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SERVICE HISTORIES of ROYAL NAVY WARSHIPS in WORLD WAR 2
by Lt Cdr Geoffrey B Mason RN (Rtd) (c) 2005

HMS, later Norwegian HNorMS LINCOLN (G 42), also Russian DRUZHNI - ex-US Destroyer
including Convoy Escort Movements

Edited by Gordon Smith, Naval-History.Net

HMS Lincoln (CyberHeritage, click to enlarge)

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Ex USS YARNALL (Type B – MONTGOMERY-Class) built by Cramp. The ship was laid down on 12th February 1918 and launched on 19th June 1918. Build was completed on 29th November 1918. She was transferred to the Royal Navy under the UK/US Lend Lease Agreement in September 1940. On 23rd October when this ship commissioned she was renamed LINCOLN which is cannon to the County town in Lincolnshire and to one in Nebraska, USA. She was the 2nd RN ship to carry this name which was introduced in 1695 for a 4th Rate which foundered in 1703. This destroyer was not adopted by a UK civil community after a successful WARSHIP WEEK National Savings campaign during 1941-42.

 

B a t t l e   H o n o u r s

 

ATLANTIC 1941-43 - NORTH SEA 1942-44

 

H e r a l d i c  D a t a

Badge: On a Field White, a cross couped Red charged with a fleur-de-lys Gold

thereon a lozenge Blue charged with a mullet White.

 

M o t t o

Loyaulte n’a houte: ‘Loyalty knows no shame’

(Note: These may not have been authorised until after WW2.)

 

 

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

 

October

 

23rd - Commissioned as HMS LUDLOW at Halifax.

 

Prepared for passage to Plymouth via St Johns, Newfoundland.

 

November

 

Passage to St Johns

 

15th - Arrived at Plymouth. Taken in hand by HM Devonport for essential modifications to suit RN service.

 

30th - On completion nominated for service with 1st Escort Group for convoy defence in Western Approaches.

 

December

 

Deployed with Group for Atlantic convoy defence.

 

1 9 4 1

 

January to March

 

Atlantic deployment in continuation.

 

April

 

 

 

6th - During Atlantic convoy duty deployed to take part in rescue of survivors from HM Armed Merchant Cruiser CORMORIN. (Note: This ship had sunk after a major fire on board.)

 

May to August

 

Atlantic convoy defence with Group in continuation.

 

Nominated for refit to complete modifications for RN service.

 

September

 

Passage to Thames Taken in hand for refit in Thames commercial shipyard.

 

October to December

 

Under refit. (For details of changes to suit RN requirements, see THE TOWNS by A Hague.)

 

 

1 9 4 2

 

January to February

 

Under refit. Nominated for transfer to Royal Norwegian Navy

 

 

W a r   S e r v i c e   a s   H  N o r  M S   L I N C O L N

 

March

 

Norwegian naval personnel joined ship. Commissioned for service and nominated for convoy defence in eastern Atlantic with RCN. Carried out harbour trials.

 

April

 

On completion of shipyard work carried out post refit sea trials

 

May

 

Passage to Halifax to join Western Local Escort Force (Note: Ship may have worked-up for operational service before leaving UK.)

 

June to December

 

Deployed for Local Escort of Atlantic convoys between US and Canadian ports and St Johns, Newfoundland with Western Local Escort Force (WLEF) under overall RCN command.

 

 

1 9 4 3

 

January to June

 

WLEF deployment in continuation.

 

Nominated for Stage 2 refit. Passage to Charlestown, SC for refit.

 

July to October

 

Under refit. Refit work included installation of HEDGEHOG anti-submarine mortar and improved radar outfit.

 

Nominated for service with W7 Group in Western Support Force (Note: This new Force was short-lived as many of the ships selected had limited availability due to frequency of defects)

 

November

 

Nominated for return to UK and termination of loan service with Royal Norwegian Navy

 

December

 

On arrival in UK nominated for withdrawal from operational service

 

 

1 9 4 4

 

January

 

Paid-off and reduced to Reserve status. Norwegian personnel left ship

 

February to June

 

Laid-up. Nominated for transfer to Soviet Navy

 

 

T r a n s f e r   t o   R u s s i a n    N a v y

 

July

 

Under refit prior to transfer. Russian naval personnel joined ship. Carried out harbour trials

 

August

 

Carried out sea trials

 

26th - Formal transfer to Soviet command and renamed DRUZHNI

 

September

 

Nominated for passage to Kola Inlet as part of outward Russian Convoy JW60. Passage to join JW60

 

15th - Sailed from Loch Ewe with JW60

 

23rd - Arrived at Kola Inlet.

 

October to December

 

Deployed with Soviet Northern Fleet for Arctic convoy defence and patrol

 

 

1 9 4 5

 

January to May

 

Northern Fleet deployment in continuation.

 

 

P o s t   W a r   N o t e s

 

Ship remained in Soviet service until August 1952 when she was returned to Rosyth and formally returned to the RN on 24th August that year. HMS LINCOLN was de-stored and placed on the Disposal List. Sold to BISCO for demolition by Metal Industrious she arrived in tow at the breaker’s yard in Inverkeithing near Rosyth on 3rd September 1952. The name was carried forward for a third time when given to an AA Frigate on launch at Govan on 6th April 1959. This ship was placed on the Disposal List in 1983 and also broken-up at Inverkeithing.

 


 

Addendum

 

CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of HMS LINCOLN

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

 

 

 

 

 

21/01/41

05/02/41

BHX 104

08/02/41

09/02/41

25/02/41

25/02/41

OG 054

04/03/41

14/03/41

12/03/41

12/03/41

OB 297

17/03/41

17/03/41

05/03/41

17/03/41

HX 113

20/03/41

21/03/41

30/03/41

15/04/41

SC 027

18/04/41

18/04/41

22/04/41

23/04/41

OB 313

28/04/41

28/04/41

09/04/41

28/04/41

SL 071

04/05/41

04/05/41

05/05/41

07/05/41

OG 061

10/05/41

19/05/41

17/04/41

10/05/41

SL 072

13/05/41

13/05/41

17/05/41

19/05/41

OB 323

23/05/41

25/05/41

16/05/41

23/05/41

HX 127

27/05/41

02/06/41

02/06/41

03/06/41

OB 330

07/06/41

07/06/41

27/05/41

08/06/41

HX 129

11/06/41

12/06/41

15/06/41

16/06/41

OB 336

22/06/41

23/06/41

10/06/41

24/06/41

SC 034

27/06/41

29/06/41

16/07/41

26/07/41

HX 139

30/07/41

31/07/41

06/08/41

07/08/41

ON 005

11/08/41

14/08/41

01/08/41

12/08/41

SC 039

17/08/41

19/08/41

27/08/41

29/08/41

ON 010

01/09/41

11/09/41

21/08/41

02/09/41

HX 146

05/09/41

06/09/41

       
         

and as HNorMS LINCOLN

         

Date convoy sailed

Joined convoy as escort

Convoy No.

Left convoy

Date convoy arrived

         

14/03/42

14/03/42

TA 012

unknown

25/03/42

11/04/42

11/04/42

SC 079

15/04/42

27/04/42

10/04/42

20/04/42

ON 085

22/04/42

23/04/42

03/05/42

03/05/42

HX 188

06/05/42

16/05/42

28/04/42

10/05/42

ON 090

unknown

15/05/42

29/05/42

29/05/42

SC 085

31/05/42

12/06/42

29/05/42

07/06/42

ON 099

12/06/42

12/06/42

19/06/42

19/06/42

SC 088

21/06/42

04/07/42

19/06/42

28/06/42

ON 105

03/07/42

30/06/42

02/07/42

03/07/42

BX 027

04/07/42

04/07/42

03/07/42

03/07/42

BX 027B

05/07/42

05/07/42

10/07/42

10/07/42

SC 091

13/07/42

24/07/42

10/07/42

19/07/42

ON 111

24/07/42

24/07/42

25/07/42

25/07/42

BX 030B

27/07/42

27/07/42

31/07/42

31/07/42

SC 094

02/08/42

13/08/42

25/07/42

05/08/42

ON 116

12/08/42

12/08/42

13/08/42

13/08/42

BX 033B

15/08/42

15/08/42

22/08/42

22/08/42

SC 097

26/08/42

07/09/42

22/08/42

31/08/42

ON 123

03/09/42

03/09/42

05/09/42

05/09/42

BX 036C

07/09/42

07/09/42

28/08/42

09/09/42

ON 125

12/09/42

12/09/42

17/09/42

17/09/42

HX 208

20/09/42

02/10/42

19/09/42

06/10/42

ON 132

08/10/42

08/10/42

11/10/42

11/10/42

SC 105

15/10/42

31/10/42

18/10/42

20/10/42

HX 212

23/10/42

02/11/42

16/10/42

25/10/42

ON 139

30/10/42

01/11/42

01/11/42

04/11/42

SC 108

08/11/42

19/11/42

01/11/42

11/11/42

ON 143

14/11/42

16/11/42

31/10/42

17/11/42

ON 142

21/11/42

21/11/42

27/11/42

27/11/42

HX 217

30/11/42

14/12/42

05/12/42

11/12/42

HX 218

15/12/42

21/12/42

09/12/42

20/12/42

ON 152

22/12/42

31/12/42

29/12/42

05/01/43

HX 221

07/01/43

14/01/43

14/01/43

19/01/43

HX 223

23/01/43

02/02/43

06/04/43

08/04/43

HX 233

12/04/43

21/04/43

06/04/43

17/04/43

ON 177

21/04/43

23/04/43

25/04/43

25/04/43

SC 128

29/04/43

13/05/43

13/05/43

15/05/43

HX 239

19/05/43

28/05/43

15/05/43

25/05/43

ON 184

30/05/43

31/05/43

07/06/43

07/06/43

HX 243

12/06/43

21/06/43

08/06/43

19/06/43

ONS 010

27/06/43

27/06/43

27/06/43

27/06/43

XB 060

29/06/43

29/06/43

15/07/43

15/07/43

HX 248

21/07/43

29/07/43

16/07/43

25/07/43

ON 193

28/07/43

31/07/43

30/07/43

01/08/43

HX 250

02/08/43

12/08/43

31/07/43

11/08/43

ON 195

13/08/43

13/08/43

20/08/43

20/08/43

HX 253

25/08/43

04/09/43

21/08/43

29/08/43

ON 198

01/09/43

04/09/43

01/09/43

15/09/43

EN 200

18/09/43

18/09/43

22/09/43

22/09/43

HX 258

28/09/43

06/10/43

22/09/43

03/10/43

ON 203

07/10/43

10/10/43

05/10/43

07/10/43

HX 260

08/10/43

20/10/43

24/10/43

25/10/43

HX 263

29/10/43

08/11/43

24/10/43

02/11/43

ON 208

04/11/43

07/11/43

06/11/43

19/11/43

ON 210

22/11/43

23/11/43

02/12/43

02/12/43

HX 269

07/12/43

16/12/43

 

 

 

 

 

(Note on Convoys)

 

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revised 6/6/11
further editing is required


 

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