,
KEPPEL,
WHITEHALL, HM Corvettes ALLINGTON CASTLE and
BAMBOROUGH CASTLE.)
23rd Detached from JW60 on arrival at
Kola Inlet.
28th Joined escort for return Convoy RA60
with same ships.
October Flotilla nominated for service
in Mediterranean
3rd Detached from RA60
and took passage to Scapa Flow with escort
Nominated for refit
and commercial shipyard.
19th Taken in hand for
refit at Hull.
November Under refit
December Carried out harbour Trials,
15th Carried out post
refit trials and prepared for foreign service.
27th Passage to Malta
to rejoin Flotilla
1 9 4 5
January
4th Rejoined Flotilla
in Malta.
Deployed for
escort and for support of military operations in Aegean.
February Mediterranean duties with
Flotilla in continuation
(Note: Patrols were carried out with
ships of the Flotilla and also Free French destroyers
to
intercept enemy warships and other craft evacuating personnel from islands in
the western Mediterranean.)
March Transferred for support of
military operations on west coast of Italy and Riviera.
9th Carried out
bombardment of shore targets on Italian Riviera.
15th Carried out
bombardments at Genoa with HMS MARNE.
April Convoy escort and patrol
duties in continuation
After VE Day
deployed for Fleet duties with Flotilla
May Deployed for support of
military garrisons in Adriatic and for exercises with
to Mediterranean Fleet
ships
August (Note: Ships destined for
service in the Far East were worked-up in the Mediterranean.
Visits were made to ports in eastern
Mediterranean.
P o s t
W a r N o t e s
HMS MILNE remained in the Mediterranean with
ships of the 3rd Destroyer Flotilla until 1946. She sailed from Gibraltar on 4th April for Harwich and was
Paid-off. After reduction to Reserve status on 16th August
that
year she was laid–up in the Reserve Fleet at Harwich until transferred to
Rosyth. Used as an Accommodation Ship
for Reserve Fleet personnel and ships under refit in HM Dockyard she was selected for conversion to a Type 62
Frigate and towed to Plymouth. This work was never carried out as the ships of
this Class were found to be
unsuitable and in poor condition. This destroyer
was transferred to Penarth to lay-up in the Reserve Fleet and later placed on the Sales List. Sold to
Turkey on 24th September 1957 she was refitted before formal transfer. Following extensive modernisation of her
armament the ship was renamed ALP ARSLAN and handed over to the Turkish Navy on 12th June 1959. She remained
on the Active List until 1971 and broken-up locally.
Addendum
CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS
of
HMS
MILNE
by Don Kindell
These convoy lists have not been cross-checked
with the text above
|
|
|
|
|
Date convoy sailed
|
Joined convoy as escort
|
Convoy No.
|
Left convoy
|
Date convoy arrived
|
|
|
|
|
|
09/09/42
|
17/09/42
|
PQ 018
|
02/09/42
|
21/09/42
|
17/09/42
|
22/09/42
|
QP 014
|
13/09/42
|
26/09/42
|
20/11/42
|
21/11/42
|
KMF 003
|
14/11/42
|
23/11/42
|
24/12/42
|
28/12/42
|
MKF 005
|
24/12/42
|
31/12/42
|
29/12/42
|
30/12/42
|
ON 154
|
18/12/42
|
12/01/43
|
19/02/43
|
27/02/43
|
JW 053
|
15/02/43
|
27/02/43
|
01/03/43
|
10/03/43
|
RA 053
|
01/03/43
|
14/03/43
|
03/11/43
|
10/11/43
|
RA 054A
|
01/11/43
|
14/11/43
|
15/12/43
|
21/12/43
|
JW 055A
|
12/12/43
|
22/12/43
|
23/12/43
|
31/12/43
|
RA 055A
|
22/12/43
|
01/01/44
|
26/01/44
|
01/02/44
|
JW 056B
|
22/01/44
|
01/02/44
|
03/02/44
|
09/02/44
|
RA 056
|
03/02/44
|
11/02/44
|
22/02/44
|
28/02/44
|
JW 057
|
20/02/44
|
28/02/44
|
02/03/44
|
08/03/44
|
RA 057
|
02/03/44
|
10/03/44
|
28/04/44
|
04/05/44
|
RA 059
|
28/04/44
|
06/05/44
|
17/08/44
|
25/08/44
|
JW 059
|
15/08/44
|
25/08/44
|
28/08/44
|
05/09/44
|
RA 059A
|
28/08/44
|
05/09/44
|
17/09/44
|
23/09/44
|
JW 060
|
15/09/44
|
23/09/44
|
28/09/44
|
03/10/44
|
RA 060
|
28/09/44
|
05/10/44
|
|
|
|
|
|
(Note on Convoys)