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 7th November 1943 and launched on 11th March 1944 as the first RN
warship to carry this name. After the loss of HM Destroyer MARNE in November
1942 this ship became the adopted ship for the civil community of Bury,
Lancashire. Build was completed on 23rd October 1944.
B a t t
l e H o n o u r s
ARCTIC 1945
H e r a l d i
c D a t a
Badge: On a Field Blue, a bezant
rayed Gold on each point
a bezant charged with the zodiac signs Black.
M o t t
o
'Faythe
hath no fear'
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 trials and commissioned for service.
23rd Build completion and
commenced Acceptance Trials.
On completion of
trials and storing took passage to Scapa Flow.
November Worked up for service at Scapa Flow with Home
Fleet ships prior to Joining the 2nd
Destroyer
Flotilla in the Home Fleet.
December Deployed with Flotilla for screening of Home Fleet units and for patrol
in NW Approaches.
1 9 4 5
January
11th Part of Force
3 with Home Fleet destroyers as escort for HM Cruiser DIDO, HM Aircraft
Carriers PREMIER
and TRUMPETER during a series of aircraft minelaying operations off
Utsira Island (Operation SPELLBINDER).
February Deployed with Home Fleet in NW Approaches and Norwegian coastal waters.
to (See ENGAGE THE
ENEMY MORE CLOSELY by Corelli Barnett and CONVOY ! by
P
March Kemp for details of Home Fleet operations in 1944-45).
April
18th Joined escort for
Russian Convoy JW56 as escort for HM Cruiser BELLONA, HM Escort
Carriers PREMIER and
VINDEX with Home Fleet destroyers.
25th Detached on arrival
at Kola Inlet after uninterrupted passage.
29th Escorted returning
Convoy RA66 with same ships.
May Detached from RA66 to Join
HM Cruiser BIRMINGHAM for re-occupation of Denmark.
9th At Copenhagen with
HM Cruisers BIRMINGHAM and DIDO, HM Destroyers ZEALOUS,
ZEPHYR and ZEST
for acceptance of German surrender. Cruisers PRINZ EUGEN and
NURNBERG were
handed over to allied control.
13th Transferred to Kiel
with HMS ZEALOUS.
Resumed Home
Fleet duties when relieved at Kiel.
June Deployed with 2nd
Destroyer Flotilla in Home Fleet and remained in Home waters
to
July
August
16th Deployed as escort
for US Navy Cruiser USS AUGUSTA during passage to Plymouth with
President
Harry Truman and on arrival deployed as Guardship.
P o s t W a r N o t e s
HMS ZODIAC remained in
commission after the end of hostilities and served with the 4th Destroyer
Flotilla in the Home Fleet until reduced to
Paid-off and reduced to Reserve by February 1947. After two years laid-up in
the Portsmouth Reserve Fleet she was
brought forward for service with the 2nd Training Flotilla and deployed at Portland for training duties. In
1952 she again reduced to Reserve at Portsmouth. Whilst in Reserve the ship was
refitted at Penarth in 1954 before being laid up
again at Cardiff. She was put on the Sales List and sold to
Israel
in July 1955. Before further Israeli service she refitted in Liverpool. Renamed YAFFO.
This ship served with the Israeli Navy from 1956 to
1972 when she was taken cut of service.
Addendum
CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS
of
HMS
ZODIAC
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
|
Convoy No.
|
Left convoy
|
Date convoy arrived
|
|
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|
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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
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08/05/45
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|
|
|
|
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(Note on Convoys)