Type III
HUNT Class Escort Destroyer ordered from Yarrow's at Scotstoun,
Glasgow under the War Emergency Programme on
23rd August 1940. The ship was laid down en 23rd June 1941 as Job No
1869 and launched on 30th April 1942 as the first RN ship to carry the name,
that of a fox-hunt in North Wales. Build was completed on 4th September 1942 and the ship had been adopted by the civil
community of the Welsh county of Cardiganshire, now Dyfed, after a WARSHIP
WEEK National Savings campaign in March 1942.
B a t t
l e H o n o u r s
ATLANTIC 1943 -
ENGLISH
CHANNEL 1943 -
NORMANDY 1944
- BISCAY
1944
H e r a l d i
c D a t a
Badge: On a Field
per fess wavy White and Blue, an oak tree
eradicated proper
enfiled with a mural crown
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)
1 9 4 2
August Contractors
trials and commissioned for service in 15th Destroyer Flotilla.
September
4th 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 at Scapa Flow.
26th Sustained
structural damaged in collision with HM Minesweeper BRAMBLE in the NW
Approaches
(position 58.13N, 03.18E).
28th Taken in
hand for repair in Tyne shipyard.
October Under
repair.
28th On
completion of shipyard work took passage to Scapa Flow to resume work-up.
November Completed
work-up and took passage to Join Flotilla at Plymouth for
interception of enemy
coastal
traffic and convoy defence in
SW Approaches and English Channel.
December Deployed with
HM Sloop EGRET for interception of German tanker
(Operation TUNNEL Series - See HOLD THE NARROW SEA by P Smith).
12th
Intercepted German tanker GERMANIA which scuttled on approach.
1 9 4 3
January Channel
convoy defence and patrol deployment with Flotilla in continuation.
to
September
October
23rd Sustained
damage to forward structure in collision with ss NORMANV1LLE.
25th Taken in
hand for repair in HM Dockyard Devonport.
November Under repair.
1 9 4 4
January On
completion of post refit trials prior rejoined Flotilla for continuation of
convoy defence and
offensive patrol duties.
February In action
against enemy forces off Brittany with HM Escort Destroyers TALYBONT,
BRISSENDEN and
WENSLEYDALE.
Sustained slight damage in exchange of fire with a German torpedo boat.
March Flotilla
duties in continuation.
April
17th Deployed
with HM Escort Destroyer MELBREAK and Motor Torpedo Boats of Light Coastal
Forces in support of HM Cruiser
APOLLO during minelay in preparation for
Normandy assault
landings.
(Operation MAPLE - HOSTILE 23 - See Naval Staff History (Mining).)..
19th Deployed
with HM Destroyers MELBREAK, WENSLEYDALE, HAIDA (RCN) and ASHANTI
to
cover minelay by 10th Motor Launch Flotilla and the escorting MTB's off the French coast
(Operation MAPLE - HOSTILE 24).
25th Deployed
to provide cover further minelay by 10th Motor Launch Flotilla with HMS
WENSLEYDALE.
(Operation MAPLE - HOSTILE 25).
Under
fire from shore batteries without damage.
May Flotilla
convoy escort and support duties in continuation.
4th
Nominated with HM Destroyers TALYBONT and MELBREAK of Flotilla for duty with
Western
Task Force under
overall US Navy Command in Force O during planned allied
landings in Normandy
5th Took
part in preparatory exercises prior to assault operations.
(Operation NEPTUNE - For details of activities prior to and during landings see
LANDINGS IN
NORMANDY, June 1944 (HMSO), OPERATION NEPTUNE by K Edwards and for details of
involvement of all ships deployed D
DAY SHIPS by J de Winser.).
June Joined US
HQ Ship USS ANCON AND US destroyers at
Portland prior to passage with
Group
I of
Force O.
4th
Operation delayed for 24 hours.
5th Sailed
from Portland with Group I for passage through Swept Channel to Beach Head.
6th Arrived
off OMAHA beach and deployed for defence of anchorage and support of the
assault
phase
of NEPTUNE.
7th
Deployment for support in OMAHA Beaches area in continuation.
to
Deployed with HM Destroyers BRISSENDEN, WENSLEYDALE, BEAGLE, HM Sloop
16th
LONDONDERRY, HM Fighter Direction Tender 13, HM Frigate ROWLEY, Free French
Frigates
L'AVENTURE and L'ESCARMOUCHE for interception patrols in defence of cross
Channel
routes against attack by
E-Boats.
27th On
release from NEPTUNE resumed Flotilla duties.
July
Nominated for refit and took passage to Bristol
12th Taken in
hand for refit in commercial shipyard.
August Under refit.
22nd On
completion of post refit trials rejoined Flotilla at
Plymouth.
September Deployed for
patrol and convoy defence in Channel area.
to
Nominated for transfer to 21st Destroyer Flotilla at Sheerness.
November (Note: A
significant increase in attacks on convoys and minelaying in the Nore Command
had
made necessary a
reinforcement of destroyers for interception patrol and convoy defence.
December Deployed with
21st Flotilla in North Sea area.
16th Sustained
major structural damage forward after collision with HM Frigate BYRON.
Repair arranged in HM Dockyard Devonport.
1 9 4 5
January Under repair
at Devonport.
22nd On
completion of post refit trials rejoined Flotilla at Sheerness.
February Deployed with
Flotilla for interception patrols and convoy defence in Nore Command.
to
April
May Nominated
for service in Eastern Fleet after refit in Taranto.
June Passage
to Taranto and taken in hand for refit.
July Under
refit
to
August
P o s t W a r N o t e s
HMS TANATSIDE
did not complete refit and was kept under care and maintenance at Taranto. In
1946 she was transferred on
loan to the Royal Hellenic Navy to replace sister ship ADRIAS (Ex BORDER) which
had been transferred to
the Royal Hellenic Navy during WW2 and taken out of service in 1943 after losing her bow
structure. This destroyer served in the Royal Hellenic Navy as HHMS ADRIAS
(ii) until August 1962 when returned to the RN and placed on
the Disposal List. The ship was sold to BISCO for demolition. The ship arrived
at a breaker’s yard in Greece
during January 1964.
Addendum
CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS
of HMS
TANATSIDE
by Don Kindell
These convoy lists have not been cross-checked
with the text above
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|
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Date convoy sailed
|
Joined convoy as escort
|
Convoy No.
|
Left convoy
|
Date convoy arrived
|
|
|
|
|
|
27/11/42
|
27/11/42
|
KMF 004
|
06/12/42
|
06/12/42
|
10/12/42
|
10/12/42
|
MKF 004
|
18/12/42
|
18/12/42
|
03/01/43
|
03/01/43
|
KX 008
|
13/01/43
|
21/01/43
|
14/01/43
|
15/01/43
|
MKS 005X
|
17/01/43
|
25/01/43
|
09/02/43
|
09/02/43
|
WP 292
|
11/02/43
|
11/02/43
|
14/02/43
|
19/02/43
|
OS 043
|
21/02/43
|
04/03/43
|
01/03/43
|
01/03/43
|
WP 302
|
01/03/43
|
03/03/43
|
05/03/43
|
06/03/43
|
WP 304
|
07/03/43
|
07/03/43
|
11/03/43
|
11/03/43
|
WP 307
|
13/03/43
|
13/03/43
|
19/03/43
|
19/03/43
|
WP 311
|
21/03/43
|
21/03/43
|
23/03/43
|
23/03/43
|
WP 313
|
24/03/43
|
25/03/43
|
26/03/43
|
26/03/43
|
PW 314
|
28/03/43
|
28/03/43
|
25/02/43
|
27/03/43
|
WP 300
|
27/03/43
|
27/02/43
|
27/03/43
|
27/03/43
|
WP 315
|
29/03/43
|
29/03/43
|
30/03/43
|
30/03/43
|
PW 316
|
01/04/43
|
01/04/43
|
04/04/43
|
04/04/43
|
WP 319
|
06/04/43
|
06/04/43
|
07/04/43
|
07/04/43
|
PW 320
|
09/04/43
|
09/04/43
|
08/04/43
|
08/04/43
|
WP 321
|
10/04/43
|
10/04/43
|
07/05/43
|
08/05/43
|
PW 335
|
09/05/43
|
09/05/43
|
11/05/43
|
12/05/43
|
WP 337
|
13/05/43
|
13/05/43
|
15/05/43
|
15/05/43
|
PW 339
|
16/05/43
|
16/05/43
|
16/05/43
|
16/05/43
|
WP 340
|
18/05/43
|
18/05/43
|
20/05/43
|
20/05/43
|
WP 342
|
22/05/43
|
22/05/43
|
23/05/43
|
23/05/43
|
PW 343
|
25/05/43
|
25/05/43
|
29/05/43
|
30/05/43
|
PW 346
|
31/05/43
|
31/05/43
|
01/06/43
|
01/06/43
|
WP 348
|
02/06/43
|
03/06/43
|
03/06/43
|
03/06/43
|
WP 349
|
05/06/43
|
05/06/43
|
08/08/43
|
08/08/43
|
WP 382
|
09/08/43
|
10/08/43
|
03/09/43
|
03/09/43
|
WP 395
|
05/09/43
|
05/09/43
|
23/09/43
|
23/09/43
|
WP 405
|
25/09/43
|
25/09/43
|
15/10/43
|
15/10/43
|
WP 416
|
16/10/43
|
17/10/43
|
08/11/43
|
08/11/43
|
WP 428
|
10/11/43
|
10/11/43
|
12/11/43
|
12/11/43
|
WP 430
|
14/11/43
|
14/11/43
|
20/11/43
|
20/11/43
|
WP 434
|
21/11/43
|
22/11/43
|
08/12/43
|
08/12/43
|
WP 443
|
10/12/43
|
10/12/43
|
16/12/43
|
16/12/43
|
WP 447
|
18/12/43
|
18/12/43
|
07/01/44
|
07/01/44
|
WP 458
|
08/01/44
|
09/01/44
|
09/01/44
|
09/01/44
|
WP 459
|
10/01/44
|
11/01/44
|
15/01/44
|
15/01/44
|
WP 462
|
16/01/44
|
17/01/44
|
02/02/44
|
02/02/44
|
WP 471
|
05/02/44
|
05/02/44
|
08/02/44
|
08/02/44
|
WP 474
|
09/02/44
|
10/02/44
|
10/02/44
|
10/02/44
|
WP 475
|
12/02/44
|
12/02/44
|
14/02/44
|
15/02/44
|
WP 477
|
16/02/44
|
16/02/44
|
16/02/44
|
17/02/44
|
WP 478
|
18/02/44
|
18/02/44
|
28/02/44
|
28/02/44
|
WP 484
|
29/02/44
|
01/03/44
|
01/03/44
|
01/03/44
|
WP 485
|
02/03/44
|
03/03/44
|
07/03/44
|
07/03/44
|
WP 488
|
09/03/44
|
09/03/44
|
31/03/44
|
31/03/44
|
WP SP 26
|
02/04/44
|
02/04/44
|
06/04/44
|
06/04/44
|
WP 503
|
07/04/44
|
08/04/44
|
08/04/44
|
08/04/44
|
WP 504
|
09/04/44
|
10/04/44
|
29/10/44
|
29/10/44
|
ON 263
|
01/11/44
|
15/11/44
|
24/02/45
|
24/02/45
|
BTC 079
|
27/02/45
|
27/02/45
|
|
|
|
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(Note on Convoys)
|