Type
III HUNT Class Escort
Destroyer ordered from Vickers Armstrong,
Barrow under the 1940 Emergency
Programme on 4th July 1940 with 7 others of
this Type. The ship was laid down
as Yard No 793, Admiralty Job No J3988 on 29th
December 1940. She was launched
on 22nd August 1941 as the 5th RN ship to
carry this name, that of a fox-hunt
in Yorkshire. It was introduced in 1807 for a
Brig Sloop and last used by a
Trawler in 1920 which was sold in 1913. Build
was
completed on 24th April 1942 and she had
been
adopted by the civil community of Easthampstead,
Berkshire after a successful WARSHIP
WEEK National Savings
campaign in February 1942.
B
a t t
l e H o n o u r s
ATLANTIC 1942 - MALTA CONVOYS 1942
H
e r a l d i c D a t a
Badge:
On a Field Blue, a
stirrup Gold, over a rose White
and two wings also 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
April
Contractors trials and commissioned for
service.
24th
Build completion and commenced Acceptance
Trials
Took passage to Scapa Flow on completion of
trials and storing.
May
Worked-up with ships of Home Fleet at Scapa
Flow.
Deployed in Western Approaches Command for
Atlantic convoy defence.
Nominated for transfer to 5th Destroyer
Flotilla at Alexandria.
June
1st
Joined military convoy WS19P in Clyde with HM
Battleship NELSON and HM Destroyer
BLACKMORE as Ocean Escort for Atlantic
passage.
(Note: HM Aircraft Carrier ARGUS was also with
this convoy until detaching on 5th June
for an aircraft delivery to Malta.)
15th
Detached from WS19P on arrival at Freetown.
19th
Sailed from Freetown with HM Battleships
NELSON, RODNEY, HM Destroyers PENN,
PATHFINDER and QUENTIN as Ocean Escort for
passage to Capetown.
July
1st
Detached from WS198P escort on arrival at
Capetown.
Took passage to Home waters.
August
Joined escort for Malta relief
convoy WS21S on passage from Clyde to
Gibraltar.
(Operation PEDESTAL - See PEDESTAL by Peter C
Smith, MALTA CONVOYS by R
Woodman, ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY
by C. Barnett, THE
BATTLE
FOR
THE MEDITERRANEAN by D .Macintyre and Naval
Staff
History.
(Note: Other HUNT Class Escort Destroyers from
Home Fleet also deployed with escort
for this convoy were HM
Destroyers
BRAMHAM, BICESTER, LEDBURY and
WILTON.
10th
Deployed with destroyer screen for HM Cruisers
NIGERIA,
KENYA,
MANCHESTER and
CAIRO with HM Destroyers ASHANTI, INTREPID,
ICARUS, FORESIGHT, FURY,
PATHFINDER, PENN and above named HUNT Class as
Force X.
(Note: Force X was the Close Escort for WS21S
and was to remain with the convoy
during
passage through the Sicilian
Narrows to Grand
Harbour).
13th
Detached from convoy with HM Destroyers
BICESTER and WILTON as escort for HMS
NIGERIA to Gibraltar after being hit by
torpedoes from Italian submarine AXUM on 12th
August (See above references).
15th
On arrival at Gibraltar detached for service
in South Atlantic and Indian Ocean.
Took passage to South Atlantic Station with
calls at Freetown and Simonstown.
September
13th
Joined military convoy WS22 during passage to
Cape of Good Hope from Freetown.
18th
Detached from WS22 with Greek destroyer
PINDOS.
Took passage to Kilindini with call at Durban.
October
Deployed for Indian Ocean convoy defence based
at Kilindini in continuation.
to
December
1
9 4 3
January
Deployed on envoy escort and patrol in Indian Ocean.
Passage to Red Sea for escort of military
convoy taking ANZAC 9th Division back to
Australia
from Middle East after recall for defence of
Australia.
(Operation PAMPHLET).
February
Escorted convoy in Red Sea and Gulf of Aden
with HM Destroyers PAKENHAM, PETARD,
ISIS, HERO and Greek VASILISSA OLGA.
Detached after arrival of Ocean Escort.
Passage to Alexandria to join Mediterranean
Fleet.
March
Joined 22nd Destroyer Flotilla Mediterranean
Fleet at Alexandria.
Deployed for convoy defence, patrol and
support of military operations.
19th
Under heavy air attack by Ju88 aircraft whilst
at anchor in
Tripoli harbour.
Hit by circling torpedo whilst getting under
way.
Sustained major damage with flooding in
midships compartments including Boiler
Room.
Holed on port side and ship completely
immobilised with 6 fatal casualties.
Ship beached to await repair.
April
Under temporary repair to allow ship to be
moved.
to
Paid-off
May
June
Passage to UK
under tow by ALLEGIANCE as part of convoy
MKS18 from Gibraltar.
July
At Devonport awaiting repair in HM Dockyard.
August
11th
Taken in hand for repair work.
September
Under repair at low priority because of
Operation NEPTUNE commitments,
to
December
1
9 4 4
Repair work in HM Dockyard continued as labour
allowed.
1 9 4
5
January
Decision
made to stop repair and reduce ship to
Reserve status
February
Awaiting de-equipping at Devonport
to
July
August
Reduced to Reserve status.
Laid-up in Reserve Fleet at Devonport to await
de-equipping.
P
o s t W a r
N o t e s
HMS
DERWENT remained at
Devonport and in September 1946 her machinery
was transferred to RNEC at
Manadon
for use in training of
Marine Engineer officers. The ship was sold to
BISCO on 8th November that year for demolition
by T W Ward at Penryn
where she arrived in tow on 21st February
1947.
Addendum
CONVOY
ESCORT MOVEMENTS
of HMS
DERWENT
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
|
|
|
|
|
|
05/07/42
|
05/07/42
|
SL
115
|
06/07/42
|
26/07/42
|
11/08/42
|
21/08/42
|
OG
088
|
24/08/42
|
24/08/42
|
14/01/43
|
14/01/43
|
AK
006/2
|
16/01/43
|
20/01/43
|
25/01/43
|
03/02/43
|
PAMPHLET
|
04/02/43
|
27/02/43
|
|
|
|
|
|
(Note
on Convoys)
|