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SERVICE HISTORIES of ROYAL NAVY WARSHIPS in WORLD WAR 2
by Lt Cdr Geoffrey B Mason RN (Rtd) (c) 2004

HMS BLACKMORE (L 43) -  Type II, Hunt-class Escort Destroyer including Convoy Escort Movements

Edited by Gordon Smith, Naval-History.Net

HMS Blackmore (Navy Photos, click to enlarge)

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Type II HUNT Class Escort Destroyer ordered from Alex. Stephens of Govan, Glasgow on 20th Dec. 1939 with 15 others of this Type under the 1939 War Emergency Programme. The snip was laid down as Jon No J1479 on 10th February 1942. The ship was launched on 2nd December 1941 as the first RN warship to carry the name, although a WW1 minesweeper had been named BLACKMOREVALE after the Somerset Hunt. Build was completed on 14th April 1942 and following a successful WARSHIP WEEK National Savings campaign in March 1942 she had been adopted by the civil community of Langport, Somerset.

 

B a t t l e   H o n o u r s

 

ATLANTIC 1943 - SOUTH FRANCE   1944 -  SALERNO 1943 - ADRIATIC 1944

 

H e r a l d i c   D a t a

Badge: On a Field per fess wavy Red and Blue.

a five bar gate white.

 

 

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

 

April                       Contractor's sea trials and commissioned for service with 2nd Destroyer Flotilla.

                14th        Build completion and commenced Acceptance Trials.

                                On completion of trials and storing worked-up for operational service.

                                On completion prepared for work-up

 

May                        Worked-up for operational service.

                                Prepared for foreign service and nominated for escort of military convoy during passage to

                                Freetown.

 

June

                1st           Joined Convoy WS19P with HM Battleship NELSON and HM Destroyer DERWENT as Ocean

                                Escort during Atlantic passage.

                15th        Detached from W519P on arrival at Freetown.

                                Retained at Freetown for Local Escort duties.

                24th        Passage from Freetown with HM Destroyer BRILLIANT to meet military convoy WS20

                                during Atlantic passage from Clyde.

                26th        Joined WS20 with HMS BRILLIANT as escort for passage to Freetown.

 

July                         Transferred to Indian Ocean for convoy defence.

                2nd         Detached from WS20 with other ships of Local Escort on arrival.

                6th          Joined WS20 with HM Battleship MALAYA, HM Destroyers BRILLIANT and WIVERN as

                                Ocean Escort during passage to Cape of Good Hope.

                17th        Detached from WS20 with HMS MALAYA and escorted ships from convoy into Capetown.

                19th        Deployed at Simonstown for convoy defence in South Atlantic and Indian Ocean.

 

August                  Convoy defence based at Simonstown in continuation.

to

December

 

1 9 4 3

 

January                  Convoy defence in continuation based at Simonstown.

 

February                Passage to join military convoy WS26 during passage from Freetown to Cape.

                20th        Joined escort for W526 as relief for HM Destroyer QUALITY

                23rd        Detached from W326 in Indian Ocean after ships for Capetown had left convoy.

                                Passage to Durban for Indian Ocean convoy defence duties

 

March

                1st           Rejoined WS26 of Durban with as escort for part of passage with HM Minesweeper

                                CARNATIC (RIN), HM Destroyers CATTERICK and RELENTLESS.

                3rd          Detached from WS26 and took passage to join Convoy DN21 as escort.

                                After arrival of DN21 at Durban took passage to Simonstown for refit.

                                Taken in hand for refit on arrival.

 

April                       Under refit

 

May                        On completion of post refit trials took passage to Freetown to resume Atlantic convoy defence.

 

June                        Deployed for Local Escort duties at Freetown.

                20th        Passage to Gibraltar

                26th        Joined military convoy WS31 off Gibraltar with HM Destroyers AMAZON, BULLDOG and

                                FOXHOUND for Ocean Escort to Freetown.

 

July                         Nominated for transfer to Mediterranean

                4th          Arrived at Freetown with WS31.

                6th          Rejoined military convoy WS31 with HM Armed Merchant Cruiser CORFU and the French QUERCY,

                                HM Destroyers FOXHOUND, BULLDOG and WOLVERINE as escort during passage to

                                Cape.

                15th        Detached from WS31 with same destroyers on relief by HM Destroyers QUADRANT and

                                REDOUBT

                                Returned to Freetown.

                                Took passage to MEDITERRANEAN

 

August                  Passage to Malta to join Division.

                                Joined 57th Division and deployed for convoy defence in central Mediterranean.

 

September             Joined Northern Attack Force for escort and support duties in Task Force 85.

                                (Note: Other ships deployed were HM Destroyers LAFOREY, LOOKOUT, LOYAL,

                                NUBIAN and TARTAR, HM Escort Destroyers MENDIP, DULVERTON,

                                TETCOTT, BELVOIR, BROCKLESBY, QUANTOCK, BEAUFORT,

                                BRECON, EXMOOR, LEDBURY and Greek PINDOS.)

                8th          Deployed as escort for military convoy TSF1X during passage from Palermo to

                                Salerno beach head.

                                (Operation AVALANCHE - See ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY by C Barnett

                                and Naval Staff History).

 

October                  On release from AVALANCHE resumed envoy defence duties with Division.

 

November              Joined 60th Destroyer Division based in Malta.

to                            Deployed for convoy defence and support of military operation in Adriatic.

December

 

1 9 4 4

 

January                  Convoy escort and support in continuation.

                16th        Carried out bombardment of Durazzo, Albania with HM Escort Destroyer LEDBURY.

 

February                Central Mediterranean and Adriatic convoy defence and support in continuation.

to

May

 

June                        Transferred to 5th Destroyer Flotilla, Mediterranean Fleet in continuation.

                11th        Took part in engagement against four German E-Boats in Adriatic with HM Escort Destroyer

                                EGGESFORD. One enemy vessel was sunk and 10 survivors rescued.

 

July                         Flotilla deployment in continuation.

                                Nominated for escort of military convoys during allied landings in the South of France under

                                US Navy command.

                                Took passage to Naples.

                                (Operation DRAGOON - See above references for details).

 

August                  Joined escort for Stores Convoy SM2 at Naples with HM Escort Destroyers ALDENHAM

                                BEAUFORT, BELVOIR, EGGESFORD, LAUDERDALE, WHADDON and Greek PINDOS.

                                (Note: Commanding Officer was Lieut, J S Kerans, RN who later achieved national fame when

                                in command of HM frigate AMETHYST, she escaped down the Yangtse River from

                                Chinese detention in 1950).

                13th        Sailed from Naples with Convoy SM2. Arrived in Assault area.

                                On release from DRAGOON resumed Flotilla duties.

 

September             Recalled to UK for refit at Sheerness prior to service with Eastern Fleet. Passage to Sheerness.

 

October                  Taken in hand for refit Under refit.

to

December

 

1 9 4 5

 

January                  Under refit

 

February                Post refit trials in Nore Command.

 

March                    Deployed briefly for convoy defence.

                                (Note: Additional escorts were required to counter extensive E-Boat and midget submarine

                                activities in Thames Estuary area - See HOLD THE NARROW SEA by P Smith).

 

April                       Prepared for foreign service with 18th Destroyer Flotilla in Eastern Fleet.

                                Passage to Trincomalee.

                                Commanding Officer: Lt. Cdr. J S Kerans, RN.

                28th        Joined Flotilla at Bombay.

 

May                        Deployed as Weather Ship in Andamans during landings at Rangoon.

                                (Operation DRACULA - See OPERATION PACIFIC by E Grey and Naval Staff History).

                                On release from DRACULA deployed with Eastern Fleet for convoy defence, support of

                                military operations and patrol in Indian Ocean.

 

June                        Eastern Fleet deployment in continuation.

to                            Took part in preparatory exercises prior to planned landings in Malaya.

July                         (Operation ZIPPER).

 

August                  Eastern Fleet deployment on continuation,

                                (Note: ZIPPER landings were delayed by US insistence and problems relating to early return

                                of long serving personnel on Far East Station.

 

September

                4th          Sailed from Trincomalee as part of escort for aircraft carriers during passage to Malacca

                                Straits

                                (Note: For details of ZIPPER landings see BRITISH INVASION FLEETS by J de Winser)

                6th          Joined military convoy JE1F in Malacca Strait and part of ESCORT to ZIPPER beachhead.

 

P o s t   W a r   N o t e s

 

HMS BLACKMORE was deployed at Singapore after release from ZIPPER and nominated for return to UK to pay off into Reserve. The ship sailed from Trincomalee 8th October 1945. and on arrival at Plymouth he paid off Devonport on arrival and was laid up there in Reserve Fleet until 1952. After being placed on the Sales List she was transferred on loan to Denmark on 18th July 1952. After refitting she joined the Danish Navy as a Frigate and was renamed ESBERN SNARE. This ship was in Danish naval service until 1966 when stricken from the Active List.

 


 

Addendum

 

CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of HMS BLACKMORE

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

         

10/01/43

20/01/43

MC 003

23/01/43

23/01/43

11/06/43

11/06/43

ST 069

17/06/43

17/06/43

28/07/43

28/07/43

SL 134

09/08/43

19/08/43

08/09/43

08/09/43

TSF 001X

09/09/43

09/09/43

unknown

01/09/44

SM 006

01/09/44

unknown

 

 

 

 

 

(Note on Convoys)

 

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