Type II HUNT Class Escort Destroyer built by Yarrow in
Glasgow as Job No J1849 under 1939 War Emergency Programme and ordered on 4th September 1939. The
ship was laid down on 30th May 1940 and launched on 7th June 1941. She was the first RN ship
to carry the name which is that of a Foxhunt in Shropshire. The completion date was 3rd November 1941 and
following a successful WARSHIP WEEK National Savings campaign in March 1942 she was adopted by
the civil community of Uttoxeter.
B a t t l e H o n o u r s
ARCTIC 1942
- NORTH AFRICA 1942-43 - MEDITERRANEAN 1943
- SICILY
1943 - SALERNO 1943 - ADRIATIC 1944
H e r a l d i c
D a t a
Badge: On a field Red. three ears of wheat one erect
and two in
saltire interlaced with a horseshoe inverted 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 1
October Acceptance trials and
commissioned for service.
November
4th Took passage for
work-up at Scapa Flow.
On completion
deployed with Home Fleet.
December Nominated for support of
planned landing in Lofoten Islands by Commando units.
(Operation ANKLET)
Took part in preparatory exercises for ANKLET.
(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)
24th Sailed from Scapa Flow with HM Cruiser ARETHUSA, HM
Destroyers ASHANTI, BEDOUIN,
ESKIMO, SOMALI, LAMERTON, Polish destroyers ORP
KUJAWIAK and KRAKOWIAK.
HM Corvettes ACANTHUS and EGLANTINE, HM Fleet
Minesweepers HARRIER,
HALCYON, SPEEDWELL and SCOTT, HM Landing Ships
(Infantry) PRINSES
JOSEPHINE CHARLOTTE and PRINCE ALBERT to carry
out landing on Lofotens.
(Note: HMS SCOTT was deployed as a Navigational
Ship and HM Submarine SEALION
had been stationed in landing area as a Marker.)
25th After period sheltering at Sullom Voe took passage
to Lofotens
26th Detached from other ships to escort PRINSES
JOSEPHINE CHARLOTTE back to Scapa Flow.
(Note: Defects on board the Landing Ship had
made it impossible for her to take part in
ANKLET.)
(For details see
THE WATERY MAZE by B Fergusson, CAMERA IN
CONVOY by I Saul
and The Naval Staff History).
1 9 4 2
January Released from Home Fleet
and took passage to joined 1st Destroyer Flotilla at Portsmouth for
convoy defence
and patrol English Channel.
February Convoy defence based at
Portsmouth in continuation.
March Detached for duty with
Home Fleet in support of planned Russian convoy cover operation.
Passage to Scapa
Flow.
(Note: Because
of the known presence in Northern waters of the German battleship TIRPITZ,
armoured ship
ADMIRAL SCHEER and cruiser ADMIRAL HIPPER it was essential
to have adequate
Home Fleet deployment including destroyers for screening of major
warships.
20th Deployed with Home
Fleet ships covering the passage of Russian Convoy PQ13 and
returning Convoy
QP9.
(Note: Other
Home Fleet ships involved were HM Battleships KING GEORGE V and DUKE
OF YORK, HM
Battlecruiser RENOWN, HM Aircraft Carrier VICTORIOUS, HM
Cruisers
EDINBURGH and KENT screened by HM Destroyers ASHANTI, BEDOUIN,
ECHO, ESCAPADE. ESKIMO, FAULKNOR, FORESIGHT, ICARUS, INGLEFIELD.
MARNE, ONSLOW,
PUNJABI and TARTAR. HM Escort Destroyers LEDBURY and
MIDDLETON. For
full details of passage and names of mercantiles involved in Russian
Convoy operations
see THE RUSSIAN CONVOYS by B. Schoefield, CONVOYS TO
RUSSIA by RA
Ruegg, CONVOY! by P Kemp and RUSSIAN CONVOYS by R
Woodman).
April Home Fleet detachment
in continuation.
9th Part of Home Fleet
covering force for passage of Russian Convoy PQ14 and returning
Convoy QP10.
(Note: Major
Home Fleet ships involved were as for PQ13 and QP9 cover and Fleet destroyers
in screen were
BEDOUIN, ESCAPADE, ESKIMO, FAULKNOR, MATCHLESS,
OFFA, ONSLOW and
SOMALI with HM Escort Destroyers BELVOIR, LEDBURY and
MIDDLETON.
Deployed in
Iceland area on release from Home Fleet screen.
May
3rd Part of escort for
damaged battleship HMS KING GEORGE V for her passage from
Iceland to UK
after the collision with HM Destroyer PUNJABI during cover for Russian
Convoy PQ15.
20th Escorted HM
Battleship DUKE OF YORK to Iceland from Scapa Flow to join Home Fleet
in place of HMS
KING GEORGE V to provide Distant Cover for Russian Convoy PQ16.
and returning
QP12
23rd Part of Home Fleet
covering force for PQ16 and return Convoy QP12.
(Note: Unusually
the Home Fleet Distant Cover included US Battleship USS WASHINGTON,
US cruiser
WICHITA, screened by US destroyers MAYRANT, RHIND, ROWAN and
WAINWRIGHT. Home
Fleet major warships involved were HMS DUKE OF YORK,
HMS VICTORIOUS,
HM Cruiser LONDON screened by HM Destroyers ECLIPSE,
FAULKNOR, FURY,
ICARUS, INTREPID and HM Escort Destroyers BLANKNEY,
LAMERTON and
MIDDLETON.
29th Returned to Scapa
Flow with Home Fleet ships.
June Detached service with
Home Fleet in continuation.
Nominated for
further screening of major warships of Home Fleet deployed to provide Distant
Cover for outward
Russian Convoy PQ17 and returning QP13.
Sailed from Scapa
Flow with Home Fleet Distant Cover ships.
July Deployed with screen
for major Home Fleet warships which included US Navy warships
on detached
service to ensure adequate strength available in the event of an attack by
German
TIRPITZ, ADMIRAL
SHEER, LUTZOW (Ex DEUTSCHLAND) and ADMIRAL HIPPER
known to be
available in northern waters specifically for an attack on allied ships to and
from
Kola Inlet.
(Note: HM
Cruisers LONDON and NORFOLK, US cruisers WICHITA and
TUSCALOOSA
were deployed to
provide Close Cover for PQ17 and screened by US destroyers USS
WAINWRIGHT and
ROWAN. The Distant Cover Force comprised HMS DUKE OF
YORK, USS WASHINGTON, HMS VICTORIOUS and HM Cruisers
CUMBERLAND
and NIGERIA
screened by HM Destroyers ASHANTI, ESCAPADE, FAULKNOR,
MARNE, MARTIN,
ONSLAUGHT and ONSLOW with HM Escort Destroyers
BLANKNEY,
MIDDLETON and WHEATLAND.)
4th As the order to
scatter PQ17 was given direct from Admiralty the Distant Cover Force remained
west of Bear
Island to avoid the air threat as previously decided.
(Note: The
background to the ill conceived and disastrous is well documented and is
fully described
in ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY by Corelli Barnett and
THE CONVOY IS TO
SCATTER by J Broome,)
6th Returned to Scapa
Flow.
(Note: QP13
arrived at Reykjavik on 7th after a most tragic journey although not subject to
attacks and aided
by thick weather and the attention being given to PQ17.)
Released from
detached service with Home Fleet and took passage from Scapa Flow for
repair and refit
in Humber commercial shipyard.
22nd Under repair at Hull
shipyard.
August
22nd On completion of post
refit trials rejoined Home Fleet for further detached service.
Nominated for
escort of HM Escort Aircraft Carrier AVENGER with HMS WILTON.
September (Note: The deployment of
an aircraft carrier to provide air cover for a Russian Convoy
for the first
time was one of the many lesson learnt from the appalling defence of
PQ17. Coupled
with the additional provision of a fighting escort the convoy
had two Auxiliary
AA cruisers as well as a strong Close Escort.)
5th Escorted HM Escort
Carrier AVENGER with HM Escort Destroyer
WILTON for passage
to join Russian
Convoy PQ18.
9th Joined PQ18 and
remained until detached for escort of return Convoy QP14.
(Note: Distant
cover was provided by Home Fleet major warship including two RN battleships,
and two cruisers
with a screen of four destroyers.)
The Fighting
Escort comprised HM Cruiser SCYLLA with 16 Fleet destroyer. No
Escort Destroyers
were deployed with this unit.)
17th Detached from PQ18
and took passage to join Convoy QP14 with HM Cruiser SCYLLA, HMS
AVENGER and the
Fighting Escort from Convoy PQ18 later that day.
20th Detached from QP14 as
escort for HM Cruiser SCYLLA and HM Escort Aircraft
Carrier AVENGER
with HM Escort Destroyers WHEATLAND and WILTON
because of
increasing threat of submarine attack
(Note: Flag
transferred to HM Destroyer MILNE.)
October Convoy defence and
patrol in continuation.)
Nominated for
duty in support of allied landings in North Africa (Operation TORCH)
November Deployed with escort for HM
HQ Ship BULOLO from UK to Gibraltar.
Joined 57th
Destroyer Division with HM Escort Destroyers LAMERTON and WILTON.
(Note: This was
a local designation for Hunt Class Destroyers serving in the Mediterranean
and made up of
the other sister destroyers BICESTER and ZETLAND with
BRAMHAM under
repair,)
8th Part of Eastern
Naval Task Force for support of landings at Algiers with HMS BULOLO,
HM Escort
Carrier AVENGER, HM Cruisers SHEFFIELD, SCYLLA and CHARYBDIS.
(Operation TORCH
- See Naval Staff History, RELUCTANT ENEMIES by W Tute and
ENGAGE THE ENEMY
MORE CLOSELY by Corelli Barnett).
12th Landed troops at Bone
with HMS LAMERTON.
14th Deployed as Inshore
Escort for Fast B Convoys.
December Deployed with Division for
continuation.
1 9 4 3
January Convoy defence and
patrol in continuation in western Mediterranean.
February
17th Sank Italian
submarine ASTERIA NW off Bougie with HMS EASTON.
23rd Sank U443 off Algiers
with HM Destroyers LAMERTON and BICESTER during escort
of Convoy KMF10A.
(For details see
U-BOATS DESTROYED by P Kemp.)
March Deployment with 57th
Division in continuation.
to
April
May Part of escort for
Convoy KMF14/UGS8
Took part in
operations to intercept craft evacuating troops from Tunisia when
enemy resistance
collapsed (Operation RETRIBUTION).
On completion
deployed in central Mediterranean including cover for minesweeping
operations prior
to assault landings on Pantellaria as a prelude for bombardment of the
island and the
subsequent landings (Operation CORKSCREW)
(Note: This ship
was not fitted for minesweeping.)
June Nominated for support
of attack on Pantellaria.
11th Present at occupation
of Pantellaria (Operation CORKSCREW).
Resumed escort
duties in central Mediterranean
July Joined Support Force
East for Sicily landings (Operation
HUSKY).
(For details see
ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY and Naval Staff History).
Allocated with HM
Escort Destroyer WILTON for service in Escort
Group U.
7th Sailed from Algiers
as part of escort of military convoy KMS18.
8th Detached at Sousse
and joined escort for Assault Convoy SBF1.
10th Detached from SBF1 at
BARK South beach head and deployed on patrol to protect
shipping off and
for convoy defence.
31st Carried out
bombardment of Taormina, Sicily in support of military
operations.
August Support and patrol duties
in continuation
16th Provided cover for
landings by Royal Marines at Cape Scarletta, Sicily
September Escorted military convoys
for Salerno landings (Operation AVALANCHE).
(For details see
above references).
October Deployed on escort of
convoys between Naples and Augusta.
November Convoy defence in central
Mediterranean in continuation.
to
December
1 9 4 4
January Convoy defence in
Mediterranean in continuation.
to
May
June Transferred to 22nd
Destroyer Flotilla based in Malta
Joined HM Escort
Destroyers EXMOOR, CATTERICK, LEDBURY. LIDDESDALE,
TETCOTT and
CHIDDINGFOLD.
July Nominated for escort
of Carrier Task Force during landings in South of France.
(Operation
DRAGOON - See Naval Staff History SOUTH FRANCE and ENGAGE
THE ENEMY MORE
CLOSELY).
August Nominated for escort of
TG88.1
(Note: TG88.1
comprised HM Escort Carriers KHEDIVE, EMPEROR, SEARCHER,
PURSUER and
ATTACKER, H M Cruisers ROYALIST and DELHI with H M
Destroyers
TROUBRIDGE, TUSCAN, TYRIAN, TEAZER, TUMULT and Greek
destroyer
NAVARINO.
10th Sailed from Algiers
to relieve HMS TUMULT
15th Deployed off the
assault area with TG88.1.
19th Withdrew with TG88.1
to refuel and rest air crews at Maddalena.
21st Resumed escort
duties when TG881 carried out air operations off assault area.
24th Withdrew to Maddalena.
27th TG88.1 released from
DRAGOON.
Resumed duties
with Flotilla in Malta
September Deployed in Adriatic for
convoy defence and support operation for resistance groups.
to (For details of
Adriatic operations see THE LAST DESTROYER by F Mason).
October
November
1st Sank German Torpedo
Boat TA20 and Corvettes UJ202 and UJ208 south of Lussino.
Three officers
and 68 ratings captured.
15th Bombarded shore
targets at Bar, Yugoslavia
28th Deployed with sister
destroyer ALDENHAM to support landings at Peg,
Yugoslavia
(Operation
EXTERMINATE)
December Adriatic deployment in continuation.
1 9 4 5
January Support of Adriatic
military operations and patrol deployment in continuation.
to
February
March Taken in hand for refit
in Taranto.
April Under refit.
to Nominated for
service in Eastern Fleet.
June
July
20th On completion of post
refit trials returned to UK
August Prepared for foreign
service at Devonport.
P o s t W a r
N o t e s
HMS WHEATLAND was withdrawn from
operational service after the end of hostilities with Japan. The ship reduced to Reserve status at
Devonport where she remained until transferred to Penarth for a brief period in
1953. Later that year, in September
this destroyer was towed to Gibraltar and joined the Reserve Fleet. After being placed on the Disposal List she
returned to UK and was used as part of a breakwater at Harwich. In September 1957 she was sold to BISCO for
breaking-up at Bo'ness by McClellan and arrived in tow at the Breakers yard on 20th of that month.
Addendum
CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS
of HMS
WHEATLAND
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
|
|
|
|
|
|
10/03/42
|
22/03/42
|
PQ 013
|
23/03/42
|
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
|
13/04/42
|
19/04/42
|
10/04/42
|
12/04/42
|
QP 010
|
13/04/42
|
21/04/42
|
21/05/42
|
23/05/42
|
PQ 016
|
29/05/42
|
30/05/42
|
21/05/42
|
23/05/42
|
QP 012
|
29/05/42
|
29/05/42
|
27/06/42
|
29/06/42
|
PQ 017
|
04/07/42
|
04/07/42
|
26/06/42
|
29/06/42
|
QP 013
|
04/07/42
|
07/07/42
|
02/09/42
|
09/09/42
|
PQ 018
|
17/09/42
|
21/09/42
|
13/09/42
|
17/09/42
|
QP 014
|
20/09/42
|
26/09/42
|
26/10/42
|
06/11/42
|
KMF 001
|
08/11/42
|
08/11/42
|
27/11/42
|
06/12/42
|
KMF 004
|
07/12/42
|
07/12/42
|
11/12/42
|
11/12/42
|
MKF 004Y
|
12/12/42
|
24/12/42
|
20/12/42
|
21/12/42
|
KMF 005A
|
22/12/42
|
22/12/42
|
11/01/43
|
14/01/43
|
TE 013
|
15/01/43
|
15/01/43
|
19/01/43
|
19/01/43
|
MKS 006
|
20/01/43
|
01/02/43
|
25/01/43
|
27/01/43
|
ET 010
|
27/01/43
|
29/01/43
|
06/03/43
|
06/03/43
|
MKF 010A
|
08/03/43
|
14/03/42
|
16/03/43
|
16/03/43
|
TE 019
|
20/03/43
|
20/03/43
|
23/03/43
|
23/03/43
|
MKS 010
|
25/03/43
|
05/04/43
|
25/03/43
|
26/03/43
|
MKF 011
|
26/03/43
|
05/04/43
|
07/04/43
|
07/04/43
|
TE 020B
|
08/04/43
|
08/04/43
|
10/04/43
|
10/04/43
|
MKS 011
|
14/04/43
|
16/04/43
|
22/04/43
|
22/04/43
|
MKS 012
|
26/04/43
|
04/05/43
|
09/05/43
|
09/05/43
|
ET 020
|
14/05/43
|
14/05/43
|
28/04/43
|
18/05/43
|
UGS 008
|
19/05/43
|
21/05/43
|
17/05/43
|
18/05/43
|
KMS 014
|
19/05/43
|
21/05/43
|
24/05/43
|
27/05/43
|
GTX 001
|
30/05/43
|
04/06/43
|
21/06/43
|
25/06/43
|
GTX 003
|
unknown
|
04/07/43
|
29/06/43
|
29/06/43
|
MKS 016A
|
06/07/43
|
09/07/43
|
14/12/43
|
14/12/43
|
NV 011A
|
15/12/43
|
15/12/43
|
18/12/43
|
18/12/43
|
VN 012A
|
19/12/43
|
19/12/43
|
10/01/44
|
10/01/44
|
VN 015
|
11/01/44
|
11/01/44
|
07/04/44
|
07/04/44
|
VN 032
|
08/04/44
|
08/04/44
|
17/04/44
|
17/04/44
|
VN 034
|
18/04/44
|
18/04/44
|
04/05/44
|
04/05/44
|
SNF 021
|
07/05/44
|
07/05/44
|
05/05/44
|
14/05/44
|
KMF 031
|
19/05/44
|
19/05/44
|
22/05/44
|
23/05/44
|
XIF 015
|
28/05/44
|
28/05/44
|
28/05/44
|
unknown
|
IXF 015
|
unknown
|
01/06/44
|
05/06/44
|
05/06/44
|
XIF 016
|
10/06/44
|
10/06/44
|
11/06/44
|
unknown
|
IXF 016
|
unknown
|
15/06/44
|
21/06/44
|
21/06/44
|
MKF 032
|
27/06/44
|
04/07/44
|
03/09/44
|
03/09/44
|
MKF 034
|
06/09/44
|
14/09/44
|
08/12/44
|
unknown
|
XIF 026
|
unknown
|
12/12/44
|
|
|
|
|
|
(Note on Convoys)
|