Type II HUNT-Class Escort Destroyer built by Vickers Armstrong, Tyne under  1939 War Emergency Programme on 20th December 1939 as Job No J4207. The ship laid down on 10th April 1940 and launched on 10th April 1941 as the 1st RN ship to carry the name, that of a Derbyshire fox-hunt. Her build was completed on 5th October 1941.  Following a successful WARSHIP WEEK National Savings campaign in March 1942 this ship was adopted by Stockton on Tees, Durham..

 

B a t t l e   Ho n o u r s

ATLANTIC 1941 - LIBYA 1942 - SIRTE 1942  - MEDITERRANEAN 1942 - MALTA CONVOYS 1942 - SICILY 1943 - AEGEAN 1943

H e r a l d i c   D a t a

Badge: On a Field Red within a horseshoe inverted,

a whelk , shell 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)

 

 

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October                  Contractors trials.

                                Nominated for foreign service on completion.

                5th          Build completion and commenced Acceptance Trials

                                Passage to Scapa Flow on completion of trials and storing.

                                Worked-up for operational service with ships of Home Fleet

 

November              Took passage to Freetown for Local Defence duties on completion of work-up.

                                Deployed at Freetown

 

December

                18th        Joined military Convoy WS14 with HM Destroyer BRILLIANT as Local Escort during passage

                                into Freetown.

                19th        HM Destroyers VANSITTART and WILD SWAN joined to supplement Local Escort.

                21st         Detached from WS14 on arrival at Freetown

                25th        Joined WS14 on departure from Freetown and Ocean Escort with HM Battleship RAMILLIES,

                                HM Destroyer BEAUFORT and HM Sloop BRIDGEWATER.

 

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January

                4th          Detached from WS14 off Capetown on relief by HM Armed Merchant Cruiser DERBYSHIRE.

                                Independent passage in Indian Ocean to join Flotilla at Alexandria.

 

February                Passage in Red Sea

                6th          Joined 5th Destroyer Flotilla, Mediterranean Fleet at Alexandria. for convoy defence, patrol

                                and Mediterranean Fleet duties..

                9th          Escorted damaged Destroyer HMS FARNDALE to Alexandria.

                12th        Part of Close Escort to Malta Relief Convoy MW9.

                                Sustained and heavy air attacks forced convoy to return to Egypt.

                                No merchant ship survived.

                                For details see Naval Staff History, MALTA CONVOYS by R Woodman and THE BATTLE

                                FOR THE MEDITERRANEAN by D Macintyre.

 

March                    Deployed for support of Tobruk garrison.

                21st         Deployed as part of Close Escort for Malta Relief Convoy MW10 (Operation MG1).

                                Subjected to heavy attacks from aircraft and E-Boats.

                                Took part in 2nd Battle of Sirte when Italian major units threatened MW10.

                                (For details of operations in Eastern Mediterranean see Naval Staff Battle Summary 1832,

                                ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY by Corelli Barnett and above references.)

                25th        Escorted damaged supply ship HMS BRECONSHIRE into Marsaxlokk Bay.

                                (Note: This ship was later sunk by air attack).

 

April                       Returned to Alexandria for Tobruk convoy defence and support of garrison.

 

May                        Tobruk support and convoy defence in continuation.

                27th        Detached from Convoy AT47 with HMS Destroyers HERO and ERIDGE to carry out anti

                                Submarine operations after aircraft sighting of submarine east of Sollum.

                                Contact established after two hour search and submarine forced to surface by depth charge

                                attacks and engaged by surface fire which forced dive..

                28th        Contact maintained and forcing submarine to resurfaced and scuttle in position 32.42N, 24.53 E.

                                All 47 of crew were rescued

                                For details see U-BOATS DESTROYED by P Kemp.

 

June

                12th        Deployed as part of Close Escort for Malta Relief Convoy MW11

                 to           (Operation VIGOROUS).    

                 16th       (Editor's Note: check The Supply of Malta by Arnold Hague for details.)

                                After attacks by aircraft and E- Boats (at night) with surface threat by Italian Fleet major units

                                operation abandoned and convoy returned to Alexandria.

                                (Note: For details of this disastrous operations during which conflicting instructions were

                                given by  CinC ashore see ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY and above references.

                                Three destroyers and a cruiser were lost in this Operation).

 

July                         Resumed Flotilla duties for local convoy defence and support of land operations.

to                            Carried cut bombardment of enemy positions at Mersa Matruh

August

 

September             Took part in failed attempt to carry out assault landings at Tobruk (Operation AGREEMENT).

                                (See ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY and MASSACRE AT TOBRUK by Peter C.

                                Smith).

 

October                  Carried out two diversionary operations in support of Army advance.

                                (Operations LIGHTFOOT and SUPERCHARGE - See OFFICIAL MILITARY

                                HISTORY, MEDITERRANEAN (HMSO)

                30th        Took part in the anti-submarine operations against U559 with HM Destroyers PAKENHAM,

                                DULVERTON and PETARD with aircraft of 47 Squadron, RAF.

                                Attempt to recover equipment by boarding party failed when submarine sank in position

                                32.30N,  33.00E, north east Port Said.

                                (Note: This was a most significant event since before the submarine sank, associated

                                documentation for an ENIGMA Cypher Machine was recovered at the loss of two lives.

                                Awards of the George Cross were made posthumously to these two courageous men and a

                                George Medal to a NAAFI Canteen Assistant who assisted in the work .

                                For details see BREAKING THE ENIGMA by D Kahn.)

 

November              Deployed for defence of convoys between Alexandria and Tobruk

                17th        Deployed with HM Destroyers ALDENHAM, BEAUFORT, CROOME. DULVERTON,

                                EXMOOR, BELVOIR, HURSLEY, TETCOTT and Greek PINDOS as Close Escort for Malta

                                relief Convoy MW13 (Operation STONEAGE).

                18th        Under air attack during which HM Cruiser ARETHUSA was torpedoed and returned in tow to

                                Alexandria.

                19th        Detached from MW13 on arrival in Malta and returned to Alexandria with the other ships of

                                Close Escort.

                21st         Arrived at Port Said after series of unsuccessful air attacks on passage.

                28th        Deployed for Operation RUMBLE BUMBLE

                                (Note: Details to be investigated.)

 

December              Coastal convoy defence in continuation.

                25th        At Alexandria for Xmas period.

 

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January                  Deployment on convoy defence in Eastern and Central Mediterranean continued

to

April

 

May                        Deployed to intercept escaping enemy troops from Tunisia and Algeria.

                                (Operation RETRIBUTION).

 

June                        Resumed convoy defence duty.

 

July                         Transferred to 22nd Destroyer Flotilla as Senior Officer's ship.

                                Prepared for support of planned allied landings in Sicily (Operation HUSKY)

                                Joined Support Force East for Sicilian Landings as part of Escort Group R.

                                (For details of HUSKY see Naval Staff History and for information about all ships involved

                                BRITISH INVASION FLEETS by J de Winser.)

                                Passage to Port Said

                5th          Sailed from Port Said with escort for military Convoy MWF36

                7th          Detached from MWF36 and took return passage to Port Said

                9th          Delayed and intended deployment with MWF37 not implemented.

                                Later deployed with escort of Follow-up convoy.

                                On arrival provided naval gunfire support and carried out patrols in defence of mercantile

                                anchorage off the British beachheads..

 

August                  Based at Malta and deployed for support of HUSKY and escort of convoys in Eastern

                                Mediterranean

 

September             Convoy defence in continuation.

                15th        Detached from escort of military convoy MKS24 in Eastern Mediterranean and transferred to

                                assist in defence of Aegean Islands.

                                Passage to Haifa.

                                (Note: Following the Italian surrender German troops were known to be wanting to replace the

                                Italian Garrison and British Troops were being landed to prevent any invasion attempt.

                                See WAR IN THE AEGEAN by P Smith and E Gray)

                16th        Joined HM Escort Destroyer CROOME, and both ships embarked 300 troops for passage to

                                Leros.

                17th        Landed infantry at Leros.

                                On completion deployed with Fleet units in support of shore operations in Aegean area.

 

October                  Aegean defence role in continuation.

                19th        Provided naval gunfire support bombardment at Kos with HM Destroyers FURY and

                                BEAUFORT.

                                Hit by return fire from shore which killed one of ship’s company and injured three others.

                20th        Returned to Alexandria with HM Cruiser PHOEBE.

                21st         Passage to Leros with HM Destroyers JERVIS and PATHFINDER.

                22nd       Searched for invasion craft at Port Vathi and Port Atkl with Greek Escort Destroyer ADRIAS.

                                During diversionary operation south of Leros with HHelMS ADRIAS ran into new minefield

                                East of Kalymnos Island.

                                After ADRIAS was damaged by mine ship closed to investigate and struck another mine.

                                Ship broke in two sections which broke ship in half and started serious fire.

                                Within three minutes forward section had sunk and stern followed 15 minutes later in position

                                36.59N,  27.06E.

                                113 of ship's company were lost and 85 survivors taken to Turkish waters where British ships

                                took refuge during daylight.

                                Those rescued later returned to Alexandria in allied warships.

                                (For details of Aegean operations in 1943 see above reference and ENGAGE THE ENEMY

                                MORE CLOSELY).

                                (Note: Casualty List was published on 6th August 1945.)

 

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Addenda

 

CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of HMS HURWORTH

by Don Kindell

 

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

(Note on Convoys)

 

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Link to www.hmshurworth.co.uk

by Carl & Alan