Q or QUILLIAM-Class Fleet Destroyer ordered in
December 1940 with the 3rd Emergency Flotilla and laid down by Hawthorn Leslie, Newcastle on 6th November 1940 in
anticipation of confirmation. She was launched on 16th January 1942 and completed on 10th December that
year. Build cost was £439,820 excluding the Admiralty supplied equipment such as guns, wireless and
radar equipment. This was the sixth warship to carry the name, last used for a 6th Rate in 1747. Following a
successful WARSHIP WEEK for National Savings during March 1942 she was adopted
by the civil community of Lytham St. Annes, Lancashire.
B a t t l e H o n o u r s
SADRAS 1758 - NEGAPATAM 1758
- CUDDALORE 1758 - PORTO
NOVO 1759 - ARCTIC 1942-43 - SICILY 1943 - SALERNO 1943 - MEDITERRANEAN 1943 -
OKINAWA 1945
H e r a l d i c D a t a
Badge: On a Field Blue, a
woman's head affronted Proper,
issuing from
the battlements of a tower White and
ducally crowned 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
December
Contractors trials and commissioning.
10th Build completion and commenced
Acceptance Trials.
On completion of
trials and storing took passage to join 4th Destroyer Flotilla, Home Fleet
at Scapa Flow.
Worked-up with
Home Fleet ships for for operational service.
Joined escort for
HM Battleships KING GEORGE V and HOWE, HM Cruiser BERMUDA
providing cover
for passage of returning Convoy RA51 from Kola Inlet with HM Destroyers
MONTROSE,
MUSKETEER, RAIDER, WORCESTER and Polish destroyer ORP PIORUN.
(For details of
all Russian convoy operations see CONVOY 1 by P Kemp, THE RUSSIAN
CONVOYS by B
Schoefield and CONVOYS TO RUSSIA by RA Ruegg).
1 9 4 3
January On completion of work-up deployed with Home Fleet in NW Approaches.
23rd Part of screen for HM Battleship
ANSON and HM Cruiser SHEFFIELD providing cover for
passage of Russian Convoy JW52 with HM Destroyers ECHO, ECLIPSE,
INGLEFIELD,
FAULKNOR, MONTROSE, RAIDER and Polish destroyer ORP ORKAN
24th Detached with covering warships.
February Deployed with Flotilla at Scapa
Flow for screening duties.
For details of Home
Fleet activities see ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY by C Barnett
and Naval Staff History.
Passage to Clyde to
join escort of military convoy.
29th Sailed from Clyde as escort for joint
convoy KMF10a to Mediterranean and WS27 to Middle East.
(Note: Other escorts for
passage in Atlantic were HM Battleship MALAYA, HM Destroyers
QUAIL,
RAIDER, WOLVERINE and QUADRANT, HM Sloops EGRET and ERNE,
HM Cutter
FISHGUARD and HM Frigate TEST.
March
2nd Remained with WS27 as escort for
passage to Freetown when KMF10A ships detached to proceed
to Gibraltar.
8th Detached from WS27 on arrival at
Freetown.
11th Joined WS27 as escort during passage
to Cape of Good Hope with HM Corvettes CROCUS and
PETUNIA, HMS RAIDER
and HMS QUEENBOROUGH. HM Cruiser SUSSEX provided cover.
24th Detached from WS27 with HMS
QUEENBOROUGH and HMS RAIDER during passage when
HM Destroyers FOXHOUND, QUILLIAM and RACEHORSE joined escort.
Took passage to
Capetown.
26th Rejoined WS27 as part of escort for
passage from Capetown to Durban.
29th Detached from WS27 with HMS
QUEENBOROUGH and HMS RAIDER on arrival at Durban.
April Passage to UK with HMS
QUAIL to resume Flotilla duties in Home
Fleet at Scapa Flow.
29th Sailed from Freetown to UK.
May Deployed with Flotilla at
Scapa Flow.
to Nominated for service
in Mediterranean for support of planned
allied landings in Sicily
June (Operation HUSKY).
July Passage to Gibraltar with
Home Fleet units for the support of
Sicily landings.
Deployed with ships of Force
H
based at Gibraltar to prepare for
support operations.
(See ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE
CLOSELY and Naval Staff History).
10th Deployed with assault force during
landings.
August
21st
Carried out bombardment of
Italian mainland from Strait of Messina.
31st
Bombarded coast between Reggio
Calabria and Pessar with HM Battleships NELSON,
RODNEY, HM Cruiser ORION, HM
Destroyers OFFA, PETARD, QUAIL, QUILLIAM,
TARTAR, TYRIAN, TROUBRIDGE and
Polish destroyer ORP PIORUN prior to landings on
Italian mainland by British
XIII Corps (Operation BAYTOWN).
(For details of HUSKY and BAYTOWN see THE BATTLE FOR THE MEDITERRANEAN
by
D Macintyre and above references.)
September
2nd Carried
out bombardment of coastal batteries near Reggio in support of military operations.
(Note: HM Battleships WARSPITE
and VALIANT, HM Monitors EREBUS, ABERCROMBIE,
ROBERTS,
HM Cruisers ORION, MAURITIUS, HM River Gunboats APHIS and
SCARAB
were also deployed for bombardment operations.)
9th
Deployed with Force H with HMS QUILLIAM, QUAIL and PETARD to
provide cover for
allied landings at Salerno
(Operation AVALANCHE).
(For details see ENGAGE THE
ENEMY MORE CLOSELY and Naval Staff History )
October Deployed in Adriatic for
support of military operations.
November
3rd
Carried out bombardment of shore targets off east coast of Italy in
support of military advance
December
1st Bombarded Durazzo, Albania.
1 9 4 4
January
Transferred with 4th Destroyer Flotilla to Eastern Fleet.
to
Took passage to Trincomalee.
February
March
Joined Eastern Fleet with HM Destroyers QUILLIAM, QUADRANT, QUALITY,
QUIBERON (RAN) and QUICKMATCH
(RAN) for escort of Fleet units and patrol in
Indian Ocean.
21st Part of screen for HM Battleships QUEEN
ELIZABETH, VALIANT, HM Battlecruiser
RENOWN, HM Aircraft Carrier ILLUSTRIOUS, HM Cruisers LONDON, CUMBERLAND,
GAMBIA (RNZN) and CEYLON with destroyers of Eastern Fleet for offensive
sweep in Indian
Ocean.
(Operation DIPLOMAT - See OPERATION PACIFIC by E Gray and WAR WITH
JAPAN.).
27th With Eastern Fleet for meeting with US
aircraft carrier USS SARATOGA and escort of three
US Navy destroyers (Task Group 58.5) for future joint RN/USN operations.
April
19th Part of Force 70 as escort for HMS
RENOWN, HMS ILLUSTRIOUS and USS SARATOGA
during joint attacks on Sabang with HM Destroyers QUILLIAM, QUADRANT, US
destroyers
USS CUMMINGS, USS DUNLAP and USS FANNING.
(Operation COCKPIT - See above references and ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE
CLOSELY for
details).
May
6th Part of escort for Carrier Force 66
comprising HMS ILLUSTRIOUS and USS SARATOGA with HM
Destroyers QUILLIAM, QUADRANT, USS CUMMINGS, USS DUNLAP and USS FANNING
for
joint air attacks on Soerabaya covered by Eastern Fleet deployed as
Force 65.
(Operation TRANSOM - For
details see above references).
15th Refuelled in Exmouth Gulf, Western
Australia.
17th Deployed with screen during air
operations
18th Detached from Force 66 with RN
destroyers when USS SARATOGA took passage to rejoin US 5th
Fleet
Joined ships of covering Force 65 for return passage to Trincomalee
27th Arrived at Trincomalee
with Force 65 ships.
(Note: All ships had very low fuel remaining as passage made without
stay at Exmouth Gulf.)
June
Eastern Fleet deployment in continuation
to
(Note: Ship did not take part in Fleet operations in this period.)
September
October
15th Part of escort with HMS QUILLIAM and
QUIBERON for HMS RENOWN covering air attacks
on Nicobar Islands by HM Aircratt Carriers INDOMITABLE and VICTORIOUS.
(Operation MILLET - Diversion
during US landings on Leyte).
18th Bombarded targets on Nicobars with HMS
RENOWN, HM Cruiser SUFFOLK. HM Destroyers
RAIDER and QUILLIAM.
November
22nd Transferred with Flotilla to British
Pacific Fleet on formation at Trincomalee.
December
Passage with BPF ships to Australia for duty in Pacific
1 9 4 5
January Prepared for service with British
Pacific Fleet in SW Pacific under overall command of US
Navy.
Pennant Number for
visual signalling purposes changed to D19 to suit US Navy designation
for destroyers.
February Took passage to New Zealand with
HM Destroyers QUALITY and QUADRANT as escort for
HM Battleship HOWE
during visit by CinC BPF.
On return with HMS
HOWE took part in exercises to prepare for operations with US Navy
including use of new
signalling and manoeuvring procedures
Allocated to Task
Force 113 with ships of BPF.
28th Took passage to British Forward Base
at Manus in Admiralty Islands to await instructions for
future deployment
under US Navy command.
March
7th Arrived at Manus after further
preparatory exercises with Task Force 113.
18th Took passage to US Base at Ulithi
with Task Force 113 after delay by US Joint Chiefs of Staff
in giving approval
for use of RN ships in operations with US Navy in SW Pacific.
(See WAR WITH JAPAN (HMSO), TASK FORCE by P
Smith and THE FORGOTTEN
FLEET by J Winton.)
20th Arrived at Ulithi with Task Force
113.
23rd Sailed from Ulithi to join US Task Force 58 for Joint attacks
to neutralise Japanese airfields
in Sakishima-Gunto
Group. (Operation ICEBERG ONE).
(Note: These
operations were in support of American landings at Okinawa.)
British Pacific Fleet was
designated Task Force 57 on departure
from Ulithi.)
25th Refuelled from BPF Fleet Train (Task
Force 112).
Took passage after
delayed refuelling to joint US Navy Task Force 58 ships in operational
area.
(Note: BPF ships
lacked practice in refuelling at sea and used outdated and slow procedures.)
26th Deployed with Task Unit 57.8
destroyers as screen for HM Battleships
KING GEORGE V,
HOWE, HM Aircraft
Carriers INDOMITABLE, IMPLACABLE, VICTORIOUS,
ILLUSTRIOUS, HM
Cruisers EURYALUS, SWIFTSURE, GAMBIA (RNZN), BLACK
PRINCE and ARGONAUT
during air operations.
(Note: Screen
comprised
HM
Destroyers GRENVILLE, ULSTER, UNDINE, URANIA, UNDAUNTED of 25th
Flotilla, HM Destroyers QUICKMATCH, QUIBERON, QUEENBOROUGH,
QUALITY
of 4th Flotilla, HM Destroyers WHELP and WAGER of 27th Flotilla.
30th Refuelled from Fleet Train with TF57 ships in Area
MIDGE.
. 31st Deployed with screen during
continuation of air operations by BPF carriers.
April
1st Under heavy and sustained air
attacks including KAMIKAZE.
See above references.
3rd Withdrew with TF57 ships for
refuelling from TF112 in Area MIDGE.
6th Deployed with screen during air
operations after delays due to weather conditions.
Under air attacks.
7th Withdrew with TF57 ships for
refuelling.
10th Deployed for screening duties with
TF57 which was detached to carry out air strikes on
Formosa (Operation
ICEBERG OOLONG).
13th Under air attacks off Formosa.
14th Passage to refuel in Area COOTIE
before return to Sakishima-Gunto for further air operations.
(Note: HMS
FORMIDABLE relieved HMS ILLUSTRIOUS during this period.)
16th Deployed with TF57 screen for air
operations.
Under air attacks.
18th Refuelled in Area MOSQUITO ONE prior
to final series of air operations.
20th Deployed with screen during sixth
strike period.
21st Passage to Leyte as part of screen
for TF57.
23rd Arrived at Leyte with TF57 for
maintenance and recuperation period.
May
1st Sailed from Leyte as part of Task
Unit 57.8 for screening of TF57 ships.
(Note: HM Cruiser
UGANDA replaced HMS ARGONAUT
See
above references.)
3rd Refuelled from Fleet Train (TF112)
in Area MOSQUITO.
4th Deployed with screen for TF57 during
renewed air operations.
. Under air attacks.
Remained with
screen for aircraft carriers when cruisers and battleships of TF57 detached to
carry out
bombardment of Miyako Shima.
Under heavy and sustained
KAMIKAZE attacks after RN bombardment ships detached.
(Note: This
decision was a major error as it significantly reduced the radar cover and anti-
aircraft defence available to fight off enemy
aircraft.
Both
HMS FORMIDABLE and HMS INDOMITABLE sustained damage.)
6th Refuelled from Fleet Train in Area
COOTIE.
8th Deployed with screen for TF57 during
air strikes.
9th Under air attacks during which a
KAMIKAZE suicide bombers hit HMS VICTORIOUS and
HMS FORMIDABLE.
10th Refuelled from Fleet Train in Area
COOTIE.
15th Detached from screening duties on
arrival with ships of TF57 in Area
COOTIE for replenishment
because of machinery vibration problems.
Took passage to
Leyte with HM Escort Aircraft Carrier SPEAKER.
Returned to Sydney
for repair.
June On completion of repair
deployed in Australian waters
(Note: Not
recorded as part of British Pacific Fleet during final operations as Task Force
37
with
3rd US Fleet during final operations against Japanese mainland.
July Local deployment in
continuation.
(Note: Not
transferred to Token Force.
See
THE FORGOTTEN FLEET by J Winton and WAR WITH JAPAN (HMSO).)
August Local deployment in
continuation.
(Note: Not
included in operations to reoccupy Hong Kong.
See
above references.)
P o s t W a r N o t e s
HMS QUEENBOROUGH remained in the Far East after VJ Day and
was transferred on loan to the Royal Australian Navy in November 1945. She was deployed
operationally until 1947 when placed in Reserve and laid up at Sydney. Selected for conversion into a Type 15 Anti-submarine Frigate in 1953 she re-commissioned in December 1954 and remained in commission until being
involved in a collision with HM Submarine TABARD off New South Wales during June 1963. The ship was then
Paid-off and placed in Reserve. During 1966 she was used for training and later placed on the Disposal List.
On 8th April 1975 this destroyer was sold for demolition and towed to the Breaker’s yard in Hong Kong.
Addendum
CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of HMS
QUEENBOROUGH
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
|
|
|
|
|
|
30/12/42
|
31/12/42
|
RA 051
|
03/01/43
|
11/01/43
|
17/01/43
|
23/01/43
|
JW 052
|
24/01/43
|
27/01/43
|
19/04/43
|
19/04/43
|
CF 012
|
28/04/43
|
28/04/43
|
29/04/43
|
29/04/43
|
CF 012A
|
unknown
|
10/05/43
|
19/02/44
|
19/02/44
|
JA 001
|
26/02/44
|
26/02/44
|
16/02/44
|
20/02/44
|
PA 069
|
22/02/44
|
24/02/44
|
13/06/44
|
13/06/44
|
JM 002
|
20/06/44
|
20/06/44
|
25/06/44
|
25/06/44
|
KM 004E
|
27/06/44
|
27/06/44
|
01/07/44
|
01/07/44
|
MK 007G
|
03/07/44
|
03/07/44
|
14/07/44
|
14/07/44
|
CM 055A
|
19/07/44
|
19/07/44
|
|
|
|
|
|
(Note on Convoys)
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