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Type I HUNT Class Escort Destroyer ordered from John Brown, Clydebank under 1939. Programme on 21st March 1939. The ship was laid down on 8th June that year and launched on 14th February 1940 as the 2nd RN warship to carry the name, that of a fox-hunt in Wales. She was completed on the 1st July 1940. In February 1942 after a successful WARSHIP WEEK National Savings campaign this Escort Destroyer was  adopted by the civil community of Wokingham in Berkshire.

B a t t l e  H o n o u r s

NORTH SEA 1941-45 - ENGLISH CHANNEL 1942-44 - DIEPPE 1942 - NORMANDY 1944

H e r a l d i c   D a t a

Badge: On a  Field Red. a Pendant  from a cross-crosslet  fitchy

White a bugle horn stringed Gold

D e t a i l s   o f   W a r   S e r v i c e

1 9 4 0

June                        Contractor's sea trials and commissioned for service in 21st Destroyer Flotilla.

July

                1st           Build completion and commenced Acceptance Trials

                                On completion of trials and storing took passage to work-up at Scapa Flow.

August

                5th          Deployed with HM Cruiser CALCUTTA, HM Escort Destroyer BERKELEY and two Home

                                Fleet destroyers as escort for ships of 1st Minelaying Squadron during lay of minefield in SW

                                Approaches to Irish Sea (Operation SN32).

                8th          Joined 21st Destroyer Flotilla at Sheerness for convoy defence in North Sea and English Channel.

                                Nominated to join Force A for an attack by fireships on Channel ports. (Operation LUCID)

                                (Note: This was later aborted).

                                During later escort of convoy in Straits of Dover laid smoke screen for its protection against

                                bombardment by shore batteries in France.

                                Carried out anti-invasion patrols in Channel area.

                31st         Deployed with ships of 5th Destroyer Flotilla after loss of HM Destroyer E3C during a disastrous

                                attempt to lay minefield off Dutch (Operation CBX5).

                                Sighted HM Destroyer IVANHOE which was damaged and adrift.

                                Provided anti-submarine protection for HM Destroyer KELVIN which was towing HM Destroyer

                                EXPRESS, also damaged by mine.

                                Remained in company with HMS KELLY until tug ST CYRUS arrived.

                                For details of the losses and damage see Naval Staff History (Mining).

September             Resumed Flotilla duties for East Coast convoy defence.

                30th        Detached for escort of HM Monitor EREBUS during bombardment of Calais.

October                  Convoy defence and patrol duties with Flotilla in continuation.

                15th        Detached for escort of HMS EREBUS during bombardment of Dunkirk.

November              Resumed convoy defence and patrol on completion.

                                During defence of East Coast convoy with HM Destroyer CAMPBELL sank E-Boat S38 off

                                Southwold.

                                (Note: This was the first E-Boat sunk during an attack on a UK coastal convoy.)

December

                1st           Damaged after detonating ground mine in Thames Estuary

                                Taken in hand for repair.

1 9 4 1

January                  On completion of repair rejoined Flotilla for convoy defence duty.

February                East coast convoy defence in continuation.

March                    Sustained considerable structural underwater damage by running aground

                                Taken in hand for repair in London commercial shipyard.

April                       Under repair.

May                        On completion transferred to Rosyth Escort Force for escort of East Coast convoys.

June                        Rosyth escort duties in continuation.

to

July

August                  Returned to Sheerness and deployed with Flotilla for convoy defence.

September             Convoy defence in North Sea in continuation.

to                            (For details of North Sea convoy defence see NORTH SEA CORVETTE by N Monsarrat

October                  THE BATTLE FOR THE NARROW SEAS by P Scott and THE BATTLE OF THE EAST

                                COAST by J P Foynes.).

November              Damaged in Boiler Boom by 40mm shell fired from a British destroyer.

                                (Note: This may have been in defence of a convoy during an engagement with E-Boats.)

                                Taken in hand for repair.

December              On completion of repair rejoined Flotilla and resumed convoy defence duties.

1 9 4 2

January                  Convoy escort and patrol in North Sea in continuation.

to

March

April                       Detached for duty at Harwich with 21st Destroyer Flotilla for convoy defence in North Sea.

May                        East coast convoy escort in continuation.

June                        Nominated for support of allied raid at Dieppe (Operation JUBILEE).

to                            Remained at Harwich for convoy escort duty.

July

August                  Rejoined 21st Destroyer Flotilla a Sheerness for convoy escort until detached

                                to take part in Dieppe raid

                                Passage to Portsmouth to take part in preparatory exercises for JUBILEE.

                18th        Part of escort for landing craft during passage to Dieppe.

                19th        Provided naval gunfire support during landings on BLUE Beach.

                20th        Deployed to cover passage of surviving craft from Dieppe.

                                (Note: This operation proved disastrous with many lives lost and much equipment.

                                It had been expected by the German garrison. The only gain was the exposure

                                of the many weaknesses. It therefore enabled improvements to be made in the

                                planning of the later NEPTUNE operation in June 1944.

                                For details see Naval Staff History and THE WATERY MAZE by B Ferguson).

September             Resumed convey defence duties with Flotilla at Harwich.

October                  Deployed for escort of North Sea convoys.

to

December

1 9 4 3

January                  Convoy defence duty In continuation.

February                During escort of North Sea convoy with HM Destroyer MONTROSE

                17th        In action against E-Boats attacking a convoy off Yarmouth.

                                Sank E-Boat S71 by ramming after gun engagement.

March                    North Sea convoy defence in continuation.

to

April

May                        Detached to provide cover for minelaying operation off Sark by Motor Launches of Light

                                Coastal Forces

                                (Note: This was part of the HOSTILE series of operations prior to Normandy landings.)

June                        Channel and North See convoy escort and patrol duties (See HOLD THE NARROW SEA

to                            by P Smith).

December              (Note: Manning's Listing of Battle Hours gives ARCTIC 1943 but this is not included

                                in later records stated to be from official sources.)

1 9 4 4

January                  Convoy escort and patrol with Flotilla in continuation.

February

                5th          Towed damaged Escort Carrier HMS SLINGER back to Sheerness after she was mined on

                                passage from Sheerness to Clyde.

                22nd       During defence of East Coast convoy, in action against E-Boats with HM Escort Destroyer

                                SOUTHDOWN and two Motor Torpedo Boats off Smith's Knoll

                                (Note: In this engagement E-Boats S94 and S128 collided and sank.)

March                    East Coast convoy escort in continuation.

April                       Nominated for support of planned allied landings in Normandy

                                (Operation NEPTUNE – For details of naval activities before and during assault see LANDINGS

                                IN NORMANDY June 1944 (HMSO), OPERATION NEPTUNE by K Edwards and D DAY

                                SHIPS by J de Winser for details of all ships involved.)

                                Allocated for duty in Escort Group 101 based at the Nore after initial assault phase.

May                        East Coast convoy defence in continuation.

June                        Passage to Thames.

                6th          Detached for escort of Convoy ETM1 and Joined HM Destroyer MEYNELL, HM Corvettes

                                CAMELLIA and CHARLOCK in Thames Estuary.

                                Sailed with 12 Motor Transport Slips and five Landing Ship (Tank) as Convoy ETM1 to Solent.

                                Two MULBERRY Control Ships joined off Selsea Bill and 12 Landing Craft, Infantry (Large)

                                on arrival off Isle of Wight.

                7th          Arrived in Eastern Task Force Area and detached to return to Nore.

                9th          Deployed with Escort Group for Follow-up convoys.

                                Resumed East Coast Convoy escort duty after release from NEPTUNE.

July                         Convoy defence and patrol duty in continuation.

August                  Flotilla deployment in continuation.

to                            Nominated for support of allied landing operation on Walcheren.

September

October

                1st           Provided Naval Gunfire Support for Walcheren landings with HM Escort Destroyer

                                COTTESMORE (Operation INFATUATE).

                16th        Embarked HM King George VI for passage from Ostend to Dover.

November              Flotilla deployment on convoy defence and patrol in continuation.

December              Under repair.

1 9 4 5

January                  On completion resumed convoy escort and patrol duty in North Sea with Flotilla.

February

                21st         In action against E-Boats which successfully attacked East Coast convoy

                                (Note: Two mercantiles in convoy were sunk.).

March                    North Sea deployment in continuation.

                14th        Sank midget submarine off Orfordness and captured of crew.

April                       Flotilla deployment in Nore Command for convoy defence and interception patrol.

May                        Deployed in Nore Command in support of re-occupation operations.

                25th        Embarked British Ambassador to Netherlands for passage to Rotterdam.

June                        Nore Local Flotilla deployment in continuation.

to

August

P o s t   W a r   N o t e s

HMS GARTH remained in Nore Command until Paid off and reduced to Reserve status at Sheerness in December 1945 for use as an Accommodation Ship. When Sheerness Division, Reserve Fleet closed the ship was transferred to Harwich and later to Barrow. Placed on the Disposal List in 1958 she was sold to BISCO for demolition by T W Ward at Barrow and arrived in tow at the breakers’ yard on 15th August that year. Her scrap value was £19,000 after deduction of break-up costs, compared with build cost of about £150,000.

Addendum

CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of HMS GARTH

by Don Kindell

These convoy lists have not been cross-checked with the text above 

(Note on Convoys)