ORIBI-Class Fleet Destroyer ordered from John I. Thornycroft at Woolston, Southampton
on 3 Sept. 1939 under
the 1939 Programme and laid down on 20 May 1940. The ship was launched on 2nd
April 1942 and
was completed on 17th October that year. Build cost was £410,872 excluding
Admiralty supplied items such
as weapons and communications equipment. This ship was fitted for use as a
minelayer if required and
was adopted by the civil community of Ipswich, Suffolk following a successful
WARSHIP WEEK National Savings
Campaign in March 1942.
B a t t l e H o n o u r s
ARCTIC
1942-43 - BARENTS
SEA 1942 - ATLANTIC 1943
- NORMANDY 1944 - NORWAY 1945
H e r a l d i c D a t a
Badge: On a Field White, a Seahorse
Proper holding between the
feet a roundel barry wavy blue
and 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
October Contractors trials and commissioned
for service in 17th Destroyer Flotilla.
17th Build completion and commenced
Acceptance Trials.
18th Passage to Scapa Flow to work-up with
Home Fleet.
19th Arrived at Scapa Flow.
Joined Flotilla for
operational service on completion.
November
15th Escorted HM Cruisers LONDON and
SUFFOLK taking stores and personnel to garrison at
Spitzbergen with HM Destroyers
OBEDIENT and OBDURATE.
(Operation GEARBOX Series).
23rd Joined Ocean Escort of returning
Convoy QP15 with HM Destroyer MUSKETEER after a
search in atrocious weather conditions.
30th Detached to return to Scapa Flow.
December
14th Escorted HM Battleship ANSON with two
other destroyers for passage to Havalfjord,
Iceland arriving on
16th.
22nd Sailed from Seidisfjord after
refuelling to join Convoy JW51B.
25th Joined escort of Russian Convoy JW51
with HM Destroyers ACHATES, OBEDIENT,
ONSLOW, OBDURATE and
ORIBI.
(For details of all
Russian Convoys and their hazards see CONVOYS TO RUSSIA by RA
. RUEGG, CONVOY! by Paul Kemp,
RUSSIAN CONVOYS by B Schofield, ENGAGE
THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY
by Corelli Barnett and Naval Staff History.).
31st
In action against HIPPER with ONSLOW, OBEDIENT and OBDURATE in defence
of JW51B.
Laid smoke screen to
hide convoy movements. Assisted ONSLOW after action.
(For details see 73
NORTH by Pope, and ARCTIC DESTROYERS by GC Cornell and above
references.)
1 9 4 3
January
2nd Arrived at Kola Inlet.
14th Independent passage to Seidisfjord
with HMS ORIBI.
20th Detached from HMS ORIBI and took
passage to Rosyth.
21st Under repair at Rosyth.
February
16th Passage to Iceland arriving en 18th.
19th
Joined escort for Russian
Convoy JW53 with HM Destroyers, FAULKNOR, INGLEFIELD,
MILNE, BOADICEA,
OBDURATE, OBEDIENT and OPPORTUNE.
21st HM Cruiser SCYLLA and four
destroyers joined convoy escort.
27th
Detached after arrival of
eastern local escort.
(Note: The extreme
weather prevented enemy activity but caused serious damage to
many
warships. See references.)
March
1st
Joined returning Convoy RA53
on departure from Kola Inlet with HM Cruiser SCYLLA,
HM Destroyers INTREPID,
OBEDIENT, OBDURATE, BOADICEA, ECLIPSE,
FAULKNOR, IMPULSIVE,
INGLEFIELD, FURY, OPPORTUNE, MILNE and Polish
destroyer ORP ORKAN.
11th After convoy was dispersed due to
appalling weather conditions detached to carry
out search for missing
mercantiles.
12th Escorted American freighter OREMAR
back to convoy.
Detached from RA53 with
HM Destroyers FAULKNOR, FURY and ECLIPSE and
took passage to Scapa
Flow, arriving on 13th.
(See above references
for details of U-Boat attacks,)
Nominated for detached
service in Western Approaches with ships of Flotilla.
15th Deployed in Western Approaches with
HM Destroyers IMPULSIVE, ONSLAUGHT
and ORIBI as 3rd Support
Group for Atlantic convoy defence.
22nd Took passage to Lisahally from
Liverpool with Group.
27th Joined Convoy SC123 and carried out
anti-submarine search.
28th Detached to join Convoy HX230
(Note: These convoys were under
attack by SEEWOLF and SEETEUFEL U-Boat Groups.
Carried out
anti-submarine search operations in extreme weather conditions.
31st Detached from HX230 and returned
to Londonderry.
(See HITLER'S U-BOAT WAR
by C Blair.)
April Passage to Hull for refit.
9th Taken in hand for refit.
May Under refit.
12th Arrived at Scapa
Flow to resume service with Flotilla after post refit trials.
21st Escorted HM Battleship HOWE with
HMS ONSLOW during passage to Gibraltar.
25th Arrived at Gibraltar and refuelled
for return passage.
26th Escorted HM Battleship NELSON with
HMS ONSLOW during passage to UK from
Gibraltar
30th Arrived at Plymouth with HMS
NELSON.
June Deployed for Flotilla duties at
Scapa Flow.
Escorted HM Battleship
DUKE OF YORK and HM Aircraft Carrier FURIOUS during
cover for reinforcement
of allied garrison at Spitzbergen (Operation FH).
21st Boiler clean and docking at Scapa
Flow
July On completion resumed Home
Fleet duties with Flotilla.
5th Carried out unsuccessful search
for U-Boat in NW Approaches.
27th Part of escort for HM Battleship
DUKE OF YORK, US Battleship SOUTH DAKOTA
with HM Cruisers
BERMUDA, BELFAST, HM Aircraft Carrier UNICORN and ships
of the 17th Destroyer Flotilla for an offensive
diversionary sweep off Norway.
(Operation GOVERNOR).
August Exercised with HMS ONSLOW and other
ships of 17th Flotilla in NW Approaches.
4th On completion deployed on A/S
patrols west of Faeroes and rescued survivors from
U489 sunk on 4th by RCAF
aircraft. See U-BOATS DESTROYED by P Kemp.
7th Part of home fleet escort for rms
QUEEN MARY taking Prime Minister Churchill to
the QUADRANT conference
with US President at Quebec.
(Note: Present during
visit to Home Fleet at Scapa Flow by HM King George VI
on 15th
August is to be confirmed.)
17th Took part in diversionary
operation off Norway with Home Fleet ships.
September
13th Escorted HM Battlecruiser
RENOWN for return journey with the Prime Minister and
embarked 2 members of a
Parliamentary delegation, one of whom was AP Herbert.
17th Rejoined Flotilla at Scapa Flow.
Transferred to Western Approaches
Command for Atlantic convoys in support role.
Joined HM Destroyer
MUSKETEER, ORIBI and Polish ORP ORKAN in 10th Support
Group.
October
7th Joined escort of Convoy SC143 with
HM Destroyers MUSKETEER, ORIBI and ORP
ORKAN during Atlantic
passage to reinforce defence against attacks by ROSSBACH
U-Boat Group.
8th Rescued some survivors from ORP
ORKAN which had been sunk by an acoustic torpedo
during attack on U378.
(Note: For details see
HITLER'S U-BOAT WAR Volume 2 by C Blair.)
11th Detached from SC143 and returned to
Clyde.
17th After return to Fleet duties joined
escort for US Cruiser TUSCALOOSA with HMS
ONSLAUGHT, HMS ORIBI and
US destroyer USS FITCH for landing of Norwegian
troops on Spitzbergen to
re-establish the meteorological station destroyed by German
warships in September.
(Operation FQ in GEARBOX Series.)
Took passage to
Seidisfjord to refuel on completion and sailed to Greenock.
November Resumed Flotilla duties at Scapa Flow.
18th Joined escort for Russian Convoy
JW54A with HM Destroyers IMPULSIVE, ONSLAUGHT,
ONSLOW, OBEDIENT and the
Canadian destroyers HAIDA, HURON and
IROQUOIS.
25th Detached after arrival in Kola Inlet. Passage
was not detected by the enemy.
28th Joined escort for returning Convoy
RA54B with same ships.
December
5th Detached from RA54B when local
escort arrived.
22nd Joined escort for Russian Convoy
JW55B with IMPULSIVE, ONSLOW, ONSLAUGHT,
SCOURGE, HAIDA (RCN),
HURON (RCN) and IROQUOIS (RCN).
25th Remained with convoy during
operations against German battleship SCHARNHORST.
(For details of this action and the
measures taken to protect JW55B from surface
attack see ENGAGE THE
ENEMY MORE CLOSELY, RUSSIAN CONVOYS by
B.
Schofield and the Naval
Staff History).
31st
Part of escort for
returning Convoy RA55B with same ships as for JW55B (except
HMS SCOURGE), Apart from
unsuccessful U-Boat attack passage was uneventful.
1 9 4 4
January
7th Resumed Flotilla duties with Home
Fleet at Scapa Flow.
February Passage to Humber.
2nd Taken in hand for refit at Hull
commercial shipyard.
March Under refit.
13th
Resumed Flotilla duties at
Scapa Flow after post refit trials.
29th Part of the main escort joining
Russian Convoy JW58 with HM Cruiser DIADEM,
H M
Escort Carriers
ACTIVITY, TRACKER and ships of 17th Flotilla (HM Destroyers
ONSLOW, OBEDIENT, OFFA,
OPPORTUNE, ORIBI), ships of 23rd Destroyer
Flotilla (HM Destroyers
(SAUMAREZ, SERAPIS, SCORPION, VENUS) and HM
Norwegian destroyer
STORD).
April
4th Detached after local eastern
escort joined).
7th Part of escort for returning
Convoy RA58 with DIADEM, OFFA, ONSLOW,
OPPORTUNE,
SAUMAREZ, SERAPIS and
STORD which made a successful without enemy contact.
13th Detached from RA58.
23rd Passage to Plymouth with HM
Destroyers OFFA, ONSLAUGHT and OPPORTUNE to
join HMS ONSLOW for
patrol duties in Channel during exercises prior to allied
landings in Normandy.
25th Deployed for interception patrol
in Channel.
27th In action with HM Destroyer OFFA
against E-Boats which had attacked US landing
craft convoy T5 going to
Slapton Sands for Exercise TIGER. Enemy craft used their
high speed and a smoke
screen to effect an escape.
28th Joined HMS ONSLOW with HMS
OBEDIENT in Lyme Bay to search for survivors
from US landing craft sunk
during E-Boat attack. Bodies recovered were landed at
Portland.
(For details see
LANDINGS IN NORMANDY, JUNE 1944 (HMSO).)
May Took passage from Plymouth with
HMS ONSLOW, HMS OFFA and HMS OBEDIENT
to resume Home Fleet
duties.
(Note: Home Fleet ships
carried out attacks on coastal shipping off
Norway and
some ships
of Flotilla were deployed for screening duties.)
26th Took passage from Scapa Flow with
HMS ONSLOW and HMS OBEDIENT for further
service in Channel to
support allied landings in Normandy (Operation NEPTUNE) .
(For details of naval
activities prior to and during allied assault landings see
OPERATION NEPTUNE by K
Edwards and LANDINGS IN NORMANDY (HMSO)
June NEPTUNE support duties in
continuation.
6th Based at Dover and deployed in
eastern approaches to English Channel
to provide
defence against any
attacks by German surface ships or
submarines on convoys and
landing operations
(Operation NEPTUNE).
July Continued service in Channel
and North Sea for patrol and convoy
defence based at
to Dover.
August
September Resumed Home Fleet duties with Flotilla
at Scapa Flow.
15th Escorted HM Cruiser JAMAICA with
HMS OBEDIENT for passage to Spitzbergen
for the replenishment of
garrison (Operation GEARBOX Series).
October
22nd Part of main escort for Russian Convoy JW61 with HM Cruiser DUX) and ships of
the 17th Flotilla
(OBEDIENT, OFFA, ONSLOW, OPPORTUNE and ORIBI).
28th Detached on arrival at Kola Inlet
after successful passage without losses.
November
2nd Part of escort for returning Convoy
RA61 which was supplemented by 6 frigates
of
Western Approaches Command.
9th Resumed Flotilla duties at
Scapa Flow.
28th Involved in collision with HM Tug
VOLATILE at Scapa Flow without major damage.
29th Took passage to Iceland for
Russian convoy escort.
December
1st Joined escort for Russian Convoy
JW62 with HM Cruiser BELLONA, BM Escort
Carriers CAMPANIA and
NAIRANA, ships of D17, OBEDIENT, OFFA, ONSLAUGHT,
ONSLOW, ORIBI, and
other Home Fleet destroyers.
7th Arrived in Kola Inlet without
loss despite recent increase in
available number
enemy torpedo carrying aircraft.
10th Joined escort for return Convoy
RA62 with same ships as JW62.
19th Resumed Flotilla duties at Scapa
Flow.
20th Took part in Home Fleet shipping strike operation off Norway
(Operation FRETSAW).
23rd Returned to Scapa
Flow with Fleet units after unsuccessful search.
28th Deployed with HM Destroyers
OBEDIENT and ZEPHYR for anti-submarine
operations
in NW Approaches.
31st Took HMS ZEPHYR in tow after damage by Homing torpedo during
operations.
Returned to Scapa Flow with HMS ZEPHYR.
(See HITLER'S U-BOAT
WAR Volume 2 by C Blair.)
1 9 4 5
January
10th Joined Force 1
with HMS ONSLOW and HMS OBEDIENT to escort HM Cruisers
NORFOLK and BELLONA
during shipping strike off Norway
(Operation
SPELLBINDER).
11th In action against convoy off
Egersund.
12th Returned to Scapa
with Force 1.
February
6th Escorted Russian Convoy JW6M with
HM Cruiser BELLONA, HM Escort Carriers
NAIRANA, H M Destroyers
ONSLOW, ONSLAUGHT, OPPORTUNE, SERAPIS,
ZAMBESI, ZEALOUS,
ZEST and SIOUX (RCN).
(Note: Western
Approaches Command Sloops and other escorts were also deployed.)
15th Arrived with Convoy at Kola Inlet
after series of attacks by torpedo bombers and
by 11 U-Boats.
17th Joined returning Convoy RA64 with
HMS BELLONA and same Home Fleet
destroyers.
(Note: For details of
U-Boat attacks during assembly see above references.)
27th Detached with HMS BELLONA, the two
Escort Carriers and same Home Fleet
destroyers.
(Note: This convoy was dispersed due to
extreme weather conditions and also to
air
attacks.)
Took passage to
Immingham.
March
1st Taken in hand for conversion.
10th Carried out minelay
with HM Destroyers OPPORTUNE and OBEDIENT in
NW
Approaches (Operation
CH Field T3)
(Note: This replaced
a minelay in North Russia for which Russian permission had
not been
obtained. The details in ARCTIC DESTROYERS are at variance with
the
Naval Staff History (MINING) which is assumed to be correct.)
12th Joined escort for Russian Convoy
JW64 with HM Cruiser DIADEM, HM Escort
Aircraft Carriers
CAMPANIA, HM Destroyer ONSLOW, OPPORTUNE, SCORPION,
ZAMBESI and
SIOUX (RCN).
(Note: Ships from
Western Approaches were also deployed as Close Escort.)
21st Detached on arrival of JW65 at Kola
Inlet.
23rd Joined escort for return Convoy RA65
with HMS DIADEM, HM Escort Carriers
CAMPANIA and
TRUMPETER, HM Destroyers MYNGS, OPPORTUNE, SAVAGE,
SCORPION, SCOURGE,
ZAMBESI, SIOUX (RCN) and Norwegian STORD.
30th Detached from RA65 with Home Fleet
ships and returned to Scapa Flow.
April Deployed with Flotilla at
Scapa Flow.
17th Detached for minelay
with HM Minelaying Cruiser APOLLO, HM Destroyers
OBEDIENT and
OPPORTUNE as Force 5 (Operation TRAMMEL).
21st Delayed fuelling at Kola Inlet and
embarked Russian observers.
22nd Laid A/S Trap minefield and returned
to refuel at Kola Inlet.
23rd Sailed for Scapa
Flow with Force 5. Passage speed had to be reduced to 15
knots
because of structural
damage to Hull.
On completion of
temporary repair resumed Flotilla duties.
May
3rd Part of escort for HM Cruisers
NORFOLK and DIADEM, H M Escort Carriers
SEARCHER, QUEEN and
TRUMPETER with Hone Fleet destroyers during shipping
strike west of
Narvik.
Deployed for air sea
rescue duties during air strikes.
(Note: Depot Ship
BLACK WATCH, submarine U711 and a trawler were sunk.)
4th Escorted Royal Fleet Auxiliary Tanker
BLUE RANGER with HMS OBEDIENT to
carry out refuelling
of the escorts to returning Convoy RA66. .
5th Joined escort for return convoy on
completion.
8th Detached from RA66 on arrival in
Clyde.
Took passage to
Chatham for permanent repair to hull structure.
10th Taken in hand by HM
Dockyard, Chatham.
June
2nd Returned to Scapa
Flow on completion to resume Flotilla duties.
5th Escorted HM Cruiser NORFOLK with HMS
ONSLOW, HMS OBDURATE and HM
Norwegian Destroyer STORD from
Rosyth for the return of HM King Haakon to
Oslo from Rosyth.
(Operation INDESTRUCTIBLE).
7th Arrived in Oslo to tumultuous
reception.
13th Returned to Rosyth
with HMS NORFOLK and HMS OBDURATE.
July Deployed with Home Fleet
for visits programme and support of re-occupation forces.
to August
P o s t W a r
N o t e s
HMS
ORWELL remained in commission after VJ Day and continued Home Fleet duties. She
took part in Operation
DEADLIGHT, the destruction of surrendered U-Boats in NW Approaches. She then
joined the Portsmouth
Local Flotilla for local duties including until 1947. Placed in Reserve at
Harwich the ship was transferred
to Chatham after a refit during 1949. The ship was selected for conversion to a Type 16 A/S Frigate
by HM Dockyard Rosyth in 1952 and on completion briefly used as a target ship
for the Submarine in the Clyde.
Later transferred to the Local Squadron at Devonport until 1958 when she had a
refit prior to being placed in Reserve at Chatham. Following a
refit at Rosyth this destroyer re commissioned for trials and again
paid-off at Rosyth. Transferred to Portsmouth in 1961 she remained there until
1965 when sold for
breaking up by J Cashmere in 1965. The ship arrived at Newport, in tow on 28th June
that year for demolition.
Addendum
CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of HMS
ORWELL
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
|
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
|
10/03/43
|
RA 053
|
01/03/43
|
14/03/43
|
27/03/43
|
28/03/43
|
SC 123
|
14/03/43
|
03/04/43
|
29/03/43
|
31/03/43
|
HX 230
|
18/03/43
|
02/04/43
|
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
|
18/11/43
|
24/11/43
|
JW 054A
|
15/11/43
|
24/11/43
|
28/11/43
|
05/12/43
|
RA 054B
|
26/11/43
|
09/12/43
|
22/12/43
|
29/12/43
|
JW 055B
|
20/12/43
|
30/12/43
|
31/12/43
|
07/01/44
|
RA 055B
|
31/12/43
|
08/01/44
|
29/03/44
|
04/04/44
|
JW 058
|
27/03/44
|
04/04/44
|
07/04/44
|
13/04/44
|
RA 058
|
07/04/44
|
14/04/44
|
22/10/44
|
28/10/44
|
JW 061
|
20/10/44
|
28/10/44
|
02/11/44
|
07/11/44
|
RA 061
|
02/11/44
|
09/11/44
|
01/12/44
|
07/12/44
|
JW 062
|
29/11/44
|
07/12/44
|
10/12/44
|
18/12/44
|
RA 062
|
10/12/44
|
19/12/44
|
06/02/45
|
13/02/45
|
JW 064
|
03/02/45
|
15/02/45
|
17/02/45
|
27/02/45
|
RA 064
|
17/02/45
|
28/02/45
|
14/03/45
|
21/03/45
|
JW 065
|
11/03/45
|
21/03/45
|
23/03/45
|
30/03/45
|
RA 065
|
23/03/45
|
01/04/45
|
05/05/45
|
08/05/45
|
RA 066
|
29/04/45
|
08/05/45
|
|
|
|
|
|
(Note on Convoys)