Type I HUNT Class Escort
Destroyer order from Yarrow SB on 11th April 1938 under the 1939 War Programme
and laid down as Job Number J1837 on 12th December 1939. She was launched on 5th
September 1940 as the 2nd RN warship to carry this name, that previously used
for a WW1 minesweeper. Build was completed on 29th December 1940 adopted by
the County of Rutland after a National Savings WARSHIP WEEK Campaign in March
1942.
B a t t
l e H o n o u r s
ENGLISH CHANNEL 1942-44 - NORTH SEA 1941-45
- NORMANDY 1944
H e r a l d i
c D a t a
Badge: On a Field Red, a
lozenge Gold charged with a fret Red
surmounted by an annulet 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 0
December Contractors trials and
commissioned for service in 21st Destroyer Flotilla.
12th Build completion date
and commenced Acceptance Trials.
On completion
took passage to work-up at Portland.
1 9 4 1
January Passage from Portland to
join Flotilla at Sheerness for coastal convoy escort and patrol
in North Sea.
North Sea Convoy escort and patrol duties in continuation.
February Detached for escort of
military convoy in Irish Sea.
6th Deployed with HM
Destroyers BROADWATER, ATHERSTONE and KEPPEL as escort for
military Convoy
WS 6A during passage from Avonmouth to Clyde.
9th Remained with Local
Escort for WS5A during passage in NW Approaches.
12th Detached from WS6A
with HMS ATHERSTONE and HMS KEPPEL.
Passage to resume
North Sea Convoy escort and patrol duties with Flotilla.
March Flotilla duties in
continuation.
to (For details of
activities in defence of East Coast convoys see THREE CORVETTES by
December N Monsarrat and THE BATTLE FOR THE EAST COAST by JP Foynes.).
1 9 4 2
January Flotilla duties in North
Sea in continuation
February
12th Detached for duty
with 16th Destroyer Flotilla and ships of 21sst Flotilla to intercept
German
battleships GNEISENAU and SCHARNHORST making passage eastwards from
Brest to
Wilhelmshaven (Operation CEREBUS).
(For full details
see ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY by Corelli Barnett, and
Naval Staff
History).
Resumed normal
convoy defence duty.
March Flotilla duties in continuation.
17th Drove off attack by E-Boats off Lowestoft with other escorts.
April Flotilla duties in
North Sea and Channel continued.
to
June
July
26th During interception
of enemy coastal convoy sank Trawlers VP202 and VF203 off
Cherbourg
Under air attack and had 3 casualties with damage sustained
August Resumed Channel and North
Sea duty after repair of action damage.
September Flotilla duty in
continuation.
October
13th Deployed with HM
Escort Destroyers QUORN, ALBRIGHTON, GLAISDALE, ESKDALE
and two MTB
Flotillas as Senior Officer Force A to intercept raider KOMET which was
attempting to
pass westwards through English Channel with escorting E-Boats.
Raider set ablaze
and later sunk by MTB 236.
(See BATTLE OF
THE NARROW SEAS by Peter Scott for full details).
November Flotilla escort and patrol
duty in continuation.
to
December
1 9 4 3
January Flotilla escort and
patrol duty in continuation.
to
December
1 9 4 4
January Flotilla escort and
patrol duty in continuation.
to
April
May Nominated for duty
with Force G in support of planned allied landings in Normandy
(Operation
NEPTUNE).
Took part in
preliminary exercises for NEPTUNE (Exercise FABIUS)
June Took up station in
Solent for escort duty.
4th Operation delayed
for 24 hours.
5th Escorted Assault
Convoy G2 with HM Escort Destroyer PYTCHLEY and three Motor
Launches.
(Note: Convoy
comprised 18th Fleet Minesweeping Flotilla with Danlayers and part of 150th
BYMS Minesweeping
Flotilla.
6th Arrived off GOLD
Beach before H-Hour.
(For details of
Operation NEPTUNE see Naval Staff History, LANDINGS IN NORMANDY
June 1944,
OPERATION NEPTUNE by K Edwards and D DAY SHIPS by J de Winser.).
7th Deployed with ships
of Force G in Eastern Task Force area. and provided naval gunfire
support as
required.
Transferred to
Portsmouth on completion of Assault Phase and continued escort of Build-up
convoys and
carried out interception patrols off beach head to prevent incursions by enemy
surface craft and
submersibles against shipping.
July NEPTUNE duties in continuation.
August Resumed coastal convoy
escort duty and patrols with 21st Flotilla.
September Flotilla duties in
continuation.
to
October
November
1st Detached with HM
Escort Destroyer GARTH to escort HM Monitors EREBUS and
ROBERTS during
passage to Walcheren Island for bombardment of enemy positions.
(Operation
INFATUATE).
December Deployed for coastal convoy
escort and A/S patrols in North Sea and Channel.
1 9 4 5
January Flotilla patrol and
escort duty in continuation.
to (Note: During this
period SCHNORKEL fitted submarines were concentrating attacks on
April convoy assembly and
dispersion points. As a result additional escorts were deployed in
Channel and
southern North Sea.
Atlantic convoys
were re-routed through Channel after air threat from French bases had
been removed.
Additional
military convoys were also active in Nore Command to Dutch ports.
See HOLD THE
NARROW SEA by P Smith.)
May Escorted Minesweepers
to Cuxhaven after VE Day.
Joined Harwich
Escort Force for deployment in support of occupation troops and convoys.
June Deployed for support
of re-occupation operations.
P o s t W a r N o t e s
HMS COTTESMORE was transferred
to the Portsmouth Local Flotilla in August 1945. She was {aid-off and reduced
to Reserve status in February 1946 at Devonport and
remained there until placed on the Sales List in 1956. After a nine month refit
at Cowes she was renamed IBRAHIM EL AWAL. The ship remained in the Egyptian
Navy under two other names MOHAMED ALJ EL KEBIR and PORT SAID. She was used as
a training ship until 1972 when scrapped.
Addendum
CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS
of HMS COTTESMORE
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
|
Convoy No.
|
Left convoy
|
Date convoy arrived
|
|
|
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|
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06/12/40
|
08/12/40
|
OB 255
|
10/12/40
|
10/12/40
|
31/10/42
|
31/10/42
|
CW 130
|
01/11/42
|
01/11/42
|
01/11/42
|
01/11/42
|
CE 128
|
02/11/42
|
02/11/42
|
11/01/43
|
11/01/43
|
CW 148
|
12/01/43
|
12/01/43
|
12/01/43
|
12/01/43
|
CE 146
|
13/01/43
|
13/01/43
|
24/03/43
|
24/03/43
|
CW 165
|
25/03/43
|
25/03/43
|
25/03/43
|
25/03/43
|
CE 163
|
26/03/43
|
26/03/43
|
12/05/43
|
12/05/43
|
CE 175
|
13/05/43
|
13/05/43
|
14/05/43
|
14/05/43
|
CW 178
|
15/05/43
|
15/05/43
|
15/05/43
|
15/05/43
|
CE 176
|
16/05/43
|
16/05/43
|
21/05/43
|
22/05/43
|
PW 342
|
23/05/43
|
23/05/43
|
24/05/43
|
25/05/43
|
WP 344
|
26/05/43
|
26/05/43
|
28/05/43
|
28/05/43
|
CE 179
|
29/05/43
|
29/05/43
|
01/07/43
|
01/07/43
|
CW 190
|
02/07/43
|
02/07/43
|
02/07/43
|
02/07/43
|
CE 188
|
03/07/43
|
03/07/43
|
13/07/43
|
13/07/43
|
CW 193
|
14/07/43
|
14/07/43
|
14/07/43
|
14/07/43
|
CE 191
|
15/07/43
|
15/07/43
|
18/08/43
|
18/08/43
|
CW 202
|
19/08/43
|
19/08/43
|
19/08/43
|
19/08/43
|
CE 200
|
20/08/43
|
20/08/43
|
31/08/43
|
31/08/43
|
CW 205
|
01/09/43
|
01/09/43
|
01/09/43
|
01/09/43
|
CE 203
|
02/09/43
|
02/09/43
|
12/09/43
|
12/09/43
|
CW 208
|
13/09/43
|
13/09/43
|
15/09/43
|
15/09/43
|
CW 209
|
16/09/43
|
16/09/43
|
22/10/43
|
22/10/43
|
CW 218
|
23/10/43
|
23/10/43
|
23/10/43
|
23/10/43
|
CE 216
|
24/10/43
|
24/10/43
|
25/12/43
|
25/12/43
|
CW 234
|
26/12/43
|
26/12/43
|
26/12/43
|
26/12/43
|
CE 232
|
27/12/43
|
27/12/43
|
07/03/44
|
07/03/44
|
CE 250
|
08/03/44
|
08/03/44
|
15/04/44
|
15/04/44
|
CW 262
|
16/04/44
|
16/04/44
|
16/04/44
|
16/04/44
|
CE 260
|
17/04/44
|
17/04/44
|
10/12/44
|
10/12/44
|
TAM 014
|
13/12/44
|
13/12/44
|
14/12/44
|
14/12/44
|
TAM 018
|
16/12/44
|
16/12/44
|
15/12/44
|
15/12/44
|
ATM 013
|
16/12/44
|
16/12/44
|
17/12/44
|
17/12/44
|
TAM 021
|
18/12/44
|
18/12/44
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(Note on Convoys)