Type II HUNT Class Escort Destroyer ordered from Swan Hunter at Wallsend in December 1939 under the 1939 War Emergency Programme. The ship was laid down as Job No 4196 on 12th June 1940. The ship was launched on 28th April 1941 as the 2nd RN warship to carry the name which was first used for a Prize (SAN JOSEF) captured in 1800. She was completed on 11th December 1941 and was adopted by Abingdon, Berkshire after a successful WARSHIP WEEK National Savings campaign in February 1942.

 

B a t t l e   H o n o u r s

 

GUT OF GIBRALTAR 1801 - DIEPPE 1942 - ENGLISH CHANNEL 1942 - NORTH AFRICA 1942-43 - MEDITERRANEAN 1943 - SICILY 1943 - SALERNO  1943 - AEGEAN 1943 - SOUTH FRANCE 1944

 

H e r a l d i c   D a t a

Badge: On a Field per fess wavy Red and Blue. a chess Rook Gold in front of two

hunting horns in saltire 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)

 

 

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December              Contractor's trials and commissioned for service in 1st Destroyer Flotilla

                11th        Build completion and commenced Acceptance Trials

                                On completion of trials and storing took passage to Scapa Flow

 

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January                  Work up at Scapa Flow with ships of Home Fleet.

                9th          Reinforced screen for ships of 1st Minelaying Squadron during lay of section of East Coast

                                Barrier with HM Escort Destroyer CHIDDINGFOLD.

                                For details of all minelaying operations see Naval Staff History (Mining).

 

February                Deployed for convoy defence and patrol in NW Approaches.

 

March                    Joined 1st Destroyer Flotilla at Portsmouth for coastal convoy escort and patrol in Channel

                               and North Sea.

 

April                       Channel and North Sea duties in continuation.

to                            Nominated for escort and support of planned amphibious operation.

June                        (Operation JUBILEE)

 

July                         Converted for use as HQ and Fighter Direction Ship in Dieppe Raid.

 

August                  Took part in JUBILEE preparatory exercises

                18th        Embarked Military Force Contenders and acted as Command Ship.

                to            (See Naval Staff History and THE WATERY MAZE by B Fergusson.)

                21st         Under heavy air attacks and fired on by shore batteries.

                                Sustained some damage.

                                Escorted surviving Landing Craft to Portsmouth on completion.

 

September             Resumed convoy defence and patrol duties with Flotilla.

                                Detached for interception of enemy coastal convoys and support of operations by Light

                                Coastal Forces.

 

October                  Nominated for escort and support of allied landings in North Africa.

                                Deployed as part of escort for military convoy to Gibraltar.

 

November              Deployed at Gibraltar.

                                Joined Central Task Force for allied landings (Operation TORCH).

                                (For details see ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY, Naval Staff History

                                and BRITISH INVASION FLEETS by J de Winser,).

                7th          Deployed for support and escort duties during assault.

 

December              Deployed for convoy defence and patrol in western Mediterranean and Atlantic.

 

1 9 4 3

 

January                  Convoy defence and patrol deployment in continuation

to

February

 

March                    Deployed in Mediterranean and Joined convoy MKF10A when on passage.

to                            Joined 59 Destroyer Division for defence of convoys supporting Allied operations

April                       in North Africa and anti-submarine patrol.

 

May                        Deployed for interception of craft evacuating enemy personnel from Cape Bon.

                                (Operation RETRIBUTION).

 

June                        Nominated for escort and support of allied landings in Sicily.

 

July                         Joined Support Force East for landings (Operation HUSKY - See above references).

                                Escorted convoys and carried out defensive patrols off beaches.

                                Transferred to 48 Escort Group for convoy defence and patrol duties in Central

                                Mediterranean area.

 

August                  Nominated for escort duty with Carrier Support Force (Task Force 88) during allied landings at

                                 Salerno (Operation AVALANCHE - See above references).

 

September             Joined Group (TF88, as screen for HM Cruisers EURYALUS, CHARYBDIS and SCYLLA, HM Escort

                                Carriers BATTLER, HUNTER, STALKER and Light Fleet Carrier UNICORN with HM Escort

                                Destroyers CLEVELAND, HOLCOMBE, ATHERSTONE, LIDDESDALE. FARNDALE,

                                Polish destroyers KRAKOWIAK and SLAZAK.

                9th          Deployed with Group off Beaches during assault landings.

                to            Under air and E-Boat attacks.

                16th        On release from AVALANCHE Joined 50 Escort Group based at Algiers for defence of

                                Follow-up convoys for military operations on mainland of Italy.

 

October                  Convoy defence with Group in continuation.

 

November              Joined HM Escort Destroyers ATHERSTONE, CATTERICK, CLEVELAND, HAYDON,

                                FARNDALE, LIDDESDALE, Polish KRAKOWIAK and SLAZAK in Mediterranean

                                HUNT-Flotilla based in Malta for convoy defence.

 

December              Convoy defence in central and western Mediterranean in continuation.

                10th        Part of escort of military convoy KMS34 with H M Escort Destroyers TYNEDALE,

                                HOLCOMBE, US destroyers NIBLACK, BENSON and WAINWRIGHT.

                12th        Under submarine attack by U223 and U593 in Bay of Bougie.

                                Following sinking of HM Escort Destroyer TYNEDALE by torpedo from U593 took part

                                in anti-submarine hunt with other escorts.

                                During this operation HMS HOLCOMBE was torpedoed and sunk by the same U-Boat.

                13th        Search operation maintained with US destroyers.

                                Shared credit with USS WAINWRIGHT for sinking U593 in position 37.38N 05.58E.

                                See U-BOATS DESTROYED by P Kemp.

 

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January                  Transferred to 18th Destroyer Flotilla based in Malta.

to                            Deployed for escort and patrol duties In Central Mediterranean. June Nominated for escort 

July                         duty under US command during landings in South of France.

                                (Operation DRAGOON - For details see INVASION OF THE SOUTH OF FRANCE (HMSO)

                                and ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY).

 

August                  Passage to Oran to join convoy.

                11th        Part of escort for Convoy AMI with HM Escort Destroyers CATTERICK, CLEVELAND, US

                                minesweepers STAFF, SWIFT and THREAT.

                15th        Arrived in Assault area.

                                On release from DRAGOON reverted to RN control and resumed duties with Flotilla.

 

September             Deployed for patrol and convoy defence in Central Mediterranean and Adriatic.

                24th        Part of British Aegean Force with HM Escort Destroyers BRECON, CATTERICK, ZETLAND,

                                CLEVELAND, LIDDESDALE, Greek THEMISTOCLES, KRITI, PINDOS, KANARIS and

                                MIAOULIS.

                                Embarked troops for re-occupation of Islands in Aegean.

 

October                  Deployed for interception of craft evacuating German personnel from islands in Aegean.

                                Carried out naval gunfire support and landed of troops.

                                On termination of defence operations took passage to UK.

 

November              Nominated for service in Eastern Fleet after refit.

 

December              Passage to Mediterranean for refit at Ferryville, Tunisia.

 

1 9 4 5

 

January                  Under refit for foreign service.

to                            Passage to Malta

March

 

April                       Taken in hand for further refit and repair in Malta.

 

May                        Passage to UK on completion of refit.

                11th        Arrived at Chatham to give leave.

 

June                        Took passage via Mediterranean to join 14th Destroyer Flotilla, Eastern Fleet at Trincomalee.

 

July                         On arrival prepared for support of landings in Malaya (Operation ZIPPER).

                                 Pennant Number for visual signalling purposes changed to D56 to conform with US

                                 Navy identification system for destroyers.

 

August                   Not deployed for support of  Operation ZIPPER.

 

P o s t   W a r   N o t e s

 

HMS CALPE served with the Flotilla in the Indian Ocean until November 1946 when she took passage to UK to Pay-off and reduce to Reserve status. She was laid up at Sheerness on 17th January 1946 and transferred to Portsmouth in 1947. Later she went to Harwich and was transferred on loan to Denmark during 1952. Renamed ROLFE KRAKE this ship was sold to Denmark after 9 years on loan and deployed on the Active List until October 1966 when she was sold for breaking up locally.

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Addendum

 

CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of HMS CALPE

by Don Kindell

 

These convoy lists have not been cross-checked with the text above

(Note on Convoys)