MATCHLESS-Class Fleet Destroyer
ordered from Fairfield's at Govan, Glasgow on 7th September 1939 under the 1939 Build Programme and laid
down on 7th December that year. She was launched on 2nd December
1941 as the second RN ship to carry this
name, first used for a destroyer built in 1919 and sold in 1921. Completed on 18th September 1942 at a cost of
£462,543 this ship had been adopted in December 1941 by the civil
community of East Barnet, now in Greater
London.
B a t t le H o n o u r s
ARCTIC 1942-41 - NORTH CAPE 1943 - ATLANTIC 1943
- AEGEAN 1944
H e r a l d i c D a t a
Badge: On a field White.
a demi-marine of 1805 affrontee proper.
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
September Contractors trials.
9th Commissioned for service in Home Fleet.
18th Build completion and commenced
Acceptance trials.
Prepared for work-up and
took passage to Scapa Flow.
October Worked up with ships of Home Fleet
On completion deployed
with 3rd Destroyer Flotilla for Home Fleet for screening and patrol in NW
Approaches and North
Sea.
(Note: Other ships in
Flotilla were HM Destroyers MARNE, METEOR and MILNE.
November Nominated for escort of Russian convoy
23rd Joined escort for Russian Convoy QP15
with HM Destroyer ORWELL.
30th Detached from QP15 and returned to Scapa Flow.
December
19th Joined HM Destroyers QUADRANT and RAIDER as screen for HM Battleship KING GEORGE V
and HM Cruiser BERWICK
providing Distant Cover for passage of Russian Convoy JW51A to Kola Inlet.
31st Deployed as screen for HM Battleships
KING GEORGE V, HOWE and HM Cruiser BERMUDA to
Distant Cover for the
return Convoy
RA51 during passage to Iceland with HM Destroyers MONTROSE,
QUEENBOROUGH, RAIDER,
WORCESTER and Polish ORP PIORUN.
(For details of all
Russian Convoy operations and names of escorts see CONVOYS TO RUSSIA by
RA Ruegg,
THE RUSSIAN CONVOYS by B Schoefield, CONVOY! by Peter
Kemp and ARCTIC
CONVOYS by R Woodman.)
1 9 4 3
January
21st Deployed with HM Destroyers BEAGLE,
BULLDOG, MATCHLESS, OFFA ONSLAUGHT and
Polish ORP PIORUN as
Ocean Escort for Russian Convoy JW52 during passage to Kola Inlet as
relief for Western Local
Escort.
24th Under torpedo attacks by aircraft.
27th Detached on arrival at Kola Inlet.
29th Joined returning Convoy RA52 as Ocean
Escort during passage from Kolas Inlet to Loch Ewe
with
HM Destroyers BEAGLE,
BULLDOG, FORESTER, ICARUS, MATCHLESS, OFFA, ONSLAUGHT,
ONSLOW and Polish ORP
PIORUN.
February
5th Detached front RA52 with Ocean Escort and
took passage to resume Home Fleet duties.
(Note: HMS ONSLOW and
HMS FORESTER detached on 2nd and 4th.)
24th Part of screen for HMS KING GEORGE V, HMS
HOWE and HMS BERWICK providing Distant Cover
for
passage of Russian Convoy JW53.
(Note: HM Destroyers ICARUS, METEOR, OFFA, ONSLAUGHT and Polish PIORUN were also
part
of screen.)
March
2nd Deployed as screen for HMS KING GEORGE V,
HMS HOWE and HM Cruiser GLASGOW providing
Distant Cover for return
Convoy RA53 with HM Destroyers FORESTER, ICARUS, OFFA, ONSLAUGHT
and ORP PIORUN
9th Took passage to Scapa
Flow with screen and Home Fleet ships on release from covering duties.
Nominated
for refit at Tyne commercial shipyard
17th Present during visit by HM King George VI
to Home Fleet in Scapa Flow.
Passage to Tyne
25th Taken in hand for refit.
(Note: Ships of Flotilla were detached from Home Fleet for
Atlantic convoy support duty in
Western
Approaches Command and served as 3rd Support Group.
For details
of this deployment for convoy defence at the Battle of the Atlantic see SEEK
AND STRIKE
by W Hackmann, BUSINESS IN GREAT WATERS by J Terraine.
HITLER’S U-BOAT WAR
by C Blair and U-BOAT WAR IN THE ATLANTIC (HMSO).
Confirmation
that this ship was deployed with 3rd Support Group before refit is required.)
April Under refit
May
18th
Carried out post refit trials and on completion took passage to Scapa Flow.
Resum0ed Home Fleet
duties with Flotilla including service as 3rd Support Group with HM
Destroyers ORIBI, ORWELL
and Polish ORP ORKAN
(Ex HMS MYRMIDON). of Flotilla.
(Note: Group provided
additional anti-submarine protection for convoys under known 0threat of
U-Boat attack.
June Detached service in Western
Approaches in continuation.
to
August
September Nominated for special duty and took
passage to Faeroes.
27th Embarked RAF personnel and sailed from
Faeroes for Murmansk with HM Destroyer
MAHRATTA..
(Note: RAF personnel were
taking passage to Russia for support of
RAF aircraft being used for
reconnaissance flights over Altenfjord, Norway
in preparation for planned attacks on the
German battleship TIRPITZ.)
31st Disembarked RAF personnel and made return
passage to rejoin Home Fleet at Scapa Flow
October Deployed with HM Destroyers ORIBI,
ORWELL and ORKAN of Flotilla as 10th Support Group
in support of Convoy SC143
under attack by ROS8BACH Group of U-Boats.
8th After detection of wireless transmissions
from U758 carried out search for U-Boat.
Came under retaliatory
attack by Acoustic T5 torpedo which detonated in wake.
(Note: For details of
weapons and tactics used in the Battle of the Atlantic see above references.)
Assisted in rescue of 44
survivors from ORP ORKAN which had been sunk by another acoustic
torpedo fired by U378.
17th Resumed Home Fleet duties with Flotilla
at Scapa Flow after release from Western Approaches
duty as 10th Support
Group.
20th Passage to Kola Inlet for escort during
passage to UK of mercantiles held In North Russia.
(Operation
FR).
(Note HM Destroyers
MAHRATTA, MATCHLESS, MILNE, SAVAGE, SAUMAREZ,
SCOURGE, SCORPION, and WESTCOTT, HM Corvette
EGLANTINE, HM
Minesweepers HARRIER and SEAGULL,
five small trawler minesweepers, six
Motor
Launches being provided under Lease Land, manned by
Russian crews were
also part of
this operation.
Passage
was covered by HM Cruiser LONDON, US cruiser USS
AUGUSTA and HM
Destroyer MIDDLETON
23rd Joined escort for return Convoy RA55A
with HM Destroyers MATCHLESS, OPPORTUNE and
VIRAGO during passage
from Kola Inlet.
29th Detached from HMS ANSON and HMS BELFAST
with destroyers due to extreme weather.
(Note: HMS
MATCHLESS had to return to Scapa Flow for repair of
weather damage repair.
December
1st Rejoined HMS ANSON and HMS BELFAST after weather moderated.
2nd Passage to Scapa Flow with Distant Cover ships.
15th Joined Russian Convoy JW55A during
passage to Kola Inlet with HM Destroyers MILNE,
ASHANTI, 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 RA55
with HMS BEAGLE. HMS WESTCOTT, HMS METEOR,
HMS MILNE, HMS
ASHANTI. HMCS ATHABASKAN.
25th Despatched from RA55 to re-inforce Ocean Escort of following eastward Russian Convoy
JW55B with HMS
MATCHLESS, HMS OPPORTUNE and HMS VIRAGO.
(Note: This was
directed by CinC Home Fleet in HM Battleship DUKE OF
YORK because of
direct
threat of attack by German SCHARNHORST and destroyers. See references.
Joined JW55B Ocean
Escort.
26th Detached from escort
and joined HM Cruisers BELFAST, SHEFFIELD and NORFOLK
to carry
out attack on SCHARNHORST.
(Note: SCHARNHORST had been disabled by ships of Home Fleet.
See THE
KOLA RUN by D MacIntyre, ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE
CLOSELY
by C
Barnett, THE RUSSIAN CONVOYS by B Schoefield and
Naval Staff History.)
Carried out torpedo
attacks on SCHARNHORST with HM Destroyers MATCHLESS,
OPPORTUNE and VIRAGO (Battle of North
Cape).
(Note: SCHARNHORST
sank with only 36 survivors rescued by British destroyers.).
27th Arrived at Kola Inlet with other
British warships before taking passage to
Scapa Flow.
1 9 4 4
January
26th Joined escort for
Russian Convoy JW56B with HM Destroyers MAHRATTA, MILNE,
SCOURGE, OPPORTUNE and
HURON (RCN) to supplement Ocean Escort during passage
to Kola Inlet and
covered by HM Cruisers BERMUDA, BERWICK and KENT from Home
Fleet. HMS BERWICK
returned later with machinery defect.)
February
1st Detached from JW56 on
arrival at Kola Inlet.
3rd Joined Ocean escort for
return convoy RA56 with Home Fleet destroyers which had formed
Ocean Convoys JW6A and
JW56B.
9th Detached from RA56
Ocean Escort with HM Destroyers INCONSTANT, MAHRATIA,
METEOR, MILNE,
SCOURGE, HURON (RCN) and Norwegian STORD.
Resumed Home Fleet Flotilla duties for
screening and patrol duties based at Scapa Flow.
24th Deployed as screen for
HM Battleship ANSON, HM Aircraft Carrier FURIOUS,
Polish
destroyer BLYSKAWICA and five other Home Fleet
destroyers during operation off
Norway to attack
shipping (Operation BAYLEAF)
25th Involved in collision
with BLYSKAWICA and sustained structural damage.
28th Taken in hand for
repair by Brigham and Cowan
shipyard in Hull.
March Under repair.
April
6th Carried out post repair
trials and took passage to resumed Flotilla duties at Scapa
Flow.
10th Deployed at Scapa Flow.
Nominated for escort of convoy of mercantiles from Kola Inlet.
19th Passage to Kola Inlet
with
22nd Arrived at Kola Inlet
with HM Cruiser DIADEM, HM Escort Aircraft Carriers
ACTIVITY
and FENCER, HM
Destroyers BEAGLE, BOADICEA, INCONSTANT, KEPPEL, MARNE,
MATCHLESS, METEOR,
MILNE, ULYSSES, VERULAM, VIRAGO, WALKER,
WESTCOTT, WHITEHALL,
WRESTLER, HM Canadian Frigates CAPE BRETON, GROU,
OUTREMONT and WASKESIU.
(Note: Mercantile NAS
HELLAS also sailed in company to embark Russian and US Navy
personnel
for passage to UK.
Russians
were to join warships being provided from US under Lease Lend. and US
personnel
had manned US cruiser MILWAUKEE transferred to Soviet Navy.
NAS HELLAS
had to return to UK with defects during passage with the result that
most of
the Russian passengers had to be embarked in the mercantiles and the US
Navy
personnel in the RN escorts.)
28th Joined return Convoy
RA59 with HMS ACTIVITY, H M Destroyers BOADICEA, MARNE
MATCHLESS, METEOR and
MILNE to join escort of Convoy RA59 for return passage .
(Note: 16 passengers were embarked for passage.)
May
4th Detached from RA59 with HM Destroyers
MARNE, MATCHLESS, METEOR and
MILNE after a series
of submarine attacks.
Resumed Home Fleet
duties.
June Deployed at Scapa Flow for Home Fleet duties.
(Note: Major warships
of Home Fleet were at short notice for support of landings in Normandy
Operation
NEPTUNE –See LANDINGS IN NORMANDY (HMSO)
Owing to
demands on Home Fleet for support of landings In Normandy, no convoys were
sailed to Kola Inlet.
29th Embarked mall
and stores for passage to North Russia with MATCHLESS and METEOR.
(Operation DC).
July
3rd Arrived at Kola Inlet.
4th Took passage from Kola
Inlet.
8th Resumed Home Fleet
duties en return to Scapa Flow.
August
17th Joined Convoy JUW59 with HM Cruisers
JAMAICA, HM Escort Carriers STRIKER and VINDEX,
HM Destroyers CAPRICE,
MARNE,M5IEOR and MILNE to supplement Ocean Escort.
(Note: Battleship
ARCHANGELSK (Ex HMS ROYAL SOVEREIGN), other USN and RN ships
took passage
with this convoy to begin service in Soviet Northern Fleet)
24th Detached from JW59 after arrival of Local
Escort.
28th Joined return Convoy RA59A with HM Cruiser JAMAICA, HM
Escort Carriers STRIKER,
HM Destroyer CAPRICE,
MARNE, METEOR and MILNE as part of escort for the returning Convoy
RA59A
September
5th Detached from RA59A with
same ships and returned to Scapa Flow.
17th Joined Russian Convoy
JW60 with HM Battleship RODNEY, HM Cruiser DIADEM. HM Escort
Carriers CAMPANIA and
STRIKER, HM Destroyers MARNE, METEOR, MILNE SAUMAREZ,
SCORPION, VENUS, VERULAM, VIRAGO,
VOLAGE, ALGONQUIN (RCN) and SIOUX (RCN).
23rd Detached with escort on
arrival of JW60 at Kola Inlet.
28th Sailed from Kola Inlet
with same ships as escorted JW60 for escort of returning Convoy RA60.
October
3rd Detached from RA60 with
Home Fleet escorts and returned to Scapa Flow.
Nominated for foreign
service with 3rd Destroyer Flotilla.
12th Under repair at Chatham and prepared
for service in the Mediterranean.
31st Passage to Milford Haven
November
1st Sailed from Milford Haven to Malta for
service with the Flotilla in the Mediterranean.
11th Arrived at Alexandria and joined
Flotilla for support of the re-occupation of islands in the eastern
Mediterranean
and military operations.
December Deployed with sister ships MATCHLESS,
METEOR and MILNE of Flotilla for Fleet duties
including support of
military operation in Aegean and for patrol in central Mediterranean.
4th Deployed with HM Cruiser
AURORA and carried out bombardment of Rhodes.
Later embarked Italian personnel held as Prisoners of War at Volvos.
During deployment in
Aegean off Greece recovered ss
FORT COLUMBIA taken by Greek
Communist Partisans
(ELAS).
1 9 4 5
January Deployed in Aegean and re-captured
several vessels seized by ELAN Partisans.
support of Aegean
military operations in continuation. including attack on Skiathos.
and carried
out interception
patrols
February Deployed for patrol, interception and
support duties
to
March Carried out interception patrol
and support of military operations as well as Fleet dutie1March
April Deployed in central
Mediterranean
Bombarded German bases
and traffic routes to delay retreat of enemy from Italy.
(Note: HMAS
NESTOR, USN and Free French warships
also took part.)
May After VE Day remained in
Mediterranean Fleet with Flotilla.
to (Note: During this Period
Mediterranean Fleet ships took part in working-up of RN ships on
August passage to join East
Indies Fleet and British Pacific Fleet for operations against Japan.
and support
of garrisons in Trieste and Greece.)
P o s t
W a r N o t e s
HMS MUSKETEER remained in the
Mediterranean Fleet with ships of the Flotilla and visited Tangiers in January 1946. She return to
Harwich on 5th April 1946 to Pay-off at Chatham and after de–storing was
laid-up in
the Reserve Fleet at Harwich. In 1950 whilst on passage to Liverpool for refit
she broke away from HM Tug SAUCY
but tow was re-established. On completion of refit she returned to lay up at
Harwich until 1954 when transferred
to Chatham. Although selected for conversion to a Type 62 Frigate this project
was abandoned and ship
had another refit at Belfast by Harland prior to
being briefly used as an Accommodation Ship and Depot Ship for
Coastal Forces craft at Harwich in 1955 until placed on the Disposal List. Sold
to BISCO for demolition on
3rd September that year she arrived in tow at the breaker’s yard on 6th
December 1955 to be broken-up by TJ
Young.
Addendum
CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS
of
HMS
MUSKETEER
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
|
|
|
|
|
|
23/11/42
|
30/11/42
|
QP 015
|
17/11/42
|
30/11/42
|
19/12/42
|
22/12/42
|
JW 051A
|
15/12/42
|
25/12/42
|
31/12/42
|
03/01/43
|
RA 051
|
30/12/42
|
11/01/43
|
21/01/43
|
27/01/43
|
JW 052
|
17/01/43
|
27/01/43
|
29/01/43
|
05/02/43
|
RA 052
|
29/01/43
|
09/03/43
|
24/02/43
|
26/02/43
|
JW 053
|
15/02/43
|
27/02/43
|
04/03/43
|
05/03/43
|
RA 053
|
01/03/43
|
14/03/43
|
29/09/43
|
05/10/43
|
ONS 019
|
26/09/43
|
14/10/43
|
06/10/43
|
09/10/43
|
SC 143
|
28/09/43
|
12/10/43
|
03/11/43
|
08/11/43
|
RA 054A
|
01/11/43
|
14/11/43
|
28/11/43
|
02/12/43
|
JW 054B
|
22/11/43
|
03/12/43
|
28/11/43
|
03/12/43
|
RA 054B
|
26/11/43
|
09/12/43
|
15/12/43
|
21/12/43
|
JW 055A
|
12/12/43
|
22/12/43
|
23/12/43
|
25/12/43
|
RA 055A
|
22/12/43
|
01/01/44
|
25/12/43
|
26/12/43
|
JW 055B
|
20/12/43
|
30/12/43
|
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
|
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)