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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 EGGESFORD (L 15) -  Type III, Hunt-class Escort Destroyer including Convoy Escort Movements

 

Edited by Gordon Smith, Naval-History.Net

HHelMS Adrias, Type III sister-ship (CyberHeritage, click to enlarge)

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Type III HUNT Class Escort Destroyer ordered from J. S. White at Cowes under 1940 War Emergency Programme on 28th July 1940. The ship was laid down on 23rd June 1941 as Job No J6126 and launched on 12th September 1942. She was the 1st RN warship to carry the name and had been adopted by the civil community of South Moulton in the County of Devonshire after a successful WARSHIP WEEK National Savings campaign. Build completion date was 21st January 1943.

 

B a t t l e   H o n o u r s

 

SICILY 1943 - SALERNO 1943 - ADRIATIC 1944 - SOUTH FRANCE  1944.

 

H e r a l d i c   D a t a

Badge: On a Field barry wavy of four White and Blue a goat's head erased Black gorged

with a chain Gold, suspended therefrom by a link chain, a bugle horn also Gold.

 

 

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 3

 

January                  Contractor's trials and commissioned for service.

                21st         Build completion and commenced Acceptance Trials

                                Passage to Tobermory on completion of trials and storing.

 

February                Worked-up for operational service.

                                Nominated for escort of military convoy during passage to Gibraltar.

March                    Prepared for foreign service.

                16th        Joined HM Destroyers BADSWORTH, DOUGLAS, GOATHLAND, WHADDON. Polish

                                KRAKOWIAK. HM Sloops WOODPECKER and WREN in Clyde as escort for joint Convoy

                                WS28 to Indian Ocean and KMF11 to Mediterranean.

                21st         Joint convoy divided of Gibraltar after arrival of HM Destroyers MALCOLM, WITCH,

                                QUADRANT and WOLVERINE joined to escort WS28 Section to Freetown.

                                Remained with KMF11 Section escort during passage to Gibraltar.

                22nd       Took passage to Malta to join 60 Destroyer Division.

 

April                       Deployed with Flotilla based in Malta for escort and patrol duty in western and central

                                Mediterranean.

 

May                        Escorted convoys in support of military operation in North Africa.

                                Took part in blockade of Cape Bon to intercept craft evacuating German troops from the Tunisian

                                coast (Operation RETRIBUTION).

 

June                        Nominated for support of allied landings in Sicily as part of Escort Group W in Support Force

                                East.

                                (Operation HUSKY - See ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY by Corelli Barnett, Naval

                                Staff History and BRITISH INVASION FLEETS by J H de Winser.)

                                Deployed for Convoy defence and patrol based in Malta.

 

July                         Passage to Sfax

                7th          Sailed from Sfax as part of escort for military convoy SBS1 with Group.

                10th        Detached from SBS1 and carried out naval gunfire support, patrol and support duties.

 

August                  Deployed for escort of convoys and supplemented defence of ships off Sicily

                                Nominated for convoy defence and support of planned allied landings in Italy

                                (Operation AVALANCHE – See above references for details.)

 

September             Preparation for Salerno landings.

                                Part of Escort for troop convoys.

                9th          Deployed with Escort Group (Operation AVALANCHE - See above references).

                16th        Provided naval gunfire support and AA defence off Salerno beaches.

                                Deployed for patrols to intercept E-Boats attempting to interfere with landings.

 

October                  Deployed for convoy escort and patrol in central Mediterranean.

to                            Supported military operations off west coast of Italy.

December

 

1 9 4 4

 

January                  Escort and support of military operations in Western Mediterranean.

to                            (See WAR IN THE MEDITERRANEAN (HMSO)

June

 

July                         Under refit in Malta

                                Nominated for escort duty under US Command for planned landings in South of France.

                                (Operation DRAGOON - For detail see ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY and

                                INVASION OF THE SOUTH OF FRANCE (HMSO).

 

August                  On completion transferred to 5th Destroyer Flotilla based in Malta.

                                Passage to Naples for escort duty.

                13th        Escorted US military convoy SM2 with HM Escort Destroyers ALDENHAM, BLACKMORE,

                                BEAUFORT, BELVOIR, WHADDON, LAUDERDALE and Greek PINDOS.

                15th        Arrived in Assault Area.

                                Reverted to control of CinC Mediterranean on release from DRAGOON.

                                Resumed duty with 5th Flotilla.

 

September             Deployed in Adriatic in support of military operations, convoy defence and for interception

to                            enemy supply shipping.

October                  (See THE LAST DESTROYER by FA Mason for details of Aegean deployments.)

 

November              Adriatic deployment in continuation.

                7th          Bombarded E-Boat base and installations at Lussino Island at Bar on mainland of Yugoslavia.

 

December              Transferred to UK to reinforce defence of coastal convoys.

                                Passage to UK.

                                (Note: U-Boat attacks were being concentrated on convoy focal point in English Channel and

                                North Sea using SCHNORKEL fitted submarines

                                See SEEK AMD STRIKE by W Hackmann, BUSINESS IN GREAT WATERS by

                                J Terraine and HOLD THE NARROW SEA by P Smith.).

 

1 9 4 5

 

January                  Nominated for service with 18th Destroyer Flotilla, Eastern Fleet but attached to 21st Destroyer

to                            Flotilla based at Sheerness for coastal convoy defence and patrol in North Sea and eastern

April                       English Channel.

                                (Note: Atlantic convoys to east coast ports were being re-routed through Channel as the

                                threat of air attacks from French bases had been eliminated).

                                (See HOLD THE NARROW SEA by P Smith).

 

May                        After VE Day left 21st Destroyer Flotilla and prepared for foreign service with Eastern Fleet.

to

June

 

July                         Passage to Trincomalee via Mediterranean

 

August                  Arrived in Ceylon after VJ Day and not deployed operationally.

  

P o s t   W a r  N o t e s

 

HMS EGGESFORD remained in Ceylon until October 1945 when she returned to UK and joined the Rosyth Training Flotilla.. On 25th November 1946 the ship paid off and reduced to Reserve status at Portsmouth. Laid-up there until 1952 when transferred to Penarth. Following discussions with the Federal German Government this destroyer was sold for service in German navy with HM Escort Destroyers OAKLEY, ALBRIGHTON, HM Sloops ACTAEON, HART, FLAMINGO and MERMAID in January 1957. Renamed BROMY. She was refitted at Pembroke Dock before being commissioned for service as a weapons training ship on 14th May 1959. Removed from the Active List in 1979 she was scrapped in Germany.

 


 

Addendum

 

CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of HMS EGGESFORD

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

 

 

 

 

 

23/01/43

23/01/43

PW 283

25/01/43

25/01/43

15/03/43

15/03/43

KMF 011

25/03/43

23/03/43

24/03/43

24/03/43

KMF 011X

25/03/43

25/03/43

25/03/43

26/03/43

MKF 011

26/03/43

05/04/43

28/03/43

28/03/43

ET 016

30/03/43

01/04/43

31/05/43

05/06/43

KMS 015

08/06/43

14/06/43

28/07/43

05/08/43

GUS 011

06/08/43

26/08/43

13/08/44

13/08/44

SM 002A

15/08/44

15/08/44

06/09/44

06/09/44

SM 007

unknown

09/09/44

14/09/44

14/09/44

SRM 010

unknown

unknown

 

 

 

 

 

(Note on Convoys)

 

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revised 12/8/11
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