P or PALADIN-Class Fleet Destroyer ordered with 2nd
Emergency Flotilla in October 1939 from the Fairfield shipyard at Govan,
Glasgow and laid down on 3rd June 1940.The ship was
launched on 5th August 1941 as the 7th R. N. ship to carry this name,
introduced in 1809 for a Sloop. It was last used for
destroyer built in 1916 and sunk in action in 1917. Build was completed on 22nd
February 1942 at a cost of approximately £400,000 which excluded the Admiralty supplied
equipment such as weapons and communications outfits. After a successful
WARSHIP WEEK for National Savings in March 1942 this ship was
adopted by the civil community of Ealing, Greater London.
B a t t l e H o n o u r s
SOUTH AFRICA 1899-1901 - MALTA CONVOYS 1942 -
NORTH AFRICA 1942
H e r a l d i c D a t a
Badge:
On a Field Blue, a partridge Proper within a wreath of
wheat-ears 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
February Contractor's sea
trials and commissioning for service in 12th Destroyer Flotilla
22nd Build
completion and commenced Acceptance Trials.
March Worked-up in
Clyde area for operational service
Returned
to Build shipyard for repair and modification.
April Under repair
Nominated
for escort of the US aircraft Carrier USS WASP during Malta aircraft delivery.
15th Took passage
from Clyde as part of screen for HM Battlecruiser RENOWN with HM Destroyers
INGLEFIELD, ITHURIEL, ECHO and joined USS WASP, US Destroyers USS LANG and USS
MADISON
to form Force W to cover aircraft delivery operation.
(Operation CALENDAR).
19th HM Cruisers
CHARYBDIS, CAIRO, HM Destroyers WESTCOTT, VIDETTE, WRESTLER and
ANTELOPE
joined Force W to reinforce escort during delivery.
20th Returned to
Gibraltar after aircraft launched.
(Note:
The aircraft landed in Malta despite various difficulties, but many had a short
operational
damage
whilst aground in Malta during air raids on airfields. See MALTA CONVOYS by
R
Woodman.
24th Passage to
Scapa Flow for deployment with ships of Home Fleet.
May
8th Part of
screen for HMS RENOWN, HM Aircraft Carrier EAGLE, USS WASP and HM Cruiser
CHARYBDIS
with HM Destroyers ECHO, INTREPID, US destroyers USS LANG and
STERRET
as Force W to cover aircraft delivery operations
(Operation BOWERY).
10th Retained in
Mediterranean for screening duties in Force H.
17th Part of
screen for HM Aircraft Carriers EAGLE, ARGUS and HM Cruiser CHARYBDIS
with H M
Destroyers ITHURIEL, ANTELOPE, WISHART, WESTCOTT, WRESTLER and
VIDETTE
during Malta aircraft delivery (Operation LB).
18th Carried out
counter attack after torpedoes fired at HMS CHARYBDIS by Italian submarine
MONCENIGO.
June Mediterranean
deployment with Force H in continuation.
2nd Part of
screen for HMS EAGLE and HMS CHARYBDIS with HM Destroyers WESTCOTT.
WISHART,
ITHURIEL and ANTELOPE during Malta aircraft delivery
(Operation STYLE).
8th Part of
screen for HMS EAGLE, HMS CHARYBDIS and HMS CAIRO with HM Destroyers
ITHURIEL,
ANTELOPE, WISHART, WRESTLER and WESTCOTT during aircraft delivery.
(Operation SALIENT).
11th Joined HM
Cruiser CAIRO, HM Destroyer BEDOUIN, MARNE, MATCHLESS, ITHURIEL,
BLANKNEY,
MIDDLETON, BADSWORTH, Polish destroyer ORP KUJAWIAK, HM
Minesweepers SPEEDY, HEBE, HYTHE and RYE as Force W for escort of convoy for
complete
passage
to Malta.
(Operation HARPOON - For details see THE BATTLE OF THE MEDITERRANEAN by
D
MacIntyre, ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY by C. Barnett and MALTA
CONVOYS
by R Woodman.)
15th After Italian
warships opened fire on HARPOON convoy, deployed with HM Destroyers
BEDOUIN,
ITHURIEL, MATCHLESS and MARNE to carry out torpedo attacks.
Engaged
enemy ships at 18,000 yards.
Disabled
by return fire.
After
damage repair took HM Destroyer BEDOUIN in tow but released her when an air and
surface
attack was threatened.
(Note: HMS BEDOUIN was sunk by an aircraft torpedo and rescue of survivors was not
possible.)
During
passage to Gibraltar came under further air attacks during which steering gear
was
damaged.
17th Arrived at
Gibraltar.
19th Took passage
to UK from Gibraltar for permanent repair.
26th Taken in hand
for repair in Tyne commercial shipyard.
July Under
repair.
August
20th On completion
of post repair trials took passage to Scapa Flow to resume duties.
28th Deployed with
HM Destroyer QUIBERON as screen for HM Cruiser AURORA and HM Armed
Merchant
Cruiser CARTHAGE to provide Ocean Escort for military convoy WS22 during
passage
to Freetown.
September
1st Detached to
refuel in Ponta Delgardo, Azores.
3rd Rejoined
WS22.
9th Detached
from WS22 on arrival at Freetown.
13th Rejoined WS22
on sailing from Freetown with HMS QUIBERON as screen for HM Armed
Merchant
Cruiser ALCANTARA as Ocean Escort for passage to Capetown.
19th Detached from
WS22 with HM Cruiser AURORA and HMS QUIBERON and took passage to
Pointe
Noire. Belgian Congo.
Returned
to UK to resume Home Fleet service.
October Home Fleet
deployment in continuation.
Nominated
to join HM Destroyers PANTHER, PATHFINDER, PENN and PORCUPINE in 3rd
Destroyer
Flotilla at Gibraltar to support allied landings in North Africa.
(Operation TORCH)
November Passage to
Gibraltar as part of screen for units of Home Fleet detached for support of
allied
landings
in North Africa.
(For
details see ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY, THE RELUCTANT ENEMIES by
W. Tute
and Naval Staff History) .
Joined
3rd Flotilla. on arrival at Gibraltar.
8th Deployed
with ships of Flotilla as screen for HM Battleships DUKE OF YORK, NELSON,
RODNEY,
HM Aircraft Carriers VICTORIOUS and FORMIDABLE in Eastern Task Force
supporting landings at Algiers.
On
completion of assault phase remained in Mediterranean for screening duties in
Force H
with
ships of Flotilla.
December Deployed for patrol
and screening duties in western Mediterranean.
18th During
anti-submarine operation with H M Destroyers PENN, MILNE and METEOR off Oran
hit by
torpedo fired by U565.
Engine
Room and Gearing Room flooded causing ship to break in two.
Both
halves sank rapidly 50 miles west of Oran in position 35.50N 01.35W.
37 of
ship’s company lost their lives. 173 survivors rescued by HM Destroyer PENN.
Addendum
CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of
HMS
PARTRIDGE
by Don Kindell
These convoy lists have 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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12/06/42
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16/06/42
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HARPOON
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12/06/42
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16/06/42
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(Note on Convoys)