Q (Quilliam)-Class ordered from JS White, Cowes in
December 1940 with the 3rd Destroyer Flotilla. The ship was laid down on 25th September 1940 and launched on 5th
November 1941 as the first RN ship to bear this name. She was Lead Ship of this Class and her build was
completed on 15th April 1942 at a cost of £436,844 excluding equipment such as
the armament and communications outfits. After a successful WARSHIP WEEK
National Savings campaign in March 1942 she was adopted during
build by the civil community of Southwark in Greater London.
B a t t 1 e H o n o u r s
ATLANTIC
1942 - MEDITERRANEAN
1942 - MALTA
CONVOYS 1942 - NORTH
AFRICA 1942
H e r a l d i c D a t a
Badge: On a Field White, a
Boar's head Black, erased Red.
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
April Contractors trials and
commissioned for service.
15th Build completion and commenced
Acceptance Trials.
May Passage to Scapa Flow after
completion of First of Class trials and storing.
June Worked-up for operational service with
ships of the Home Fleet.
On completion nominated for Atlantic convoy defence.
Passage to Freetown.
19th Joined military convoy WS19P as
Ocean Escort during passage to Cape Town with HM
Battleships NELSON, RODNEY, HM
Destroyers DERWENT, PENN, PATHFINDER and
VELOX.
26th Detached from WS19P with HMS
DERWENT, HMS PENN and HMS PATHFINDER and took
passage to rejoin
Home Fleet as escort for HMS NELSON and HMS RODNEY.
(Note: HM Cruiser
SHROPSHIRE joined convoy as Ocean Escort before Home Fleet escorts
detached.)
July Passage to Scapa Flow.
Nominated for escort of relief convoy to Malta (Operation PEDESTAL).
Passage to join military convoy WS21S in Clyde as part of screen for
Home Fleet ships escorting
PEDESTAL convoy.
August
2nd Deployed with HM Destroyers AMAZON,
ASHANTI, ESKIMO, MALCOLM, PATHFINDER,
PENN, SOMALI, TARTAR, VENOMOUS, WISHART, WOLVERINE, BICESTER,
BRAMHAM, DERWENT, LEDBURY, WILTON and
ZETLAND as screen for HM Battleships
NELSON, RODNEY, HM Cruisers KENYA, NIGERIA, MANCHESTER, HM Aircraft
Carrier
FURIOUS during escort of military
convoy WS21P on passage from Clyde to Gibraltar.
11th After entry into Mediterranean
deployed for screening of ships of Force Z providing cover for
passage of WS21P to the Sicilian Narrows.
Ships of Force
Z included above Home Fleet ships supplemented by HM Aircraft
Carriers EAGLE,
INDOMITABLE, VICTORIOUS and HM Cruiser SIRIUS.
Separate
Force (X) was to escort WS21P for passage through Narrows to Malta
and
comprised
HM Cruisers CAIRO, KENYA, NIGERIA and MANCHESTER screened by
11
destroyers.
HMS
EAGLE and HMS FURIOUS were carrying aircraft for delivery to Malta during
passage in western
Mediterranean.)
Under attacks by German and Italian Submarines during which HMS EAGLE
was sunk.
Later, drove off an attack by Italian Torpedo Boat BRIN.
12th Under air and submarine attacks.
Remained with Force Z when WS21P detached with Force
X for passage through Sicilian
Narrows..
(For details of the transit of the PEDESTAL CONVOY see THE BATTLE FOR
THE
MEDITERRANEAN by D MacIntyre, ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY by C
Barnett, THE NAVAL WAR IN THE MEDITERRANEAN by J Greene and A
Massignani,
OPERATION PEDESTAL by P
Smith and MALTA CONVOYS by R Woodman.).
14th Took passage to Gibraltar with
ships of Force Z which was met off Bougie
. 15th Arrived at Gibraltar with screen
for combined Forces X and Z
Nominated for service in Atlantic and did not rejoin Home Fleet.
20th Took passage to Freetown with HM
Destroyer VANSITTART as screen for HM Cruisers SIRIUS
and PHOEBE.
24th Sailed with HM Destroyer VIMY from
Freetown after refuelling to meet HM
Battleship
QUEEN ELIZABETH on passage in Atlantic to USA for repair.
27th Deployed as escort for HMS QUEEN
ELIZABETH with HM Destroyer PATHFINDER.
September
Detached from HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH and deployed for anti-submarine search
in Caribbean.
3rd Took part in sinking of U162 with
HMS PATHFINDER and HMS VIMY in position 12.12N
59.29W off
Trinidad. 49 survivors were rescued
(See U-BOATS
DESTROYED by P Kemp and HITLER'S U-BOAT
WAR by C Blair,)
4th Refuelled at Port of Spain and
deployed for convoy defence and patrol in West Indies.
12th Deployed with HMS PATHFINDER and
HM Corvette SNOWDROP as escort for seven oil
tankers during
passage from West Indies to Freetown.
26th Detached from convoy on arrival
at Freetown.
October Passage to Clyde with call at
Gibraltar to resume duties in Western Approaches.
Nominated for
support landings in North Africa
(Operation TORCH).
Passage to Gibraltar as part of
screen for Home Fleet ships detached for deployment with
Force
H.
November
6th Deployed at Gibraltar. Prepared
for support duties during landings with Central Task Force.
8th Part of screen for HM Cruisers
ARGONAUT, AURORA, CHARYBDIS and SCYLLA during
landings at Oran.
9th Carried out anti-submarine
patrols to prevent attacks on invasion traffic.
18th Joined Force Q for
interception patrols and convoy defence off North African coast and
deployed with
HMS QUIBERON as screen for HM Cruisers AURORA, ARGONAUT and
SIRIUS.
28th Took part in sinking of Italian
submarine DESSIE with HMS QUIBERON in position north of
Bone.
On return to harbour
assisted in rescue operations following heavy air attacks at Bone during
which HM Destroyer
ITHURIEL was seriously damaged.
Towed HMS ITHURIEL
to be beached clear of harbour.
(Note: This
destroyer was later towed to Algiers but found to be beyond economic repair.)
December
1st Deployed with HMS QUIBERON as
screen for HM Cruisers AURORA, ARGONAUT and
SIRIUS as Force
Q for interception of Italian convoy.
2nd In action with ships of Force Q against convoy of four ships north of
Cape Bon during which
Italian destroyer
FOLGORE and all four mercantiles were sunk with three other escorts damaged.
Under air attacks
during return passage and hit by torpedo off Galita Island.
Sank in position
37.40N 08.55E. Survivors were rescued by HMS QUIBERON.
Addendum
CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of HMS
QUENTIN
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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01/07/42
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15/07/42
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OS 033
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20/07/42
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20/07/42
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23/09/42
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25/09/42
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SL 123
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27/09/42
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14/10/42
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14/11/42
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20/11/42
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KMF 003
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21/11/42
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23/11/42
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(Note on Convoys)
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