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SERVICE HISTORIES of ROYAL NAVY WARSHIPS in WORLD WAR 2

by Lt Cdr Geoffrey B Mason RN (Rtd) (c) 2003

HMS TYRIAN (R 67) -  T-class Destroyer
including Convoy Escort Movements

Edited by Gordon Smith, Naval-History.Net

HMS Terpsichore, sister-ship (Navy Photos, click to enlarge) return to Contents List 
 

T-Class Fleet Destroyer ordered from Swan Hunter and Wigham Richardson in March 1941 with other ships of the 8th Emergency Flotilla. The ship was laid down on 15th October 1941,  launched on 27th July 1942 as the 5th ship to carry the name dating from 1808. It was previously used in 1918 for a destroyer sold in 1930. Build was completed on 8th April 1943. Following a successful  WARSHIP WEEK in March 1942 the ship was adopted by Great Yarmouth in  the county of Norfolk.

 

B a t t l e    H o n o u r s

 

ATLANTIC  1943 - SICILY  1943 - SALERNO  1943 - MEDITERRANEAN  1943 - ADRIATIC  1944 - SOUTH FRANCE  1944 - AEGEAN 1944

 

H e r a l d i c   D a t a

Badge: On a Field Red, an owl Silver, with crook  and flail Gold.

 

M o t t o

 'Tireless Ever'

 

 

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

 

April                   Builders trials and commissioning.

       7th               Accepted into service for duty with 24th Destroyer Flotilla.

                           Passage to Scapa Flow for work-up with Home Fleet.

 

May                   On completion of work-up took passage to join Flotilla in the Mediterranean.

                           Deployed with Flotilla in Central Mediterranean for escort and patrol duties.

 

June                   Escort and patrol duty in continuation.

                          Preparation for Sicily landings (Operation HUSKY)

 

July                    Deployed in Malta

       8th               Sailed from Malta for HUSKY landings duties.

     10th               Joined destroyer screen for HM Battleships NELSON, RODNEY, VALIANT and WARSPITE,

                           HM Aircraft Carriers INDOMITABLE and FORMIDABLE, HM Cruisers AURORA

                           PENELOPE, CLEOPATRA and EURYALUS with 17 other allied destroyers to provide

                           cover in Ionian Sea against Italian fleet intervention during Sicily landings.

                           (For details see ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY by Corelli Barnett and

                           Naval Staff History).

 

August

     21st               Carried out bombardment of Italian mainland from Messina Straits.

     31st               Provided naval gunfire support for  allied landings in Calabria with HM Battleships

                           NELSON, RODNEY, HM Cruiser ORION and eight other allied destroyers

                           (Operation BAYTOWN).

 

September

       3rd               Supported landings by British XIII Corps near Reggio and Villa San Giovanni.

       9th               Deployed with HM  Battleships RODNEY, NELSON, WARSPITE and VALIANT,

                           HM Aircraft Carriers FORMIDABLE and ILLUSTRIOUS as destroyer screen with 20

                           other destroyers of 4th, 8th and 24th Destroyer Flotillas to provide cover for landings

                           at Salerno.

                           (Operation AVALANCHE - For details see above references).

     11th               Provided naval gunfire support and AA protection for Fleet units off beaches.

 

October              Deployed in support of shore operations and convoy interception.

     16th               Sank supply ship and captured another during Interception operation off Albania.

                           with HM Destroyer TUMULT.

 

November

       8th               Carried out bombardment of Volturno.

    11th                Carried out bombardment of shore installations in Gulf of Gaeta with HM Destroyers

                           TUMULT, GRENVILLE and Polish destroyer ORP PIORUN.

 

December           Transferred to Adriatic for support of military operations and for interception of

                            enemy supply convoys.

                            In action with enemy convoy off Kotor and sank small craft.

 

1 9 4 4

 

January              Adriatic deployment in continuation.

                            Bombarded Rovigno in support of military operations.

                            Embarked General Alexander for passage from Alexandria to Anzio.

 

February             Deployed in Adriatic with Flotilla for support of military convoys and attacks on

                             shipping.

      27th               Carried out bombardment of Vela Luka, Yugoslavia.

 

March                 Adriatic deployment in continuation.

to                         Nominated for support of landings in South France as part of US Navy Task Force.

June

 

July                      Transferred to US Command for support of landings in South France.

                             (Operation DRAGOON - For details see ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY

                             and INVASION OF THE SOUTH OF FRANCE (HMSO).

 

August                Joined Task Force 88 under US Command for escort of Escort Aircraft Carriers.

    12th                 Sailed from Malta as destroyer screen for HM Escort Carriers  ATTACKER, KHEDIVE,

                            EMPEROR, SEARCHER and PURSUER, HM Cruisers ROYALIST and DELHI with

                            destroyers of 24th Flotilla as Task Group 88.1

    15th                 Deployed for defence of TG88.1 during landings in South France.

    19th                 Withdrawn with TG88.1 for replenishment at Maddalena.

    21st                 Returned to Assault Area with TG88.1.

    24th                 Withdrawn with TG 88.1 for replenishment

    27th                 Released from DRAGOON and took passage to Alexandria.

                            Returned to RN control.

 

September           Joined British Aegean Force with Flotilla to support military operations to occupy

                            islands and in preparation for landings on Greek mainland .

                            (See ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY and WAR IN THE MEDITERRANEAN

                            (HMSO).

October

    26th                 Carried out bombardment of Melos with HM Cruiser AURORA and HM Escort

                            Destroyer TETCOTT.

 

November

    10th                Carried out bombardments of Civitano and Pedaso with HM Destroyer GRENVILLE.

 

December           Passage to UK to prepare for service in British Pacific Fleet.

 

1 9 4 5

 

January                Taken in hand for refit by HM Dockyard, Chatham to prepare for service with

                             4th Destroyer Flotilla in British Pacific Fleet

 

February              Under refit.

to

May

 

June                     Post refit trials and preparation for foreign service.

 

July                      Passage to Sydney.

 

August                Joined British Pacific Fleet on arrival.

                             (Note: This ship was not deployed operationally with the British Pacific Fleet

                                         on 15th August .

                                         Her Pennant Number for visual signalling purposes was changed to D52 after

                                         arrival in Australia where she prepared for deployment under US Navy

                                         overall command. This identity was changed to conform with US Navy

                                         system for destroyer signal identification.)

      27th               Deployed with HM Aircraft Carrier COLOSSUS, HM Cruisers BERMUDA and

                            ARGONAUT, HM Destroyers TUMULT, TUSCAN and QUIBERON to assist with

                             occupation of Shanghai as part of Task Group 111.

 

P o s t   W a r   N o t e s

 

HMS TYRIAN returned to UK after a visit to Melbourne with HM Destroyer TENACIOUS, TUMULT and UNDINE in February 1946. She was reduced to Reserve status at Harwich after arrival on 30th May that year. Transferred to the Reserve Fleet at Chatham in 1949 she laid-up there until 1951 when the ship was converted to a Type 16 Anti-Submarine Frigate at Liverpool. On completion in 1952 she served with the 2nd Training Flotilla at Portland and attended the Coronation Review at Spithead in June 1953 with the Squadron. In September 1953 during NATO Exercise MARINER she ran aground on Haisborough Sands. Again reduced to Reserve in November 1956 she was initially laid-up at Chatham but transferred to Lisahally, Northern Ireland in 1957. Placed on the Disposal List in 1965 she arrived in tow at the Breaker’s in Troon, Ayrshire for demolition on 9th March 1965.

 


 

Addendum

 

CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of HMS TYRIAN

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

 

 

 

 

 

04/06/43

05/06/43

OS 049KM

13/06/43

13/06/43

13/06/43

13/06/43

KMS 016G

15/06/43

15/06/43

19/09/43

19/09/43

NSF 003A

21/09/43

22/09/43

21/04/44

21/04/44

IXF 013

21/04/44

25/04/44

22/05/44

09/06/44

XIF 015

09/06/44

28/05/44

28/06/44

unknown

XIF 017

unknown

02/07/44

18/07/44

18/07/44

IXF 018

19/07/44

22/07/44

 

 

 

 

 

(Note on Convoys)

 

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revised 11/8/11
further editing and formatting is required


 

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