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SERVICE HISTORIES of ROYAL NAVY WARSHIPS in WORLD WAR 2

by Lt Cdr Geoffrey B Mason RN (Rtd) (c) 2004

HMS VERULAM (R 28) -  V-class Destroyer
including Convoy Escort Movements 

Edited by Gordon Smith, Naval-History.Net

HMS Verulam (Navy Photos, click to enlarge) return to Contents List 
 

V-Class destroyers ordered from Fair-field of Govan, Glasgow with the 8th Emergency Flotilla on 1st September 1941. She was laid down on 26th June 1942 and launched on 22nd April 1943 as the 2nd RN warship to carry this name previously used for a WW1 destroyer lost in 1919. She had been adopted by the civil community of St. Albans, Hertfordshire after a successful WARSHIP WEEK National Savings campaign in February 1942. Build was completed on 10th December 1943 and  the ship was fitted for Arctic service.

 

B a t t l e   H o n o u r s

 

ARCTIC 1944  - NORMANDY 1944 - NORWAY 1944  - MALAYA  1945 - BURMA   1945

 

H e r a l d i c   D a t a

Badge: On a Field Blue, in front of a saltire coupled Gold

a sword erect Proper pommel and hilt also 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

 

December             Contractor's sea trials and commissioned for service in 26th Destroyer Flotilla.

               12th        Build completion and commenced Acceptance Trials.

                              On completion of trials and storing took passage to Scapa Flow to work-up with ships of

                              Home Fleet.

                              Joined 26th Destroyer Flotilla.

                              (Note: This comprised HM Destroyers ALGONQUIN (RCN), KEMPENFELT, SIOUX

                                          (RCN), VENUS, VERULAM, VIGILANT and VIRAGO).

                              During work-up took part in Home Fleet offensive sweep off Norway as screen for HM

                              Cruisers BELLONA and KENT with HM Destroyers MYNGS, ZAMBESI and ALGONQUIN

                              (RCN) (Operation COUNTERBLAST).

 

1 9 4 4

 

January                 Worked-up with Home Fleet at Scapa Flow.

                               Deployed with Flotilla in Home Fleet after work-up.

 

February

                 6th        Joined escort for returning Convoy RA56 from Murmansk.

                 9th        Detached from RA56 before arrival at Loch Ewe.

               22nd       Joined escort for Russian Convoy JW57 with HM Cruiser BLACK PRINCE and 13 other

                              destroyers from the Home Fleet.

               28th        Detached from JW57 on arrival at Kola Inlet.

 

March

                2nd        Joined Destroyer Escort for returning Convoy RA57 with HMS BLACK PRINCE and HM

                              Escort Aircraft Carrier CHASER with Home Fleet destroyers.

                7th         Detached from RA57 before arrival at Loch Ewe.

 

April

                3rd         Escorted HM Battleship ANSON, HM Aircraft Carriers VICTORIOUS, FURIOUS, HM

                              Escort Carriers SEARCHER, EMPEROR, PURSUER and FENCER with HM Cruisers

                              ROYALIST, BELFAST, SHEFFIELD and JAMAICA for air attacks attack on German

                              battleship TIRPITZ laying in Altenfjord..

                              (Operation TUNGSTEN - See Naval Staff History and CONVOY! by P Kemp.

                              This operation also covered passage of Russian Convoy JW58).

                20th       Independent passage to Kola Inlet to embark personnel and escort ships awaiting convoy

                              to UK.

                28th       Embarked 17 personnel for passage and joined escort for returning  Convoy RA59 with

                              HM Cruiser DIADEM, HMS FENCER and HM Destroyers BOADICEA, ULYSSES,

                              VIRAGO, WALKER and WHITEHALL of Home Fleet.

 

May                       Nominated for duty with Force S in support of Normandy landings.

                              (Operation NEPTUNE - For details see OPERATION NEPTUNE by K Edwards and LANDINGS

                              IN NORMANDY June 1944 (HMSO).).

                  3rd       Detached with above ships before arrival in UK.

                              Took part in Home Fleet preparatory exercises including bornbardment practices.

                              (Note: Allocated target in Fire Support Plan - Lion-sur-Mer)

 

June

                  5th       Passage to Solent to join Force S.

                              Sailed from Solent as escort for HM Landing Ship (Headquarters) LARGS with HM Destroyers

                              VIRAGO, KELVIN, EGLINTON and five Motor Torpedo Boats as Convoy S7.

                              See references.)

                  6th       Provided naval gunfire support in accordance with Fire Plan.

                  7th       Deployed for interception patrol and naval gunfire support in Eastern Task Force area.

                27th       On release from NEPTUNE took passage to Scapa Flow to resume Flotilla duties in Home Fleet.

 

July                       Flotilla duties in Home Fleet in continuation.

 

August

                10th       Joined screen for HM Aircraft Carrier INDEFATIGABLE, HM Escort Carriers, NABOB, HM

                              Cruisers KENT and DEVONSHIRE with ships of Flotilla for series of air attacks on airfields at

                              Gossen, aircraft minelay and shipping strikes off Norway

                              (Operation OFFSPRING - See Naval Staff History (MINING)).

 

September

                12th       Escorted HMS FURIOUS and HMS TRUMPETER with HMS DEVONSHIRE, HM Destroyers

                              MYNGS, MARNE, MUSKETEER, ALGONQUIN and VIGILANT for minelay off Norway.

                              Planned shipping strike by aircraft was cancelled but convoy sighted in area was attacked.

                              (Operation BEGONIA - See above reference).

                17th       Deployed with Flotilla and other Home Fleet destroyers to escort Convoy JW60.

                              Joined screen for HM Battleship RODNEY, HM Cruiser DIADEM, HM Escort Carriers

                              CAMPANIA and STRIKER.

                23rd       Detached on arrival at Kola Inlet.

                28th       Joined escort for returning Convoy RA60 with HMS RODNEY.

 

October

                  3rd       Detached for passage to Scapa Flow.

                23rd       Escorted HM Aircraft Carrier IMPLACABLE with HM Cruiser BELLONA and Home Fleet

                              destroyers during air attacks on Sorreisa and Bardufoss airfield.

                28th       Escorted HMS IMPLACABLE with HM Cruiser MAURITIUS and Home Fleet destroyers for

                              air strikes on shipping at Bodo and Kristiansund.

 

November

                12th       Escorted HMS KENT and HMS BELLONA with Home Fleet destroyers for shipping strike near

                              Egersund during which several ships and escorts were sunk.

 

December              Nominated for service with Eastern Fleet with Flotilla.

 

1 9 4 5

 

January                  Refit and preparation for foreign service at commercial shipyard in Leith.

 

February                Passage to Trincomalee with ships of D26.

 

March                    Joined Eastern Fleet and exercised for Fleet escort, patrol and military support duties.

                               (For details of Eastern Fleet deployments see OPERATION PACIFIC by E Gray and WAR

                               WITH JAPAN (HMSO).

 

April

                  8th        Joined escort for HM Battleship QUEEN ELIZABETH, French battleship RICHELIEU, HM

                                Cruisers LONDON and CUMBERLAND with HM Destroyers SAUMAREZ, VIGILANT,

                               VIRAGO and VENUS (Operation SUNFISH).

                11th        Bombardment of Sabang, Sumatra

                  14th      Deployed as screen for HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH, FS RICHELIEU and HMS LONDON during

                  to          air operations. One aircraft was lost and one enemy plane shot down.

                  15th      (For details see WAR WITH JAPAN Volume VI (HMSO).)

                  16th       Remained with screen during during offensive sweep against coastal shipping by HMS VENUS

                                and HMS VIRAGO.

                  20th       Returned to Trincomalee with ships of Force 62.

                  27th       Sailed with Slips of East Indies Fleet as Force 63 for operations in Andaman Sea to prevent any

                                interference with landings at Rangoon by Japanese ships or aircraft

.                               (Operation BISHOP - For details including names of ships involved see the above reference.)

                                (Note: Operations were conducted to prevent aircraft from bases in the Nicobars and Andamans

                                            carrying out attacks and to destroy any shipping found in the area.

                28th       Sailed from Trincomalee to join Eastern Fleet escort carriers.

 

May

                  1st        Escorted HM Cruisers PHOEBE and ROYALIST, HM Escort Carriers EMPEROR, KHEDIVE,

                               HUNTER and STALKER with HM Destroyers SAUMAREZ, VENUS, VIRAGO and

                               VIGILANT which were covering Rangoon landings (Operation DRACULA.

                  3rd        On release from DRACULA rejoined Force 63 in Andaman Sea..

                    6th       Deployed with HM Destroyers ROTHERHAM, SAUMAREZ, VENUS and VIGILANT in

                                screen for HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH, FS RICHELIEU, HM Escort Carriers SHAH and

                                EMPRESS, HM Cruisers CUMBERLAND, SUFFOLK, CEYLON and TROMP during

                                bombardment of Car Nicobar and Port Blair (Continuation of Operation BISHOP).

                  9th       Returned to Trincomalee and joined Force 51 with Eastern Fleet destroyers to intercept Japanese

                               warships sighted in the entrance to the Malacca Straits (Operation DUKEDOM).

                               (Note: Force 51 included ships of Force 63 plus ships of the 21st Aircraft Carrier Squadron).

                  10th      Sailed from Trincomalee for Ten Degree Channel.

                14th       Detached with HM Destroyers SAUMAREZ, VIGILANT, VENUS and VIRAGO to search for

                              enemy craft north of Sumatra (Operation MITRE).

                15th       In action with Japanese cruiser HAGURO and destroyer KAMIKAZE during which HAGURO

                              was sunk SW of Penang.

                              (For full details of this brilliantly executed night torpedo attack by the 26th Destroyer Flotilla

                              see "SINK THE HAGURO" by John Winton and WAR WITH JAPAN.)

 

June                       Escorted HMS ROYALIST during series of offensive sweeps in Indian Ocean.

 

July                        Deployed in support of military operations in Burma and Fleet screening.

                               Took part in exercises and preparation for support of planned allied landings in Malaya

                               (Operation ZIPPER).

                               (Note: This operation was delayed until after VJ Day by US insistence. and problems relating

                                           to release of long serving personnel from from SEAC in the PYTHON Scheme

                                          See ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY and Final Report of Supreme

                                         Commander SEAC (HMSO)

  

August                  Deployed with escort for Eastern Fleet ships off Malaya and Burma prior to the Malayan coast

                               landings.

 

September

                  4th        Sailed from Trincomalee with Escort Carriers to join Eastern Fleet ships off Malayan coast.

                  6th        Joined convoy JME1F

                                Diverted to take passage to Singapore.

 

P o s t   W a r   N o t e s

 

HMS VERULAM returned to UK after the Japanese surrender at Singapore and was deployed with the Londonderry Flotilla in 1946. The next year she joined the Mediterranean Fleet and served in the 3rd Destroyer Flotilla based in Malta for two years. She was selected for conversion to Type 15 Anti-Submarine Frigate in 1951 and after completion by HM Dockyard , Portsmouth she was deployed for Arctic Trials. After attendance at the Coronation Review in 1953 she was placed in Reserve. The ship re-commissioned in 1958 for duty as Trials Ship attached to the Weapons Research Establishment at Portland and continued in that role until 1970 when she was placed on the Disposal List. Sold to BISCO for demolition by J Cashmore on 1st September 1972 she arrived in tow at the breakers’ yard in Newport on 23rd September that year.

 


 

Addendum

 

CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of  HMS VERULAM

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

 

 

 

 

 

03/02/44

06/02/44

RA 056

09/02/44

11/02/44

20/02/44

22/02/44

JW 057

28/02/44

28/02/44

02/03/44

02/03/44

RA 057

07/03/44

10/03/44

28/04/44

28/04/44

RA 059

03/05/44

06/05/44

15/09/44

17/09/44

JW 060

23/09/44

23/09/44

28/09/44

28/09/44

RA 060

03/10/44

05/10/44

04/06/45

10/06/45

OW 006/2

13/06/45

13/06/45

23/06/45

23/06/45

WO 007

25/06/45

25/06/45

29/06/45

05/07/45

OW 007/2

08/07/45

08/07/45

 

 

 

 

 

(Note on Convoys)

 

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revised 11/8/11
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