SAVAGE or S-Class Fleet Destroyer ordered from Hawthorne Leslie at Newcastle
in January 1941 with the 5th Emergency Flotilla. The ship was launched on 20th November 1942 as the 2nd R N
ship to carry the name, previously used for a Flotilla Leader sold in 1930.
Completion was delayed until 1st July
1943 due to design and production difficulties that affected
delivery of the guns and the associated fire -control units. The ship then
worked up
at Scapa Flow before to joining the 3rd Destroyer
Flotilla, Home Fleet. In March 1942 after a successful WARSHIP WEEK National
Savings campaign she had been adopted by the civil community of Twickenham,
than in Middlesex, now in the London Borough of Richmond on Thames.
face black.
1 9 4 3
July Commissioned for
service in Home Fleet
1st Build completion and commenced Acceptance Trials
On completion of
trials and calibrations took passage to Scapa Flow to work-up with ships
of Home Fleet.
August Deployed with 3rd Destroyer
Flotilla for Home Fleet screening and patrol duties in NW
Approaches and North Sea.
September Home
Fleet deployment with Flotilla in continuation.
October Deployed with Flotilla for
Home Fleet screening and convoy defence.
20th Passage to Kola Inlet with HM Destroyers
MAHRATTA, MATCHLESS. MILNE,
MUSKETEER,
SAVAGE, SCOURGE, SCORPION and WESTCOTT
(Operation FR) -
These ships ware to be used as escort for ships returning from ports in North
Russia which had been delayed
during summer months.
During their outward passage they
escorted five minesweepers and six motor launches which had
been transferred to Russia under
Lease/Lend). HM
Cruiser LONDON and US Cruiser AUGUSTA provided cover for the transit
of these ships.
November
3rd Joined
Ocean Escort for return Convoy RA54A with above Home Fleet destroyers, the
Norwegian corvette EGLANTINE, HM Minesweepers HARRIER and SEAGULL.
10th Detached from RA54 after arrival of
western Local Escort.
(For details of
all Russian convoy operations with names of mercantiles
and escorts, see
CONVOYS TO RUSSIA by RA Ruegg, CONVOY ! by P Kemp, ARCTIC CONVOYS by
R Woodman and THE RUSSIAN CONVOYS by B Schoefield.)
23rd Joined Ocean Escort for Russian Convoy JW54B with HM
Destroyers HARDY, SAVAGE,
SCORPION,
SCOURGE, VENUS, VIGILANT and Norwegian STORD.
December Joined 26th Destroyer Flotilla,
Home Fleet on formation.
3rd Detached
from JW54B on arrival at approaches to Archangel and took independent passage
with other Home Fleet destroyers to Scapa Flow.
(Note: Home Fleet ships provided cover for passage of this
convoy that arrived unscathed
without detection).
15th Part of screen for HM Battleship DUKE OF YORK and HM Cruiser JAMAICA with HM
Destroyers SAVAGE, SCORPION and Norwegian destroyer STORD to
provide distant cover for
the passage of Russian Convoys JW55A to Kola Inlet and
return Convoy RA55A.
20th After convoy sighted by aircraft proceeded to Kola Inlet for
discussions between CinC
Home
Fleet and
Russian Admiral Golovko of Northern Fleet to discuss
joint action in case of surface
attacks. on Convoy JW55B.
22nd Convoy
arrived without surface interception
23rd Deployed as screen for HMS DUKE OF YORK and HMS JAMAICA to provide cover for
passage
24th Detached to carry out exercised night attacks against all
ships of convoy
Rejoined screen
on completion. See ARCTIC CONVOYS by R Woodman.
25th Convoy sighted by aircraft and German surface action
initiated.
26th In action against German battleship SCHARNHORST with HIS DUKE
OF YORK, HM Cruisers
SHEFFIELD and NORFOLK (Battle of North Cape).
Made torpedo
attacks on SCHARNHORST with other Fleet destroyers. These stopped the enemy
ship which was later sunk in a surface action
(Note: Despite receiving two hits by return 11in gunfire
completed her torpedo attack).
For full details
see THE KOLA RUN by I Campbell aid D Macintyre)
27th At Kola Inlet with HMS DUKE OF YORK
1 9 4 4
January Returned to Scapa Flow as part of destroyer screen for HMS DUKE
OF YORK, HMS NORFOLK
and HMS SHEFFIELD.
Taken in hand for repair of action damage.
February Under
repair to action damage.
Rejoined Flotilla in Home Fleet on completion.
March Deployed with Flotilla for
Home Fleet duties
29th Joined escort for Russian Convoy JW58as screen for HM Cruiser
DIADEM, HM Escort
Carriers
ACTIVITY and TRACKER with HM Destroyers OBEDIENT, OFFA, ONSLOW,
OPPORTUNE, ORIBI, ORWELL, SERAPIS, SCORPION and Norwegian destroyer
STORD.
(Note: Additional anti-submarine defence was also provided
by Sloops of 2nd Escort Group and
Distant Cover
was provided by ships of Home Fleet).
April
4th Detached on arrival at Kola Inlet
after air and surface attacks.
7th Part of screen for HMS DIADEM with HM Destroyers ONSLOW,
OFFA, OPPORTUNE,
ORWELL, SERAPIS
and Norwegian STORD providing escort for return Convoy RA58. 13th
13th Detached from RA58 with HMS DIADEM and
screen before arrival in Loch Ewe.
May Allocated to Assault
Force S as part of Bombarding Force D with H M Destroyers SWIFT,
STORD (Nor) and SVENNER (Nor).
(Operation NEPTUNE: For details of naval activities prior to
and during landings see
OPERATION NEPTUNE by K Edwards and LANDINGS IN NORMANDY, June 1944
(HMSO))
Took part in bombardment exercises with Force D.
Passage
to Clyde for assembly of Bombarding Force
D .
June
2nd Part of escort for HM Battleships WARSPITE and VALIANT, HM
Cruisers MAURITIUS,
ARETHUSA,
DANAE, FROBISHER and Polish cruiser ORP DRAGON to Solent with
HM
Destroyers SWIFT, Norwegian destroyers STORD and SVENNER, HM Frigates
ROWLEY
and HOLMES as Bombarding Force D .
4th Operation postponed for 24 hours.
5th Passage through swept Channel with above ships and HM
Monitor ROBERTS that had
joined Force D at Portsmouth.
6th On arrival in bombardment position carried out firing in
accordance with pre-arranged
fire plan on beach defences.
On
completion of bombardment duties joined Force S and deployed in Eastern Task
Force
area for interception patrol and defence of convoys.
8th Deployed with HM Destroyers VIRAGO and
ISIS, Norwegian STORD for interception patrol.
Failed
to prevent attack en Convoy ECM1 by E-Boats of 4th German Flotilla
which sank LST314 and LST376.
25th Retained in Eastern Task Force Area
after completion of NEPTUNE.
July Patrol
and escort duty in Channel In continuation.
August
11th Patrol and escort duty in Channel in
continuation.
In
action against German minesweeping flotilla with HM Destroyer ONSLAUGHT,
US Frigate USS BORUM and US Navy PT boats.
14th Under repair to action damage.
September Rejoined Home Fleet for Russian
Convoy escort duties with ships of Flotilla.
17th Joined screen for HM Battleship RODNEY, HM Cruiser DIADEM, HM
Escort Carriers
CAMPANIA and STRIKER with HM Destroyers MARNE, METEOR, MILNE,
MUSKETEER, SCORPION. VENUS, VERULAM, VIRAGO, VOLAGE,
Canadian
destroyers ALGONQUIN and SIOUX as escort for Russian Convoy
JW60.
23rd Detached from JW60 on arrival at Kola
Inlet.
28th Joined return Convoy RA60 on departure from Kola Inlet as
escort during passage with
same ships.
October
3rd Detached from RA60 before arrival at
Loch Ewe.
24th Part of screen for HM Cruiser DEVONSHIRE, HM Escorts Carriers TRUMPETER and
CAMPANIA with HMS SERAPIS and two other Home
Fleet Destroyers as Force 2 to
carry out air minelay and air attacks on shipping off Alesund, Norway.
(Operation
HARDY – For details of all minelaying operations see
Naval Staff History
(Mining).)
November
2nd Deployed as escort for Convoy JW61A comprising mercantiles ss EMPRESS OF
AUSTRALIA and ss SCYTHIA as Convoy JW61 with HM Cruiser BERWICK,
HMS CAMPANIA, HM Destroyers CAPRICE, CASSANDRA, SCOURGE and
SERAPIS.
(Note: These two ships were carrying Russian nationals who
had been captured in Normandy
during the allied advance (Operation OVERLORD).
11th Returned as escort for Convoy RA61A with
HMS SAVAGE, HMS SCORPION and
(Note: RA61 comprised same two mercantiles.)
17th Detached on
arrival on RA61A in Clyde and resumed Flotilla duties at Scapa Flow.
December Home Fleet duties with Flotilla in
continuation.
Nominated for
service in Eastern Fleet with 26th Destroyer Flotilla.
1 9
4 5
January Under
refit and preparation for foreign service in Tyne commercial shipyard
15th Took passage to Gibraltar with HM Destroyers
VIGILANT and VIRAGO.
as part
of escort for HM Aircraft Carrier FORMIDABLE.
(Note:
HMS FORMIDABLE was joining the Fleet at Trincomalee.)
February Carried out series of exercises
in Mediterranean to prepare for operations
with Eastern Fleet.
March Passage
in Red Sea and Indian Ocean.
10th Arrived at Trincomalee and joined HM
Destroyers VERULAM, VOLAGE and VENUS in 26th
Destroyer
Flotilla.
(For details of Eastern Fleet
activities see OPERATION PACIFIC by E Gray).
12th Deployed as Part
of Force 70 for operations against shipping off Sumatra.
14th Bombarded Singli,
Sumatra with HM Destroyers
VOLAGE and RAPID.
18th Carried out reconnaissance of Nicobars.
19th Took part in attack on Port Blair, Andamans with ships of Force 70.
Towed damaged Destroyer HMS RAPID to Akyab.
(Note: HMS RAPID had been damaged by shore fire during
attack.)
(Operation
TRANSPORT).
20th Joined by HMS VIRAGO and HMS VIGILANT.
26th Carried out shipping sweep between Andamans and coast of Malaya.
(Operation
ON BOARD)
27th Carried out attack against convoy in
Malacca Straits.
Freighter
and Submarine Chaser were sunk but heavy expenditure of ammunition and
of 18 torpedoes was later criticised.
April
6th Joined escort for HM Battleship QUEEN ELIZABETH, French battleship RICHELIEU,
HM
Cruisers LONDON and CUMBERLAND with HM Destroyers VERULAM,
VIGILANT, VIRAGO and VENUS (Operation SUNFISH).
11th Carried out bombardment of Sabang, Sumatra with other Eastern
Fleet ships.
30th Sailed from Kyaukpyo, Burma with Eastern Fleet ships to provide
support during
planned landings at Rangoon
May
1st Escorted HM Cruisers PHOEBE and
ROYALIST, HM Escort Carriers EMPEROR.
KHEDIVE,
HUNTER and STALKED with HM Destroyers VERULAM, VENUS,
VIRAGO and VIGILANT to provide support during Rangoon landings.
(Operation
DRACULA).
6th Joined Task Force 63 (HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH, FS RICHELIEU, HM
Escort
Carriers
SHAH and EMPRESS) with HM Cruisers CUMBERLAND, SUFFOLK,
Netherlands cruiser TROMP and HM Cruiser CEYLON for bombardment of
Car Nicobar and Port Blair (Operation
BISHOP).
9th Joined Task Force 51 (Task Force 63 plus 21st Aircraft
Carrier Squadron) with
Eastern
Fleet destroyers to intercept Japanese warships sighted in the entrance to the
Malacca Straits. Operation DUKEDOM)
14th Detached with HM Destroyers VERULAM, VIGILANT, VENUS and
VIRAGO to
search for these ships north of Sumatra
(Operation MITRE).
15th Took part in torpedo attack on Japanese
cruiser HAGURO and destroyer KAMIKAZE.
16th HAGURO sunk SW of Penang in
position 5.00N 5.99E).
Sustained major damage from three hits by 8in shells during
action.
(For
full details of this action see SINK THE HAGURO by John Winton and the
Naval Staff History.)
Under temporary repair.
Passage to Durban for permanent repair.
June Passage
to Simonstown for permanent repair
6th Taken in hand by HM Dockyard, Simonstown.
July Under repair.
August On
completion of post repair trials took passage to rejoin Flotilla
Called at Durban.
September Rejoined Eastern Fleet
4th Sailed from Trincomalee with aircraft carriers to provide
air cover for passage
of military convoy
6th Joined Convoy JME1F
See
BRITISH INVASION FLEETS by J de Winser.