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)
|