Ex USS COWELL (Type C - NEWPORT-Class) built by Bethlehem
Steel Works, Fore River and launched on 23rd November 1918. Transferred under
Lease Lend Agreement and commissioned at Halifax into the RN on 23rd September
1940.This ship was the 4th RN warship to carry the name, and first introduced
in 1795. After a successful WARSHIP WEEK National Savings campaign in March
1942 she was adopted by the civil communities of Chigwell, Buckhurst Hill and
Loughton in Essex. In common with other snips of the Class lent to the Royal
Navy the name was shared by a town in Sussex and one in Colorado.
B a t t
l e H o n o u r s
None were awarded
H e r a l d i
c D a t a
No Badge is recorded in the
Official List
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 0
September
23rd Commissioned into RN
service as HMS BRIGHTON and prepared for passage to UK.
October
12th On arrival at
Plymouth taken in hand for refit and modification for RN use at HM Dockyard,
Devonport
Nominated
for deployment with 1st Minelaying Squadron at Kyle of Lochalsh.
November Under refit
to
December
1 9 4 1
January On completion took passage to Kyle of Lochalsh to join
Squadron.
Deployment was
for escort of minelayers during operations in NW Approaches and for Iceland-
UK convoys when
not required with Squadron.
(For full details
of all minelaying operations by Squadron see the Naval Staff History (Mining).
February
6th Escorted HM
Auxiliary minelayers SOUTHERN PRINCE and PORT QUEBEC for lay in the
Northern Barrage
with HM Destroyers LANCASTER, ST ALBANS and CHARLESTOWN
covered by HM
Cruiser NIGERIA (Operation SN7A)
17th Escorted minelayers
for Operations SN7B and SN68A with Home Fleet cover.
March
Deployment at
Kyle of Lochalsh in continuation.
April
24th Escorted H M
Auxiliary Minelayers MENESTHEUS and SOUTHERN PRINCE for minelay in
Denmark Strait
covered by Hone Fleet (Operation SN7D.
May
7th Escorted HM
Auxiliary Minelayer AGAM3tOi for minelay in Faeroes Gap with cover by Home
Fleet (Operation
SN9A).
13th When Rear Admiral
(Minelayers) took over Squadron transferred to 17th Destroyer Division with
HM Destroyers
LANCASTER, WELLS, CHARLESTON, NEWARK, ST MARY'S and
CASTLETON (all Ex
USN destroyers).
18th Deployed for escort
of military convoys DS1 and SD1 en Iceland route.
31st Joined escort for
military convoy WS8X during passage in NW Approaches with HM Destroyers
LEGION, SAGUENAY
(RCN), ST MARY'S, SHERWOOD, VANSITTART, WILD SWAN,
WIVERN and Polish
destroyer ORP PIORUN.
(Not: Cover was
provided by HM Cruiser NORFOLK.)
June
3rd Detached from WS8X
with Local Escort and returned to Clyde.
Resumed
mercantile convoy defence in continuation.
8th Required for
Squadron duties at Kyle of Lochalsh.
10th Escorted HMS
AGAMEMNON and HMS MENESTHEUS with H M Destroyers IMPULSIVE
and ST MARY'S for
minelay in Faeroes Gap covered by Home Fleet ships.
(Operations SN64A
and 64B)
16th Escorted same ships
as SN64 with HM Destroyers ST MARY'S and WELLS for minelay to
the north of
Faeroes covered by Home Fleet. (Operation SN66).
25th Escorted HMS
AGAMEMNON and HMS MENESTHEUS with HMS ST MARY'S and HM
Destroyer
CASTLETON for minelay off Iceland with cover from Horns Fleet
(Operation
SN70B).
Collided with HM
Cruiser KENYA in fog in Faeroes and sustained major damage to forward
structure which
later parted from after section.
27th Towed to Iceland for
temporary repair.
30th Took passage in towed
to Clyde
July
2nd Taken in hand for
repair in Clyde shipyard.
August Under repair.
to
September
October On completion of post
repair trials worked up for operational duty.
30th Rejoined 1st
Minelaying Squadron.
31st Joined escort for HM
Minelaying Cruiser WELSHMAN, HMS MENESTHEUS and HMS
PORT QUEBEC with HM Destroyers OFFA, ORIBI and ONSLOW covered by HM Cruiser
SHEFFIELD for minelay in northern part of Faeroes Gap
(Operation
SN83A).
November
9th Escorted HMS
MENESTHEUS and HMS PORT QUEBEC for continuation of minelay north
of Faeroes Gap
with HM Destroyers NEWARK, CHARLESTON and MONTROSE covered by HM
Cruiser KENYA.
(Operation
SN83B).
10th Detached after
structural damage with Machinery defects in heavy weather.
Deployed for
convoy defence with Iceland convoys.
December
8th Taken in hand for
repair in Clyde shipyard.
1 9 4 2
January Under repair and
modification to improve facilities for RN convoy defence service
to
February
March
30th On completion of post
repair trials resumed deployment as escort on Iceland route.
April Convoy defence in
continuation.
May Resumed duty with
Squadron at Kyle of Lochalsh.
8th Escorted HMS
SOUTHERN PRINCE, HMS PORT QUEBEC, HMS AGAMEMNON
HMS MENESTHEUS
and HM Minelaying Cruiser ADVENTURE with HMS CASTLETON,
HMS CHARLESTOWN
and HMS WELLS for minelay on Faeroes Bank.
(Note: Operation
SN3A -Positioning of the minefield (Operation SN3A).
10th Detached for Iceland
convoy escort.
June Rejoined Squadron for
escort of minelayers.
11th Escorted all ships of
1st Minelaying Squadron with HMS CASTLETON, HMS NEWARK and
HMS WELLS in
continuation of lay of Faeroes Bank minefield.
(Note: HMS SCOTT
was also deployed as navigational aid).
(Operation SN3B).
20th Escorted HMS SOUTHERN
PRINCE for minelay in Butt of Lewis (Operation SN27B).
21st Detached for special
duty with Home Fleet.
Formed part of
Force X - a Decoy Convoy covering passage of Russian Convoy PQ17 with
HMS SOUTHERN
PRINCE, HMS AGAMEMNON, HMS MENESTHEUS, HMS CASTLETON
and HMS ST
MARY'S.
(Home Fleet
Operation ES).
July Resumed duty with
Squadron for minelaying.
10th Escorted all ships of
Squadron including HMS ADVENTURE with HMS ST MARY'S and HMS
SALISBURY, HM
Destroyer SARDONYX and HMS SCOTT for continuation of Faeroes Bank
minelaying
Operations in Northern Barrage (Operation SN3C).
(Note: Cover was
provided by Home Fleet ships.)
31st Escorted all ships
of Squadron including HMS ADVENTURE with HMS CASTLETON
. HMS NEWARK and
HMS LANCASTER for minelay in Faeroes - Iceland Gap
. (Note: HMS SCOTT
was deployed to ensure accuracy of minelay and operation was covered by
HMS DELHI.
(Operation SN82).
August
21st Escorted all ships of Squadron and HMS ADVENTURE
with HMS CASTLETON, HMS NEWARK
and HMS CHARLESTON for minelay in Denmark Strait
. (Note: Home Fleet cover provided by HM Cruiser
AURORA and three Fleet Destroyers
(Operation SN73).
September
2nd Repeated escort duty
for minelay by same ships in Denmark with HMS LANCASTER, HMS
NEWARK and HMS
CHARLESTOWN covered by HM Cruiser JAMAICA
(Operation SN89)
5th Deployed in escort
role in NW Approaches.
October Convoy defence duty in
continuation
Future use of 1st
Minelaying Squadron under consideration by Admiralty
Resumed escort
duty with Squadron at Kyle of Lochalsh.
November
1st Escorted ships
Squadron and HMS ADVENTURE for minelaying Operation in Northern Barrage
with HMS
LANCASTER, HMS WELLS and HMS CASTLETON after being delayed by weather
conditions in
laving area (Operation SN3F).
Under refit at
Rosyth
December Nominated for future use as
Air Target Ship
1 9 4 3
January Withdrawn from 17th
Destroyer Division of 1st Minelaying Squadron.
to Converted for use
as Air Target Ship.
April Paid-off
Trials and
preparation for new duties.
May Deployed in Irish Sea
and Clyde area as Air Target Ship.
to Nominated for
transfer to North Sea in continuation.
December
1 9 4 4
January Transferred to North
Sea.
13th In collision with
trawler STAR OF THE WAVE and went to
Invergordon for repair.
February After survey, repair work
stopped and ship transferred to Reserve.
Passage to Tyne
to lay-up.
March Reduced to Reserve
status.
April Selected for transfer
to Russian Northern Fleet. after refit
May Under refit in Tyne
shipyard.
to
June
July
16th Transferred to Soviet
Navy and renamed ZHARKIY or ZHARKE
August Took passage to Kola
Inlet with other warships also being transferred.
17th Joined Convoy JV69
for passage to Kola Inlet.
(For details see
CONVOYS TO RUSSIA by RA Ruegg, CONVOY by P. Kemp), and ARCTIC
CONVOYS. by R
Woodman.)
P o s t R N S e r v i c e
This ship served with the
Northern Fleet as an escort for Convoys and after August 1945 remained in
Russian naval service until being returned to the Royal Navy at Rosyth on 4th March 1949. She was found unfit for further
use and placed on the Disposal List.
Sold to BISCO for demolition by MacLellan the ship
arrived in tow at the breaker’s yard in Bo'ness on 18th May
1949.
Addendum
CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of HMS
BRIGHTON
by Don Kindell
These convoy lists have not been cross-checked
with the text above
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Date convoy sailed
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Joined convoy as escort
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Convoy No.
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Left convoy
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Date convoy arrived
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10/02/41
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04/03/41
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SL 065
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08/03/41
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08/03/41
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27/11/41
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27/11/41
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DS 017
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30/11/41
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29/11/41
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04/12/41
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04/12/41
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SD 017
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07/12/41
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06/12/41
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(Note on Convoys)
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