Ex USS STOCKTON (Type D - LEWES-Class) built by Cramp. The
ship was launched on 17th July 1917 and build was completed on was completed on 26th November 1917. She
was transferred under the UK/US Lend Lease Agreement.. On 2nd
October 1940 when this ship commissioned into RN service she was renamed LUDLOW
which is cannon to a town in Shropshire and to one in Vermont, USA. She was the
third RN ship to carry this name which was introduced in 1698 for a 5th Rate and
previously used for a WW1 minesweeper lost in 1916. Unlike the majority of the
destroyers transferred from the US Navy in 1940, this ship and HMS LUDLOW had
only 3 funnels and a main propulsion system outdated on build in 1916. After a
successful WARSHIP WEEK National Savings campaign in March 1942 she was adopted by the civil community of Hartlepool, then in County Durham, but now
part of Cleveland.
B a t
t l e H o n o
u r s
ATLANTIC 1941-42
- NORTH SEA 1942-45.
H e r a l d i c D a t a
Badge: On a
Field Blue, a porcupine Gold charged with
a hurt thereon 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 Prepared for
transfer to RN
October
2nd
Commissioned as HMS LUDLOW at Halifax.
Prepared for passage to Plymouth via St Johns, Newfoundland.
November
17th Taken in
hand by HM Devonport for refit and modifications to suit RN service.
(Note
This included removal of the two 3in mountings mounted on either beam.)
December Under refit
Allocated for service in Rosyth Escort Force.
1 9 4 1
January Under refit
to (Note:
The work required to deal with problems related to the design and operation
February of the
propulsion machinery extended the period of refit.
March
1st Carried
out post refit sea trials on completion of dockyard work
Passage to Rosyth
(Note: Work-up
deployment to be confirmed)
One source quotes
involvement in collision with RFA PETROBUS.
April Deployed
for convoy defence based at Rosyth
to
July
August Withdrawn
from service for repair and boiler re-tubing
(Note: Repair work carried out at
Liverpool .
September Paid-off in
Liverpool for extensive repair
October Under repair
November Re-commissioned
and resumed service at Roysth after post repair trials.
December Deployed for
convoy defence based at Rosyth.
1 9 4 2
January Convoy
defence duties in continuation.
to
July
August Coastal
convoy defence restricted to
North Sea traffic between Methil and Southend.
to (Note:
This change suggests ship had proved unsuitable for escort of convoys from Forth
December to Clyde
through NW Approaches.)
Surface warning radar Type 271 was fitted by this period.
For
details of development and use of radar by RN see RADAR AT SEA by D. Howse).
1 9 4 3
East
coast convoy defence in continuation.
(Note: Radar Type 291 to provide some warning of aircraft approach was fitted).
One
source records involvement in collision with trawler in September.)
1 9 4 4
January East coast deployment in
continuation
to
May
June Transferred to
English Channel for support of allied landings in Normandy
(Note: One
source records ship was used for transfer of MULBERRY harbour sections.
This is be
confirmed and ship may have been used as an escort during towing
operations. No
award of Battle Honour NORMANDY was made.)
Resumed East
coast convoy defence on completion.
July East coast
deployment in continuation.
to
September
October
15th Grounded during tow
of mercantile WILLIAM BRADIE and sustained damage to underwater
Sonar Dome.
Under repair
November Deployed for East coast
convoy defence on completion.
to
December
1 9 4 5
January East coast deployment in
continuation
26th Grounded and again
sustained damage to Sonar Dome.
February Resumed East coast
deployment
to (Note: Radio
Telephone equipment for contact with other escorts and aircraft had been fitted
April by this period.)
May Withdrawn for service
after VE Day
Paid-off and
de-equipped at Rosyth
Selected for use
as a target for training aircrew in rocket attacks on shipping.
June
6th Towed to Broadsands
and beached off Fidra Island off North Berwick
Sustained severe
damage during this use in position 56.03N 0.45W
July
5th Declared as Total
Loss.
Hulk sold for
demolition on site.
(Note: This work
seems never to have been seriously attempted as the remains are still
visible at Low
Water.)
Addendum
CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of HMS
LUDLOW
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
|
|
|
|
|
|
23/01/42
|
26/01/42
|
WN 235
|
26/01/42
|
26/01/42
|
03/04/42
|
04/04/42
|
WN 265
|
05/04/42
|
05/04/42
|
05/12/44
|
05/12/44
|
ATM 004
|
06/12/44
|
06/12/44
|
|
|
|
|
|
(Note on Convoys)
|