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SERVICE HISTORIES of ROYAL NAVY WARSHIPS in WORLD WAR 2

by Lt Cdr Geoffrey B Mason RN (Rtd) (c) 2004

HMS ROCKWOOD (L 39) - Type III, Hunt-class Escort Destroyer including Convoy Escort Movements

Edited by Gordon Smith, Naval-History.Net

HMS Easton, Type III sister-ship (Navy Photos/Mark Teadham, click to enlarge)

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Type III HUNT Class Escort Destroyer ordered from Vickers-Armstrong,, Barrow under the 1940 War Programme on 23rd August 1940 with sister ship HMS PENYLAN. She was laid down as Job No. 3989 on 29th August 1941. The ship was launched on 13th June 1942 as the first RN ship to carry the name, that of a Yorkshire fox-hunt. Build was completed on 4th November 1942  and after her Acceptance Trials she was prepared for service with the 5th Destroyer Flotilla based at Alexandria. Following a successful WARSHIP WEEK National Savings campaign in January 1942 this ship was adopted by the civil community of Luton Rural District, Bedfordshire.

 

B a t t l e   H o n o u r s

 

SICILY 1943 - AEGEAN 1943 - ATLANTIC 1944* - ENGLISH CHANNEL 1944*

(* See Text.)

 

H e r a l d i c   D a t a

Badge: On a Field Blue, issuant from rock, Black,

a hurst of oaks, 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

 

October                  Contractors Trials and commissioning.

                                Nominated for service in 5th Destroyer Flotilla, Mediterranean Fleet.

 

November

                4th          Build completion and commenced Acceptance Trials.

                                On completion of trials and calibrations, prepared for foreign service

 

December              Nominated for escort of military convoy in Atlantic during passage from Clyde to Durban.

                                Passage to Clyde to join Convoy WS25 as Ocean Escort.

                18th        Sailed from Clyde as Ocean Escort for WS25 with HM Destroyer QUILLIAM and HM Armed

                                Merchant Cruisers CARNARVON CASTLE and CHESHIRE.

                                (Note: Local Escort during passage in NW Approaches was provided by HM Destroyers

                                BADSWORTH, HAYDON and WOLVERINE until 24th.)

                27th        HM Destroyer ILEX joined Ocean Escort.

                30th        Local escort for passage into Freetown provided by HM Corvette CROCUS and WOODRUFF.

                31st         Detached from WS25 with Escort on arrival at Freetown.

                                (Note: Detached from WS25 during passage to refuel in the Azores and the rejoined WS25.)

 

1 9 4 3

 

January

                3rd          Joined WS25 with HMS QUILLIAM, HMS CHESHIRE as Ocean Escort.

                4th          HM Armed Merchant Cruiser ALCANTARA joined Ocean Escort.

                9th          HMS ALCANTARA detached from Ocean Escort.

                16th        HM Destroyer EXPRESS joined Ocean Escort during passage in Indian Ocean.

                18th        Detached from WS25 on arrival and Durban and took independent passage to Red Sea.

                                Nominated for convoy escort duties in Eastern Mediterranean

 

February                Eastern Mediterranean deployment with Flotilla in continuation.

to April                  (Note: During this period the 8th Army was advancing into Cyrenaica and

                                support convoys were providing assistance to the military campaign.

 

May                        Took part in the interception of craft evacuating enemy personnel from North Africa.

                                For details see ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY by C Barnett and

                                Naval Staff History (Operation RETRIBUTION.)

 

June                        Deployed in central Mediterranean for convoy defence and patrol with ships of Flotilla.

                                (Note: No record of participation in attack on Pantellaria can be traced,

                                (Operation CORKSCREW.)

                                Nominated with ships of Flotilla for escort duties during planned allied landings in Sicily.

                                (Operation HUSKY)

 

July                         Prepared for escort of assault convoys

                                (Note: Convoys were assembled in Algeria and at Alexandria as well as other ports in

                                the Mediterranean and escorted to the assault beaches.

                                See Naval Staff History.

                10th        Part of escort for HUSKY assault convoy.

                                Present at landings and then deployed for escort of follow-up convoys.

 

August                  Released from HUSKY and took passage to Alexandria to resume Flotilla duties in

                                Eastern Mediterranean.

                                Convoy defence and patrol duties in continuation.

                                (Note: In this period convoys were being passed through the Mediterranean and ships

                                based at Alexandria were deployed for escort to central Mediterranean.

 

September             Deployed with Flotilla for defence and support of military shore operations in

                                Aegean following the surrender of Italian garrison. Escorted cruisers based at

                                Alexandria and carried troops and stores.

                                (For details see WAR IN THE AEGEAN by P Smith and E Walker. and Naval Staff History.

 

October                  Detached for patrol based at Limassol, Cyprus, to intercept craft taking German troops to

                                replace Italian garrisons in Aegean Islands.

                3rd          Deployed for interception patrol based in Cyprus.

                6th          Carried out patrol with Greek destroyer MIAOULIS (Ex sister ship HMS MODBURY)

                8th          Deployed for daytime offensive sweep with MIAOULIS covered by US Army aircraft.

                                (Operation CREDENTIAL)

                9th          Escorted HM Cruiser CARLISLE with HM Destroyer PANTHER during interception operation.

                                Under sustained air attacks in Scarpanto Strait during which HMS PANTHER

                                was sunk and HMS CARLISLE badly damaged.

                                Took HMS CARLISLE in tow for return passage to Alexandria.

                20th        Deployed for support of military operations.

                27th        Under air attacks SE of Casteloriso during passage to Cos.

 

November              Aegean support in continuation.

                9th          Carried out search for invasion craft.

                11th        Bombarded Kalymos harbour with HM Destroyer PETARD and Polish destroyer ORP

                                KRAKOWIAK.

                                On completion during return passage came under air attack by He213 Glider bombs

                                launched from aircraft in position 36.23N 25.62E.

                                Hit aft by one of the weapons which failed to exploding but caused extensive damage.

                                Steering gear failed and main engines used to steer ship until flooding

                                of gearing room prevented further use of propulsion machinery.

                                Taken in tow by HMS PETARD to Turkish coastal waters for temporary repair.

                15th        Taken in tow by HM Destroyer BLENCATHRA on completion.

                                Passage to Alexandria lasting five days.

 

December

                1st           Under repair at Alexandria to enable passage to UK for survey and to enable a

                                decision on future action.

                                Awaiting tow at Alexandria.

 

1 9 4 4

 

January                  At Alexandria.

 

February

                10th        Passage to UK as part of return military convoy MKS40 from Mediterranean.

 

 March

                                Arrived in UK with KMS40

                                (Note: The award for two Battle Honours dated 1944, for service in the Atlantic

                                and English Channel has not been researched but is recorded in three

                                standard references. This suggests an engagement with submarines,

                                surface ships or aircraft during passage with MKS40 which was under

                                U-Boat attack on 1st March and /or later during passage in

                                in English Channel.)

 

April                       Awaiting survey and decision on future deployment

 

May                        Paid-off and reduced to Reserve status.

 

June                        Passage to Hartlepool for lay-up.

                7th           Laid-up in Category B (to be refitted before service.)

 

July                          Laid-up at Hartlepool.

to August

 

August                     (not included)

to December

 

1 9 4 5

  

                                  (not included)

 

P o s t   W a r   N o t e s

 

HMS ROCKWOOD was placed on the Disposal List in 1946 and sold to BISCO for demolition. The ship was taken in tow to Gateshead for breaking-up by J J King in August 1946.

 


 

Addendum

 

CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of  HMS ROCKWOOD

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

 

 

 

 

 

01/03/43

01/03/43

MW 022

06/03/43

06/03/43

14/04/43

14/04/43

ME 023

unknown

20/04/43

29/04/43

29/04/43

MW 027

unknown

04/05/43

31/05/43

08/06/43

KMS 015

14/06/43

14/06/43

05/07/43

05/07/43

MWF 036

10/07/43

10/07/43

10/08/43

10/08/43

GUS 012

20/08/43

06/09/43

06/08/43

23/08/43

UGS 014

30/08/43

02/09/43

30/08/43

05/09/43

KMS 024

10/09/43

10/09/43

17/09/43

18/09/43

MKF 024

23/09/43

07/10/43

15/09/43

25/09/43

KMF 024

29/09/43

29/09/43

09/02/44

10/02/44

MKS 040

21/02/44

21/02/44

21/02/44

21/02/44

MKS 040G

22/02/44

22/02/44

22/02/44

22/02/44

SL 149MK

02/03/44

07/03/44

04/04/44

04/04/44

CE 257

05/04/44

05/04/44

 

 

 

 

 

(Note on Convoys)

 

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revised 13/8/11
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