Ex USS BUCHANAN (Type B -
CALDWELL-Class) built by Bath Iron Works. The ship was laid down on 29th June 1918 and launched on 2nd January
1919-
Commissioned on 20th January 1919 for U S naval service she was
held in Reserve in 1939. The ship was transferred to the RN under the UK/US
Lend Lease Agreement on 3rd September 1940 and commissioned as HMS
CAMPBELTOWN at Halifax, Canada on 9th
September 1940. The name is common to a town in Florida, USA and one in Argyll, Scotland.
It had not been used previously for an RN ship.
B a t t
l e H o n o u r
s
ATLANTIC 1941-42
- ST NAZAIRE 1942
H e r a l d i
c D a t a
Badge: On a Field White, within an
annulet Blue charged in base with a
mullet White a sprig of myrtle 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 0
September Prepared for transfer to RN
control.
9th Commissioned as HMS
CAMPBELTOWN at Halifax.
Passage to
Plymouth via St. Johns,
Newfoundland.
29th Arrived at Devonport
and taken in hand for modifications to suit RN use.
October Under refit and
modification.
November Nominated for service in
Western Approaches with 17th Flotilla.
1st Completed refit and
harbour trials.
2nd Carried out post
refit sea trials
Sustained damage
in collision with ss RISOY but continued passage to Liverpool
7th Under repair at
Liverpool.
24th On completion of
repair took passage to join Flotilla.
December Deployed for convoy defence
with Flotilla.
3rd Sustained major
damage in collision with ss COMUS.
Taken in hand for
repair.
1 9 4 1
January Under repair.
to (Note: During this
refit the 4th Funnel was shortened.)
February
March During repair some
Polish personnel on board.
(Note: It is not
known whether loan to Polish Navy was contemplated.)
28th On completion
transferred to Royal Netherlands Navy on loan.
Joined 7th Escort
Group.
April Deployed with Group
for convoy defence.
to (Note: A proposal
to rename the ship MIDDLEBERG was not agreed as this would
May have been contrary to
the naming agreed with the US Navy on transfer.)
June Under repair.
July On completion
resumed service with Group for convoy defence.
August Convoy defence with Group
in continuation.
September Nominated for return to RN
service in 7th Escort Group.
Worked-up for
operational service with RN ships’ company.
October On completion of work-up
joined Group.
Deployed for
convoy defence with Group for mercantile convoys between UK and West
Africa..
November Atlantic convoy defence in
continuation.
to Passage to
Devonport for repair
December
1 9 4 2
January Taken in hand by HM
Dockyard, Devonport for repair.
Selected for
special operation and withdrawn from service for modifications.
(Note: This ship
was to be used for an assault operation at St Nazaire and was considered
as being
expendable (Operation CHARIOT).
For details see
Naval Staff History and THE WATERY MAZE by B Fergusson).
February Under modification.
(Note: The third
and fourth funnels were removed and the other two funnels raked.
This was to
simulate structure of German MOWE class destroyer
A 12pdr HA gun
was fitted forward.
Demolition
charges made up of 24 Depth Charges were fitted with suitable
firing mechanism.
All unnecessary
stores and equipment were landed to lighten ship.
Armour protection
was provided for bridge structure and new 20mm Oerlikon gun positions
fitted on upper
deck.
March On completion of trials
embarked Commandos and reduced ships company needed to
take ship to
French coast and to man armament needed for CHARIOT.
25th Took passage from
Devonport to Falmouth to join Motor Launches and Motor Torpedo
Boats taking part
in this operation.
(Note: Details
of recognition signals used by German warships approaching the French
coast had been
given to all ships taking part. )
26th Sailed from Falmouth
towing MTB74 with HM Destroyers ATHERSTONE and TYNEDALE.
(Note: MTB74 had
been modified to carry special delayed action torpedoes to be used if
explosives
carried on board did not detonate.)
27th Passage into port
made from Atlantic direction to ensure approach to St Nazaire was correct.
(Note: U593
sighted CHARIOT Force and was attacked without success.
See HITLER'S
U-BOAT WAR by C Blair and THE BATTLE OF THE NARROW
SEAS by P Scott
for details.)
Arrived off St
Nazaire and entered Loire estuary.
28th Ship wedged
against outer lock gate but charges failed to detonate.
Some survivors
rescued by MTB74 and ML177 were later lost when these two craft were sunk.
Depth Charges
detonated ten hours later and caused many casualties to enemy personnel who
were on board
inspecting the ship and others on the dockside.
Wreck of ship was
driven into the drydock when the caisson was damaged and she
remained there
for many months.
The dock was
sealed with a sand wall but could not be used for the rest of WW2.
For full details
see above references and Naval Staff History.
( Note: The
British film THE GIFT HORSE was loosely based on
CHARIOT)
Addenda
CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of HMS
CAMPBELTOWN
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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02/05/41
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02/05/41
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OB 318
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07/05/41
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10/05/41
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25/04/41
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09/05/41
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HX 123
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12/05/41
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13/05/41
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18/05/41
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19/05/41
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OB 324
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24/05/41
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27/05/41
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09/05/41
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24/05/41
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SC 031
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30/05/41
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30/05/41
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31/05/41
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31/05/41
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OB 329
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05/06/41
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05/06/41
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25/05/41
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02/06/41
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HG 063
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09/06/41
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09/06/41
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08/07/41
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19/07/41
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HG 067
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24/07/41
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24/07/41
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30/07/41
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01/08/41
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OG 070
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01/08/41
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12/08/41
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13/07/41
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03/08/41
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SL 081
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08/08/41
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08/08/41
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13/08/41
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14/08/41
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OS 003
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17/08/41
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01/09/41
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09/08/41
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19/08/41
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HG 070
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unknown
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23/08/41
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29/08/41
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29/08/41
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OG 073
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02/09/41
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13/09/41
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15/08/41
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03/09/41
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SL 084
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08/09/41
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08/09/41
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12/09/41
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12/09/41
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OS 006
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15/09/41
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03/10/41
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05/09/41
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18/09/41
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SC 043
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20/09/41
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20/09/41
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04/01/42
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13/01/42
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SL 097
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24/01/42
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24/01/42
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(Note on Convoys)
HMS
CAMPBELTOWN PREPARING for ST NAZAIRE
from Dave Martin
My thanks to Dave Martin for
sending me this photograph of HMS Campbeltown being
converted to resemble a German destroyer before the famous
and heroic raid on St Nazaire. Note the two cut-down
funnels and the lines of protective plating being added
along both sides behind which the Commandos took cover.
He informs me that apart from
a few poor photos of her rammed into the Normandie dock
gates, he has not seen any more of her during this
period, probably "all hush
hush", although he has heard that the dock
gates at Cardiff were used at night for training.
VICTORIA CROSS SHIP
The London Gazette, Thursday 21 May, 1942
(From the ADMIRALTY, Whitehall,
S.W.1)
"The KING has been graciously pleased to approve the award of the
VICTORIA CROSS for daring and valour in the attack on the German
Naval Base at St. Nazaire, to:
Lieutenant‑Commander Stephen
Halden
Beattie, Royal Navy, H.M.S. Campbeltown.
For great gallantry and determination in the attack on St.
Nazaire
in command of H.M.S.
Campbeltown.
Under intense fire directed at the bridge from point blank
range of about 100 yards, and in the face of the blinding
glare of many searchlights, he steamed her into the
lock‑gates and beached and scuttled her in the correct
position. This Victoria Cross is awarded to
Lieutenant-Commander Beattie in recognition not only of his
own valour but also of that of the unnamed officers and men
of a very gallant ship's company, many of whom have not
returned."
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