Type II HUNT Class
Escort Destroyer ordered under 1939 Emergency War Programme
from Swan Hunter of Newcastle on 4th September 1939. The ship was laid down as
Jon No J4129 on 21st November 1939 and was launched on 20th August 1940 as the
2nd RN warship to carry the name, previously used by a 1916 minesweeper. Her
completion date was 28th February 1941. Following a successful WARSHIP WEEK for
National Savings campaign in March 1942 she was adopted by the
civil community of Crowborough, East Sussex
B a t t
l e H o n o u r s
LIBYA 1941-42 - MALTA
CONVOYS 1941-42 - SIRTE 1942
- MEDITERRANEAN 1942
H e r a l d i c D a t a
Badge: On a Field Blue, in
front of two hunting horns in saltire Gold
a rose Red barbed and seeded Proper.
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 1
February Contractor's
trials and commissioned for service.
28th Build
completion and commenced Acceptance Trials.
March Took passage
to Scapa Flow on completion of trials and storing..
Worked-up for operational service with ships of Home
Fleet based at Scapa
Flow.
Joined Irish Sea Escort Force for convoy defence duties.
April Convoy
defence in Western Approaches and
Irish Sea in continuation.
26th Joined HM Destroyers HARVESTER, HAVELOCK, HESPERUS,
HURRICANE, LEGION,
OTTAWA (RCN), RESTIGOUCHE (RCN), SAGUENAY (RCN) and Polish ORP
PIORUN with
HM Destroyer BEAGLE as escort for military
convoy WS8A during passage in NW
approaches.
29th Detached
from WS8A and took passage to meet Convoy SL71.from Freetown to
Clyde as
Local
Escort.
May After
arrival of SL71 in Clyde continued escort duty in NW Approaches.
22nd Joined
escort for military convoy WS8B in Clyde as Local Escort with HM Cruiser CAIRO,
Destroyers COSSACK, MAORI,
OTTAWA, SIKH, RESTIGOUCHE, ZULU and Polish ORP
PIORUN.
26th Detached
from WS8B with Local Escort and returned to Clyde.
June Nominated
for service at Gibraltar with 13th Destroyer Flotilla
18th Passage to Gibraltar.
21st Joined
Flotilla at Gibraltar for Atlantic convoy defence.
July
Gibraltar deployment with Flotilla in continuation.
17th Deployed
with HM Destroyers AVON VALE and FARNDALE to meet military convoy WS9C
on
passage from Clyde in Atlantic west of Gibraltar.
On
meeting detached from WS9C with HM Cruiser MANCHESTER, HM Destroyers NESTOR
(RAN)
and LIGHTNING for escort of troopship PASTEUR to
Gibraltar
(Note: One source suggests ship took passage with WS9C from Clyde but may not be
correct
as other data suggests
she joined 13th Flotilla in June 1941
18th Nominated
for escort of Malta Relief convoy (Operation SUBSTANCE).
21st Joined
HM Cruisers EDINBURGH, MANCHESTER, ARETHUSA and MANXMAN as
destroyer screen during escort of convoy WS9C with H M Destroyers COSSACK,
MAORI,
FEARLESS, NESTOR, FOXHOUND, FIREDRAKE, HM Escort Destroyers AVON VALE
and
FARNDALE in Force X.
23rd Detached
from screen to escort HMS FIREDRAKE under tow to
Gibraltar after being damaged
in
air attacks.
(For
details of Mediterranean operations during 1911 see ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE
CLOSELY by C Barnett, THE BATTLE FOR THE MEDITERRANEAN by D MacIntyre and
Naval
Staff History ( HMSO-2002).
27th Joined HM
Destroyers FAULKNOR, FORESIGHT, FORESTER, FOXHOUND, FURY,
COSSACK, MAORI, NESTOR and ENCOUNTER as destroyer screen for HM Battleship
NELSON, HM Aircraft Carrier ARK ROYAL and HM Battlecruiser RENOWN to cover
passage of convoy taking personnel to Malta (Operation STYLE - See above
references).
31st Returned
to Gibraltar with major warships of Force H on arrival at Sicilian Narrows.
August Resumed
Flotilla duties at Gibraltar
4th
Transferred with HMS AVON VALE to 2nd Destroyer Flotilla at
Alexandria.
Passage via Cape of Good Hope and Indian Ocean
September Passage in
Indian Ocean and Red Sea.
29th Arrived
at Suez.
October Joined
Flotilla for convoy defence and support of military operations.
Deployed in eastern Mediterranean.
November Transferred to
5th Destroyer Flotilla based at Alexandria.
Deployed with Flotilla for convoy defence and support of military operations.
December Flotilla
deployment in eastern Mediterranean in continuation.
1 9 4 2
January Flotilla
deployment in continuation.
February
16th Part of
escort for ss CLAN CAMPBELL and ss CLAN CHATTAN as Convoy MW9A to Malta
from
Alexandria with HM Cruiser CARLISLE, HM Destroyer LANCE, HM Escort Destroyers
AVON
VALE and HEYTHROP (Operation MFM)
13th Under air
attacks during which ss CLAN CAMPBELL was damaged and was escorted to
Tobruk.
(Note: ss CLAN CHATTAN was damaged later on 14th and had to be sunk by our own forces
This
operation was a failure.
See
above references.)
17th Resumed
Flotilla duties at Alexandria.
March
20th Joined HM
Escort Destroyers AVON VALE, BEAUFORT, DULVERTON, HEYTHROP
HURWORTH and
SOUTHWOLD of Flotilla to carry out anti-submarine sweep off
Alexandria
prior
to departure of
Convoy MW10 for Malta
(Operation MG1 -see above references).
After
HMS HEYTHROP was hit by a torpedo from U652 NE of Bardia took the stricken
ship
in tow.
21st Tow
abandoned when HMS HEYTHROP sank 5 hours later.
Refuelled at Tobruk prior to joining escort for Convoy MW10
22nd Joined
escort of convoy with same ships, except HMS HEYTHROP.
After
threat from superior Italian force including battleship LITORRIO cruisers
GORIZIA,
TRENTO and BANDE MERE detached with HMS CARLISLE and sister destroyers to escort
convoy to south away from enemy force.
(2nd
Battle of Sirte. - See above references.).
23rd Because
of vulnerability of convoy to air attacks and difference of speed of the
mercantiles,
nominated as escort for ss CLAN CAMPBELL with H M Cruiser PENELOPE,
HM Destroyer
LEGION and HM Escort Destroyer HURWORTH
Under
heavy air attacks during passage to Malta..
(Note: CLAN CAMPBELL was sunk about
8 miles from
Malta.
Rescued some 100 of crew.)
Took
passage to Grand Harbour to land survivors and rejoin escort.
25th Sailed to
Alexandria with HMS CARLISLE, HM Escort Destroyers BEAUFORT,
DULVERTON and HURWORTH.
29th Arrived
at Alexandria and resumed duties with Flotilla.
April Deployed
with Flotilla for escort of support convoys to Tobruk.
May Flotilla
duties in continuation.
28th During
escort of Convoy AT4 to Tobruk with HM Escort Destroyers HERO and HURWORTH
took
part in sinking of U568 in position 32.42N, 24.53E
(off Tobruk) with HM Destroyer HERO
and HM Escort Destroyer HURWORTH.
Rescued 42 survivors from submarine.
(For
details see U BOATS DESTROYED by P Kemp.)
June Nominated
for support of Malta
relief convoy MW11 with ships of Flotilla.
(Operation VIGOROUS - See above references for details).
11th Sailed
from Port Said with H M Cruiser COVENTRY, H M Escort Destroyers AIREDALE,
ALDENHAM, BEAUFORT, CROOME, DULVERTON ,
EXMOOR and HURWORTH as
escort for four
supply ships in Convoy MW11C each of which was towing an
MTB.
(Operation REMBRANDT - This was a diversionary Operation to distract attention
of the enemy
from
the passage of the relief convoy in VIGOROUS).
12th ss CITY
OF CALCUTTA in Convoy MW11C damaged in air attacks and detached with HMS
CROOME and EXMOOR for passage with an escort to Tobruk
14th Joined
escort for VIGOROUS convoy and under air attacks
to Convoy
under threat of attack from major Italian force.
15th After
conflicting instructions and heavy expenditure of ammunition and fuel VIGOROUS
was
abandoned.
(For
full details of this ill-directed attempt to pass a convoy to Malta see above
references).
17th Resumed
duties with Flotilla in eastern Mediterranean.
Deployed with Flotilla for convoy defence and support of military operations.
July
10th Deployed
with HM Escort Destroyers ALDENHAM, BEAUFORT, DULVERTON and
HURWORTH in
support of military operations.
11th Took part
in bombardment of Mersa Matruh with same ships.
(Note: Ammunition ship STURLA was sunk in this bombardment.)
August Flotilla
duties in continuation.
27th Deployed
with HM Escort Destroyers ALDENHAM, CROOME and HURWORTH for support
of
military operations.
28th Took part
in bombardment of airfield at El Daba with HMS CROOME and HMS HURWORTH.
After
completion of bombardment under attack by E-Boat and hit on port side aft
Explosion caused extensive flooding in Engine Room with loss of electric power.
Significant structural
damage including 20 ft hole from keel upwards.
Disabled ship taken in tow to
Alexandria by HMS ALDENHAM.
(Note: E-Boat was sunk by HMS ALDENHAM.
See
THE LAST DESTROYER by FA Mason.)
Made
return passage screened by HMS CROOME and HMS HURWORTH.
Under
air attack by
Ju87 dive bombers.
31st
On arrival at
Alexandria withdrawn from service for survey.
September Paid off after
survey showed repair to be uneconomic.
S p e c i a l N o t e
HMS ERIDGE
remained hulked at Alexandria and was used an Accommodation Ship between 1944
and 1946. She was also used as a valuable source of spares for the other HUNT
Class destroyers in service in the Mediterranean.. For example in April 1943
one of her shafts was used to replace the damaged item in HMS ALDENHAM after a
grounding (See THE LAST DESTROYER by FA Mason). This Escort Destroyer remained
in use for accommodation purposes after VJ Day until 1946 when placed on the
Disposal List. She was sold at
Alexandria to a Greek shipbreaker in October that
year.
Addendum
CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS
of HMS
ERIDGE
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
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Convoy No.
|
Left convoy
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Date convoy
arrived
|
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07/05/41
|
08/05/41
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OB 319
|
12/05/41
|
13/05/41
|
30/04/41
|
15/05/41
|
HX 124
|
unknown
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20/05/41
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29/04/41
|
15/05/41
|
SC 030
|
18/05/41
|
20/05/41
|
22/05/41
|
22/05/41
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WS 008B
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26/05/41
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04/06/41
|
10/06/41
|
11/06/41
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OB 333
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13/06/41
|
21/06/41
|
04/06/41
|
17/06/41
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OG 064
|
18/06/41
|
18/06/41
|
24/06/41
|
06/07/41
|
OG 066
|
08/07/41
|
08/07/41
|
09/08/41
|
09/08/41
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HG 070
|
14/08/41
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23/08/41
|
05/12/41
|
05/12/41
|
TA 001/M
|
07/12/41
|
07/12/41
|
10/12/41
|
10/12/41
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TA 002/M
|
12/12/41
|
12/12/41
|
29/12/41
|
29/12/41
|
TA 007/M
|
31/12/41
|
31/12/41
|
05/01/42
|
05/01/42
|
AT 012/M
|
07/01/42
|
07/01/42
|
11/01/42
|
11/01/42
|
AT 016/M
|
11/01/42
|
14/01/42
|
28/01/42
|
28/01/42
|
AT 021/M
|
30/01/42
|
30/01/42
|
20/02/42
|
20/02/42
|
AT 029/M
|
23/02/42
|
unknown
|
23/02/42
|
23/02/42
|
TA 022/M
|
25/02/42
|
25/02/42
|
27/03/42
|
27/03/42
|
TA 030/M
|
29/03/42
|
29/03/42
|
30/03/42
|
30/03/42
|
AT 036/M
|
02/04/42
|
02/04/42
|
03/04/42
|
03/04/42
|
TA 031/M
|
04/04/42
|
04/04/42
|
14/04/42
|
14/04/42
|
AT 038/M
|
15/04/42
|
15/04/42
|
15/04/42
|
15/04/42
|
TA 034/M
|
17/04/42
|
unknown
|
19/04/42
|
19/04/42
|
AT 040/M
|
20/04/42
|
20/04/42
|
22/04/42
|
22/04/42
|
TA 036/M
|
24/04/42
|
24/04/42
|
18/05/42
|
18/05/42
|
AT 046/M
|
21/05/42
|
21/05/42
|
25/05/42
|
25/05/42
|
AT 047/M
|
27/05/42
|
unknown
|
28/05/42
|
28/05/42
|
TA 045/M
|
30/05/42
|
30/05/42
|
11/06/42
|
11/06/42
|
MW 011
|
16/06/42
|
16/06/42
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|
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(Note on Convoys)
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