Type III HUNT Class Escort Destroyer ordered from Alex
Steven at Govan on 23 August 1940 under the 1940 War Emergency Programme and
laid down on 3rd April 1941 as Job No J1489. The ship was launched on 14th April
1942 as the 1st RN warship to carry the name of this Lancashire fox-hunt. Build
was completed on 19th September 1942 and the ship was adopted by the civil
community of Farnworth, Lancashire, following a
successful WARSHIP WEEK National Savings campaign in March 1942.
B a t t
l e H o n o u r s
MEDITERRANEAN 1943
- SICILY 1943 - SALERNO 1943
H e r a l d i c D a t a
Badge:
Barry wavy of six
white and blue. Badge , a hunting horn
recet
Gold enfiled with a wreath of Red roses proper.
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
September Contractors
trials and commissioned for service.
19th Build
completion and commenced Acceptance Trials.
Took
passage to Scapa Flow on completion of trials and storing.
October Worked-up
for operational service at Scapa Flow with ships of Home Fleet.
Allocated for service in the Mediterranean.
30th Joined
military convoy WS24 at Liverpool with HM Destroyers OFFA, ONSLOW, ORIBI
and
ROTHERHAM as Local Escort during passage in NW Approaches.
November
3rd Detached
from WS24 on arrival of Ocean Escort and took passage to
Freetown.
(Note: This convoy was routed to
Bahia instead of
Freetown because of the transit
of US
convoys to North Africa for Operation TORCH landings.
Retained at Freetown for convoy defence.
December Retained at
Freetown for escort of convoys off West Africa.
1 9 4 3
January Transferred
to Gibraltar.
26th Took
passage from Freetown as part of escort for HM Aircraft Carrier ILLUSTRIOUS
that
was returning to UK for
refit after service in the Indian Ocean.
February Joined 59th
Destroyer Division at Gibraltar for convoy defence and patrol in the
western Mediterranean.
March Part of
escort for military convoy KMF10A to Algiers.
April Part of
escort for military convoy UGS8 and KMF15.
May Nominated
for support of allied landings in Sicily (operation HUSKY)
to Part of
escort for convoys KMS18, KMF18 and KMF19 to Algiers prior to landings.
June
July Deployed
with Support Force East for convoy defence during passage of assault
convoys
to
Sicily.
Passage to Bizerta.
7th Deployed with Escort
Group T as escort for military Convoy KMS18
8th Detached from KMS18
and joined escort for military Convoy KMF18
9th Detached from KMF18
and took passage to Tunis for HUSKY support
For
details of HUSKY see ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY by C Barnett,
Naval
Staff History and for details of all ships involved BRITISH INVASION FLEETS
by J
de Winser.
10th Deployed
off Beach Head for AA Defence, naval gunfire support and defensive patrol
against E-Boat attacks.
August Convoy
defence and support in continuation.
Transferred to 46th Escort Group for duty with Support Carrier Force (TF88) as
escort
for
HM Cruisers
EURYALUS, SCYLLA, CHARYBDIS, HM Light Fleet Carrier
UNICORN, HM Escort Carriers
BATTLER, ATTACKER, HUNTER and STALKER
with
HM Destroyers CLEVELAND, ATHERSTONE, LIDDESDALE,
FARNDALE,
CALPE, HAYDON, Polish destroyers ORP KRAKOWIAK and ORP SLAZAK.
September
9th Deployed
with Force V as screen for Escort Aircraft Carriers during landings at Salerno.
to
(Operation AVALANCHE – For details see above references,)
11th
October On release from AVALANCHE deployed
for convoy escort and patrol in central
Mediterranean.
November
Transferred to HUNT Mediterranean
Flotilla based in
Malta
for convoy defence in western
Mediterranean.
December Deployed as part of escort for military convoy KMS34 with
H M Frigate CUCKMERE,
HM Escort Destroyers
CALPE
and TYNEDALE, US Destroyers USS NIBLACK, USS
BENSON
and USS WAINWRIGHT during passage
in central
Mediterranean
11th Convoy under attack by U223 off Algiers during which HMS Frigate
CUCKMERE was
torpedoed and sustained major damage,
(Note: This ship was later taken under tow to
Algiers where she was found beyond economic
repair.)
12th Convoy under attack by U593 during which HM Escort Destroyer
TYNEDALE
torpedoed by
U593 off Bougie and sank in position 37.10N
06.05E.
Took part in search for U593 with other escorts
from KMS34 and three WELLINGTON
aircraft from 36 and 458
Squadrons RAF without success.
During the search operation, hit aft by T5
Homing Torpedo from U593-
Oil fuel from after tanks ignited and ship
settled rapidly by the stem.
Ship sank rapidly in less than 5 minutes in
position 37-20N 05.50E.
Only 80 of ships company survived with 84 others
missing or died later of wounds.
(Note: U593 was force to surface on 13th
December after sighting by aircraft and
depth charge
attacks by USS WAINWRIGHT and HMS CALPE.
This submarine was
scuttled by crew
in position 37-58N 05.58E and all the crew survived.
Addendum
CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS
of HMS
HOLCOMBE
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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13/11/42
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13/11/42
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ST 042
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18/11/42
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18/11/42
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29/11/42
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29/11/42
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TS 026
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04/12/42
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04/12/42
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24/12/42
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24/12/42
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ST 050
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unknown
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29/12/42
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19/12/42
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28/12/42
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CF 010
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29/12/42
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31/12/42
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30/12/42
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30/12/42
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ST 051
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01/01/43
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unknown
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01/01/43
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01/01/43
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CF 010A
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05/01/43
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08/01/43
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08/02/43
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14/02/43
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KMF 009
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16/02/43
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16/02/43
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17/02/43
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17/02/43
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MKF 009
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19/02/43
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24/02/43
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26/02/43
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06/03/43
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KMS 010G
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08/03/43
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11/03/43
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06/03/43
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08/03/43
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MKF 010A
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09/03/43
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14/03/42
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02/04/43
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11/04/43
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UGF 007
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13/04/43
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12/04/43
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16/04/43
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22/04/43
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KMF 013
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23/04/43
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23/04/43
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27/04/43
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27/04/43
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ET 019
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02/05/43
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02/05/43
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14/04/43
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03/05/43
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UGS 007A
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07/05/43
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07/05/43
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09/05/43
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09/05/43
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ET 020
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14/05/43
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14/05/43
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24/05/43
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24/05/43
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GTX 001
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30/05/43
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04/06/43
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04/06/43
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04/06/43
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MKS 014
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11/06/43
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09/06/43
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01/07/43
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11/07/43
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KMF 019
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13/07/43
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11/07/43
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14/07/43
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14/07/43
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MKF 019
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18/07/43
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30/07/43
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23/07/43
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23/07/43
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GTX 004
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29/07/43
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03/08/43
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09/08/43
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11/08/43
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KMS 022
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20/08/43
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20/08/43
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25/08/43
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25/08/43
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MKS 023
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04/09/43
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03/09/43
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(Note on Convoys)
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