Type II HUNT Class Escort Destroyer ordered
from Swan Hunter at Wallsend on 4th September 1939
after the outbreak of WW2 under the 1939 War Emergency Programme. The ship was
laid down as Job No 4133 on 21st November that year. The ship was launched on
30th September 1940 as the first RN warship to carry the name, She was
completed on 27th April 1941 and following; a successful WARSHIP
WEEK National Savings campaign in March 1942, was adopted by the civil community
of Southgate, then in the county of Middlesex. During her most extensive war
service this ship was awarded no less than 11 Battle Honours, a quite
remarkable achievement.
B a t t l e H o n o u r s
MALTA CONVOYS 1941 -
MEDITERRANEAN 1941
- LIBYA 1942 - ATLANTIC 1942 -
ARCTIC 1942 - NORTH AFRICA 1942-43 - SICILY 1943 - SALERNO
1943 - AEGEAN 1943 - SOUTH FRANCE 1944 -
NORTH
SEA 1945
H e r a l d i c D a
t a
Badge: On a Field Red, a plate thereon a fox’s head caboosed
Red within an annulet Blue
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
April
Contractor's sea trials and commissioned for service in 13th Destroyer Flotilla
based at
Gibraltar.
27th Build
completion and commenced Acceptance Trials.
May Passage to
Scapa Flow on completion of trials and storing.
Worked-up for operational service with ships of Home Fleet at Scapa Flow.
June Passage
to Gibraltar to join Flotilla for Local convoy escort.
Joined Flotilla
and deployed for Local escort with Gibraltar Escort Force.
July Gibraltar deployment in continuation.
17th Joined
military convoy WS9C with HM Escort Destroyers ERIDGE and AVON VALE west
of
Gibraltar to escort troopship PASTEUR into Gibraltar for embarkation of
personnel for
passage to Malta.
(Note: WS9C included eight mercantiles destined for Malta and had been escorted from
Clyde
by
Homer Fleet ships (Operation SUBSTANCE)
21st Passage
from Gibraltar with HM Destroyers COSSACK, MAORI, SIKH, NESTOR (RAN),
FEARLESS, FOXHOUND, FIREDRAKE. HM
Escort Destroyers ERIDGE and
AVON VALE
as
screen for HM Cruisers EDINBURGH,
MANCHESTER,
ARETHUSA and MANXMAN
deployed Force X as Close Escort for Malta relief convoy
.
(Note: Convoy WS9C had been re-designated MG1 for passage in Mediterranean.
Cover
for passage to Sicilian Narrows was
provided by ships of Force H.)
22nd Under air
attacks during which HMS FEARLESS was sunk and HMS MANCHESTER damaged
by
torpedoes.
(Note: For details see BATTLE FOR THE MEDITERRANEAN by D Macintyre, ENGAGE
THE
ENEMY MORE
CLOSELY by Corelli Barnett and Naval Staff History
(HMSO, 2001).)
23rd Remained
with Force X ships as Close Escort when ships of Force H detached and remained
with
MG1 during passage to Malta.
24th Under
E-Boat attack.
MG1
arrived in Malta.
Ship
remained in Malta for
repair to boilers.
30th Return
passage to Gibraltar independently.
August Part of
escort for Gibraltar route outward Convoy HG72 and inward OG73.
September Convoy defence
with Flotilla in continuation.
Nominated for service in eastern
Mediterranean.
24th Joined HM Destroyers COSSACK, ZULU, FORESIGHT, ORIBI, LAFOREY, LIGHTNING
HM
Escort Destroyer HEYTHROP as screen for HM Cruisers
KENYA, EDINBURGH,
SHEFFIELD,
HERMIONE and EURYALUS in Force X to form Close Escort for
Malta relief
convoy during passage through
Sicilian Narrows to
Malta.
(Operation HALBERD - see above references.)
(Note: Relief convoy had been designated WS11X during Atlantic passage but
became Convoy
GM2
for passage in Mediterranean.)
Cover
was provided by ships of Force H.)
27th Passage
through Sicilian Narrows with Force X.
28th Arrived
in Malta with Force X.
Took
passage from Malta to
Gibraltar with Force X ships.
(Note: Previous intention for ship to take onward passage to Alexandria was not
approved.)
29th Rejoined
Force H ships west of Narrows with Force X for return to Gibraltar
October Transferred
to Eastern Mediterranean for service with 22nd Destroyer Flotilla.
1st Arrived
in Gibraltar with ships of Close Escort and Force H.
Passage to Alexandria via Cape of Good Hope and Red Sea.
17th
Joined Flotilla on arrival at
Alexandria.
November Deployed
defence of supply convoys to Tobruk and patrol in eastern Mediterranean.
December Eastern
Mediterranean duties with Flotilla in continuation.
Deployed for support of military operations and took passage to Bardia.
See
Naval Staff History.
11th Carried
out depth charge attacks on Italian submarine CARACCIOLO off Bardia.
Submarine forced to surface and sunk by surface gunfire
(Note: 53 survivors were rescued but an Italian general was drowned.
It is
assumed that the general was being evacuated because of threat of capture
by
advancing army units.
1 9 4 2
January Coastal
convoy defence and patrol in continuation.
February
9th Hit by
bomb during air attack West of Mersa Matruh.
Extensive structural damage caused and flooding of Boiler Room.
11th Towed to
Mersa Matruh by HM Corvette GLOXINIA.
March Under
temporary repair at Alexandria.
Withdrawn from operational service for permanent repair in UK.
On completion of repair work to allow passage returned
to UK via Cape of Good
Hope.
April Passage
to UK.
8th
Nominated for repair in London at commercial shipyard. hand for repair in
London.
May
2nd Taken in
hand for refit and repair.
June Under
repair
to
July
August Nominated for
service with Home Fleet.
Carried out harbour trials
8th On
completion of shipyard work carried out Post Repair trials.
On completion of
trials and storing took passage to
Scapa Flow for Home Fleet service.
September
2nd Joined
escort for Russian Convoy PQ18 at Loch Ewe with HM Destroyers CAMPBELL,
MALCOLM, HM Norwegian Escort Destroyer ESKDALE and four Trawlers for the passage
to
Iceland.
(For
details of Russian Convoy operations see CONVOYS TO RUSSIA by R A Ruegg,
ARCTIC CONVOYS by R Woodman. the RUSSIAN convoys by B Schoefield..
7th Detached
from PQ18 on arrival of Ocean Escort.
Passage to Scapa Flow to resume convoy defence and patrol with Home Fleet.
October Nominated
for escort and support of allied landings in North Africa.
(Operation TORCH).
Escorted military convoy to Gibraltar.
Allocated for service with HM Escort Destroyers AVON VALE, CALPE and PUCKERIDGE
in
59th
Destroyer Division.
November Deployed at
Gibraltar and prepared for TORCH.
Joined Central Task Force for North African landings.
7th Provided
naval gunfire support during landings at
Oran on Beach R/2
For
details see Naval Staff History, ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY and BRITISH
INVASION FLEETS by J de Winser.)
Deployed on defensive patrols and escort of follow-up
convoys.
December Convoy defence
and patrol duties in western
Mediterranean.
1 9 4 3
January Deployed at
Gibraltar for Atlantic and Mediterranean convoy defence.
to
April
May Deployed
for escort of convoys UGS8 and KMF14.
June Nominated
for escort and support of planned allied landings in Sicily (Operation TORCH)
Deployed at Algiers.
July Joined
Support Force East. and deployed as part of Escort Group S.
5th Part of military
convoy KMS18 during passage from Algiers to beach head.
8th Detached from KMS18
to refuel and returned to escort on completion.
10th On arrival at BARK
WEST detached from KMS18 and deployed for AA defence, naval
gunfire support
and interception patrol to prevent enemy interference with landings
For details see
Naval Staff History, BRITISH INVASION FLEETS and ENGAGE THE
ENEMY MORE
CLOSELY
Convoy escort and
defence in continuation.
August
Nominated for escort and support during planned allied landings at
Salerno.
(Operation AVALANCHE)
September Joined screen
for HM Cruisers EURYALUS, SCYLLA, CHARYBDIS, HM Escort Carriers
BATTLER, HUNTER, ATTACKER, STALKER and Light Fleet Carrier HMS UNICORN in
Support Carrier
Force TF88 with HM Escort Destroyers CLEVELAND, HOLCOMBE,
CALPE
ATHERSTONE, LIDDESDALE,
Polish KRAKOWIAK and SLAZAK
9th
Deployed off beach head with screen for escort
aircraft carriers deployed as Force V.
Under
attack by aircraft and E-Boats.
See
above references for details.
October Resumed
convoy escort and patrol in Central and Western Mediterranean.
to
Deployed with HM Escort Destroyers ATHERSTONE,
CALPE, CATTERICK, CLEVELAND,
December HAYDON,
LIDDESDALE, Polish destroyers KRAKOWIAK and SLAZAK in
Mediterranean
HUNT-Flotilla
based in Malta
1 9 4 4
January
Mediterranean convoy defence with Flotilla in continuation.
to
June
July
Nominated for escort of military convoys for landings in South of France under
US Command
(Operation DRAGOON).
(For
details see INVASION OF THE SOUTH OF FRANCE (HMSO), ENGAGE THE
ENEMY
MORE CLOSELY
and BRITISH INVASION
FLEETS.).
August Passage to
Taranto to join convoy.
10th Part of
escort for Convoy TM1 with HM Corvettes AUBRETIA and COLUMBINE, French
Destroyer TEMPETE, French Escort Destroyers and Sloops during passage from
Taranto
to
assault area.
11th Passage
to assault area
15th At Ajaccio.
16th Arrived
off beach head.
On
release from DRAGOON reverted to RN control and resumed escort duties with
Flotilla.
September Transferred to
eastern Mediterranean for support of operations to re-occupy islands in the
Aegean.
24th Deployed
for patrols to intercept craft evacuating garrisons.
October Nominated
for return to UK and
took passage.
November Joined 16th
Destroyer Flotilla at Harwich.
Deployed for convoy, defence and patrol in
North Sea and Thames Estuary.
(Note: The reinforcement of destroyer flotilla in UK was necessary because of
increase in
attacks by SCHNORKEL fitted U-Boats on coastal convoys. See SEEK AND
STRIKE
by W
Hackmann, ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY and HOLD THE
NARROW SEA by P Smith.).
December Convoy defence
and patrol with Flotilla in continuation.
1 9 4 5
January Flotilla
deployment in continuation.
(Note: There was in increase in enemy minelaying by E-Boats and submersibles in
which
required additional patrol by escorts).
14th In action
with E-Boats of 5th German Flotilla off Humber estuary while protecting
convoy.
February East coast
and Thames estuary patrol and convoy defence in continuation
to
Nominated for service in Eastern Fleet.
April
May Taken in
hand for refit and modification for foreign service.
June Took
passage to join HM Escort Destroyers BICESTER, BLACKMORE., BLEASDALE and
BRECON in 18th Destroyer Flotilla at Trincomalee.
July On
arrival prepared for support of landings in Malaya (Operation ZIPPER)
(Note: This operation was delayed after US insistence and problems related to release
of
long
serving personnel in SEAC under the PYTHON Scheme.
See
ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY, OPERATION PACIFIC by E Gray
WAR
WITH JAPAN (HMSO)
and Final Report by Supreme Commander SEAC
(HMSO).)
August Deployed for
ZIPPER convoys.
September
9th
At Port Swettenham during ZIPPER landings near Port
Dickson.
P o s
t W a r N o t e s
HMS FARNDALE returned to UK after the Japanese surrender in
Malaya. She was Paid-off reduced to Reserve status at Chatham during November
1945. The ship re-commissioned for service with the Nore
Local Flotilla in 1946 and served with it for five years. In 1951 she again
entered Reserve at Chatham. and later transferred to Hartlepool and was
de-humidified. Placed on the Disposal
List in 1961 this ship was sold to BISCO for
demolition by Hughes Bolckow at Blyth
. The ship arrived in tow at the breaker’s on 29th November 1962.
Addendum
CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS
of HMS FARNDALE
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
|
|
|
|
|
|
16/05/41
|
unknown
|
HX 127
|
30/05/41
|
02/06/41
|
10/06/41
|
11/06/41
|
OB 333
|
13/06/41
|
21/06/41
|
04/06/41
|
17/06/41
|
OG 064
|
18/06/41
|
18/06/41
|
24/06/41
|
24/06/41
|
HG 066
|
30/06/41
|
09/07/41
|
24/06/41
|
06/07/41
|
OG 066
|
08/07/41
|
08/07/41
|
08/07/41
|
09/07/41
|
HG 067
|
14/07/41
|
24/07/41
|
02/09/41
|
02/09/41
|
HG 072
|
07/09/41
|
17/09/41
|
29/08/41
|
08/09/41
|
OG 073
|
13/09/41
|
13/09/41
|
17/09/41
|
17/09/41
|
HG 073
|
20/09/41
|
01/10/41
|
24/09/41
|
25/09/41
|
HALBERD
|
27/09/41
|
27/09/41
|
05/12/41
|
05/12/41
|
TA 001/M
|
07/12/41
|
07/12/41
|
10/12/41
|
10/12/41
|
TA 002/M
|
12/12/41
|
12/12/41
|
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
|
08/02/42
|
08/02/42
|
AT 027/M
|
unknown
|
unknown
|
02/09/42
|
20/09/42
|
PQ 018
|
08/09/42
|
21/09/42
|
27/11/42
|
03/12/42
|
KMF 004
|
06/12/42
|
06/12/42
|
25/02/43
|
03/03/43
|
KMF 010A
|
04/03/43
|
04/03/43
|
26/02/43
|
08/03/43
|
KMS 010G
|
11/03/43
|
11/03/43
|
28/04/43
|
18/05/43
|
UGS 008
|
19/05/43
|
21/05/43
|
17/05/43
|
18/05/43
|
KMS 014
|
19/05/43
|
21/05/43
|
10/07/43
|
10/07/43
|
MKF 018
|
17/07/43
|
23/07/43
|
14/07/43
|
14/07/43
|
KMS 019Y
|
unknown
|
unknown
|
23/07/43
|
23/07/43
|
KMS 019T
|
24/07/43
|
24/07/43
|
26/07/43
|
26/07/43
|
MKS 019Y
|
31/07/43
|
31/07/43
|
20/08/43
|
21/08/43
|
GUS 013
|
29/08/43
|
14/09/43
|
07/02/44
|
07/02/44
|
SNF 014
|
11/02/44
|
11/02/44
|
03/02/44
|
13/02/44
|
MKF 028A
|
16/02/44
|
20/02/44
|
21/02/44
|
27/02/44
|
KMF 029
|
02/03/44
|
05/03/44
|
18/02/44
|
01/03/44
|
UGS 033A
|
03/03/44
|
29/02/44
|
07/03/44
|
09/03/44
|
SNF 016A
|
10/03/44
|
10/03/44
|
23/03/44
|
23/03/44
|
NSF 018
|
27/03/44
|
27/03/44
|
28/03/44
|
28/03/44
|
SNF 018
|
31/03/44
|
31/03/44
|
29/03/44
|
05/04/44
|
KMF 030
|
12/04/44
|
12/04/44
|
29/04/44
|
30/04/44
|
MKS 048
|
08/05/44
|
10/05/44
|
11/06/44
|
23/06/44
|
KMF 032
|
24/06/44
|
24/06/44
|
28/06/44
|
unknown
|
XIF 017
|
unknown
|
02/07/44
|
04/07/44
|
unknown
|
IXF 017
|
unknown
|
08/07/44
|
12/07/44
|
13/07/44
|
XIF 018
|
18/07/44
|
18/07/44
|
18/07/44
|
20/07/44
|
KMF 033
|
31/07/44
|
31/07/44
|
28/07/44
|
28/07/44
|
MKF 033
|
04/08/44
|
11/08/44
|
20/12/42
|
10/08/44
|
TM 001
|
16/08/44
|
14/01/43
|
24/08/44
|
01/09/44
|
KMF 034
|
07/09/44
|
07/09/44
|
20/10/44
|
24/10/44
|
KMF 035A
|
27/10/44
|
31/10/44
|
05/11/44
|
05/11/44
|
SM 019
|
08/11/44
|
08/11/44
|
06/11/44
|
16/11/44
|
KMF 036
|
19/11/44
|
19/11/44
|
18/07/44
|
18/07/84
|
IXF 018
|
22/07/44
|
22/07/44
|
|
|
|
|
|
(Note on Convoys)
|