Ca-Class Fleet Destroyer ordered with 11th Emergency Flotilla from Cammell Laird of Birkenhead on 16th February 1942 and to be named HMS PIQUE. In August 1942 the contract was transferred to J. S. White, Cowes and the name was changed when the Flotilla nomenclature was altered so that all eight ships had names beginning with Ca.  She was laid down on 12th May 1943 and launched on 25th July 1944 as the 6th RN warship to carry the name CARYSFORT. It had previously been used for a cruiser sold in 1931 and was introduced in 1767. Following the loss of HM Destroyer SOMALI in 1942 this new destroyer was adopted by the civil community of Aberdeenshire in replacement. Completion Date was 10th February 1945.

 

B a t t l e   H o n o u r s

 

SYRIA 1840 - SUEZ CANAL  1882 - SUAKIN 1884-85 - BELGIAN COAST  1916

 

H e r a l d i c   D a t a

Badge:  On a Field Red, out of a ducal coronet gold,

an ostrich head Silver in his beak a key Gold.

 

M o t t o

Manus haec inimica tyrannis :   ‘This hand is deadly to tyrants’

 

 

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 5

 

February            Contractor's sea trials and commissioned for service in 6th Destroyer Flotilla, Home Fleet.

           10th         Build completion and commenced Acceptance Trials

                            On completion of trials and storing took passage to Scapa Flow.

 

March                 Worked-up with Home Fleet at Scapa Flow.

                            On completion joined 6th Destroyer Flotilla in Home Fleet.

 

April                   Deployed with Flotilla in NW Approaches and North Sea for Home Fleet screening and patrol

                            duties.

 

May

             4th         Part of Home Fleet screen for HM Escort Carriers SEARCHER, QUEEN and TRUMPETER

                            with HM Cruisers NORFOLK and DIADEM, HM Destroyers OPPORTUNE, SAVAGE,

                            SCOURGE and ZAMBESI during air attacks on German shipping west of Narvik.

                            Depot Ship BLACK WATCH, submarine U711 and a trawler were sunk .

                            (Operation JUDGEMENT)..

                            (For details of Home Fleet operations off Norway in 1945 see ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE

                            CLOSELY by Corelli Barnett and CONVOY! by P Kemp).

             6th          Part of screen for HMS SEARCHER and HMS TRUMPETER with HM Cruiser NORFOLK and

                            HM Destroyers ZAMBESI, OBEDIENT, OPPORTUNE and ORWELL to provide cover for

                            passage of British warships to Copenhagen through Skagerrak.

                            (Note: The Home Fleet ships included HM Cruisers DIDO and BIRMINGHAM with destroyer

                                       screen that later accepted surrender of German cruisers PRINZ EUGEN and NURNBERG

                                       in the Danish capital (Operation CLEAVER).

 

June                    Deployed with Home Fleet in support of Military re-occupation.

 

July                     Nominated for service with Flotilla in British Pacific Fleet.

                            Prepared for foreign service.

  

P o s t    W a r   N o t e s

 

HMS CARYSFORT Paid-off and was placed in Reserve after VJ Day. In January 1951 she was selected with others in the Ca-Class for modernisation. On completion in 1956 she re-commissioned and apart from refit periods, remained in the Active Fleet until February 1969 when she was placed in Reserve. After being placed on the Disposal List she was sold on 20th October 1970 to BISCO for demolition by J Cashmore. She arrived in tow  at the breakers yard in Newport on 15th November that year.