Type III HUNT-Class Escort Destroyer ordered from Cammell Laird, Birkenhead on 4th July 1940 in the 1940 War Emergency Programme and laid down as Job No 3964 on
14th October 1940. The ship was launched on 18th November 1941 as the 2nd RN ship to carry the name,
previously used for a 1917 minesweeper sold in 1922. Build was completed on 29 March 1942. The ship is named after a
Foxhunt in Leicestershire. Following a successful WARSHIP WEEK National Savings campaign in February 1942
she was adopted by the civil community of Sutton in Ashfield, Nottinghamshire.
B a t t l e H o n o u r s
SICILY 1943
- SALERNO 1943 - AEGEAN
1943 - SOUTH FRANCE
1944 - ADRIATIC 1944
H e r a l d i
c D a t a
Badge: On a Field
White, a Peacock's head erased Proper enfiled with
a ducal coronet.
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 2
January Contractor's trials and
commissioned for service
29th Build completion and
commenced Acceptance Trials.
February On completion of trials
and storing took passage to Scapa Flow.
to March Worked-up for
operational service with ships of Home Fleet.
April
During work up at
Scapa Flow diverted for escort of Home Fleet ships providing Distant Cover
for passage of
Russian Convoy PQ14 and return Convoy QP10.
Part of screen
for HM Battleships KING GEORGE V and DUKE OF YORK, HM Aircraft
Carrier
VICTORIOUS, HM Cruisers NIGERIA and KENT with HM Destroyer BEDOUIN,
OFFA, ESCAPADE,
ESKIMO, FAULKNOR, MATCHLESS. ONSLOW, SOMALI, HM Escort
Destroyers
LEDBURY, MIDDLETON and WHEATLAND.
(For full details
of all Russian Convoy operations see CONVOYS TO RUSSIA by RA Ruegg,
CONVOY! by P
Kemp, THE RUSSIAN CONVOYS by B. Schoefield and and ARCTIC
CONVOYS by R
Woodman).
May
Remained with screen for Home Fleet units covering Russian Convoy PQ15 and
return Convoy
QP12.
Home Fleet screening
duty in continuation
(Note: Covering
force included US battleship USS WASHINGTON,
US cruisers USS
WICHITA and
TUSCALOOSA screened by four US Navy destroyers
RN major units
included HMS KING GEORGE V and HMS VICTORIOUS and
COLONY Class
cruiser HMS KENYA.
Destroyer screen
included seven Fleet Destroyers and four HUNT Class Escort Destroyers
(See above
references).
Nominated for
service with 2nd Destroyer Flotilla, Eastern Fleet.
11th Joined HM Cruiser
MAURITIUS, HM Armed Merchant Cruiser CARNARVON CASTLE and
HM Destroyer
HURSLEY in NW Approaches as Ocean Escort during Atlantic passage for
military convoy
WS19.
22nd Detached from WS19 on
arrival at Freetown.
25th Deployed with m Cruiser MAURITIUS, HM Sloop MITFORD
and HM Destroyer HURSLEY
for escort of WS19 during passage from
Freetown to Cape of Good Hope.
June
5th Detached with escort
on arrival of W519 at Capetown.
14th Joined HM Cruiser
SHROPSHIRE and HM Armed Merchant Cruiser
CHESHIRE as escort
for WS19 during
passage from Capetown to Durban.
23rd Detached from WS19
and took passage to Mombasa to refuel.
Transferred on
loan to 5th Destroyer Flotilla in Mediterranean.
(Note: This
change in deployment was made following heavy losses and damage to ships of
Mediterranean
Fleet in defence of Greece and Crete.)
Passage to Durban
for escort of HM Armed Merchant Cruiser MORETON BAY.
July Escorted HMS MORTON
BAY to Kilindini.
8th Arrived at
Kilindini.
Took passage to
Join Fleet at Alexandria.
20th Deployed at
Alexandria for Fleet duties.
23rd Bombarded Mersa Matru
with HM Cruiser DIDO.
25th Detached to escort
damaged submarine HMS PORPOISE to Port Said.
July Passage to
Alexandria.
8th Arrived at Kilindini
as escort to HM Armed Merchant Cruiser MORETON BAY.
Made independent
passage to join Fleet at Alexandria.
23rd Bombarded Mersa Matru
with HM Cruiser DIDO.
25th Detached to escort
damaged submarine HMS PORPOISE to Port Said.
August
15th On arrival at
Alexandria joined 5th Destroyer Flotilla
Deployed with
Flotilla for Tobruk convoy defence and support of military operations..
September Flotilla deployment in
continuation.
14th Escorted Tug BRIGAND
from Alexandria with HM Escort Destroyer ALDENHAM to meet
damaged cruiser
HMS COVENTRY and damaged destroyer ZULU on passage from Tobruk.
(Note: These
ships had been damaged during the disastrous raid on Tobruk but both ships sank
before BRIGAND
arrived
See MASSACRE AT
TOBRUK by P Smith)
October Carried out two
diversionary operations in support of Army advance.
(Operations
LIGHTFOOT and SUPERCHARGE - See OFFICIAL MILITARY
HISTORY,
MEDITERRANEAN (HMSO)
November
17th Deployed with HM
Destroyers ALDENHAM, BEAUFORT, CROOME, DULVERTON,
EXMOOR, HURSLEY,
HURWORTH, TETCOTT and Greek PINDOS as Close Escort for Malta
relief Convoy
MW13 (Operation STONEAGE).
18th Under air attack
during which HM Cruiser ARETHUSA was torpedoed and returned in tow to
Alexandria.
19th Detached from MW13 on
arrival In Malta and returned to Alexandria with the other ships of Close
Escort.
December
1st Deployed with HM
Destroyers ALDENHAM, CROOME, EXMOOR, HURSLEY, TETCOTT
and Greek PINDOS
as escort for further relief convoy MW14 to Malta.
(Operation MH1
/PORTCULLIS - Cover was provided by HM Cruiser ORION, HM Destroyers
PAKENHAM, PETARD
and Greek VASILISSA OLGA.)
4th Force K ships from
Malta joined MW14.
5th Detached from MW14
on arrival in Malta.
7th Deployed with HMS
ORION, HM Destroyers PAKENHAM, PETARD, ALDENHAM, EXMOOR,
DULVERTON,
EXMOOR, HURSLEY, TETCOTT, Greek PINDOS and Greek VASILISSA
OLGA as escort
for Convoy ME11 from Malta to Egypt
(Operation MH2 -
This was the return of empty mercantiles held in Malta.)
11th Detached from ME11 on
arrival at Port Said.
1 9 4 3
January Convoy defence duties in
continuation.
(Note: Convoys
escorted from Malta included MS11, ME12 and ME17 with Convoys
MW14, 16 and 20B
from Alexandria).
February
1st Rescue of 117
survivors from HM Minelaying Cruiser WELSHMAN which had been sunk
by a U-Boat off
Egyptian coast in position 32.12N 24.52E.
(For details see
Naval Staff History (Mining) (HMSO).)
March Deployed with Flotilla
for escort and patrol in Eastern Mediterranean.
to
April
May Took part in patrol
and interception of enemy troops attempting escape from Cape Bon area
(Operation
RETRIBUTION See Naval Staff History) .
June Nominated for Support
Force East during planned allied landings in Sicily (Operation HUSKY)
(For details see
ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY by Corelli Bamett and Naval Staff
History)
July Deployed as part of
Escort Group Q with sister destroyer HMS DULVERTON.
For details see
BRITISH INVASION FLEETS by J de Winser.)
3rd Sailed from
Alexandria as part of escort for military Convoy MWS36 during passage to Sicily.
6th Carried out
ant-submarine operations.
Took passage to
Benghazi.
8th Rejoined escort for
MWS36
10th Detached on arrival
at Beach Head SW of Syracuse.
Deployed for
support including patrol to intercept E-Boats attempting to interfere
with landings.
August HUSKY support and patrol
in continuation
For details see
above references
Nominated for
escort and support of planned landings at Salerno (Operation AVALANCHE)
See above
reference.
September
9th Deployed for escort
of assault convoy to Salerno
See above
reference
On arrival
detached from escort and carried out support and patrol duties.
Deployed for
AVALANCHE convoy escort, gunfire support and patrol.
October Transferred to
Alexandria with Flotilla for defence of Aegean Islands against landings by
German
troops after
Italy surrender.
15th Embarked troops and
stores
16th Deployed on
anti-invasion patrols to intercept German transports.
Under sustained
air attacks.
18th Provided naval
gunfire support for military shore operations.
30th Under air attack and
sustained damage when bomb penetrated Stabiliser compartment but did not
detonate and was
jettisoned.
(Medal awarded to
rating for this outstanding feat.)
November Aegean defence deployment
in continuation and under heavy air attacks.
12th Carried out search
with HM Destroyers FAULKNOR, BEAUFORT, DULVERTON,
ECHO and
Greek destroyer
PINDOS for invasion craft attempting landings on Leros.
13th Rescued 109 survivors
from HM Escort Destroyer DULVERTON which had sustained extensive
damage in an
attack by glider bomb during defence of Leros.
Torpedoed
disabled hulk of DULVERTON in position 36.50N 27-30E.
(See WAR IN THE
AEGEAN by P Smith and E Walker for details of these operations) .
24th Took part in support
of diversionary operation (RUMBLE BUMBLE)
December After operations in Aegean
terminated transferred to Algiers with Flotilla for escort and patrol
duties.
Passage to
Algiers.
1 9 4 4
January Deployed for convoy
defence and patrol in Western and Central Mediterranean.
to
May
June Offered on loan to
Free French Naval Forces but not accepted.
(Note: Some
contemporary records suggest ship returned to UK for support duty during
Normandy landings
(Operation NEPTUNE).
This is not
supported by the Naval Staff History on NORMANDY (HMSO).
It is therefore
considered that when the offer of loan to France was turned down this
destroyer
remained in the Mediterranean).
July Prepared for support
of planned allied landings in South of France (Operation DRAGOON)
Transferred to US
Navy overall command and took passage to Naples for escort of convoy.
13th Joined Stores Convoy
SM2. at Naples with HM Escort Destroyers ALDENHAM, BEAUFORT,
WHADDON,
BLACKMORE, EGGESFORD, LAUDERDALE and Greek Escort Destroyer
PINDOS.
15th Arrived in Assault
Area.
23rd Released from DRAGOON
duty and returned to control of CinC Mediterranean.
September Deployed on convoy defence,
patrol and support of shore operations in Central Mediterranean
and Adriatic.
20th In action against
German E-Boats in Adriatic with HMS WHADDON.
October
4th Carried out
unsuccessful attack on U-Boat in position 40.38N 13.21E.
November Escort and support duty in
continuation.
to
December
1 9 4 5
January Escort and support of
Adriatic operations and escort of convoys to Greek ports in continuation.
to
May
June Remained in
Mediterranean based at Malta for Fleet duties.
July Took passage to UK
for paying off.
P
o s t W a r N o t e s
HMS
BELVOIR Paid-off and was reduced to Reserve at Portsmouth. The ship remained
there until 1950 when transferred
to Harwich. Two years later she returned to Portsmouth and went into Extended
Reserve in 1955. Placed on
the Disposal List in 1957 she was sold to BISCO for demolition by P & W MacLellan at Bo’ness near
Edinburgh. The ship arrived at the breaker’s yard in tow on 21st Oct.1957.
Addendum
CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS
of HMS BELVOIR
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
|
|
|
|
|
|
26/03/42
|
12/04/42
|
PQ 014
|
13/04/42
|
19/04/42
|
10/04/42
|
12/04/42
|
QP 010
|
13/04/42
|
21/04/42
|
10/04/42
|
28/04/42
|
PQ 015
|
28/04/42
|
05/05/42
|
28/04/42
|
28/04/42
|
QP 011
|
28/04/42
|
07/05/42
|
01/12/42
|
01/12/42
|
MW 014
|
05/12/42
|
05/12/42
|
07/12/42
|
07/12/42
|
ME 011
|
11/12/42
|
11/12/42
|
09/12/42
|
11/12/42
|
MW 016
|
12/12/42
|
12/12/42
|
17/12/42
|
17/12/42
|
ME 012
|
20/12/42
|
20/12/42
|
07/01/43
|
07/01/43
|
MW 019
|
11/01/43
|
11/01/43
|
13/01/43
|
13/01/43
|
ME 015
|
18/01/43
|
18/01/43
|
21/01/43
|
21/01/43
|
MH 003/M
|
26/01/43
|
26/01/43
|
13/02/43
|
13/02/43
|
ME 017
|
15/02/43
|
18/02/43
|
01/04/43
|
01/04/43
|
ME 022
|
06/04/43
|
06/04/43
|
24/05/43
|
30/05/43
|
GTX 001
|
unknown
|
04/06/43
|
16/06/43
|
23/06/43
|
KMS 016
|
28/06/43
|
28/06/43
|
20/07/43
|
20/07/43
|
MES 037
|
26/07/43
|
26/07/43
|
03/08/43
|
03/08/43
|
MWF 039
|
07/08/43
|
10/08/43
|
19/08/43
|
19/08/43
|
MKF 022
|
25/08/43
|
09/09/43
|
06/09/43
|
06/09/43
|
TSF 001
|
09/09/43
|
09/09/43
|
16/11/43
|
unknown
|
XIF 004
|
unknown
|
20/11/43
|
17/11/43
|
17/11/43
|
MKF 026
|
21/11/43
|
09/12/43
|
20/12/43
|
20/12/43
|
XT 012
|
26/12/43
|
26/12/43
|
03/01/44
|
03/01/44
|
XIF 007
|
08/01/44
|
08/01/44
|
09/01/44
|
unknown
|
IXF 007
|
unknown
|
17/01/44
|
20/01/44
|
20/01/44
|
SNF 013
|
22/01/44
|
22/01/44
|
20/01/44
|
20/01/44
|
XIF 008
|
25/01/44
|
25/01/44
|
20/01/44
|
22/01/44
|
MKF 028
|
29/01/44
|
07/02/44
|
07/02/44
|
07/02/44
|
SNF 014
|
11/02/44
|
11/02/44
|
29/03/44
|
30/03/44
|
IXF 012
|
02/04/44
|
02/04/44
|
08/04/44
|
08/04/44
|
MKF 030
|
15/04/44
|
21/04/44
|
17/04/44
|
17/04/44
|
NSF 020
|
20/04/44
|
20/04/44
|
21/04/44
|
21/04/44
|
SNF 020
|
24/04/44
|
24/04/44
|
25/04/44
|
25/04/44
|
KMS 048
|
04/05/44
|
05/05/44
|
30/04/44
|
30/04/44
|
NSF 021
|
03/05/44
|
03/05/44
|
04/05/44
|
04/05/44
|
SNF 021
|
07/05/44
|
07/05/44
|
11/06/44
|
19/06/44
|
KMF 032
|
24/06/44
|
24/06/44
|
28/07/44
|
29/07/44
|
MKF 033
|
31/07/44
|
11/08/44
|
18/07/44
|
30/07/44
|
KMF 033
|
31/07/44
|
31/07/44
|
13/08/44
|
13/08/44
|
SM 002A
|
15/08/44
|
15/08/44
|
|
|
|
|
|
(Note on Convoys)