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H . M . S
. G R E N V I L L
E (ii)
"U" Class Fleet
Destroyer ordered under a War Emergency Programme in April 1941 from Swan
Hunter, Wallsend, Newcastle. The ship was laid down
on 1st November 1941 and launched on 12th October 1942 as the 3rd RN warship to
carry this name. It was introduced in 1763 in commemoration of the famous
victory by Sir Richard Grenville against a Spanish
Fleet off the Azores in August 1591. The last ship to bear the name was sunk by
a mine in 1940. Build completed on 27th May 1943 and the design included
additional accommodation to allow use as a Flotilla Leader. Following a
successful WARSHIP WEEK National Savings campaign during March 1942 she had
been 'adopted' by the civil community of Paisley, Renfrewshire, now part of Strathclyde.
D e t a i
l s o f W a r
S e r v i c e
1 9 4
3
May
Contractor's sea trials and commissioned for service in 25th Destroyer
Flotilla.
27th Build completion and commenced
Accepted Trials.
On completion of trials and
storing took passage to Scapa Flow to work-up for
operational
duties with Hone Fleet.
June
During work-up deployed with destroyer screen for major Home Fleet which included US
Navy
battleships on loan service at Scapa Flow.
July
Part of screen for H M Battleships ANSON, DUKE CF YORK and MALAYA, US
battleships
SOUTH DAKOTA and ALABAMA during diversionary sweep off Norway as a
Diversionary
operation during allied landings in Sicily.
31st Transferred to English Channel based
at Plymouth.
August
Deployed for anti-submarine operations in Bay of Biscay with HM
Destroyer ULSTER and
HM Sloop CRANE to intercept U-Boats on passage to and
for attacks on enemy coastal convoys.
(For details see HOLD THE NARROW SEA by P Smith, ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE
CLOSELY by Corelli Barnett and CONFLICT OVER THE BAY by N Franks).
26th Despatched with HM Canadian Destroyer
ATHABASKAN, HM Sloop EGRET, HM Frigates
ROTHER and JED to
reinforce ships of 5th and 40th Support Groups after increase of air
attacks by Glider
Bombs off Spanish coast.
(Note : HM Cruiser PHOEBE provided cover.)
(Operation PERCUSSION -To intercept U-Boats
using coastal waters for passage to and from
Atlantic convoy routes)
. 28th Under attack by Do217 aircraft using
He293 Glider Bombs.
(Note :HMS EGRET was sunk and HMCS ATHABASKAN damaged in these attacks
September Channel deployment in continuation.
October
Channel deployment in continuation.
16th Deployed with HM Destroyers ULSTER,
LIMBOURNE, TANTASIDE and WENSLEYDALE
for an interception operation in Bay of Biscay.
In action against German destroyers off Les
Triages Light.
Torpedo attack by RN destroyers and unsuccessful.
Caught fire after
being hit during exchange of fire and withdrew from action.
Came under 'friendly fire' from other ships in company.
Enemy ships were able to disengage (See FRIEND CF FOE by P Kemp).
(Note : This was an example of the poor execution of TUNNEL operations)
18th Under repair.
22nd Deployed with HM Cruiser CHARYBDIS, HM Destroyers ROCKET, TALYBONT,
STEVENSTONE,
LIMBOURNE and WENSLEYDALE to intercept German blockade runner
MUNSTERLAND off
the coast of Brittany .
(Operation TUNNEL
Series).
23rd Under attack by German torpedo boats
during which HMS CHARYBDIS and HMS
LIMBOURNE were
sunk.
(For details of this disastrous, ill-planned and poorly executed
operation see HOLD THE
NARROW SEA by Peter C Smith and TWO HONORABLE YEARS by Craig Leith.
(Note TWO HONORABLE YEARS was privately published).
November Transferred for duty in
Mediterranean and took passage to Gibraltar..
8th Carried out bombardment of Volturno.
December
Deployed in Adriatic based at Brindisi for
patrol duties and support for military operations.
1 9 4 4
January
Adriatic support in continuation.
Carried out bombardment of Revigno.
Nominated for support of planned
allied landings at Anzio.
Passage to join Assault Force at
Naples.,
21st Deployed in support of landings as
part of screen for major units and for gunfire support.
(Operation SHINGLE - See ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY and Naval Staff
History).
24th Deployed with HM Destroyer LAFOREY
for interception patrol against E-Boats.
February On
release from SHINGLE deployed in central Mediterranean and Adriatic.
to
March
April
Transferred to rejoin Home Fleet for support of planned allied landings
in Normandy.
Passage to Scapa Flow.
May
Nominated for duty in Force G to support assault landings on GOLD BEACH
with HM
Destroyers URSA, ULSTER, UNDAUNTED, UNDINE and URCHIN of Flotilla.
Joined HM Cruisers ORION, AJAX, ARGONAUT and EMERALD with HMS UNDINE
as part of BOMBARDING Force K (Operation NEPTUNE).
Carried out bombardment exercise with Force K in NW Approaches.
(For details of naval activities prior to and during landings and of
major ships in Force G
see LANDINGS IN NORMANDY JUNE 1944 (HMSO) and OPERATION NEPTUNE by
K. Edwards).
June
Assembled with Force K ships in Clyde.
3rd Sailed from Clyde with Force K.
4th Operation delayed for 24 hours.
5th Dutch Gunboat FLORES joined Force K
on arrival in Solent.
Passage through Swept Channel with Force K as Convoy G12.
6th Provided naval gunfire support for
landings on GOLD Beach.
8th Deployed in Eastern Task Force Area
for gunfire support and defensive patrols to intercept
enemy surface craft and submarines attacking ships off beachhead.
25th Retained with Flotilla in English Channel after termination of NEPTUNE.
August
Channel deployment with Flotilla in continuation.
Nominated for service in Pacific with Flotilla.
September Refit and preparation for
service with British Pacific Fleet.
October On
completion of post refit trials and
shakedown took passage to
Mediterranean.
November Retained in Mediterranean for
support of military operations.
10th Carried
out bombardment of Civitanova and Pedaso.
On release from support duties took
passage to Ceylon.
22nd Joined British Pacific Fleet on
formation.
December After
arrival detached with Flotilla for screening of Eastern Fleet major ships and patrol in
Indian Ocean.
1 9 4 5
January
Detached service with Eastern Fleet in continuation.
4th Part of screen for HM Aircraft
Carriers INDOMITABLE, VICTORIOUS and
INDEFATIGABLE, HM Cruisers
SUFFOLK, CEYLON, ARGONAUT and BLACK
PRINCE with HM Destroyers UNDINE, UNDAUNTED, URANIA, URSA, KEMPENFELT,
WHELP and WAGER as Task Force 63.
(Operation LENTIL - Air attacks on
oil refineries at Pangkalan
Erandan,Sumatra).
(See OPERATION PACIFIC by E Gray, ENGAGE THE
ENEMY MORE CLOSELY and
WAR WITH JAPAN (HMSO)
13th Took part in rehearsal of planned
operation during passage to Sydney of BPF.
16th Sailed from Ceylon as Task Force
63 (HM Battleship KING GEORGE V, HM Aircraft
Carriers INDOMITABLE, ILLUSTRIOUS, VICTORIOUS
and INDEFATIGABLE, HM
Cruisers BLACK PRINCE, ARGONAUT and EURYALUS, HM Destroyers UNDAUNTED
UNDINE, URSA, KEMPENFELT, WAKEFUL, WHIRLWIND, WAGER, WESSEX and
WHELP for passage to
Sydney.
20th Refuelled at sea from Task Force
69.
24th Part of screen for TF63 during air
attacks on oil refinery at Pladjoe, North of Palembang,
Sumatra (0peration MERIDIAN
I).
28th Part of screen for TF63 during
attacks on refinery at Soengi-Cerong, Sumatra.
(Operation MERIDIAN II).
30th Replenished and took passage to Fremantle.
February
10th Arrived at
Sydney.
11th Prepared for service with US Navy
in SW Pacific
. to Carried out exercises using US
Navy procedures.
28th Designated as part of Task Force
113 with ships of BPF.
Took passage to Manus
March
7th Arrived at Manus.
8th Delayed at Manus
whilst US Approval was received for BPF ships to join operations
to in SW Pacific.
14th
15th Approval given by US CinC for Task Force 113 to deployed with US 5th Fleet.
18th Sailed for Ulithi
with snips of 25th, 4th and 27th Destroyer Flotillas.
22nd Re-designated as Task Group 57.8 and
took passage from Ulithi for operational area off
Sakishima Gunto as
part of screen for EPF ship (Task Force 57).
(Operation ICEBERG I - Support for Okinawa
landings).
26th Deployed in operational area with
TF57.
(For details of
naval operations by TF57 see TASK FORCE 57 by P Smith,
OPERATION
PACIFIC by E Gray, THE FORGOTTEN FLEET by J
Winton and WAR WITH JAPAN
(HMSO)
Nominated for detached
service with US ships for joint air attacks on airfields.
April
9th Task Force 57 diverted to carry out
air attacks on airfields in Formosa.
(Operation ICEBERG OOLONG).
11th Deployed with screen for TF57 ships
during air operations off Formosa.
16th On completion of Formosa strikes and
refuelling resumed operations off Sakishima Gunto.
20th Took passage to Leyte
for rest period after 6th strike period.
May
. 1st Sailed from Leyte
as part of screen for HM Battleships KING GEORGE V and HOWE, HM
Aircraft Carriers INDOMITABLE, VICTORIOUS, FORMIDABLE and INDEFATIGABLE,
HM Cruisers SWIFTSURE, BLACK PRINCE, UGANDA (RCN), GAMBIA (RNZN) and
EURYALUS with destroyers
of 4th, 25th and 27th Destroyer Flotillas to continue
attacks on
airfields in the Sakishima Group by
Task Force 57
(Operation ICEBERG II)
4th Resumed screening duties during air
operations after replenishment.
Detached with ships of Flotilla to screen
HMS KING GEORGE V, HMS HOWE, HM Cruisers
SWIFTSURE, BLACK PRINCE, EURYALUS, GAMBIA and UGANDA during
bombardment of airfield on Miyako.
Withdrew soon after start of
bombardment when signal received to say aircraft carriers were
under heavy and sustained air attacks.
5th Deployed with screen of TF57 during
air operations.
to Under sustained air attacks.
25th
26th Passage to Sydney via Manus as screen for TF57 ships.
27th British ships transferred to 3rd US
Fleet and re-designated Task Force 37.
June
Maintenance and rest period at Sydney.
Re-designated as Leader of 4th RN Destroyer Flotilla with ships of 25th
Flotilla.
28th Took passage to Manus
with BPF ships for joint operations with US 3rd Fleet off Japan.
July
6th Sailed from Manus
with BPF ships.
17th Passage to Japan with TF37 for joint
RN and USN operations.
Deployed with HM Destroyers QUIBERON, QUICKMATCH, QUALITY, QUADRANT,
TROUBRIDGE, TENACIOUS, TERMAGANT, TEAZER, TERPSICHORE, UNDAUNTED,
UNDINE, URANIA, URCHIN and
ULYSSES to screen HM Battleship KING GEORGE V,
HM Aircraft Carriers FORMIDABLE,
VICTORIOUS and HMS IMPLACABLE, HM Cruisers
NEWFOUNDLAND,
ACHILLES (RNZN), UGANDA (RCN), EURYALUS, GAMBIA
(RNZN) and BLACK
PRINCE.
(Note : TF37 carriers joined US TF38 attacks on targets in Tokyo and
Yokohama.
18th Bombarded targets in South Honshu with
TF37. In action against surface suicide
craft.
August
Deployed in operational area with TF37.
9th Part of screen TF37 ships during
combined air attacks and surface bombardment of targets in
North Honshu and Hokkaido with US Task Groups.
12th Escorted ships of TF37 to Manus after reduction of British element due to lack of fuel from
British sources (See above references)
20th Passage to Sydney with HM Destroyers
URCHIN and URSA as escort for HM Aircraft
Carrier FORMIDABLE.
Post War Notes
HMS
GRENVILLE returned to UK after VJ Day to reduce to Reserve status at Portsmouth
and then was laid up at Harwich. In 1951 she re-commissioned for
service with the Plymouth Local Flotilla and on 1st October that year was
involved in a collision off Start Point. Three men were killed, 5 injured and the ship
seriously damaged. After repair in August 1952 she resumed service and was
converted into a Type 15 Anti-submarine Frigate, completing in 1954. Her
service as a frigate lasted until 1969 when she was placed in Reserve at Gibraltar.
The ship returned to UK and was refitted for use as a Trials Ship for
Weapons and Radio equipment. This service which included first trials of a
Satellite Communications System lasted until 1972 when she was placed on the
Disposal and laid up at Portsmouth. Sold to BISCO in 1983 for
demolition by Romamet she was towed to the breakers
yard at Rochester later that year.
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