ZAMBESI
or Z-Class Fleet Destroyer ordered from
Cammell Laird at
Birkenhead
on
12th February 1942
with the 10th
Emergency Flotilla and laid down on 5th May
1942 as Build Number 1118. She was launched on
28th February 1944
as the
third RN warship to bear this name, introduced
in 1785 and previously used for an
Ironclad ship in 1864, sold in 1886. Build was
completed on
9th October 1944.
B
a t t
l e H o n o u r s
TENERIFFE 1797 -
NILE
1798 -
NORWAY
1945 -
ARCTIC
1945
H
e r a l d i
c D a t a
Derived
from the arms of
Captain S Hood, Royal Navy
(Captain of HMS ZEALOUS during
the
Battle
of the Nile).
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
October Contractor's
sea
trials and commissioned for service in 23rd
Destroyer Flotilla.
9th
Build completion and commenced
Acceptance Trials.
On completion of
trials and storing took passage to Scapa Flow.
November Worked-up
at Scapa Flow with ships
of Home Fleet and on completion joined
Flotilla
for duty in Home
Fleet.
21st Joined
Force
3 as part of screen for HM Cruiser DIADEM.
HM Escort Carriers PREMIER
and
PURSUER with HM Destroyers ONSLAUGHT, SCORPION
and SCOURGE during
air
minelay
in Kara Sound, Norway (Operation HANDFAST)
December Part
of
screen for HMS IMPLACABLE, HM Aircraft
Carriers TRUMPETER and PREMIER
7th
with HM Destroyers SAVAGE,
VIGILANT, ZAMBESI, SERAPIS, SIOUX RCN).
ALGONQUIN
(RCN) and Norwegian
STORD (Force 1) during shipping air strikes
and air
minelay
in Kara Sound.
(Operation
URBANE - For details of all minelaying
operations see The
Naval Staff History
(MINING).).
14th
Joined Force 2 as part of screen
for HM Escort Carriers TRUMPETER, PREMIER, HM
Cruiser
DEVONSHIRE
with HM Destroyers ZEPHYR, SIOUX (RCN),
ALGONQUIN (RCN),
SAVAGE
and SERAPIS for Joint shipping air strikes and
air minelay in Ramoaund
area.
(Note:
Shipping strikes were cancelled because of
weather). (Operation
LACERATE).
1
9 4 5
January
15th
Escorted HM Minelaying Cruiser
APOLLO with HM Destroyer CARRON for minelay
off the
island
of Utsira
(Operation SPELLBINDER)
(See
Naval Staff History (MINING).).
February
6th
Part of screen for HM Cruiser
BELLONA, HM Escort Carriers CAMPANIA and
NAIRANA
with
HM
Destroyers ONSLAUGHT, OPPORTUNE, ONSLOW,
ORWELL,
SERAPIS,
ZAMBESI,
ZEST, SIOUX (RCN), HM Sloop LAPWING, HM
Corvette DENBIGH CASTLE
and
HM Trawler OKSOY as Close Escort
for Russian Convoy JW64.
14th
Detached with HMCS SIOUX, HMS
ZAMBESI and HMS ZEST to evacuate population of
the
island
of Soroy off
North Norway which was
under German attack.
Took
passengers to Murmansk for later transport to
UK.
17th
Joined
screen for same ships for
Close Escort of return Convoy RA64.
27th
Detached with Home Fleet ships
after stormy passage during which many escorts
were
damaged
and
convoy had to be reformed after scattering.
(For
details of all Russian convoy operations and
names of major
warships involved
see
THE
RUSSIAN
CONVOYS by B Schoefield,
CONVOYS TO
RUSSIA by RA Ruegg,
CONVOY!
by
P Kemp and ARCTIC CONVOYS by R
Woodman).
March
Home
Fleet screening duties in continuation.
April
18th
Part of screen for HM Cruiser
BELLONA, HM Escort Carriers PREMIER and
VINDEX with
HM
Destroyers OFFA, ZEPHYR,
ZEST, ZODIAC, HAIDA (RCN), HURON (RCN),
IROQUOIS
(RCN)
and
Norwegian STORD for escort of Russian Convoy
JW66.
25th
Detached on arrival at Kola Inlet
after uninterrupted passage.
29th
Joined escort for return Convoy
RA66 with same ships.
(Note:
See above references for details of
anti-submarine operation
carried out
by
frigates
before
departure of
RA66).
May
Deployed
for screening of Hone Fleet units until VE
Day.
June
Deployed
in Hone Fleet for screening duties and support
of re-occupation
operations
to
in
Germany.
August
Attended
VE celebrations at Woolwich, London with m
Destroyers MYNGS and
ZEST.
P o s t W a r N o t e s
HMS
ZEALOUS remained in
commission after VJ Day and joined the 4th
Destroyer Flotilla, Home Fleet. In
August 1947 she Paid–off and reduced to
Reserve status at Devonport. The ship
was then laid-up in the Reserve Fleet at
Plymouth.. In 1950 the ship refitted
in Cardiff and in 1953 was transferred to
Penarth during 1953. The next year
she was placed on the Disposal List and sold
to Israel.
She was renamed ELATH at Cardiff on 15th July
1955 and during 1956 went to
Liverpool for refit by Harland and Wolff. On
completion this destroyer took
passage to the Mediterranean. She was
sunk by 3 missiles fired from Egyptian patrol
boats off Sinai on 21st October
1967.
Addendum
CONVOY
ESCORT MOVEMENTS
of
HMS
ZEALOUS
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
|
|
|
|
|
|
03/02/45
|
06/02/45
|
JW
064
|
13/02/45
|
15/02/45
|
17/02/45
|
17/02/45
|
RA
064
|
27/02/45
|
28/02/45
|
16/04/45
|
18/04/45
|
JW
066
|
25/04/45
|
25/04/45
|
29/04/45
|
29/04/45
|
RA
066
|
06/05/45
|
08/05/45
|
|
|
|
|
|
(Note
on Convoys)
|