Type III
HUNT Class Escort
Destroyer ordered from JS Write, Cowes IoW
on 22nd
August 1940 under 1940 War Emergency Programme
and laid down as Job No J6160 on
28th November 1941. She was launched on 3rd
February 1943 after delay due to
bomb damage in the shipyard. This ship was the
1st RN warship to carry this
name, that of a fox-hunt in Cardiganshire,
Wales. Completion date was 19th May
1943 and the ship was adopted by the civil
community of the Isle of Anglesey
after a successful WARSHIP WEEK during 1942.
She was the last HUNT
Class Escort Destroyer to be built at Cowes.
B a t t
l e H o n o u r s
NORTH
SEA 1943-44 - ENGLISH
CHANNEL 1943-44 - NORMANDY 1944
H
e r a l d i
c D a t a
Badge:
On a Field Gold, a Lozenge Red charged with an
escarbuncle
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 3
May
Contractors trials and commissioned for
service in 15th Destroyer Flotilla..
19th
Build completion and commenced Acceptance
Trials.
Passage to Scapa Flow to work-up for
operational service with ships of Home Fleet.
June
Work-up at Scapa Flow in continuation.
July
Passage to join Flotilla at Plymouth.
12th
Joined Flotilla at Plymouth for convoy defence
and patrol in English Channel and North Sea.
August
Convoy defence and patrol duties with Flotilla
in continuation.
to
September
October
Deployed at Plymouth.
20th
Nominated for duty with Force X for the
interception of a German Blockade Runner
(MUNSTERLAND) reported on passage through
Channel to Atlantic.
(One of Operation TUNNEL Series).
22nd
Joined HM Cruiser CHARYBDIS with HM Destroyers
STEVENSTONE, ROCKET,
WENSLEYDALE, LIMBOURNE and GRENVILLE.
23rd
Force came under attack by German torpedo
boats during which HMS CHARYBDIS and
HMS LIMBOURNE were sunk by torpedoes from T23
and T27.
(For details of this disastrous and poorly
executed operation see HOLD THE NARROW SEA
by P Smith and the privately
published TWO HONOURABLE YEARS by Craig
Leith).
24th
Returned to Plymouth.
December
2nd
Sustained damage in collision with merchant
ship.
Taken in hand for repair.
1 9 4 4
January
Rejoined Flotilla on completion of repair and
resumed duties.
February
5th
In action with HM Escort Destroyers TANATSIDE,
BRISSENDEN and WENSLEYDALE
against
Torpedo
Boat T29, minesweepers M156 and M206 off north coast of
Brittany.
(Note: M156 was damaged and later was sunk in
air attack after ships returned to harbour.
March
Deployed in English Channel for convoy defence
and interception. operations.
to
April
May
Nominated for support of planned allied
landings in Normandy (Operation NEPTUNE).
Allocated with HM Escort Destroyers TANATSIDE
and MELBREAK of Flotilla for duty
in Force O under US Navy overall command..
Took part in preliminary exercises prior to
invasion.
(Note: Not deployed during disastrous Exercise
TIGER in April 1944.)
For details of naval activities prior to and
during allied 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.).
June
Passage to Portland to join Group 1 Convoy O1.
4th
Operation delayed for 24 hours.
5th
Sailed with Convoy O1 for OMAHA Beach area.
6th
Joined US Battleships TEXAS and ARKANSAS, HM
Cruiser GLASGOW, the Free French
cruisers MONTCALM and GEORGES LEYGUES in
Bombarding Force C for support of assault
on OMAHA Beach.
7th
Deployed for gunfire support, convoy defence
and patrol in Western Task Force area as
required
by Naval Commander Western Task Force.
11th
In action with two E-Boats which attacked
PHOENIX unit on passage to Beach Head.
17th
Sustained slight damage by shore battery fire
off Cherbourg Peninsular.
25th
When released from NEPTUNE deployed in English Channel for
patrol and defence of
convoys.
July
1st
Under shore battery fire.
3rd
Under shore battery fire.
23rd
In action with HM Frigate THORNBOROUGH and
three Motor Torpedo Boats against craft
evacuating personnel from Le Havre.
(Note: Patrol ships V716 and R229 damaged.)
Under fire from shore batteries.
26th
Sank German craft during offensive sweep.
August
Channel deployment in continuation.
to
September
October
Transferred to 16th Destroyer Flotilla at
Harwich for convoy defence and patrol duties
in
North Sea
against incursions of minelayers in Thames
Estuary area
November
9th
Damaged in collision with merchant ship. Holed
aft to waterline
11th
Taken in hand for repair at Chatham.
December
Under repair.
1 9 4 5
January
Under repair.
February
Rejoined Flotilla on completion of repair
March
Convoy defence and patrol in North Sea in
continuation.
to
April
May
Nominated for service in Far East after refit.
June
Prepared for foreign service at Chatham.
26th
Extra ballast fitted to improve stability.
July
Passage to Malta for refit.
August
Under refit in Malta.
P o s
t W a r
N o t e s
HMS
TALYBONT completed refit
after VJ Day and then joined the Mediterranean
Fleet based in Malta. During January 1947 she
was badly
damaged when she collided with a wreck at
Haifa and repaired in Malta before returning
to UK to Pay-off and reduce to
Reserve status at Portsmouth. The ship
remained in Reserve until she was placed on
the Disposal List in 1961 after
use at Rosyth for Artificer training. Sold to
BISCO later that year for
demolition by
Shipbreaking
Industries
she arrived at the breaker’s yard in tow at
Charlestown, near
Rosyth on 14th
February 1961 Fife and her scrap
value was £19,950.
Addendum
CONVOY
ESCORT MOVEMENTS
of HMS
TALYBONT
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
|
|
|
|
|
|
23/05/43
|
23/05/43
|
PW
343
|
25/05/43
|
25/05/43
|
16/08/43
|
16/08/43
|
WP
386
|
18/08/43
|
18/08/43
|
20/08/43
|
20/08/43
|
WP
388
|
22/08/43
|
22/08/43
|
22/08/43
|
22/08/43
|
WP
389
|
24/08/43
|
24/08/43
|
02/11/43
|
02/11/43
|
WP
425
|
03/11/43
|
04/11/43
|
22/11/43
|
22/11/43
|
WP
435
|
24/11/43
|
24/11/43
|
26/11/43
|
26/11/43
|
WP
437
|
28/11/43
|
28/11/43
|
11/01/44
|
11/01/44
|
WP
460
|
13/01/44
|
13/01/44
|
17/01/44
|
17/01/44
|
WP
463
|
19/01/44
|
19/01/44
|
21/01/44
|
22/01/44
|
WP
465
|
24/01/44
|
24/01/44
|
05/02/44
|
05/02/44
|
WP
472
|
07/02/44
|
07/02/44
|
14/02/44
|
14/02/44
|
WP
477
|
15/02/44
|
16/02/44
|
16/02/44
|
16/02/44
|
WP
478
|
17/02/44
|
18/02/44
|
26/02/44
|
26/02/44
|
WP
483
|
27/02/44
|
28/02/44
|
28/02/44
|
28/02/44
|
WP
484
|
01/03/44
|
01/03/44
|
05/03/44
|
05/03/44
|
WP
487
|
07/03/44
|
07/03/44
|
15/03/44
|
15/03/44
|
WP
492
|
17/03/44
|
17/03/44
|
19/03/44
|
20/03/44
|
WP
494
|
21/03/44
|
21/03/44
|
27/04/44
|
27/04/44
|
WP
SP 30
|
29/04/44
|
29/04/44
|
04/05/44
|
04/05/44
|
WP
517
|
05/05/44
|
06/05/44
|
06/05/44
|
06/05/44
|
WP
518
|
07/05/44
|
08/05/44
|
|
|
|
|
|
(Note
on Convoys)
|