T or TUMULT-Class Destroyer ordered from Swan
Hunter, Wallsend on 14th March 1941 with the 6th
Emergency Flotilla. The ship was laid down on 6th September 1941 and launched
on 28th May 1942 as the second ship to bear this name. It had
previously used
for a destroyer built in 1919 and sold in 1932 .In March 1942 after a
successful WARSHIP WEEK National. Savings campaign she was adopted by the civil
community of Connah's Quay, then, part of the
county of Flint, Wales. Build was completed on 11th
March 1943.
B a t
t l e H o n o
u r s
ADRIATIC 1944
-
SOUTH FRANCE 1944 - AEGEAN 1944
H e r a l d ic D a t a
Badge: On a field Blue a Lion sejant Gold’on a wall Grey
holding
a shield Silver bearing a fleur-de-lys Red.
M o t t o
“
I hold
what I take”
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 3
March Contractors trials and
commissioned for service in 24th Destroyer Flotilla.
11th Build completion and commenced
Acceptance Trials
April On completion of trials and
storing took passage to Scapa Flow to work-up
with ships of the
Home Fleet.
Deployed for
convoy defence and fleet screening duties in NW Approaches
May
14th Sustained major
structural damage after striking a floating mine in the Bristol Channel.
(Note: This may
have been from a British minefield HS1 laid in February 1943
by HM Minelaying
Cruiser ADVENTURE.)
Only one minor
casualty
Towed by Polish
destroyer ORKAN to Milford Haven.
16th Taken in hand for repair
June
Under repair
to August
September Carried out post-repair trials and
shakedown for operational service
Took passage to
rejoin Flotilla in Home Fleet
October Nominated for service in Mediterranean with Flotilla.
Took passage to
Malta.
November Carried out sea trials for newly
developed surface warning radar Type 276.
Deployed for convoy defence and support
of military operation with Flotilla
in central
Mediterranean
December Deployed in Adriatic with
Flotilla for escort and support duties.
1 9 4
4
January Adriatic deployment in
continuation.
to
February
March Returned for duty in
central Mediterranean.
29th Deployed for anti-submarine
operations off Palermo with HMS TUMULT.
April Transferred to central Mediterranean for escort and patrol duty.
to Central
Mediterranean deployment in continuation.
June
July Transferred
with HM Destroyers TROUBRIDGE, TEAZER, TENACIOUS, TERMAGANT,
TUMULT, TYRIAN and
TEAZER of Flotilla for support of landings in South of France.
(Operation DRAGOON
- for details see Naval Staff History, ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE
CLOSELY and BRITISH INVASION FLEETS by J
de Winser.
August Deployed as screen for
Carrier Task Force with ships of Flotilla.
(Note: Force
comprised HM Escort Carriers KHEDIVE, EMPEROR, SEARCHER, PURSUER
and
ATTACKER as Task Group 88.1.
Sailed from
Malta with TF881
15th Deployed with TG88.1 escort during
landings by allied forces in South France
(Operation DRAGOON
- formerly ANVIL)
Released from
DRAGOON when TG88.1 disbanded.
September Transferred to Eastern
Mediterranean with Flotilla
Joined British
Aegean Force to support operations to reoccupy islands held
by German troops.
Prepared for
support of landings in Greece (Operation MANNA)
Took part with
Flotilla in interception of craft evacuation enemy personnel from
islands.
13th Sank transport TONI with HMS
TROUBRIDGE north of Crete.
October Deployment with British
Aegean Force in continuation.
7th In action against enemy convoy in
Aegean with HMS TERMAGANT.
Torpedo Boats
TA37, UJ2101 and patrol craft GK32 sunk SW of Kasandra-Huk
19th Sank Torpedo Boat TA18 off Volvos.
Nominated for
service with British Pacific Fleet after refit.
November
Remained with British Aegean Force for support of re-occupation
operations.
December
During engagement off Rhodes with HM Destroyer KELVIN sank
two landing craft
Took passage to Portsmouth for refit
1
9 4 5
January Under
refit by HM Dockyard, Portsmouth.
to
April
May
Carried out Post-refit trials and prepared for Pacific service.
June
Took passage to Malta for work-up with ships of the Mediterranean Fleet
On completion
sailed for operational service based in Australia.
July Passage in Indian ocean
Pennant
Number for visual signalling purposes changed to D51 to conform to US
system of
identification for destroyers.
August Joined
ships of 24th Flotilla on arrival.
(Note: Did
not join ships of Task Force 37.
See THE FORGOTTEN FLEET by J Winton and WAR WITH JAPAN (HMSO).
P o s t W a r N o t e s
HMS TUSCAN took part in repatriation of allied personnel
at Shanghai with HM Cruisers BERMUDA, ARGONAUT, and HM Destroyers TYRIAN, TUMULT and
QUIBERON. On return to UK in 1946 the ship went into Reserve at Portsmouth. She was refitted in
1949 and returned to Reserve. Selected for conversion to
a Type 16 Anti-submarine Frigate in 1952, carried out at Cardiff by Mount
Stewart Drydocks, she returned to
Reserve at Devonport after trials. Later she was transferred to Portsmouth and
subsequently laid up at Chatham. When this division close down in 1963 , the
destroyer became part of the Operational Reserve at
Portsmouth. Placed on the Disposal List in 1965 she was sold to BISCO for for demolition by MacLellan and arrived at the Bo'ness
breakers yard in tow
on 26th May 1966.
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