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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
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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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03/02/45
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06/02/45
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JW 064
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13/02/45
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15/02/45
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17/02/45
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17/02/45
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RA 064
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27/02/45
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28/02/45
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16/04/45
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18/04/45
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JW 066
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25/04/45
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25/04/45
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29/04/45
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29/04/45
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RA 066
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06/05/45
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08/05/45
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(Note on Convoys)
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