Type III HUNT Class Escort
Destroyer ordered from Vickers Armstrong, Wallsend,
Newcastle on Tyne under the 1940 War Emergency
Programme on 23rd August 1940. She was laid down as Job
No. J 4299 on the 1st May 1941 and launched on 2nd April
1942 as the first RN ship to carry the name which is that of a foxhunt in
Northumberland. Build was completed on 24th October
1942.
Following a WARSHIP WEEK National Savings campaign in February 1942 this
destroyer had been adopted by the civil community of Wallsend,
Northumberland.
B a t t
l e H o n o u r s
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 paly of eight, Gold and Red, a fox's mask White,
holding in the mouth a bugle horn stringed also white.
D e t a i
l s o f W a r
S e r v i c e
1 9 4 2
October Contractors
trials and commissioned for service in 5th Destroyer Flotilla
24th Build
completion and commenced Acceptance Trials.
Passage to Scapa Flow on completion of trials and storing.
November Worked-up with
ships of Home Fleet for operational service.
Prepared for foreign service.
Nominated for escort of military Convoy WS25 during passage in Atlantic.
December
18th Joined military convoy WS25 in Clyde for Ocean
Escort with HM Destroyers BADSWORTH,
WOLVERINE, QUILLIAM, ROCKWOOD, HM Armed merchant
Cruiser CARNARVON
CASTLE and CHESHIRE.
24th Deployed with WS25 escort to position west of
Gibraltar.
Detached from convoy with HMS BADSWORTH and
WOLVERINE for passage to join
Flotilla at Gibraltar.
1 9 4 3
January Deployed at
Gibraltar for convoy defence and patrol in Atlantic and the Western
Mediterranean
February
9th Joined
US military Convoy UGS5 with US Submarine Chasers PC 471 and PC 474 to
supplement anti-submarine defence after threat of attacks by ROCHEN and DELPHIN
U-Boat
Groups
March Transferred
to 22nd Destroyer Flotilla at Algiers for coastal convoy escort, patrol and
support
of
military operations
Passage to Algiers to join Flotilla.
April Flotilla
duties at Algiers in continuation.
May Deployed
as escort for joint military Convoy KMS15/UGS8
13th Under
attack by U616 during passage from Gibraltar to Oran.
Joined by USN destroyers and aircraft and took part in anti-submarine
operations.
Torpedo attack failed.
June Transferred to 59th
Destroyer Division based at Oran
Deployed for
escort of military convoys in Mediterranean on passage to take
part in
planned allied
landings in Sicily (Operation HUSKY)
Nominated for
service with Escort Group S for escort, gunfire support and patrol during
HUSKY
For details see
Naval Staff History, ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY by C
Barnett and
BRITISH INVASION FLEETS for details of all ships involved.
July Passage to Algiers
for escort of military Convoy KMS18 during passage to beachhead,
5th Sailed from Algiers
with escort for KMS18.
8th Detached from KMS18
to refuel and rejoined on completion.
10th Arrived at BARK WEST
Beachhead and deployed for support during landings.
August
HUSKY support and convoy defence in continuation.
September Transferred to
Escort Group 50 at Algiers.
Nominated for support of planned landings on Italian mainland.
(Operation AVALANCHE).
(See
above references).
Deployed with
escort for aircraft carriers during air operations in support of landings.
October Transferred
to Eastern Mediterranean for support of military operations to occupy Aegean
islands after the Italian surrender.
(Note: No specific actions are recorded in Admiralty Battle Summary No 36 -
BR1736(40)
See
WAR IN THE AEGEAN by P Smith and E Walker).
November Support and
convoy defence in continuation.
December Transferred to
Malta in
continuation of convoy defence duties.
1 9 4 4
January Joined 18th
Destroyer Flotilla in Malta for central Mediterranean. convoy defence and anti-
submarine patrol duties in continuation.
February Flotilla
duties in continuation for convoy defence patrol and support of military
operations.
to
June
July
Nominated for support of allied landings in south of France under US command.
(Operation DRAGOON. For details see ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY) and
BRITISH INVASION FLEETS by J de Winser for details of all ships involved,)
Passage to Naples.
Prepared for service under
US
command landing operations.
August Deployed for
convoy escort of follow-up convoys.
(Note: Not recorded for escort of assault convoys, or as part of gunfire support
groups in
Naval
Staff History INVASION OF THE SOUTH OF FRANCE (HMSO)
Reverted to RN control after release from DRAGOON
September Deployment with
Flotilla for Convoy defence and anti-submarine patrol in central
Mediterranean in continuation.
Nominated for return to UK.
(Note: This deployment was trade to supplement existing anti-submarine defences
in
Home
waters after increased attacks by SCHNORKEL fitted U-Boats).
See
ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY and SEEK AND STRIKE by
W
Hackmann).
October Passage to
UK to join 21st
Destroyer Flotilla at Sheerness.
Deployed with Flotilla for convoy defence in
North Sea and Channel.
November Deployed with
Flotilla for convoy defence in North and Channel.
to
December
1 9 4 5
January Flotilla
duties in continuation.
to (Note:
During this period Atlantic convoys were re-routed through English Channel when
April threat
of air attack from French bases was removed. In addition the increase in
minelaying
surface craft and submarines with U-Boat attacks on convoys in Nore
and made
necessary extensive additional interception patrols by escorts.
See HOLD THE
NARROW SEA by P Smith and above references).
May Nominated for service in Eastern Fleet after refit in
Malta.
Took passage to Malta.
June Under
refit
to
July
August Prepared for
service with Eastern Fleet in
Mediterranean.
P o s t W a r
N o t e s
HMS HAYDON was retained in
the Mediterranean as part of the 3rd Destroyer Flotilla after VJ Day. This
destroyer continued service in Malta until July 19477 when she was badly
damaged by fire and after repair was withdrawn from service. Paid-off and
placed in Reserve at Chatham in late 1947 the ship entered the Reserve Fleet
after further refit. She was the laid-up at Sheerness for a year and transferred
to Hartlepool in 1948 and later her equipment was preserved. The ship was laid-up in the Reserve Fleet
Division at Hartlepool until approval was given for her to be placed on the
Disposal List in March 1958. Sold to BISCO on the 17th May that year for
demolition Clayton & Davie the ship arrived at arrived at Dunston-on-Tyne in tow on 18th May 1958.
Addendum
CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS
of HMS
HAYDON
by Don Kindell
These convoy lists have not been cross-checked
with the text above
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Date convoy sailed
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Joined convoy as escort
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Convoy No.
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Left convoy
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Date convoy arrived
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05/01/43
|
05/01/43
|
MKS 005
|
06/01/43
|
22/01/43
|
06/01/43
|
06/01/43
|
MKF 006
|
08/01/43
|
14/01/43
|
31/01/42
|
31/01/43
|
GUF 004
|
02/02/43
|
13/02/43
|
25/02/43
|
03/03/43
|
KMF 010A
|
04/03/43
|
04/03/43
|
24/04/43
|
25/04/43
|
MKF 013
|
02/05/43
|
02/05/43
|
17/05/43
|
17/05/43
|
KMS 014
|
19/05/43
|
21/05/43
|
28/04/43
|
18/05/43
|
UGS 008
|
19/05/43
|
21/05/43
|
24/06/43
|
05/07/43
|
KMS 018B
|
10/07/43
|
10/07/43
|
10/07/43
|
10/07/43
|
MKF 018
|
17/07/43
|
23/07/43
|
14/07/43
|
14/07/43
|
KMS 019Y
|
unknown
|
unknown
|
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
|
17/10/43
|
23/10/43
|
MKF 025
|
26/10/43
|
04/11/43
|
01/11/43
|
01/11/43
|
KMS 030
|
04/11/43
|
11/11/43
|
27/10/43
|
06/11/43
|
KMF 025A
|
11/11/43
|
11/11/43
|
03/12/43
|
unknown
|
XIF 005
|
unknown
|
09/12/43
|
16/12/43
|
26/12/43
|
KMF 027
|
29/12/43
|
30/12/43
|
26/12/43
|
02/01/44
|
GUS 026
|
07/01/44
|
24/01/44
|
03/02/44
|
03/02/44
|
XIF 009
|
08/02/44
|
08/02/44
|
09/02/44
|
09/02/44
|
IXF 009
|
13/02/44
|
13/02/44
|
23/02/44
|
unknown
|
IXF 010
|
unknown
|
26/02/44
|
02/03/44
|
02/03/44
|
MKF 029
|
09/03/44
|
16/03/44
|
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
|
09/04/44
|
KMF 030
|
12/04/44
|
12/04/44
|
15/04/44
|
15/04/44
|
XIF 013
|
unknown
|
20/04/44
|
21/04/44
|
22/04/44
|
IXF 013
|
unknown
|
25/04/44
|
05/05/44
|
unknown
|
IXF 014
|
unknown
|
09/05/44
|
15/05/44
|
15/05/44
|
MKF 031
|
22/05/44
|
29/05/44
|
24/05/44
|
24/05/44
|
NSF 023
|
27/05/44
|
27/05/44
|
17/08/44
|
17/08/44
|
SM 003A
|
20/08/44
|
20/08/44
|
24/08/44
|
01/09/44
|
KMF 034
|
07/09/44
|
07/09/44
|
25/09/44
|
25/09/44
|
XIF 022
|
29/09/44
|
29/09/44
|
10/10/44
|
10/10/44
|
MKF 035
|
15/10/44
|
21/10/44
|
20/10/44
|
24/10/44
|
KMF 035A
|
27/10/44
|
31/10/44
|
06/11/44
|
16/11/44
|
KMF 036
|
19/11/44
|
19/11/44
|
|
|
|
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(Note on Convoys) |