V-Class
destroyers ordered from Fairfield of Govan, Glasgow with the 8th Emergency
Flotilla on 1st September 1941. She was laid down on 12th January 1942 and launched on 23rd February 1943 as the 11th RN warship to carry this name previously used
for a cruiser sold in 1921. She had been adopted by the civil community of
Evesham, Worcestershire following a successful WARSHIP WEEK
National Savings campaign in November 1941. Build was completed on 28th August 1943 and the ship was fitted for arctic service.
B a t t l e H o n o u r s
GLORIOUS FIRST OF JUNE 1794 - QUIBERON 1759
- ST LUCIA
1778 - ST LUCIA 1803 - ARCTIC
1943-44 - NORMANDY 1944 - MALAYA 1945
- BURMA 1945
H e r a l d i c D a t a
Badge: On a Field Blue, the
symbol of the planet Venus Gold.
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
August Contractor's sea trials and commissioning.
28th Build completion and
commenced Acceptance Trials.
September On completion of trials and storing took passage to Scapa Flow to work-up
with ships of Home
Fleet
Worked-up for
operational service at Scapa Flow.
Joined 26th
Destroyer Flotilla, Home Fleet on completion.
October
Deployed with Flotilla in NW Approaches for Fleet escort and patrol.
November
3rd Deployed as part of
screen for HM Battleship ANSON, HM Aircraft Carrier FORMIDABLE, HM
Cruiser JAMAICA with HM Destroyers ONSLOW, HAIDA (RCN), Norwegian STORD,
US
destroyer USS CAPPS and USS
HOBSON).
(For details of all Russian Convoy operations see CONVOYS TO RUSSIA by
RA Ruegg
CONVOY! by P Kemp and THE
RUSSIAN CONVOYS by B Schoefield).
23rd Joined Ocean Escort
for Russian Convoy JW54B with m Destroyers HARDY, SAVAGE,
SAUMAREZ, SCORPION, SCOURGE and VIGILANT.
December
3rd Made independent return passage to
Scapa Flow with Home Fleet units after arrival of JW54B
at approaches to Archangel.
Resumed Fleet duties with Flotilla.
1 9 4 4
January
21st Joined escort for Russian Convoy
JW56A at Akureyi with HM Destroyers OBDURATE,
HARDY, OFFA,
INCONSTANT, SAVAGE, VIGILANT, VIRAGO and Norwegian destroyer
STORD.
28th On arrival at Kola Inlet despatched to
join escort for following Convoy JW56B.
29th Reinforced escort
for JW56B.
30th After HMS HARDY had
been torpedoed by U27b assisted in rescue of survivors.
Sank hulk of HMS HARDY.
February
3rd Joined escort for
returning Convoy RA56 at Kola Inlet with Home Fleet ships.
7th Detached from RA56 with HM Destroyers
OFFA, OPPORTUNE, SAVAGE and VIGILANT.
March
Flotilla duties in NW Approaches in continuation.
29th Joined Russian Convoy JW58 with m
Cruiser DIADEM, HM Escort Carriers ACTIVITY,
TRACKER, HM Destroyers OBEDIENT', OFFA, OPPORTUNE ORIBI. ORWELL,
SERAPIS, SAUMAREZ, SCORPION and Norwegian STORD.
April
4th Detached from JW58 on
arrival at Kola Inlet.
7th Joined escort for return Convoy RA58
with HMS ACTIVITY and Fleet destroyers.
12th Detached from RA58 with
HM Destroyers BEAGLE. BOADICEA, INCONSTANT,
KEPPEL, WALKER, WESTCOTT,
WHITEHALL and WRESTLER before arrival
of convoy in Loch Ewe.
Nominated for duty in Support Force J during planned allied landings in
Normandy with
HM Canadian Destroyers SIOUX, ALGONQUIN, HM Destroyers KEMPENFELT and
VIGILANT of 27th Destroyer Flotilla.
(Operation NEPTUNE - See OPERATION NEPTUNE by K Edwards and NORMANDY
LANDINGS JUNE 1944 (HMSO) for details).
May Passage to Channel for preparatory
exercises.
Joined HM Destroyers FAULKNOR, FURY, BLEASDALE, GLAISDALE (Nor.)
STEVENSTONE and the French LA COMBATTANTE with ships of Flotilla In
Force J.
2nd
Final rehearsal for Forces O, S, G and J (Exercise FABIUS).
3rd Berthing, and loading
and sailing phases exercised.
4th Assault landing at
Bracklesham Bay, West Sussex. Defence exercise In Channel off Brighton.
18th On completion, took passage to Solent
for final preparations.
Bombardment target allocated in Pre-Arranged Fire Plan.
Beaches west of Corseulles with HM Destroyer FURY.
June
Deployed in Solent.
3rd Joined HMS STEVENSTONE
and French LA COMBATTANTE as escort for Convoy J9.
(Note: This comprised HM Frigate LAWFORD, 10 Landing Ships (Infantry), three
Motor Gun
Boats
from Light Coastal Forces and two US Navy Coastguard Cutters).
4th Convoy sailing delayed
by 21 hours.
5th Escorted Convoy
through swept channel.
6th On arrival at beach
head took up bombardment station.
Provided naval gunfire support, for JUNO Beaches.
7th Deployed in Task Force
area for patrol, convoy defence and support as required by Assault
Force Commander.
27th Retained in Channel
area after NEPTUNE terminated.
28th. In action off
Cherbourg with light. German, naval units during offensive sweep.
July Channel deployment in continuation.
On release from Channel deployment rejoined Home Fleet at Scapa Flow
with Flotilla.
August
Deployed for Flotilla duties with Home Fleet.
September
17th Joined escort for Russian Convoy JW60
with HM Battleship RODNEY, HM Cruiser
DIADEM, HM Escort. Carriers CAMPANIA and STRIKER with HM Destroyers
MARNE,
METEOR, MILNE, MUSKETEER, SAUMAREZ, SCORPION, VERULAM, VIRAGO,
VOLAGE and ALGONQUIN.
23rd Detached from JW60
on. arrival at Kola Inlet.
28th Escorted returning Convoy RA60 from
Kola Inlet with same ships.
October
3rd Detached with Home
Fleet escorts before arrival in Loch Ewe.
23rd Part of screen for
HM Aircraft Carrier IMPLACABLE, HM Cruiser MAURITIUS with HM
Destroyers,
MYNGS, VERULAM, VOLAGE, ALGONQUIN and SIOUX during air attacks
by carrier on
Sorreisa and Bardufoss airfield.
November
14th Escorted HM Escort. Carrier PURSUER and
HM Cruiser EURYALUS with HM Destroyers
NUBIAN and
ZEPHYR for carrier attacks on Trondheim
Nominated for
refit and took passage to Forth.
December Under refit at Commercial
shipyard in Leith prior to service with Flotilla in Eastern Fleet
1 9 4 5
January
Under refit.
February
Prepared for service with Eastern Fleet after completion of post refit
trials
Passage to
Trincomalee.
(Note: During
passage in Mediterranean carried our further exercises .
March
Joined Flotilla in Eastern Fleet.
Deployed on
Fleet screening and patrol in Indian Ocean.
April
10th Part of screen for
HM Battleship QUEEN ELIZABETH and French battleship RICHELIEU.,
HM Cruisers
CUMBERLAND and LONDON with ships of Flotilla for bombardment of
Sabang, Sumatra (Operation SUNFISH).
30th Sailed from
Kyaupu to join aircraft carrier prior to planned landings in Burma.
May
1st Part of screen
for Eastern Fleet major ships of covering force during landings at Rangoon.
(Operation
DRACULA - See OPERATION PACIFIC by E Gray, THE FORGOTTEN
FLEET by J
Winton and WAR WITH JAPAN (HMSO).)
6th Joined Force 63 as screen for HMS
QUEEN ELIZABETH, French RICHELIEU, HM
Escort Carriers
SHAH, EMPRESS, HM Cruisers CUMBERLAND, SUFFOLK, CEYLON
and Dutch
cruiser VAN TROMP during bombardment of Andamans.
(Operation
BISHOP).
9th Joined Force 61
comprising HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH, FS RICHELIEU, HMS
CUMBERLAND,
Dutch VAN TROMP and 21st Carrier Squadron with Fleet destroyers.
Deployed to
intercept Japanese ships sifted in entrance to Malacca Straits.
(Operation
DUKEDOM).
14th Detached with m Destroyers SAUMAREZ,
VERULAM, VIGILANT and VIRAGO to
search for
enemy warships sighted on passage north of Sumatra
(Operation
MITRE).
15th In action with
Japanese cruiser HAGURO and destroyer KAMIKAZE. During a brilliantly
executed
tactical night attack HAGURO was sunk by torpedoes in Malacca Straits SW of
Penang.
(For full
details see SINK THE HAGURO by John Winton and above references.).
June
Eastern Fleet screening and Indian Ocean patrol duties in continuation.
to Took part in preparatory
exercises for allied landings in Malaya (Operation ZIPPER).
July
August
Deployed with screen for Eastern Fleet major units providing cover for
landings.
(Note: This
Operation was postponed at the insistence of the US Government and problems
relating to the release of long serving SEAC personnel under the PYTHON
Scheme.
As a
result it did rot take place until after VJ Day .
For
more details see ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY by C Barnett
and
above references.
P o s t W a r N o t e s
HMS VENUS returned to UK after the surrender at Singapore
and the joined the 3rd Destroyer Flotilla at Malta for service in the Mediterranean. In 1949 this ship Paid off
and was reduced to Reserve status at Devonport. She was converted into a Type 15 Anti-submarine Frigate by HM
Dockyard Devonport and then spent two years in the Home Fleet in the 6th Frigate Squadron, and later joined the
Dartmouth Training Squadron in which she remained until being again reduced to
Reserve status at Portsmouth. Before being placed on the Disposal List she was
used for SEADART Guided Missile Trials in 1969. The ship was sold to BISCO
for demolition by T W Ward in 1972 arid arrived in tow at the breaker's yard in Briton Ferry on 20th December
1972.
Addendum
CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of
HMS VENUS
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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01/11/43
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02/11/43
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RA 054A
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08/11/43
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14/11/43
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22/11/43
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25/11/43
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JW 054B
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02/12/43
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03/12/43
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12/01/44
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21/01/44
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JW 056A
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27/01/44
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28/01/44
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22/01/44
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29/01/44
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JW 056B
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01/02/44
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01/02/44
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03/02/44
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03/02/44
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RA 056
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07/02/44
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11/02/44
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27/03/44
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29/03/44
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JW 058
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04/04/44
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04/04/44
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07/04/44
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07/04/44
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RA 058
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12/04/44
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14/04/44
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15/09/44
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17/09/44
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JW 060
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23/09/44
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23/09/44
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28/09/44
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28/09/44
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RA 060
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03/10/44
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05/10/44
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(Note on Convoys)
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