Type I HUNT-Class Escort Destroyer ordered from Cammell
Laird at Birkenhead under the 1939 Build Programme and laid down on 8th June
1939 as No J3302. The ship was launched on 29th January 1940 and the first
RN warship to carry the name. Build was completed on 6th June 1940. In March
1942 she was adopted by the civil community of Hemel Hempstead,
Hertfordshire after a successful WARSHIP WEEK National
Savings campaign. An association also exists with the Berkeley fox hunt and the
name was this name was again used for a Mine Counter Measures Ship in the
1970's.
B a t t l
e H o n o u r s
NORTH
SEA 1942 - ENGLISH CHANNEL 1942 -
DIEPPE 1942
H e r a l
d i
c D a t a
Badge: On a Field Gold. Upon a Red roundel, in front of two hunting horns
in saltire gold and a cross patee
white.
M o t t o
Dieu avec nous: 'God with us’
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 0
June Contractors trials
and commissioned for service
6th Build completion and
commenced Acceptance trials
On completion of
trials and storing, work-up delayed because of shortage of destroyers in
Home waters
because of the heavy losses and damage to destroyers whilst covering evacuation
of allied troops
from France.
Deployed for
evacuation of troops and civilian personnel from ports in Channel and Bay of
Biscay.
(Operation AERIAL
– For details see BEF SHIPS by J de Winser.)
7th Carried out
unsuccessful attack on submarine during passage to Channel deployment.
(Note: This date
is to be confirmed as the source records attack was made during escort in Bay of
Biscay. As ship
was completed and carried out Acceptance Trials on 6th this seems most
unlikely.
16th Deployed at La Pallice and returned to UK as escort
for two mercantiles carrying RAF personnel.
Passage to Bordeaux with demolition party
(Operation XD)
Deployed at Bordeaux as communication link.
20th Relieved by HM Destroyer BEAGLE.
23rd Deployed for evacuation at Le Verdon.
25th Returned to Plymouth with evacuees including Paris
Embassy staff.
Joined 1st
Destroyer Flotilla at Portsmouth for convoy escort and
patrol duty in English Channel
and North Sea.
July Deployed for
Flotilla duties based at Portsmouth.
(Note: Delayed
work-up was probably carried out.)
August
5th Escorted ships of
1st Minelaying Squadron with HM Cruiser CALCUTTA, sister Escort Destroyer
HMS GARTH and
Home Fleet destroyers during minelay in SW Approaches to Irish Sea.
(Operation SN32 -
For details of all minelaying operations see Naval Staff History (Mining)).
September Carried out offensive sweep
for German invasion craft between Le Touquet and Cap d’Antifer.
October Deployed en convoy
escort duty in English Channel and North Sea.
to November
December
19th Deployed for support
of Coastal Forces craft in operation against E-Boats.
20th Sustained damage by
mine in Outer Medway sea area.
Taken in hand for
repair at HM Dockyard, Chatham.
1 9 4 1
January On completion resumed
Flotilla convoy escort duties.
February Channel
deployment in continuation.
22nd Detached
to escort HM Destroyer ICARUS during lay of minefield between Le Havre and
and
Cherbourg with HM Destroyer VANSITTART and HM Escort Destroyer TYNEDALE
(Operation JK).
March Convoy defence and patrol
duty in English Channel
to Detached for
operations against E-Boats with Coastal Forces.
December (See HOLD THE NARROW SEA by
P Smith and BATTLE OF THE NARROW
SEA by
P Scott for
details of coastal activities).
1 9 4 2
January Convoy defence and
patrol deployments in continuation.
February
15th Took part in
unsuccessful attempt to intercept German battleships SCHARNHORST and
GNEISENAU during
the Channel Dash from France to Germany.
(For details see
HOLD THE NARROW SEA and THE CHANNEL DASH by T
Robertson).
March Deployed on Channel and
East Coast convoy escort and patrol duty
to April (See HOLD THE NARROW
SEA and THE BATTLE OF THE NARROW
SEAS).
May Continuation of convoy
defence duties.
12th Escorted HM Cruiser
BERWICK from Portsmouth to Rosyth with HMS BLENCATHRA.
June Flotilla convoy
escort duties in Channel and North Sea.
July Nominated for
support of raid on Dieppe with HM Escort Destroyers ALBRIGHTON,
BLEASDALE, CALPE,
GARTH, BROCKLESBY, FERNIE and Polish ORP
SLAZAK (Operation
JUBILEE). Deployed for preliminary exercises for planned assault.
August Operation delayed and
security may have been compromised.
18th Escorted raiding
force for Dieppe landings.
19th Under air attack off
Dieppe and received 2 direct hits forward of Bridge on starboard side.
Ship's back was
broken causing severe flooding of all the forward compartments.
Damage was beyond
control ship and ship abandoned.
Survivors rescued
by HMS ALBRIGHTON and Steam Gunboats of Coastal Forces.
Hulk was then
sunk by torpedoes from HMS ALBRIGHTON.
(For details of
this disastrous operation see BATTLE OF THE NARROW SEAS. THE
WATERY MAZE by B
Fergusson and Naval Staff History.)
(Note: The
lessons learnt at high cost in lives and material were however embodied in the
planning
of the
allied landings in Normandy in 1944 (Operation
NEPTUNE).)
Addendum
CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS
of HMS BERKELEY
by Don Kindell
no convoys are listed