Type II HUNT-Class Escort Destroyer ordered en 20th
December 1939 from Cammell Laird, Birkenhead
under the 1939 War Emergency Programme. The ship was laid down on 15th
May 1940 as Admiralty Job No. J3260 (Yard No 1055).
She was launched on 17th March 1941 as the first RN
ship to carry this name, that of a Yorkshire fox-hunt. Build completion date
was 18th August 1941 and after a successful WARSHIP WEEK National Savings
Campaign in March 1942 she was adopted by the civil community of Batley then in
the West Riding of Yorkshire.
B a t t l e H o n o u r s
ATLANTIC 1941-43 - MALTA CONVOYS 1942 - ARCTIC
1942
H e
r a l d i c D a t a
Badge: On a Field Red, in front of a sun rising Gold from
clouds White
a horseshoe inverted Black.
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 1
August
Contractors sea
trials and commissioned for service
18th
- Build completion and commenced Acceptance Trials.
On
completion trials took passage to Scapa Flow.
September
Worked-up
for operational service. On completion joined Londonderry
Escort Force. Deployed for convoy defence
in NW Approaches
October
1st - Joined
military convoy WS12 in Clyde with HM Destroyers BRADFORD, BRIGHTON, NEWARK and
LANCASTER as Local Escort during passage in NW Approaches.
3rd
- Detached from WS12 with Local Escort and returned to Clyde.
November
13th - Joined
military convoy WS12Z in Clyde with HM Destroyers EXMOOR, VANQUISHER, WITCH, and
WHITEHALL as Local Escort during passage in NW Approaches.
16th
- Detached from WS12Z with Local Escort and returned to Clyde.
December
13th - Joined
military convoy WS14 during passage from Clyde in NW Approaches for Ocean
Escort with HM Battleship RAMILLIES and HM Destroyer BEAUFORT.
21st
- Detached from WS14 with HM Armed Merchant Cruiser CILICIA, HMS BEAUFORT and
Local Escort from Freetown on arrival.
1 9 4 2
January
Passage from West Africa to resume convoy defence at Londonderry
February
Londonderry deployment in continuation.
March
23rd - Joined
military convoy WS17 in Clyde with HM Destroyers BEVERLEY, NEWPORT, KEPPEL, LEAMINGTON
and VOLUNTEER as Local Escort during passage in NW Approaches.
25th - HMS
NEWPORT detached to return to Clyde after collision with HMS BEVERLEY.
27th
- Detached from WS17 with remainder of Local Escort.
April
Nominated for
detached service in support of planned Combined Services operation. Escorted
HM Landing Ships (Infantry) QUEEN EMMA and PRINCESS BEATRIX with four other HUNT
Class Escort Destroyers for attack en shipping in Bayonne by No 1 and No 6
Commando. Raid was aborted due to weather conditions and enemy
state of alert. (Operation MYRMIDON).
On release from
MYRMIDON returned to Londonderry.
15th - Joined
military convoy WS18 in Clyde with HM Destroyers GEORGETOWN, LAUDERDALE, LANCASTER
and ST MARY'S as part of Local Escort for passage in NW Approaches.
19th
- Detached from VB18 with same ships and returned to Clyde.
Nominated
for escort of Russian Convoy.
28th - Part of
Ocean Escort for Russian Convoy PQ15 with HM Cruiser NIGERIA, HM Auxiliary AA Ship
ULSTER QUEEN, HM Destroyers BOADICEA, MATCHLESS, SOMALI, VENOMOUS and
Norwegian destroyer ST ALBANS. (Note: HM Submarine STURGEON was
also with the convoy initially as was HM Cruiser LONDON.
Transit of convoy was covered by ships of the Home
Fleet.)
May
2nd
- Under sustained attacks by aircraft and submarines. Sank
British mercantile ss BOTAVON which
had been damaged in air attack and unable to remain in convoy.
3rd - Assisted
in rescue of survivors from British mercantiles ss CAPE CORSO and ss JUTLAND sunk by
air attacks.
5th
- Detached from PQ15 on arrival at Murmansk.
Remained in
North Russia.
21st
- Joined Ocean Escort for return Convoy QP12 with HMS ULSTER QUEEN, HM
Destroyers VENOMOUS. BOADICEA, ESCAPADE, INGLEFIELD, Norwegian ST ALBANS, HM Minesweeper HARRIER and three trawlers. (For
details of all Russian Convoy operations see CONVOYS TO RUSSIA by R A Ruegg, ARCTIC CONVOYS by R Woodman, THE
RUSSIAN CONVOYS by B Schoefield, CONVOY
! by P. Kemp and ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY by
Corelli Barnett).
27th - Detached from convoy with HMS VENOMOUS and HMS ULSTER QUEEN.
29th
- Nominated for escort of Malta supply convoy (Operation HARPOON).
June
Prepared for
Mediterranean escort duty at Londonderry.
6th
- Joined Convoy WS19S in NW Approaches as part of Ocean Escort for passage to
Gibraltar. (Note: Home Fleet ships deployed with WS19S included
HM Cruisers LIVERPOOL, KENYA, HM Destroyers ONSLOW, ICARUS,
BEDOUIN and Polish destroyer ORP KUJAWIAK).
12th - Joined
HM Cruiser CAIRO, HM Destroyers BEDOUIN, MARNE, MATCHLESS, PARTRIDGE, ITHURIEL,
BLANKNEY, MIDDLETON and ORP KUJAWIAK, HM Minesweepers HEBE, SPEEDY,
HYTHE and RYE as Force X at Gibraltar for escort of convoy for passage to Malta through
Sicilian Narrows.
14th - Under
heavy and sustained air attacks during which HMS LIVERPOOL was damaged and had
to return to Gibraltar.
15th
- In action with Italian warships attempting to intercept and attack convoy. (For
details see THE BATTLE FOR THE MEDITERRANEAN by D Maclntyre,
ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY and MALTA CONVOYS by R Woodman.)
16th - Sustained
major structural damage forward after detonating a mine whilst entering Grand Harbour, Malta with the two mercantiles which survived passage of HARPOON. The night time entry coupled with errors in the signal received to give details
of the Swept Channel resulted in ships passing through a minefield. ORP
KUJAWIAK was sunk after also detonating a mine. HMS MATCHLESS, mercantile ss ORARI and
HM Minesweeper HEBE were also damaged by mines. Ship
had a hole 12 ft by 15 ft in her forward structure below waterline. Among
the casualties sustained were survivors from merchant ships
which were sunk during passage to Malta.
17th
- Docked and taken in hand for repair by HM Dockyard, Malta.
July
Under temporary
repair to allow return passage.
August
Repair in
continuation
10th - Prepared
for return
11th - Sailed
from Malta with HMS MATCHLESS as escort for mercantiles
ss TROILUS and ss ORARI for
passage to Gibraltar as Force Y. Operation ASCENDANT) (Note:
These two ships ware the sole survivors of the HARPOON convoy. Transit
passage was deliberately planned to coincide with the passage of the next Malta relief
convoy (Operation PEDESTAL).
During passage close to North
African coast Italian recognition marks were painted on
Foc'sle. (For details see
PEDESTAL by P Smith and above references.)
15th - Arrived
at Gibraltar.
18th - Took
passage to UK for repairs
25th
- Taken in hand for repair at North Shields commercial shipyard.
September to October
Under repair
November
Post
refit trials and
prepared for operational service.
December
Rejoined
Londonderry Escort Force for North Atlantic convoy defence.
18th - Joined
military convoy WS25 with HM Destroyers HAYDON and WOLVERINE as part of escort
for passage in Atlantic to Freetown.
24th
- Detached from WS25 with same ships and returned to Clyde.
1 9 4 3
January to February
Atlantic
convoy defence in continuation. Nominated
for transfer to Mediterranean for escort and support duties with 60th Destroyer
Division.
March
Prepared for foreign service.
16th - Joined
Joint military convoy WS28/KMF11 in Clyde with Polish destroyer KRAKOWIAK, HM
Destroyers DOUGLAS, EGGESFORD, GOATHLAND, WHADDON and HM Sloops WOODPECKER
and WREN as escort during Atlantic passage.
21st
- Detached from joint convoy with ships bound for Gibraltar (KMF11) as escort
during passage to Gibraltar with same ships. Deployed
in Western Mediterranean for convoy defence and
patrol. (For details of 1943 Mediterranean operations see
ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY)
April
22nd
- Mined at Bone, Algeria and sustained major structural damage aft. Starboard
engine immobilised and both shafts distorted.
Ship
beached and was later re-floated. Towed into harbour
by HM Minesweeper CLACTON.
May
Repair
arranged in Malta and
towed there for temporary repair
June
On completion
of repair to allow passage, towed to UK by tug FRISKY as part of Convoy MKS
15.
July
Taken in hand
for repair at commercial shipyard in Liverpool. Paid-off
August to December
Under
repair. Transfer on loan to Norwegian Navy arranged. Paid
off from RN service.
1 9 4 4
January to July
Under
repair.
August
Under
repair.
8th
- Transferred on loan to Royal Norwegian Navy. Renamed HNorMS ARENDAL
W
a r S e r v i c e a s
H N o r M S
A R E N D A L
September to October
Nominated for
duty with 16th Destroyer Flotilla based at Harwich. Shipyard work
completed Carried out harbour trials
November
Carried out
Post refit trials and worked-up for operational service.
December
Joined
Flotilla at Harwich for escort and patrol duty in North Sea and Channel.
1 9 4 5
January to
February
North
Sea and Channel convoy defence and patrol in
continuation. (Note: During this period there was extensive minelaying by enemy E-Boats and by submarines in
Thames Estuary and off East Coast.
"SCHNORKEL"
fitted submarines were attacking coastal shipping. Escorts
and patrols were increased as countermeasures. See HOLD THE
NARROW SEA by P Smith.)
March
25th
- In action against minelaying E-Boats in Thames
Estuary with Polish destroyer ORP KRAKOWIAK.
April to May
Flotilla
duties in continuation. Continuation of Loan to Norway
approved after VE Day.
June to August
Deployed with
Norwegian Navy on loan from RN.
P o s
t W a r N o t e s
HNorMS ARENDAL was purchased by Norway after the end of
hostilities and remained in operational use as an escort destroyer until 1956
when she was classified as a Frigate. The ship was used as a training ship for
Cadets before being renewed from the active list in 1961.
Special Note
Details of escorts of VB series military convoys were
provided by Donald Kindell of Ohio, USA
from an unpublished source. This is gratefully acknowledged.
Addendum
CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS
of HMS BADSWORTH
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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13/09/41
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17/09/41
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ON 016
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18/09/41
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27/09/41
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16/09/41
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26/09/41
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HX 150
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unknown
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30/09/41
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17/10/41
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17/10/41
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CT 004
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20/10/41
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23/10/41
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30/10/41
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01/11/41
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CT 005
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02/11/41
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08/11/41
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25/10/41
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02/11/41
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CARGO
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04/11/41
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04/11/41
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06/11/41
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24/11/41
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SL 092
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29/11/41
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01/12/41
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19/02/42
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26/02/42
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AT 012
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02/03/42
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02/03/42
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14/03/42
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14/03/42
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TA 012
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unknown
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25/03/42
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10/04/42
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28/04/42
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PQ 015
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05/05/42
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05/05/42
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21/05/42
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21/05/42
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QP 012
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27/05/42
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29/05/42
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12/06/42
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12/06/42
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HARPOON
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16/06/42
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16/06/42
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10/08/42
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10/08/42
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ASCENDAN
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14/08/42
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14/08/42
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23/01/43
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23/01/43
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CG 008
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24/01/43
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24/01/43
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15/03/43
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15/03/43
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KMF 011
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25/03/43
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23/03/43
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24/03/43
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24/03/43
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KMF 011X
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25/03/43
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25/03/43
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25/03/43
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26/03/43
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MKF 011
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unknown
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05/04/43
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(Note on Convoys)
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