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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 ALBRIGHTON (L 12) -  Type III, Hunt-class Escort Destroyer including Convoy Escort Movements

HMS Albrighton (Cyber Heritage, click to enlarge)

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Type III HUNT Class Escort Destroyer ordered from John Brown at Clydebank on 4th July 1940 under the 1940 War Emergency Programme and laid down as Job Number 1579 on 30th December 1940. The ship was launched 11th October 1941 as the first RN warship to carry the name. Her build was completed on 22nd February 1942 and after a successful WARSHIP WEEK National Savings campaign in March 1942 she was adopted by the civil community of Wednesbury, Shropshire.

 

B a t t l e     H o n o u r s

 

ENGLISH CHANNEL 1942-44 - DIEPPE 1942 - BISCAY   1944 - NORMANDY  1944 - NORTH SEA 1945

 

H e r a l d i c   D a t a

 

Badge: On a Field per fess wavy White and Red  A stirrup with leather

leather Red, counterchanged  White.

 

 

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 trials and commissioned for service in 1st Destroyer Flotilla.

                22nd       Build completion and commenced Acceptance Trials.

                                On completion of trials and storing took passage to Greenock.

                                Nominated for service with Flotilla based at Portsmouth.

 

March                    Worked up for operational service in Clyde area.

                28th        Deployed in Channel during passage to Portsmouth in search for HM ML443 missing after

                                St Nazaire raid (Operation CHARIOT).

 

April                       Joined Flotilla at Portsmouth and deployed for convoy defence and interception patrol in Channel.

                24th        In action with E-Boats off Fecamp, damaging one.

 

May

                6th          In action with E-Boats in English Channel off Cap d'Ailly.

                                (For details of Channel operations see HOLD THE NARROW SEA by P. S and THE BATTLE OF

                                THE NARROW SEAS by P Scott.)

 

June                        Deployed to intercept German coastal convoy off the Cotentin Peninsular with HM Steam

                                Gunboats 7 and 8. See above references.

 

July                         Channel deployment in continuation.

 

August                  Nominated for support of planned Canadian assault on port of Dieppe .(Operation JUBILEE)

                19th        Escorted Landing Ships, Infantry during passage to Dieppe.

                                Sustained slight damage from shore return fire.

                                Rescued survivors from HM Escort Destroyer BERKELEY after she had been disabled by air

                                attacks.

                                Sank disabled ship by torpedo.

                                (For details of JUBILEE see Naval Staff History and THE WATERY MAZE by B Fergusson)

 

September             Channel deployment with Flotilla in continuation.

 

October

                7th          Engaged shore battery at Le Havre.

                13th        Deployed as part of Force A with HM Escort Destroyers COTTESMORE, ESKDALE,

                                GLAISDALE and QUORN to intercept German commerce raider KOMET during passage

                                through English Channel to the Atlantic. (See above references).

 

November              Detached for escort of military convoys on passage to Gibraltar for planned allied landings in

                                North Africa

                                (Operation TORCH – See ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY and Naval Staff History)

                7th          Part of escort for Convoy KMS2 to Gibraltar for North African landings.

                9th          Arrived at Gibraltar.

                10th        Escorted Dutch liner NIEUW ZEELAND into Gibraltar after torpedo attack west of Gibraltar.

                12th        Stood by HM Destroyer MARNE after disabled by torpedo and seriously damaged.

                                (Note: HMS MARNE had been part of escort for HM Destroyer Depot Ship HECLA sunk by

                                U515 and hit by another torpedo in same attack.

                                See HITLER’S U-BOAT WAR by C Blair for details.

                18th        Returned to UK as part of escort for Convoy MKF1.

 

 

December              Resumed Channel duties with Flotilla.

                11th        Attacked enemy convoy off Dieppe with HM Destroyer WHITSHED.

                                German mine clearance ship (SPEERBRECHER) was sunk.

 

1 9 4 3

 

January                  Flotilla deployment for Channel convoy defence, interception f coastal convoys and patrol

to                            continuation.

March

 

April

                27th        Deployed with HM Escort Destroyer GOATHLAND to intercept coastal convoy 60 miles

                                NNE of Ouissant.

                                Italian blockade runner BUTTERFLY and an A/S trawler, UJ1402 were sunk.

                                There were 33 casualties including 8 killed.

 

May                        Channel deployment in continuation.

to

December

 

1 9 4 4

 

January                  Channel deployment in continuation.

 

February                Nominated for special duty as Headquarters ship during the planned allied invasion of

                                Normandy (Operation NEPTUNE).

                                (For details of naval activities prior to and during NEPTUNE see LANDINGS IN NORMANDY

                                June 1944 (HMSO) and OPERATION NEPTUNE by K Edwards).

                1st           In action with E-Boats during attack on convoy CW243 off Beachy Head.

                                Sustained serious structural damage.

                                Taken in hand for repair and conversion for use as an HQ ship.

 

March                    Under repair and conversion.

to

April

 

May                        On completion joined Force G for duty as Senior Officer's Ship Assault Group G3 and took part

                                in preparatory exercises.

                                (For details see above references).

 

June                        Deployed in Solent prior to landings.

                                Nominated for passage in Convoy G16 comprising nine Landings Craft, Infantry and two Rescue

                                craft, escorted by HM Escort Destroyer HAMBLEDON.

                4th          Operation delayed 24hrs.

                5th          Passage to beach head through swept channel.

                                Naval Officer in Charge GOLD Beach embarked.

                6th          Deployed off GOLD Beach as HQ ship.

                                (See above references and D DAY SHIPS by J de Winser.).

                7th          Remained in area as HQ Ship.

 

July                         Deployed for HQ Ship duties after end of Build-Up Phase of NEPTUNE.

                                Carried out patrol interception duties as required.

 

August                  Deployed in Channel for patrol and interception.

                12th        Attacked three trawlers south of Lorient and rescued 22 survivors.

 

September             Channel duties in continuation

to                            Nominated for return to Flotilla duties after conversion.

December

 

1 9 4 5

 

January

                3rd          Taken in hand for refit and conversion back to Escort Destroyer role.

 

February                Under refit.

                                Nominated for duty with 21st Destroyer Flotilla based at Sheerness.

                14th        On completion of post refit trials took passage for work-up.

 

March                    Deployed with Flotilla for convoy defence and patrol in North Sea and Thames area.

                                (Note: During this period German surface and submarine activities ware being used for

                                minelaying and attacks on coastal convoys.

                                See SEEK AND STRIKE by W Hackmann).

 

April                       Flotilla deployment in continuation.

 

May

                8th          After VE Day deployed in Nore Command for convoy escort.

                23rd        In collision with LST 238 and sustained structural damage.

 

June                        Nominated for service in Eastern Fleet after refit

                                On completion of repair took passage to Immingham for refit prior to foreign service.

 

July                         Under refit.

to

August

 

P o s t   W a r   N o t e s

 

HMS ALBRIGHTON was not required for foreign service after VJ Day but completed refit before she entered Reserve at Plymouth in December 1945. The ship was transferred to Penarth in 1953 before going to Gibraltar to be laid up. She was placed on the Disposal List in 1955 and returned to UK where she was laid-up at Barrow to await her fate. After discussions with the Federal German navy this ship was selected with seven other RN ship for transfer to West Germany. She was refitted in Liverpool before commissioning in 1959 when she was renamed RAULE. During subsequent service RAULE was deployed in the Baltic for anti-submarine training for nine years. Finally in 1968 she was Paid-off and sold in 1969 for breaking-up by Eisen and Metall at Bremen.

 


 

Addendum

 

CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of HMS ALBRIGHTON

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

 

 

 

 

 

23/07/42

24/07/42

WP 191

25/07/42

25/07/42

28/07/42

28/07/42

PW 193

29/07/42

30/07/42

03/10/42

03/10/42

PW 227

04/10/42

07/10/42

05/10/42

05/10/42

PW 228

06/10/42

09/10/42

25/10/42

02/11/42

KMS 002G

10/11/42

12/11/42

12/11/42

12/11/42

MKF 001X

18/11/42

19/11/42

29/11/42

30/11/42

WP 256

01/12/42

01/12/42

04/12/42

04/12/42

PW 258

05/12/42

06/12/42

05/12/42

05/12/42

WP 259

07/12/42

07/12/42

22/02/43

22/02/43

PW 298

23/02/43

24/02/43

23/02/43

23/02/43

WP 299

25/02/43

25/02/43

26/02/43

26/02/43

PW 300

28/02/43

28/02/43

27/02/43

27/02/43

WP 301

01/03/43

01/03/43

01/03/43

02/03/43

WP 302

03/03/43

03/03/43

05/03/43

05/03/43

WP 304

06/03/43

07/03/43

04/03/43

05/03/43

PW 303

06/03/43

06/03/43

08/03/43

08/03/43

PW 305

10/03/43

10/03/43

09/03/43

09/03/43

WP 306

11/03/43

11/03/43

17/03/43

17/03/43

WP 310

19/03/43

19/03/43

20/03/43

20/03/43

PW 311

22/03/43

22/03/43

21/03/43

21/03/43

WP 312

23/03/43

23/03/43

24/03/43

24/03/43

PW 313

26/03/43

26/03/43

25/03/43

25/03/43

WP 314

27/03/43

27/03/43

29/03/43

29/03/43

WP 316

31/03/43

31/03/43

05/04/43

05/04/43

PW 319

07/04/43

07/04/43

06/04/43

06/04/43

WP 320

08/04/43

08/04/43

09/04/43

09/04/43

PW 321

10/04/43

11/04/43

17/05/43

17/05/43

PW 340

18/05/43

19/05/43

01/11/42

18/06/43

WN 356

20/06/43

04/11/42

19/06/43

19/06/43

WP 357

21/06/43

21/06/43

04/08/43

04/08/43

WP 380

06/08/43

06/08/43

08/08/43

09/08/43

WP 382

10/08/43

10/08/43

31/08/43

31/08/43

WP 393

02/09/43

02/09/43

11/09/43

11/09/43

CE 206

12/09/43

12/09/43

01/10/43

01/10/43

WP 409

03/10/43

03/10/43

27/10/43

28/10/43

WP 422

29/10/43

29/10/43

02/11/43

03/11/43

WP 425

04/11/43

04/11/43

04/11/43

04/11/43

CE 219

05/11/43

05/11/43

11/11/43

11/11/43

CE 221

13/11/43

13/11/43

14/11/43

14/11/43

CW 224

15/11/43

15/11/43

20/11/43

21/11/43

WP 434

22/11/43

22/11/43

28/11/43

28/11/43

WP 438

30/11/43

30/11/43

02/12/43

02/12/43

WP 440

04/12/43

04/12/43

15/01/44

15/01/44

CE 237

16/01/44

16/01/44

31/01/44

31/01/44

WP 470

02/02/44

02/02/44

20/02/44

21/02/44

WP 480

23/02/44

23/02/44

24/02/44

24/02/44

CE 247

25/02/44

25/02/44

27/02/44

27/02/44

CW 250

28/02/44

28/02/44

01/03/44

02/03/44

WP 485

03/03/44

03/03/44

09/03/44

10/03/44

WP 489

12/03/44

12/03/44

29/10/44

29/10/44

ON 263

01/11/44

15/11/44

 

 

 

 

 

(Note on Convoys)

 

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revised 12/8/11
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