1 9 4 1
June
Carried out
builder's trials. Polish personnel joined ship
17th - Carried
out Acceptance Trials. Accepted into service with Polish
naval personnel. Transferred to Polish Navy and renamed ORP KUJAWIAK
18th - Under
attack by German aircraft whilst on passage from Tyne to Scapa Flow to work-up for
operational service with ships of Home Fleet (Note: Fire
from aircraft hit 4in Ready-Use ammunition which exploded causing one fatal
casualty.)
19th
- At Dundee for repair and to land casualty. Sailed for
Scapa Flow from Dundee.
20th - Arrived
at Scapa Flow. When ready for work-up, carried out work-up exercises
with ships of Home Fleet
July
11th - Deployed
with HM Destroyer LIGHTING and Polish sister ship ORP KRAKOWIAK
12th
- Detached from HMS NELSON with escort and returned to Scapa Flow.
13th - Resumed
working-up at Scapa Flow.
23rd - Sailed
for Plymouth from Scapa Flow on completion of work-up
25th - Joined
15th Destroyer Flotilla based at Plymouth for local convoy escort and Flotilla
duties.
August to September
Deployed at
Plymouth for Flotilla duties in continuation. (Note:
Including Local Escort in SW Approaches and support for local operations in
English Channel.)
October
23rd - Deployed
with Polish destroyer ORP KRAKOWIAK for escort of inward Convoy SL89 during
final stage of passage in Irish Sea from Freetown into Liverpool.
25th - Detached
from SL89 with escort on arrival and took passage to Plymouth
November
24th - Deployed
with HM Destroyer BEVERLEY as escort for HM Battleship RESOLUTION during passage
from Plymouth to Scapa Flow to join Home Fleet.
27th - Detached
on arrival at Scapa Flow and took passage to Plymouth.
December
Nominated for
loan service with Home Fleet for planned amphibious operation.
15th - Passage
from Plymouth to Scapa Flow
16th - Called
at Greenock on passage and escorted HM Landing Ships, Infantry PRINCESS CHARLOTTE
and PRINS ALBERT during passage from Clyde to Scapa Flow.
17th - Arrived
at Scapa Flow for Operation ANKLET with HM LSI PRINS ALBERT. (Note:
HM LS PRINCESS CHARLOTTE returned to Greenock on 16th with defects). Took
part in preparatory exercises for ANKLET.
22nd
- Sailed from Scapa Flow as part of Force J to carry out landings on Lofoten
Islands. Other ships in Force J included: HM
Cruiser ARETHUSA, HM Fleet Destroyers SOMALI, ASHANTI, BEDOUIN, Polish
escort destroyer ORP KRAKOWIAK, HM Escort Destroyers WHEATLAND, LAMERTON,
HM Norwegian corvettes ACANTHUS and EGLANTINE, HM Fleet
Minesweepers SPEEDWELL, HARRIER, and HALCYON, HM Survey Ship SCOTT, RFA
BLACK RANGER, RFA GREY RANGER, HM LSI PRINS ALBERT,
PRINCESS CHARLOTTE, auxiliary ship GUDRUN MAERSK, and HM Tug
JAUNTY departed Scapa Flow. HMS SCOTT was deployed as a
Navigational Ship and HM Submarine SEALION had been
stationed in landing area as a Marker. (For full
details see THE WATERY MAZE by B Fergusson and Naval Staff History.)
26th - Carried
out search of Vestfjord during which two Norwegian trawlers were captured and the
German auxiliary warship GEIER (V5904) was boarded by a party from HMS ASHANTI. Although
damaged, tow of this vessel was attempted but later abandoned when air attacks began. (Note:
The primary objective of ANKLET was to obtain information about the ENIGMA coding
machine. One was taken from GEIER with the associated wheels and documentation
was taken from GEIER for delivery to Bletchley Park. For details see
ENIGMA by H Sebag-Montefiore.)
27th - Operation
abandoned because of lack of air cover at Kirkfjord, Lofotens. Sustained
slight damage from near miss during air attacks
28th
- Passage to Scapa Flow with ships of Force J.
1 9 4 2
January
4th - Deployed
with ORP KRAKOWIAK as escort for HM LSI PRINCESS CHARLOTTE and PRINS
ALBERT during passage from Scapa Flow to Clyde.
5th - Detached
on arrival with ORP KRAKOWIAK and both ships took passage to Plymouth.
8th
- Resumed Flotilla duties at Plymouth.
February to May
Deployed for
Flotilla duties at Plymouth,
June
Nominated for
loan service with Home Fleet for escort of planned Malta Relief convoy (Operation
HARPOON).
6th
- Joined military Convoy WS19S in NW Approaches as part of Ocean Escort for
passage to Gibraltar. (Note: Home
Fleet ships deployed with WS19S included HM Cruisers LIVERPOOL, KENYA, HM
Destroyers ONSLOW, ICARUS, BEDOUIN and Polish destroyer ORP KUJAWIAK).
12th - Joined
HM Cruiser CAIRO, HM Destroyers BEDOUIN, MARNE, MATCHLESS, PARTRIDGE, ITHURIEL,
BLANKNEY, MIDDLETON and ORP KUJAWIAK, HM Minesweepers HEBE, SPEEDY,
HYTHE and RYE as Force X at Gibraltar for escort of convoy for passage to Malta through
Sicilian Narrows.
14th - Under
heavy and sustained air attacks during which HMS LIVERPOOL was damaged and had
to return to Gibraltar.
15th
- Under sustained air attacks and in action with Italian warships attempting to
intercept and attack the convoy. (For details
see THE BATTLE FOR THE MEDITERRANEAN by D MacIntyre, ENGAGE THE ENEMY
MORE CLOSELY and MALTA CONVOYS by R Woodman.)
16th - Sustained
major structural damage forward after detonating a mine whilst entering Grand Harbour,
Malta with the two mercantiles which survived passage of HARPOON.
Ship
sank before successful tow could be achieved.
S p e c i a l N o t e
The name OAKLEY was reintroduced when it
was given to another HUNT Class destroyer
intended to be named TICKHAM on launch in 1942.
Addendum
CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS
of ORP
KUJAWIAK
by Don Kindell
These convoy lists have not been cross-checked
with the text above
|
|
|
|
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Date convoy sailed
|
Joined convoy as escort
|
Convoy No.
|
Left convoy
|
Date convoy arrived
|
|
|
|
|
|
05/10/41
|
23/10/41
|
SL 089
|
24/10/41
|
26/10/41
|
26/03/42
|
26/03/42
|
WP 132
|
28/03/42
|
28/03/42
|
26/05/42
|
26/05/42
|
PW 161
|
28/05/42
|
28/05/42
|
29/05/42
|
29/05/42
|
WP 163
|
31/05/42
|
31/05/42
|
31/05/42
|
31/05/42
|
PW 164
|
02/06/42
|
02/06/42
|
12/06/42
|
12/06/42
|
HARPOON
|
16/06/42
|
16/06/42
|
|
|
|
|
|
(Note on Convoys)