ZAMBESI or Z-Class
Fleet Destroyer ordered from Vickers-Armstrong,, Newcastle on 12th February 1942 with the 10th Emergency Flotilla and laid down on
27th
May 1942 as Yard
No 53 (Job Number J4542). She was
launched on 31st May 1943 as the second RN warship to bear this
name, introduced for a destroyer in 1914. Following a successful WARSHIP
WEEK National Savings campaign in February 1942 she had been adopted by
the civil community of Tynemouth, Northumberland. Build was completed as
a Flotilla Leader on 23rd June 1944.
B a t t l e H o n o u r s
ZEEBRUGGE 1918 - NORWAY 1944 - ARCTIC 1945
H e r a l d i
c D a t a
Badge: On a Field Red, four naval cutlasses in Saltire Proper,
pommels and hilts 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 4
June Contractors trials after delay
due to late delivery of fir-control equipment.
Commissioned for service as Leader of 2nd Destroyer Flotilla.
23rd
Build completion and commenced Acceptance Trials.
July Took passage to Scapa Flow on completion of
trials and storing.
Deployed at Scapa Flow to work-up for
operational service with ships of Home Fleet.
August Joined Home Fleet at Scapa Flow.
Nominated for support of air minelay ops
8th Carried out rehearsal in NW Approaches for
planned operation off Norway.
10th Took part in aircraft minelay off
Norwegian coast with HM Fleet Aircraft Carrier
IMPLACABLE,
HM Escort Carriers TRUMPETER and NABOB covered by HM Cruisers
DEVONSHIRE and KENT screened by HM
Destroyers ZAMBESI, VIGILANT,
VERULAM, VIRAGO, VOLAGE, SCOURGE,
HM Canadian ALGONQUIN
and
SIOUX of 26th Destroyer Flotilla
(Operation OFFSPRING).
(Note: Aircraft laid mines and attacked airfields and shipping.)
15th Joined HM Aircraft
Carriers INDEFATIGABLE, FORMIDABLE, FURIOUS, HM Escort Aircraft
Carriers NABOB and
TRUMPETER with other Home Fleet destroyer as
destroyer screen during
air attacks on German battleship TIRPITZ lying in Altenfjord
(Operation GOODWOOD).
20th Air operations aborted due to adverse
weather conditions
(See CONVOY !
by P. Kemp.).
22nd Deployed with screen during further
air attacks on TIRPITZ.
Under submarine and air
attacks during which HMS NABOB is hit by torpedo from U354 and sustained
major damage.
(Note: HMS NABOB was
not repaired.)
24th Deployed with screen During further
series of attacks on TIRPITZ
(Note: The attacks
were unsuccessful – see CONVOY !.)
September
11th Deployed with HM Destroyers ZAMBESI, MARNE, MUSKETEER, VIGILANT, VERULAM,
and Canadian ALGONQUIN
as screen for HMS FURIOUS during air minelay and shipping
attacks. covered by HM
Cruiser DEVONSHIRE
12th Carried cut minelay
south of Vosko Island. (Operation BEGONIA)
13th Returned to Scapa
Flow on completion.
October
13th Sailed from Scapa
Flow HM Destroyers ZAMBESI, ALGONQUIN, SIOUX, VOLAGE, SCORPION
and SERAPIS as screen for HM Cruiser EURYALUS and HM Escort Carrier
FENCER deployed
as Force 9 to carry
out air minelay and shipping strikes (Operation
LYCIDAS).
14th Air minelay carried out near Ristos Island and Aarumsund
Leads.
15th Second air minelay
carried out in Ramsosund and shipping attacks in Fro Havet.
16th Returned to Scapa
Flow with Force 9.
November Deployed at Scapa Flow.
12th Part of destroyer screen with HM Destroyers
VERULAM, ZAMBESI and ALGONQUIN (RCN)
as Force 2.for HM
Cruiser KENT during attack on German convoy KS357 off ListerfJord.
(Operation COUNTERBLAST).
(Note: Post war assessment of losses included
two mercantiles, CORNOSAILLES and
GRIEF,
Minesweepers M416 and M427.)
December Home Fleet deployment with Flotilla in
continuation
1 9 4 5
January
1st Joined escort for Russian Convoy
JW63 with HM Cruiser DIADEM and HM
Destroyers
SAVAGE, SCOURGE, SERAPIS,
ZAMBESI,
ZEBRA,
HM
Canadian Destroyers SIOUX, ALGONQUIN and the Norwegian destroyer
STORD.
8th Arrived at Kola Inlet without any
enemy interference.
11th Joined escort for returning Convoy
RA63 with same ships.
21st
Arrived at Loch Ewe after stormy passage which obliged ships to take shelter
in
Faeroes and prevented any detection by
enemy ships or aircraft.
February
10th Joined Force l as screen for HM Cruisers NORFOLK
and DIDO with HM Destroyers
ZAMBESI and SAVAGE to
provide cover for Force 2 during shipping attacks off Bud
and air minelay in Skatestromnen.
(Operation SELENIUM -
No Shipping sighted).
21st
Joined Force 4 as screen for
HM Cruiser DIDO and HM Escort Carriers PREMIER
and PUNCHER to provide cover for
Minesweeping operations by Force 3 NE of
Orkneys and an air minelay
in Karm Sound with HM Destroyers ZAMBESI and
CAVALIER..
(Operations SHRED and GROUNDSHEET)
25th Joined escort for return convoy RA64 with HM
Destroyers CAVALIER and ZAMBESI.
27th
Detached from RA64 escort
March Rejoined
Home Fleet on completion.
12th Joined Russian Convoy JW65 with HMS CAMPANIA.
HM Destroyers ONSLAUGHT,
OPPORTUNE, ORWELL, SCORPION and ZAMBESI as
Ocean Escort.
(Note: Close escort included HM Destroyer MYNGS, SIOUX (RCN), Norwegian
STORD,
HM Sloop
LAPWING and seven Corvettes
from Western Approaches Command.
HM Escort Carrier
TRUMPETER screened by HM Destroyers SAVAGE and SCOURGE
joined
JW65 later.)
20th Under U-Boat attacks during which HMS
LAPWING and a mercantile were sunk.
Detached on arrival at Kola Inlet.
23rd Sailed from Kola Inlet as part of escort for
returning convoy RA65 with HMS TRUMPETER,
HMS CAMPANIA and Fleet destroyers of JW63 escort.
30th Detached from RA65 and Rejoined Home Fleet.
April Home Fleet Flotilla
deployment in continuation.
to Transferred to 4th
Destroyer Flotilla
May
June
Deployed with 4th Flotilla in support of reoccupation operations and
Fleet duties.
to
Attended VE celebrations at Woolwich, London with HM Destroyers ZEST and
ZEALOUS.
August
P o s t W a r
S e r v i c e
HMS MYNGS remained in commission after VJ
Day and was transferred to the 3rd Escort Flotilla at Portland in August 1948. The next year this
Flotilla was renamed 2nd Training Flotilla used for training duties based at Portland. In September 1954 she was
reduced to Reserve status pending conversion into Type 15 Anti- submarine Frigate. As this selection was never
implemented she was placed on the Sales List and in 1955 sold to Egypt. The ship was refitted by J S White at Cowes before transfer. Renamed EL QAHER this
destroyer sailed for Egypt on 28 August 1956. She returned to Cowes
for refit between May 1963 and July 1964
and returned to service. On the16 May 1970 during hostilities with Israel she was sunk by enemy air attack.
Addendum
CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS
of
HMS
MYNGS
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
|
|
|
|
|
|
30/12/44
|
01/01/45
|
JW 063
|
08/01/45
|
08/01/45
|
11/01/45
|
11/01/45
|
RA 063
|
18/01/45
|
21/01/45
|
17/02/45
|
25/02/45
|
RA 064
|
27/02/45
|
28/02/45
|
11/03/45
|
11/03/45
|
JW 065
|
21/03/45
|
21/03/45
|
23/03/45
|
23/03/45
|
RA 065
|
30/03/45
|
01/04/45
|
|
|
|
|
|
(Note on Convoys)
|