Type II HUNT Class Escort Destroyer ordered
from Swan Hunter under 1939 War Emergency Programme
with 16 others of this Type on 20th December 1939. She was laid down as
Admiralty No J4199 on 28th August 1940 and launched on 29th May 1941 as the 1st
RN ship to carry the name of a fox-hunt in Nottinghamshire.
Build was completed on 5th
February 1942. After a successful WARSHIP WEEK National Savings campaign in
March 1942 she was adopted by East Retford,
Nottinghamshire.
B a t t l e H o n o u r s
ATLANTIC 1942 - LIBYA 1942 - ARCTIC 1942
H e r a l d i c D a t a
Badge: On a Field per fess wavy Red and Blue within a spur
rowel upwards
White, an escallop 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 2
February Contractors
trails and commissioned for service.
5th Build
completion and commenced Acceptance Trials
Passage to Scapa Flow on completion of trials and storing.
Worked-up for operational service at Soaps Flow with ships of Home Fleet
March Deployed
with Covering Force of Home Fleet ships for Russian Convoy PQ12 and the
returning
Convoy QP8.
For
details of all Russian Convoy operations see CONVOYS TO RUSSIAN by R A Ruegg,
CONVOY ! by P. Keep, ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY by C. Barnett, THE
RUSSIAN CONVOYS by B Schoefield and ARCTIC CONVOYS by R Woodman.
Nominated for service in Eastern Mediterranean with 22nd Destroyer Flotilla.
22nd Joined
military convoy W317 in Clyde with HM Cruiser SHROPSHIRE, HM Armed Merchant
Cruiser ALCANTARA, HM Destroyers ALDENHAM and LOOKOUT as Ocean Escort during
passage to Aden.
(Note: HM Aircraft Carrier ILLUSTRIOUS, HM Destroyers INCONSTANT, JAVELIN,
KEPPEL, PAKENHAM, BADSWORTH,
LEAMINGTON, VOLUNTEER and
ROCKINGHAM
were
also deployed with this convoy.)
26th Convey
under threat of U-Boat attack by shadowing submarines.
Destroyers detached to begin anti-submarine operations.
27th
Participated in sinking of U587 with HM Destroyers LEAMINGTON, ALDENHAM and
VOLUNTEER in position 47.21N, 21.39W during defence of convoy.
For
details see U-BOATS DESTROYED by P Kemp and HITLER'S U-BOAT WAR by C Blair.
April
6th Detached
from WS17 on arrival at Freetown.
Took
independent passage to Alexandria.
May Passage in
Indian Ocean and Red Sea.
18th Joined Flotilla on
arrival at Alexandria.
June Deployed with
Flotilla for escort of supply convoys to Tobruk garrison.
(Note: Ships
also carried troops and stores during inward passage and personnel on
return trips.)
12th Grounded briefly
after leaving Tobruk.
Port propeller
and shaft damaged
Return passage
speed reduced to 8.5 knots.
Struck by two
torpedoes fired by U77 in position 32.35N 25.30E off Sollum.
Bow and stern
structure blown off and ship sank in 14 minutes,
79 of ships’
company were rescued by HM Escort Destroyer TETCOTT
See HITLER’S
U-BOAT WAR.
Addendum
CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS
of HMS GROVE
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.
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Left convoy
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Date convoy
arrived
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01/03/42
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10/03/42
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PQ 012
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10/03/42
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12/03/42
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07/04/42
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07/04/42
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AS 002A
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19/04/42
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19/04/42
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09/06/42
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09/06/42
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AT 049/M
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11/06/42
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11/06/42
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(Note on Convoys)
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