ORIBI-Class Fleet
Destroyer ordered from William Denny at Dumbarton on 3rd September 1939 with
the 1st Emergency Flotilla. .She was
laid down on 25th April 1940 and launched on 19th February 1942 as the 2nd RN warship to carry this name
previously used for a destroyer sold in 1921 .Build was completed on 3rd
September 1942 and she was designed for
use as a minelayer if required. In February 1942 following a successful WARSHIP WEEK campaign for
National Savings the ship was ‘adopted’ by the civil community of Warrington. then in Lancashire.
B a t t l e H o n o u r s
JUTLAND 1916 - ARCTIC 1942-44 - BARENTS SEA 1942
- ATLANTIC 1943
H e r a
l d i c D a t
a
Badge: On a field Blue, a mule statant white
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
August Contractor's trials.
Acceptance trials and
Commissioning delayed by machinery problems during sea trials.
September
3rd Build completion and carried out
Acceptance Trials
Commissioned for service
in Home Fleet.
Took passage to Scapa
Flow to work-up with ships of Home Fleet
13th Detached and joined HM Cruiser ARGONAUT
and HM Destroyer INTREPID to take medical
unit to North Russia.
Passage to Archangel.
20th Embarked RAF personnel for return passage
to UK
(For details of all
Russian Convoys including names of warships involved.
See CONVOYS TO RUSSIA by
RA Ruegg, ARCTIC CONVOYS by R Woodman, CONVOY!
by Paul Kemp and THE RUSSIAN CONVOYS by B Schoefield).
28th Resumed duties with Home Fleet.
October Work-up in continuation at Scapa Flow
On completion commenced
operational duties with Home Fleet.
November Nominated as screen for HM Cruisers LONDON
and SUFFOLK, HM Destroyers FORESTER and
and ONSLAUGHT to cover
passage of return Convoy QP15 and for replenishment of the
garrison at Spitzbergen (Operation GEARBOX).
14th Took passage with HMS ONSLAUGHT to Seidisfjord to refuel prior to joining cruisers.
20th Sailed from Seidisfjord, Iceland for GEARBOX after refuelling.
Returned to Scapa Flow on
completion of GEARBOX.
December Home Fleet screening and convoy defence in
NW Approaches in continuation.
25th Joined Russian Convoy JW51B with HM
Destroyers ONSLOW, OBEDIENT, ORWELL, ORIBI
and ACHATES to reinforce
escort in view of threat from German warships in area.
30th Carried out unsuccessful attack with HMS
OBEDIENT on U354 which reported position
of JW51B.
31st Sighted German cruiser HIPPER and
Armoured ship LUTZOW (Ex DEUTSCHLAND) and their
escorting destroyers.
Took part in action against German ships.
Sustained slight splinter
damage during this engagement.
(Battle of the Barents
Sea - for details see above references and 73 NORTH by D Pope ).
1 9 4 3
January
Detached and took return passage to Scapa Flow from Murmansk.
1st Sent to assist HM Trawler NORTHERN GEM
which was
on passage to UK with
survivors from HMS ACHATES, sunk during Barents Sea action.
Medical Officer boarded trawler in heavy seas and carried out operations
on casualties.
Returned to Kola Inlet
11th Sailed from Kola Inlet with HMS OBEDIENT
taking wounded to UK.
15th Arrived at Scapa Flow.
February
19th Joined Russian Convoy JW53 with HM
Destroyers MILNE, FAULKNOR, BOADICEA,
ORWELL, INGLEFIELD, OPPORTUNE, OBEDIENT, ECLIPSE, FURY, IMPULSIVE,
INTREPID and the Polish ORKAN as Ocean Escort.
27th Detached from JW53 on arrival at Kola
Inlet.
March
1st Joined return Convoy RA53 with H M
cruiser SCYLLA and H M Destroyers INTREPID and
OBEDIENT.
5th Under heavy air attacks.
7th Detached from escort of RA53 with above
ships.
On completion of Boiler Cleaning at Rosyth detached with ships of 17th
Flotilla for duty in
Western Approaches as 5th Support
Croup with HM Destroyers OPPORTUNE and
PATHFINDER.
April
24th 5th Support Group deployment for support
of Atlantic convoys in NW Approaches.
Deployed in support of escorts for Convoy HX234 with H M Escort Aircraft
Carrier BITER, HM
Destroyer PATHFINDER and HM Destroyer OPPORTUNE.
May Atlantic convoy duty with 5th Support Group
in continuation.
(For details of development of convoy defence tactics and weapons see
THE BATTLE OF THE
ATLANTIC by D MacIntyre, SEEK AND STRIKE by W Hackmann and HITLER'S U-BOAT
WAR BY C Blair and U-BOAT WAR IN THE ATLANTIC (HMSO) ) .
June
Atlantic convoy support in continuation.
July
Resumed Home Fleet screening and escort duties.
27th Part of escort for major Home Fleet
units during offensive sweep off the coast of Norway
(Operation GOVERNOR).
August
3rd Deployed with HMS OPPORTUNE and HMS
OBEDIENT as screen for H M Aircraft Carriers
ILLUSTRIOUS and UNICORN in NW
Approaches during anti-submarine air operations.
13th Escorted HMS UNICORN during passage to
Gibraltar with same consorts.
(Note:
HMS UNICORN was to be used during allied landings in Sicily (Operation
HUSKY)).
Presence of
ship at Scapa Flow during visit by HM King George VI to Home Fleet on
15th August
is therefore judged unlikely)
20th Escorted damaged aircraft carrier HMS
INDOMITABLE with HM Destroyers OBEDIENT and
HMS OPPORTUNE during
passage to Norfolk, Va for repair.
27th Passage from Norfolk to Halifax.
September
Escorted HM Battlecruiser RENOWN with HM Cruiser KENT and HMS OPPORTUNE
for
passage to Clyde.
(Note: Prime Minister was embarked in
HMS RENOWN for return to UK after QUADRANT
Conference with
President of USA.
10th Detached on arrival and resumed Home
Fleet duties with Flotilla. Deployed with screen for
October
Home Fleet deployed for screening of major units and patrol in NW
Approaches.
November
28th Part of destroyer screen for HM
Battleship ANSON and H M Cruiser BELFAST with HM
Destroyers ASHANTI, MATCHLESS and MUSKETEER to provide Distant-Cover for
passage
of Russian Convoy JW54B.
December On
release from JW54B Distant Cover escorted H M Battleship KING GEORGE V during
covering operation for Atlantic convoys and passage to Azores.
1 9 4
4
January
Nominated for escort of Russian Convoy JW56A
14th During passage with HM Destroyers
SAVAGE, OFFA, VENUS, VIGILANT, VIRAGO and HM
Nor. Destroyer STORD to join JW56A encountered heavy weather and
detached to carry cut
further search with HMS VIRAGO.
15th Search failed and resumed passage to
Iceland to refuel.
16th Sailed with HM Destroyer HARDY to join
convoy.
Returned to Iceland after convoy ordered to return to Akureri due to weather.
20th Joined HM Destroyers HARDY,
INCONSTANT, OFFA, SAVAGE, VENUS, VIRAGO,
VIGILANT and STORD as Ocean Escort for passage of Russian Convoy JW56A.
25th Detached to provide medical assistance
to US freighter PENELOPE BARKER.
(Note: Medical Officer transferred to mercantile.
He subsequently lost his life when PENELOPE
BARKER was later sunk by torpedo from
U278.
See HITLER'S U-BOAT WAR Volume 2 by C Blair.)
25th Carried out unsuccessful depth charge
attacks on U350 which had torpedoed British freighter
FORT BELLINGHAM.
Two hours later obtained a radar detection of U360 on surface and prepared to attack.
Hit by acoustic T5 (GNAT) torpedo which disabled starboard screw as well
as structural
damage and flooding.
Damage control proved effective and ship rejoined Convoy using one
shaft.
(Note: Some sources suggest torpedo exploded prematurely which would
account for the
limited
extent of damage. A direct hit by T5 on many ships proved fatal.)
26th Under air attacks which were driven
off.
27th Detached on arrival of Eastern Local Escort
and took passage to Murmansk.
28th Under temporary repair at Murmansk.
February
11th Took passage from Murmansk on
completion of temporary repair.
16th Arrived at Scapa Flow.
19th Taken in hand for permanent repair at
Tyne shipyard.
Paid off.
(Note: Major damage including buckling of hull structures.
Both propulsion engines damaged.
March Under refit.
to
Main engines and outer bottom plating en starboard side replaced.
December
1 9 4 5
January Under repair
to
Nominated for service with 17th Destroyer Flotilla in Home Fleet on
completion.
February
March
Re-commissioned and carried cut Post Refit trials.
April
Worked-up for service with Home
Fleet at Scapa Flow.
May
12th Joined escort of last Russian Convoy
(JW67) with HM Escort Aircraft Carrier QUEEN
and HM Destroyer ONSLOW.
(Note: Five Frigates of 4th Escort Group were deployed as part of the
escort.)
20th Detached on arrival at Kola Inlet
after uneventful passage.
23rd Joined return Convoy RA67 as escort
with same ships.
(Note: Navigation lights burned for
this passage.
30th Resumed Vane Fleet duties with
Flotilla on arrival of RA67 in Clyde.
June
5th Escorted HM Cruiser NORFOLK, HM
Cruiser DEVONSHIRE, HM Nor. Destroyer STORD,
HM Destroyers ORWELL and ONSLOW during passage to Oslo.
(Note: HM King Haakon of Norway and his
family were embarked in HMS NORFOLK for
return
to their kingdom).
July
Home Fleet deployment in continuation.
14th Part of escort with HMS OBEDIENT for
US Cruiser USS PHILADELPHIA during passage
in English Channel.
(Note: US President Harry S Truman was embarked for passage to take
part in the Four
Nation Heads of State conference
at Potsdam.)
August Guardship duty at Kiel.
P o s t W a r N o t e s
HMS OBDURATE was used for torpedo training at Portsmouth
after the end of hostilities until being placed in Reserve in February 1948. Laid-up at Harwich she was
refitted in 1949 and again in 1952 at Cammell Laird
shipyard, Birkenhead.. The ship re-commissioned at
Liverpool en 21st July 1953 for service with the Local Flotilla at Chatham. Proposal to convert HMS OBDURATE and
HMS OBEDIENT to Anti-Submarine Frigates was not implemented. In 1957 she again reduced to Reserve
at Portsmouth and went on the Disposal List. Prior to being broken-up she was used for structural destruction
trials at Rosyth from April 1959 until 30th November 1964. Sold to BISCO for demolition by TE Ward the
ship arrived in tow at the breakers yard in Inverkeithing. on 30th November 1964.
Addendum
CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of HMS
OBDURATE
by Don Kindell
These convoy lists have not been cross-checked
with the text above
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|
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|
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Date convoy sailed
|
Joined convoy as escort
|
Convoy No.
|
Left convoy
|
Date convoy arrived
|
|
|
|
|
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19/11/42
|
25/11/42
|
QP 015
|
17/11/42
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30/11/42
|
25/12/42
|
03/01/43
|
JW 051B
|
22/12/42
|
04/01/43
|
19/02/43
|
27/02/43
|
JW 053
|
15/02/43
|
27/02/43
|
01/03/43
|
07/03/43
|
RA 053
|
01/03/43
|
14/03/43
|
13/04/43
|
15/04/43
|
ON 178
|
12/04/43
|
02/05/43
|
23/04/43
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26/04/43
|
ONS 004
|
13/04/43
|
05/05/43
|
09/05/43
|
13/05/43
|
HX 237
|
01/05/43
|
17/05/43
|
14/05/43
|
16/05/43
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SC 129
|
02/05/43
|
21/05/43
|
28/11/43
|
02/12/43
|
JW 054B
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22/11/43
|
03/12/43
|
21/01/44
|
25/01/44
|
JW 056A
|
12/01/44
|
28/01/44
|
12/05/45
|
20/05/45
|
JW 067
|
12/05/45
|
20/05/45
|
23/05/45
|
30/05/45
|
RA 067
|
23/05/45
|
30/05/45
|
|
|
|
|
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(Note on Convoys)