ZAMBESI
or Z-Class Fleet Destroyer ordered from
John I Thornycroft at
Woolston,
Southampton on 12th February 1942 with the 10th
Emergency Flotilla. She was
laid down on 21st July 1942 as Yard Number 4034
and launched on 14th October 1943 as the first RN
warship to carry this
name. The build was completed on 20th July 1944
B
a t t
l e H o n o u r s
ARCTIC 1945 - NORWAY 1945
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
July
Contractor's
trials and
commissioned for service.
12th
Build completion and commenced
Acceptance Trials
On
completion of trials and storing took passage to
Scapa Flow.
August Worked
up
for service at Scapa Flow with ships of Home
Fleet
On
completion deployed with Flotilla for screening
of Home Fleet major
units.
October
Flotilla
duties in NW Approaches and North Sea in
continuation.
to
(Note:
These included escort duties
during-anti-shipping strikes and
aircraft minelays
November
from
Home Fleet aircraft carriers as well as
independent anti-submarine
operations.
December
31st
Deployed for anti-submarine operations
in NW Approaches with HM Destroyers ORWELL
and
ZEPHYR.
1
9 4 5
January
11th Deployed
with HM Destroyers OPPORTUNE,
CAVENDISH and ZODIAC in Force 3 as screen
for
HM Cruiser DIDO, HM Escort Carriers PREMIER and
TRUMPETER.
(Note:
These ships provided air cover during dual
minelay and shipping
strikes off Norway.
(Operations
SPELLBINDER and GRATIS- See Naval Staff
History).
Motor
Torpedo Boats were also attached to Force 3 for
air-sea rescue of
aircrew who
ditched
during air operations).
13th
Returned to Scapa Flow with Force 3.
February
3rd
Joined screen for HM Cruiser BELLONA, HM
Escort Carriers CAMPANIA and NAIRANA with
HM Destroyers ONSLAUGHT, OPPORTUNE,
SERAPIS,
ZAMBESI, ZEALOUS, ZEBRA and
Canadian
SIOUX to provide escort for Russian Convoy JW64
to Kola Inlet.
(Note:
HMS ZEBRA detached with machinery defects in
early stage of
passage.
For
details of all Russian convoy operations see
CONVOYS TO RUSSIA by R A Ruegg,
ARCTIC
CONVOYS by P Kemp, THE RUSSIAN CONVOYS by B Schoefield
and
CONVOY! by P.
Kemp).
14th
Detached with HM Destroyers ZAMBESI,
ZEALOUS and Canadian SIOUX for evacuation of
500
civilians from the Island of Soroy
which
was under attack by German forces.
Embarked
passengers and took them to Murmansk.
17th
Joined return Convoy RA64 as escort
with same ships as JW64.
After
joining convoy screen, HM Corvette BLUEBELL
stationed nearby was
hit and was
sunk
immediately by a homing torpedo fired by U711 NE
of Kola Inlet.
Took
part in search for
survivors with HM Destroyer OPPORTUNE.
(Note:
Only three men were
recovered and were all
unconscious. Of these Petty
Officer AEG
Holmes,
P/JX 217490
recovered consciousness and was the only
survivor from HMS
BLUEBELL.
27th
Detached with same ships and resumed
Fleet duties with Flotilla.
(Note:
HM Destroyers SAVAGE, SCOURGE, CAVALIER, MYNGS
and SCORPION
joined
RA64
before the detachment).
March
Home
Fleet duties with 2nd Destroyer Flotilla in
continuation.
20th
Deployed with HM
Destroyers ONSLOW, SERAPIS, Canadian HAIDA and
Canadian SIOUX
as
screen for HM Cruiser BELLONA, HM Escort Carriers
PREMIER, SEARCHER
and QUEEN
providing
air cover for last dual air minelay and shipping
strike off
Norway that had begun in
August
1944 (Operation CUPOLA -
Force 1).
April
18th
Deployed with HM
Destroyers OFFA, ZEALOUS, ZEPHYR, ZODIAC, Canadian
destroyers
HAIDA,
HURON, IROQUOIS and Norwegian STORD as screen for
HM Cruiser
BELLONA,
HM
Escort Carriers PREMIER and VINDEX to reinforce
escort for Russian
Convoy JW66 to
Kola
Inlet.
25th
Detached on arrival at
Kola Inlet after taking part in a combined
Anti-submarine operation
against
U-Boat assembly off entrance with other escorts..
29th
Joined escort for return Convoy RA66
with same ships.
May
5th
Detached with HMS ZEALOUS and
ZODIAC and
took passage to join Home Fleet major units.
6th
Deployed with HM Destroyers ZEALOUS,
ZEPHYR and ZODIAC as screen for HM Cruisers
BIRMINGHAM
and DIDO for passage to Copenhagen to accept
surrender of the
German
cruisers
NURNBERG and HIPPER.
13th
Relieved at Copenhagen and took passage
with HMS BIRMINGHAM and HM Destroyer
ZEPHYR.
(Note:
Later went to Bergen, Norway
and to Flensburg, Germany via Kiel Canal.).
June
Deployed
with Flotilla in support of reoccupation
operations and Fleet
duties.
to
Attended
VE celebrations at Woolwich, London with HM
Destroyers MYNGS
and ZEALOUS.
August
P o s t W a r N o t e s
HMS ZEST remained in commission and joined 4th Destroyer Flotilla
Home Fleet after VJ Day. She served with the
Home Fleet till February 1947, apart from a
refit at Leith in
September 1945. The ship Paid-off and was
reduced to Reserve at Sheerness
in July 1947.
Brought forward for service in February 1948 she
was then used for torpedo training at Portland
until transferred to the Nore Local Flotilla
in September 1952. This ship remained in Nore
Command until February 1954 when she again
Paid-off and reduced to
Reserve at Chatham. In March 1956 whilst in the
Reserve Fleet at Chatham she was selected for
conversion to a
Type 15 Anti-Submarine Frigate. On completion
by HM Dockyard Chatham in
1958 she re-commissioned for service in the 3rd
Training Squadron at
Londonderry. When this Squadron was disbanded
she transferred to the 4th Frigate
Squadron until refitted in Malta during 1961.
After refitting HMS ZEST joined the 24th Escort
in which she
served until July 1968 when Paid off into
Reserve at Plymouth. In 1969 she was placed on
the Disposal List and sold to
BISCO for demolition by Arnott
Young at
Dalmuir on the Clyde. Whilst on tow by the tug BUSTLER the ship broke
away from tow. After re-connection she arrived
at the breakers on 18th July 1970.
Addendum
CONVOY
ESCORT MOVEMENTS
of
HMS
ZEST
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
|
|
|
|
|
|
11/09/44
|
11/09/44
|
TA
146
|
12/09/44
|
17/09/44
|
07/09/44
|
12/09/44
|
AT
148A
|
14/09/44
|
14/09/44
|
17/02/45
|
17/02/45
|
RA
064
|
27/02/45
|
28/02/45
|
10/03/45
|
16/03/45
|
AT
195
|
17/03/45
|
17/03/45
|
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)
|