Ex USS ABBOT (Type C - NEWPORT-Class) built by Newport News SB Co. and launched 4 July
1918.
The ship was transferred under the 1940 UK/USA Lease Lend Agreement and
commissioned at Halifax into the RN on 23rd September
1940. She was the second RN ship to
carry this name, introduced in 1780. The name was selected because it is shared
by a number of places in UK as well as in the USA. All TOWN-Class destroyers
were given similar appropriate names common to both countries. Following a
successful WARSHIP WEEK National Savings campaign in February 1942 she was
adopted by the civil community of Darlaston, then part of the County of
Staffordshire.
B a t t l e H o n o u r s
ATLANTIC 1941-43
- NORTH SEA
1943-44
H e r a l d i c D a t a
Badge: On a Field Blue, a rose
and thistle slipped and leaved in
saltire Gold, in chief a mullet White
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 Transferred to the
Royal Navy at Halifax, NS and commissioned as HMS
ABBOT.
(Note: Six other
ships were also transferred and were the second batch to be given
the US Navy
name.)
Passage to UK and
called at St Johns Newfoundland.
October
2nd Renamed HMS
CHARLESTOWN.
8th Arrived at Plymouth
with four other ships taken over from the USN.
Taken in hand for
refit and modifications by HM Dockyard Devonport to suit RN convoy
defence
deployment.
November Nominated for service with
1st minelaying Squadron at Kyle of Lochalsh for escort of
minelayers
and to be available for escort of UK-Iceland convoys as required.
4th Dockyard work
completed.
Further defect
work necessary after trials and taken in hand by HM Dockyard Devonport
December Under repair..
1 9 4 1
January Carried out post refit
trials and took passage to Kyle of Lochalsh.
6th Arrived at Kyle of
Lochalsh (Port ZA) for minelaying escort duty.
For full details
of all minelaying operations see Naval Staff History MINING).
February
6th Escorted HM
Auxiliary Minelayers AGAMEMNON, MENESTHEUS, SOUTHERN PRINCE and
PORT QUEBEC with HM Destroyers BRIGHTON,
LANCASTER and ST ALBANS, covered
by ships of Home
Fleet for minelay in Northern Barrage (Operation SN7A).
(Note: HMS
MENESTHEUS detonated a mine soon after departure and was towed to Kyle of
Lochalsh by HMS
AGAMEMNON.
Remained with HMS
SOUTHERN PRINCE and PORT QUEBEC for minelay.
13th Attached to 17th
Destroyer Division of Squadron.
17th Joined HM Destroyers
ECHO, BRIGHTON and LANCASTER for
escort of HMS SOUTHERN
PRINCE and HMS
PORT QUEBEC for minelay in Northern Barrage
(Operations SN7B
& 68A).
(Note: Cover was
provided by ships of the Home Fleet.)
March
19th Joined HM Destroyers
LANCASTER, ST MARY'S and CASTLETON for escort of HM
Auxiliary
Minelayers PORT QUEBEC, AGAMEMNON, MENESTHEUS and SOUTHERN
PRINCE during
minelay in Northern Barrage covered by Home Fleet (Operation SN69).
26th Escorted same
minelayers with same destroyers for further Northern Barrage lay
(Operation SN4).
April Under refit at
commercial shipyard in Hebburn on Tyne.
to
May
July Deployed on convoy
escort duty from Clyde.
to
July
August Resumed duty with
Squadron at Kyle of Lochalsh.
25th Escorted HMS SOUTHERN
PRINCE, HMS PORT QUEBEC and HM Minelaying Cruiser
ADVENTURE for
minelay off Iceland (Operation SN70A)
(Note: HMS
SOUTHERN PRINCE was damaged in torpedo attack).
September Deployed on convoy escort
duty.
to
October
November
9th Escorted HMS
MENESTHEUS and HMS PORT QUEBEC for Northern Barrage minelay
in the Faeroes
Gap (Operation SN83B).
20th Under refit at
Grimsby commercial shipyard.
December Under refit.
1 9 4 2
January Rammed by ss MARPLE
whilst under repair and completion delayed.
February Under refit and repair.
21st Resumed duties with
Squadron on completion of post refit trials.
March Deployed at Kyle of
Lochalsh.
14th Detached for convoy
defence in NW Approaches..
30th Escorted HMS
MENESTHEUS, HMS AGAMEMNON, HMS PORT QUEBEC and HMS
SOUTHERN PRINCE
with HM Cruiser CHARYBDIS screened by HM Destroyers
LANCASTER and
WELLS for minelaying operation north of Faeroes in Northern Barrage.
(Operation SN87).
April
18th Escort of same ships
with HM Cruiser KENYA, HMS WELLS. HM Destroyers SARDONYX
and SALADIN North
of Faeroes for minelay (Operation SN88).
20th Detached for A/S
Escort duty.
May
8th Escort of same ships
of Squadron and HM Minelaying Cruiser ADVENTURE with HMS
BRIGHTON, CASTLETON and WELLS for minelay off Faeroes Bank
(Operation SN3A).
(Note: US Navy
officers embarked in HMS ADVENTURE as observers).
11th Detached for A/S
Escort duties.
June Deployed for convoy
defence in NW Approaches.
to
July
August Rejoined Squadron for
minelaying escort
21st Escorted same ships
as for Operation SN3A for minelay in Northern Barrage with HM Cruiser
AURORA, HM
Destroyers BRIGHTON, CASTLETON and NEWARK.
(Operation SN73).
September
2nd Escorted same ships
as for SN3A with HMS JAMAICA, HM Destroyers BRIGHTON,
LANCASTER and
NEWARK for minelay in Denmark Strait
(Operation SN89).
4th Detached for convoy
escort in NW Approaches
15th Escorted same ships
as SN3A with HM Destroyers LANCASTER, NEWARK and
PUCKERIDGE for
minelay in Faeroes Gap (Operation SN 65A).
October Escorted same ships as
SN3A for minelay in NW Approaches with HM Destroyers
WELLS and LEDBURY
(Operation SN3E).
November Under refit at commercial
shipyard in Newport, Mon.
to
December
1 9 4 3
January After completion of
dockyard work damaged by hitting dockside.
Transferred to
Cardiff for repair.
February Under repair.
March On completion of post
repair trails worked-up for operational service service at Tobermory.
Transferred to
Orkney and Shetland Command after work-up.
April Deployed on convoy
escort duty.
to
July
August Under repair at Belfast.
to (Note: 1st
Minelaying Squadron disbanded in August).
September
October Transferred to Rosyth
Escort Force for escort of North Sea convoys.
November Deployed on East Coast
Convoy defence.
to
December
1 9 4 4
January East Coast convoy escort
duty in continuation.
to (Note: Not deployed in support of allied landings
in Normandy (Operation NEPTUNE).
November
December
10th In collision with HM Minesweeper FLORIZEL off
Harwich.
Taken in hand for survey of extensive damage.
1 9 4 5
January Declared Beyond
economic repair
(Note: More new
Escorts had been commissioned and crew could be used for other warships).
Paid off and
de-stored.
February Laid up at Grangemouth.
to
August
P o s t W a r N o t e s
HMS CHARLESTOWN was
not returned to the US Navy and was placed on the Disposal List after the end
of hostilities. The ship was sold to BISCO on 4th March 1947 for demolition by
T Young at Sunderland. She arrived in tow at the breaker’s yard in the Tyne on
3rd December 1948.
Addendum
CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of HMS
CHARLESTOWN
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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20/06/41
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20/06/41
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DS 006
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22/06/41
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22/06/41
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25/06/41
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25/06/41
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SD 006
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27/06/41
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27/06/41
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17/08/41
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17/08/41
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DS 010
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18/08/41
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18/08/42
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19/08/41
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19/08/41
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SD 010
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21/08/41
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21/08/41
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06/09/41
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06/09/41
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DS 011
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09/09/41
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09/09/41
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09/09/41
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09/09/41
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SD 011
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13/09/41
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13/09/41
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19/09/41
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19/09/41
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DS 012
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21/09/41
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21/09/41
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23/09/41
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23/09/41
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SD 012
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25/09/41
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25/09/41
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01/10/41
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01/10/41
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DS 012B
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04/10/41
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04/10/41
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06/10/41
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06/10/41
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SD 012B
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08/10/41
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08/10/41
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30/10/41
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30/10/41
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CT 005
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02/11/41
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08/11/41
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25/10/41
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02/11/41
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CARGO
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04/11/41
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04/11/41
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11/02/42
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11/02/42
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DS 022
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15/02/42
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15/02/42
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16/02/42
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16/02/42
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SD 022
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19/02/42
|
19/02/42
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25/02/42
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25/02/42
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DS 023
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28/02/42
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28/02/42
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03/03/42
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03/03/42
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SD 023
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07/03/42
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07/03/42
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11/03/42
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11/03/42
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DS 024
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15/03/42
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15/03/42
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17/03/42
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17/03/42
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SD 024
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19/03/42
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19/03/42
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01/05/42
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01/05/42
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DS 026
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03/05/42
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03/05/42
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13/05/42
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13/05/42
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SD 026A
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14/05/42
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14/05/42
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24/05/42
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24/05/42
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DS 027
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26/05/42
|
26/05/42
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27/05/42
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27/05/42
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SD 027
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29/05/42
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29/05/42
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09/07/42
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09/07/42
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DS 030
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11/07/42
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11/07/42
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12/07/42
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12/07/42
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SD 030
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14/07/42
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14/07/42
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23/07/42
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23/07/42
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DS 030A
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25/07/42
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25/07/42
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26/07/42
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26/07/42
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SD 030A
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28/07/42
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28/07/42
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(Note on Convoys)
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