Type I HUNT Class Escort
Destroyer ordered from Vickers Armstrong, Newcastle on 21st March 1939 with 10
others of this type under the 1939 Estimates. She was laid down on 8th June
1939 as Job No J4091 and launched on 28th December 1939. She was the 2nd RN
warship to carry the name, which had been previously used by a WW1 minesweeper
sold in 1921 and that of a Foxhunt in Ayrshire. Her build was completed on 28th
August 1940 and following a successful WARSHIP WEEK National Savings campaign
in March 1942 was adopted by the civil community of Alton, Hampshire.
B a t t
l e H o n o u r s
ATLANTIC 1940 - ENGLISH CHANNEL 1940-44
- NORTH
SEA 1941-44 - NORMANDY 1944
H e r a l d i c D a t a
Badge: On a Field Red, two hunting
horns in saltire
and three annulets interlaced 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 0
August Contractor's sea trials and commission for
service in 16th Destroyer Flotilla.
28th Build completion and commenced
Acceptance Trials.
September Took passage to
Scapa Flow on completion of trials and storing,
Worked-up for operational service
with Home Fleet at
Scapa Flow.
Deployed for convoy defence in NW
Approaches.
October Joined Flotilla at Harwich for convoy
defence and patrol in
English
Channel and
North Sea.
4th Carried cut search for German
Destroyer reported minelaying off South Foreland.
November Flotilla duties based at Harwich in
continuation.
to
December
1 9 4 1
January Convoy defence and patrol in continuation.
to
May
June
21st Escorted HM Coastal Minelayer PLOVER
during lay of section of East Coast Barrier.
(Operation BS60 – See Naval Staff
History (Mining) for details).
July
Convoy defence in
North Sea
in continuation.
to
December
1 9 4 2
January
North Sea
convoy defence and patrol duties in continuation.
to
December
1 9 4 3
January
North Sea
duties in continuation.
February East Coast convoy escort with HM Destroyers
WALPOLE and MONTROSE.
March
North Sea
duties in continuation.
to
June
July
North Sea
convoy defence in continuation.
28th In collision with HM Corvette
SHELDRAKE.
Sustained damage to forward
structure.
August Under repair to collision damage.
September
12th Resumed Flotilla duties on completion
of post repair trials.
October Detached for duty with Home Fleet ships.
6th Took part in exercises with Horns
Fleet cruisers off Harwich.
Resumed Flotilla convoy defence
duty on release from exercises.
24th In action against E-Boats attacking
Convoy FN 1160 off Cromer with H M Destroyers
PYTCHLEY, WORCESTER, CAMPBELL,
MACKAY and Light Coastal Force craft
November
North Sea
convoy defence and patrol duties in continuation.
to
December
1 9 4 4
January Flotilla duties in continuation.
February
24th In action against E-Boats attacking
East Coast Convoy FS 1371 off Great Yarmouth with HM
Destroyer VIVIEN.
March
North Sea
duties in continuation.
to
April
May Nominated for detached service in
support of allied landings in
Normandy.
(Operation
NEPTUNE)
Prepared for escort and support
duty with Force S.
3rd Took part in Defence exercise off
Brighton by Forces S, G and J.
(Note: Exercise FABIUS the final rehearsal for
the landings took place in the
English Channel
between 2nd and 4th May).
18th Took
part in Landing exercise at Bracklesham Bay, Sussex by Force S ships.
Allocated target in Pre-Arranged Fire Plan: Petit Enfer with HM Destroyer
KELVIN
(For details of naval activities before and
during
NEPTUNE see OPERATION NEPTUNE by
K Edwards, LANDINGS NORMANDY June 1944 (HMSO)
and D
DAY SHIPS by J de
Winser.)
June Joined HM Destroyers SAUMAREZ, KELVIN,
SCOURGE, VIRAGO, SCORPION,
VERULAM, SWIFT, SERAPIS, Norwegian
destroyers SVENNER and STORD, HM Escort
Destroyers MIDDLETON and Polish
Destroyer ORP SLAZAK in
Solent for
Force S support
Deployed with HM Destroyer VIRAGO,
VERULAM, KELVIN and 5 Motor Torpedo Boats
for escort of Convoy S7 to
beachhead area.
(Note: Convoy S7 comprised HM Landing Ship
(Large) LARGS HQ Ship Force S, six
Landing Ships (Tank), 1 Landing Craft (Support),
1 High Speed Launch and three
US Navy Coastguard Cutters).
4th Operation delayed for 24 hours.
5th Passage to
SWORD Beach
through swept channel as escort for Convoy S7.
6th Took up bombarding position on arrival
and provided naval gunfire support during
landings
on
SWORD Beach.
7th Passage to
Portsmouth on
completion of Assault Phase support duties.
8th Deployed with HM Sloops STORK, REDPOLE,
HM Frigates DUFF and HOTHAM as Escort
Group 116.
Escorted Convoy EWP1 from
St Helens Roads to Eastern Task Force Area.
(Note: Convoy EWP1 included HM
Cruiser DESPATCH and 6 Personnel Ships).
27th After termination of
NEPTUNE
retained in English Channel for patrol and escort of
Channel
convoys.
July Channel deployment for interception
patrol in continuation.
to (Note: German midget submarines and
explosive motor boats were active in area
August
as well as minelaying.
Sister ship HMS QUORN was sunk by a
LINSEN explosive
motor boat on August 3rd).
September Resumed duties at Harwich with Flotilla and
deployed for convoy defence in
North
Sea
and
Channel based at Harwich.
(Note: An increase in minelaying by E-Boats and submarines in Thames estuary
had made
necessary an increase in number of escorts deployed in Nore Command. These were
provided from Western Approaches Command.
SCHNORKEL fitted submarines were
also being deployed to attack convoys at focal
points of assembly and dispersal.
Atlantic convoys had been re-routed through Channel
when threat of air attack from
French bases had been removed.
(See HOLD THE
NARROW
SEA
by P Smith and ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE
CLOSELY by Corelli Barnett)).
October Nore Command deployment for patrol and
convoy defence in continuation.
to
December
1 9 4 5
January Convoy defence and patrol duties in
North Sea based at Harwich in continuation.
to (Note: Minelaying and attacks on
convoys in the Thames Estuary and
North Sea by
April submarines and E-Boats continued.
Extensive patrols were still needed.
May Transferred to More Local Flotilla after
VE Day.
June Deployed in support of military
occupation of
Germany and
for duties in the Nore Command..
Carried out Guardship in German
ports.
S p e c i a l N o t e
This Escort Destroyer, in
common with many East Coast convoy escorts, received little publicity. Many
convoys were escorted without loss
but the dangers of the sea were always present and many unusual events
commonplace due to the exigencies of war. Her service was none the less
valuable.
P o s t W a r N o t e s
HMS EGLINTON was Paid off
after VJ Day and reduced to Reserve status at Harwich. In 1950 she was
transferred to Portsmouth and later went to Hartlepool. During her period in
Reserve in mid-1955 the ship was selected for re-activation and as part of
Exercise SLEEPING BEAUTY. After completion she reverted to Reserve until placed
on the Sales List the next year. Sold to BISCO for demolition by Hughes Bolcow at Blyth, she arrived there in tow on 28th May 1956.
Addendum
CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS
of HMS
EGLINTON
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
|
|
|
|
|
|
25/08/40
|
26/08/40
|
OA 204
|
26/08/40
|
29/08/40
|
08/11/40
|
08/11/40
|
FN 0329
|
10/11/40
|
10/11/40
|
11/11/40
|
11/11/40
|
FS 0333
|
13/11/40
|
13/11/40
|
28/10/42
|
28/10/42
|
CE 127
|
29/10/42
|
29/10/42
|
28/11/42
|
28/11/42
|
CW 137
|
29/11/42
|
29/11/42
|
29/11/42
|
29/11/42
|
CE 135
|
30/11/42
|
30/11/42
|
23/01/43
|
23/01/43
|
CW 151
|
24/01/43
|
24/01/43
|
24/01/43
|
24/01/43
|
CE 149
|
25/01/43
|
25/01/43
|
04/04/43
|
04/04/43
|
CW 168
|
05/04/43
|
05/04/43
|
06/04/43
|
06/04/43
|
CE 166
|
07/04/43
|
07/04/43
|
06/05/43
|
06/05/43
|
CW 176
|
07/05/43
|
07/05/43
|
07/05/43
|
07/05/43
|
CE 174
|
08/05/43
|
08/05/43
|
15/06/43
|
15/06/43
|
CW 186
|
16/06/43
|
16/06/43
|
05/07/43
|
05/07/43
|
CW 191
|
06/07/43
|
06/07/43
|
06/07/43
|
06/07/43
|
CE 189
|
07/07/43
|
07/07/43
|
21/07/43
|
21/07/43
|
CW 195
|
22/07/43
|
22/07/43
|
22/07/43
|
22/07/43
|
CE 193
|
23/07/43
|
23/07/43
|
23/09/43
|
23/09/43
|
CW 211
|
24/09/43
|
24/09/43
|
24/09/43
|
24/09/43
|
CE 209
|
25/09/43
|
25/09/43
|
17/10/43
|
17/10/43
|
CW 217
|
18/10/43
|
18/10/43
|
21/10/43
|
21/10/43
|
CE 215
|
22/10/43
|
22/10/43
|
10/11/43
|
10/11/43
|
CW 223
|
11/11/43
|
11/11/43
|
11/11/43
|
11/11/43
|
CE 221
|
13/11/43
|
13/11/43
|
14/01/44
|
14/01/44
|
CW 239
|
15/01/44
|
15/01/44
|
15/01/44
|
15/01/44
|
CE 237
|
16/01/44
|
16/01/44
|
26/03/44
|
26/03/44
|
CW 257
|
27/03/44
|
27/03/44
|
28/03/44
|
28/03/44
|
CE 255
|
29/03/44
|
29/03/44
|
30/06/44
|
30/06/44
|
EMM 001
|
03/07/44
|
03/07/44
|
01/08/44
|
01/08/44
|
ETM 052
|
01/08/44
|
02/08/44
|
|
|
|
|
|
(Note on Convoys)
|