Type II HUNT
Class Escort Destroyer ordered from John I Thornycroft at Woolston under the
1939 War
Emergency Programme on 5th September 1939. The ship was laid down as Job No 6606on
24th January 1940
and was launched on 27th September 1941. She was the first RN warship to carry
the name and following a WARSHIP WEEK National Savings campaign
during December 1941 was
adopted by the civil community of Ledbury, then
in Worcestershire. Her completion date was delayed by repair of damage to
shipyard facilities in air raids on Southampton until 11th February 1942.
B a t t l e H o n o u r s
MALTA CONVOYS 1942 -
ARCTIC 1942-43 - SICILY 1943
-
SALERNO 1943 - ADRIATIC 1944 - AEGEAN 1944
H e r a l d i c D a t a
On a Field per fess wavy and red. seal erect in
front of two hunting horns in saltire White.
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
January
27th Commissioned.
February
Contractors sea trials
Vibration in turbines investigated and
clearances increased.
11th Accepted into service.
On completion worked up with 4th Destroyer
Flotilla at Scapa Flow.
March
1st Deployed as screen for HM Battleships KING GEORGE V and DUKE OF
York, HM
Battlecruiser RENOWN and HM Aircraft Carrier
VICTORIOUS, HM Cruisers BERWICK
and KENYA with 19 other destroyers to provide
Distant Cover for passage of Russian Convoy
PQ12 and returning Convoy QP8.
For details of all Russian Convoys including
names of mercantiles and warship escorts
see CONVOYS TO RUSSIA by RA Ruegg, THE RUSSIAN
CONVOYS by B Schoefield,
CONVOY ! by P Kemp and RUSSIAN CONVOYS by R
Woodman.
15th Escorted ships of 1st Minelaying Squadron during lay of section of
the Northern Barrage
covered by HM Cruiser CHARYBDIS (Operation
SN81).
(For details of all minelaying operations see
Naval Staff History (MINING)).
20th Deployed with screen for Home Fleet ships providing Distant Cover
for passage
of Russian Convoy PQ13 and returning Convoy QP9
April
8th Deployed as screen for HM Battleships KING GEORGE V and DUKE OF
YORK. HMS
RENOWN, HM Cruisers EDINBURGH and KENT with 15
other destroyers to give
Distant Cover for passage of Russian Convoy PQ14
and returning Convoy QP10.
26th Escorted RFA Oiler GRAY RANGER for part of passage to Iceland prior
to use by
destroyers escorting Russian Convoy PQ15.
Returned to Lerwick on completion.
May
23rd Deployed as Force Q for escort of RFA Oiler BLACK RANGER from
Iceland after
completion of refuelling for destroyers
escorting Russian Convoy PQ16.
June
30th Joined Russian Convoy PQ17 with HM Destroyers FURY, KEPPEL,
LEAMINGTON,
OFFA and WILTON for Ocean Escort.
July
4th After convoy was scattered by Admiralty order prepared for
engagement with the
German warships believed to be intent on
attacking the merchant ships.
(For full details of this misconceived
instruction and the fate of ships which
dispersed see above references).
On return to Scapa Flow nominated for escort of
Malta relief convoy (WS21S).
August
2nd Convoy sailed from
Clyde
and joined Ocean Escort with Home Fleet ships..
9th Deployed with HM Destroyers ASHANTI, BRAMHAM, FURY, ICARUS,
INTREPID,
PATHFINDER, PENN, WESTCOTT, WRESTLER and VIDETTE
as screen for HM
Cruisers NIGERIA, KENYA, MANCHESTER and CAIRO as
Force X, the Close Escort
for WS21S throughout passage to Malta (Operation
PEDESTAL).
(For full details of this dramatic operation see
PEDESTAL by P Smith, THE BATTLE
FOR THE MEDITERRANEAN BY D MacIntyre, ENGAGE THE
ENEMY MORE
CLOSELY by C. Barnett and MALTA CONVOYS by R
Woodman.
13th Rescued survivors from mv WAIMARAMA. Assisted damaged OHIO to enter
harbour.
15th In Malta
19th Took passage to
Gibraltar.
23rd Passage from Gibraltar to resume Home Fleet service.
September
Under repair in Grimsby.
October
On completion rejoined Home Fleet at Scapa Flow.
18th Escorted ships 1st Minelaying Squadron during lay of section of
Northern Mine
Barrage (Operation SN3E).
November
Passage to join Returning Russian Convoy QP15 with HM Destroyer MIDDLETON.
22nd
Joined Ocean Escort for QP15.
30th Detached from QP15 and resumed Home Fleet duties.
December
15th Deployed as Western Local Escort for Russian Convoy JW51B with HM
Destroyers
BLANKNEY and CHIDDINGFOLD.
18th Detached from escort when 66th Northern Parallel was reached and
resumed Home
Fleet duties.
22nd
Repeated duty as Western Local Escort for Convoy JW51B with same ships.
25th Detached from JW51B.
1 9 4 3
January
9th Joined returning Russian Convoy RA51 with HMS BLANKNEY as Western
Local Escort.
10th Detached from RA51.
13th Carried out joint exercise with HM Destroyers WALPOLE and EASTON at
Scapa Flow.
17th Repeated Western Local Escort for outward Russian Convoy JW52 with
HM Destroyers
BLANKNEY and MIDDLETON.
21st Detached from JW52.
February
Deployed with Hone Fleet as escort for UK-Iceland convoys.
March
9th Joined return convoy RA53 with HM Destroyers VIVACIOUS, MEYNELL and
PYTCHLEY
as Western Local Escort.
10th Detached from RA53-
Nominated for service in Mediterranean and taken
in hand for refit at Sheerness.
April Under refit and prepared for foreign service.
May
25th Passage to Gibraltar to join Destroyer Division 57 on completion of
trials.
June Nominated for support of planned allied landings in
Sicily
(Operation HUSKY)
21st Joined joint outward Convoy WS31/KMF17 as part of Ocean Escort
during passage in
Atlantic with HM Cruiser UGANDA and Home Fleet
destroyers.
26th Remained with Convoy KMS17 when WS31 detached for passage to
Freetown.
July Transferred to Destroyer Division 58 in
continuation of escort duties.
5th Sailed as escort for military convoy KMS8 from Gibraltar as part of
Escort Group S.
9th Arrived at Bark West beachhead with Convoy SBF1.
10th Joined Support Force East for escort, gunfire support and patrol
during landings
of XXX Corps SW of Syracuse (Operation HUSKY).
(For details of HUSKY operation see ENGAGE THE
ENEMY MORE CLOSELY and the
Naval Staff History).
August On
release from HUSKY continued escort duty in Mediterranean.
Nominated for support of allied landings at
Salerno.
September
Transferred to Destroyer Division 59.
Joined Northern Attack Force (TF85) for Salerno
landings (Operation AVALANCHE)
8th Sailed from Palermo as part of escort for Assault Convoy TSF1X.
9th Arrived at beachhead and deployed for naval gunfire support during
landings.
On release deployed on patrol and convoy escort
during landing operations.
(For details of AVALANCHE operation see above
references).
October
Patrol and escort duty in Central Mediterranean and Adriatic.
to See THE LAST DESTROYER by FA Mason for details of
this type of deployment.
December
1 9 4 4
January
Deployed in Adriatic for convoy defence, patrol and support of operations by the
partisan forces.
15th Bombarded
Durrazzo,
Albania with HM Destroyer BLACKMORE.
February
Adriatic support and Mediterranean convoy defence duties in continuation.
to
September
October
Transferred to British Aegean Force for support of military during re-occupation
of islands and Greek mainland. Part of escort
for convoys to Piraeus for landings.
(Operation MANNA)
(Note: Further information is available in
Military Staff History.)
November
Support of military operations and convoy defence in continuation.
to
December
1 9 4 5
January
Mediterranean and Adriatic convoy defence and support duties in continuation.
to
April
May
Passage to UK.
Nominated for refit at Gibraltar prior to
further service.
June Passage to Gibraltar.
July Under refit by HM Dockyard, Gibraltar.
to
August
Special Note
Donald
Kindell, Ohio USA provided details of WS series military convoys from an
unpublished Source. This is
gratefully acknowledged.
P o s t
W a r N o t e s
HMS
LEDBURY returned to UK in January 1946 on completion of refit and Paid-off
before being reduced
to Reserve status at Portsmouth during March. The ship remained in Reserve at
Portsmouth until
1958 when placed on the Disposal List. She was sold to BISCO for breaking up by
Shipbreaking Industries
at Charlestown, near Rosyth and arrived in tow at the breaker’s yard in May
that year.
Addendum
CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS
of HMS LEDBURY
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
|
|
|
|
|
|
01/03/42
|
10/03/42
|
PQ 012
|
10/03/42
|
12/03/42
|
10/03/42
|
22/03/42
|
PQ 013
|
24/03/42
|
31/03/42
|
21/03/42
|
22/03/42
|
QP 009
|
28/03/42
|
03/04/42
|
26/03/42
|
12/04/42
|
PQ 014
|
18/04/42
|
19/04/42
|
10/04/42
|
12/04/42
|
QP 010
|
18/04/42
|
21/04/42
|
10/04/42
|
26/04/42
|
PQ 015
|
27/05/42
|
05/05/42
|
21/05/42
|
23/05/42
|
PQ 016
|
30/05/42
|
30/05/42
|
27/06/42
|
30/06/42
|
PQ 017
|
04/07/42
|
04/07/42
|
17/11/42
|
22/11/42
|
QP 015
|
30/11/42
|
30/11/42
|
15/12/42
|
15/12/42
|
JW 051A
|
18/12/42
|
25/12/42
|
22/12/42
|
22/12/42
|
JW 051B
|
30/12/42
|
04/01/43
|
30/12/42
|
06/01/43
|
RA 051
|
10/01/43
|
11/01/43
|
17/01/43
|
17/01/43
|
JW 052
|
21/01/43
|
27/01/43
|
01/03/43
|
09/03/43
|
RA 053
|
10/03/43
|
14/03/43
|
18/06/43
|
26/06/43
|
KMF 017
|
27/06/43
|
27/06/43
|
30/06/43
|
02/07/43
|
KMS 017
|
07/07/43
|
06/07/43
|
28/06/43
|
07/07/43
|
KMF 018
|
unknown
|
11/07/43
|
10/07/43
|
12/07/43
|
MKF 018
|
17/07/43
|
23/07/43
|
24/04/44
|
24/04/44
|
VN 035
|
25/04/44
|
25/04/44
|
02/05/44
|
02/05/44
|
VN 037
|
03/05/44
|
03/05/44
|
05/05/44
|
13/05/44
|
KMF 031
|
19/05/44
|
19/05/44
|
22/05/44
|
23/05/44
|
XIF 015
|
26/05/44
|
28/05/44
|
12/07/44
|
13/07/44
|
XIF 018
|
18/07/44
|
18/07/44
|
28/05/44
|
unknown
|
IXF 015
|
unknown
|
01/06/44
|
17/07/44
|
17/07/44
|
SNF 027
|
21/07/44
|
21/07/44
|
18/07/44
|
28/07/44
|
KMF 033
|
20/07/44
|
31/07/44
|
28/07/44
|
unknown
|
XIF 019
|
unknown
|
03/08/44
|
07/08/44
|
07/08/44
|
XIF 019A
|
12/08/44
|
12/08/44
|
11/08/44
|
11/08/44
|
IXF 019
|
15/08/44
|
15/08/44
|
19/08/44
|
19/08/44
|
XIF 020
|
23/08/44
|
23/08/44
|
24/08/44
|
unknown
|
IXF 020
|
unknown
|
28/08/44
|
03/09/44
|
03/09/44
|
MKF 034
|
07/09/44
|
14/09/44
|
08/09/44
|
08/09/44
|
TSF 001X
|
09/09/44
|
09/09/44
|
|
|
|
|
|
(Note on Convoys)
|