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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 HMCS MONTGOMERY (G 95) - ex-US Destroyer including Convoy Escort Movements

Edited by Gordon Smith, Naval-History.Net

HMS Newport, Type C close sister-ship (CyberHeritage, click to enlarge)

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Ex USS WICKES (Type B - CALDWELL-Class) built by Bath Iron Works, Maine. The ship was laid down on 26th June 1917 and launched on 25th June 19l8. Commissioned on 31st July 1918 for service with the US Navy 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 MONTGOMERY at Halifax, Canada on 23rd October 1940. The name is which is common to a town in Alabama, USA and one in Wales had not previously been used for an RN ship. In March 1942 after a successful WARSHIP WEEK campaign for National Savings she appropriately was adopted by the civil community of the county of Montgomeryshire.

 

B a t t l e   H o n o u r s

 

ATLANTIC  1941-43

 

He r a l d i c   D a t a

Badge: On a Field Blue, two keys 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

 

October

 

Prepared for transfer to RN control.

 

23rd - Commissioned at Halifax as HMS MONTGOMERY.

 

November

 

Atlantic passage to Plymouth with call at St Johns, Newfoundland. Arrived at Devonport for refit prior to deployment as a convoy escort.

 

25th - Taken in by HM Dockyard, Devonport for refit and modifications for RN deployment as a convoy escort (Note: These included: Removal of mainmast and reduction in size of foremast. Removal of after sets of torpedo tubes. Removal of after US guns and installation of 12pdr British mounting in X Position. Changes in ASDIC submarine detection outfit.

 

December

 

Passage to Scapa Flow to work-up for operational service. (Note: Completion of dockyard work delayed due to defects during post refit sea trials.).

 

24th - Arrived at Scapa Flow for work-up.

 

 

1 9 4 1

 

January

 

Worked-up with ships of Home Fleet. Allocated for service with 7th Escort Group based in Liverpool.

 

12th - Joined Group on completion of work-up. Deployed for Atlantic convoy defence with Group. (Note: Other ships in Group were HM Destroyers WESTCOTT, CAMPBELTOWN and HM Sloop ROCHESTER. HMS CAMBELTOWN was a sister ship.)

 

February

 

Part of escort for Convoys OB287/288 with Group.

 

21st - During escort of OB288 rescued survivors from mv SCOTTISH STANDARD.

 

22nd - Sank Italian submarine MARCELLO which had joined German submarines and Italian submarine BIANCO for attacks on OB288. (Note: This was the first sinking by a TOWN Class Ex USN destroyer and was credited to the ship after post war re-assessment of this sinking by an RAF aircraft in January 1942. See HITLER'S U-BOAT WAR By C Blair.)

 

March

 

Atlantic convoy defence in continuation.

 

April to July

 

Taken in hand for further modification and refit at Barrow. (Note: Radar Type 271 for surface warning fitted. Forward torpedo tubes replaced by British triple mounting. 20mm Oerlikon guns fitted in place of US 4in guns fitted on either beam. Increase of Depth Charge allowance.

 

August

 

Post refit trials. Allocated for service with 4th Escort Group based at Greenock.

 

September

 

Joined Group for Atlantic convoy defence. Deployed with Group for escort of four convoys.

 

October

 

7th - Taken in hand for refit in Clyde commercial shipyard.

 

November

 

Nominated for service in Western Local Escort Force at Halifax, Nova Scotia with ships of the Royal Canadian Navy.

 

25th - On completion of post refit trials prepared for RCN service at Halifax.

 

 

S e r v i c e   a s   H M C S   M O N T G O M E R Y

 

December

 

Deployed in UK prior to Atlantic passage.

 

 

1 9 4 2

 

January

 

Passage to Halifax.

 

16th - Called at St John Newfoundland.

 

After arrival at Halifax taken in hand for refit.

 

February

 

On completion escorted military convoy NA3 from Canada to Clyde.

 

March

 

Return passage to Canada for Local Escort between Halifax and Newfoundland.

 

14th - Joined WLEF at Halifax for defence of convoys to and from Newfoundland.

 

April to December

 

Deployment in WELF continued.

 

 

1 9 4 3

 

January

 

WLEF deployment in continuation.

 

February

 

Transferred to Western Support Force W1 for defence of Atlantic convoys

 

March

 

Transferred to Support Force W6 in continuation.

 

April to November

 

Atlantic convoy defence and support of Atlantic convoys with RCN ships of Group.

 

December

 

Nominated for return to RN service based in UK. (Note: Ex US Navy TOWN Class destroyer were being taken out of operational use as new construction escorts, eg CAPTAIN-Class Frigates being built in the USA and UK with other new British built escorts becoming available for use.)

 

Took passage from Canadian waters to UK with call at Horta in Azores.

 

 

1 9 4 4

 

January to February

 

Paid off, de-stored and reduced to Reserve status on arrival in Tyne.

 

March to December

 

Laid-up in Tyne pending decision on disposal

 

 

1 9 4 5

 

January to February

 

Laid-up in Tyne Placed on Disposal List.

 

March

 

21st - Sold to Clayton & Davie for demolition.

 

April

 

10th - Arrived in tow at breaker's yard in Dunston-on-Tyne.

 

 


 

Addendum

 

CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of HMS MONTGOMERY

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

         

18/01/41

18/01/41

OB 275

22/01/41

23/01/41

01/02/41

01/02/41

OB 281

05/02/41

05/02/41

25/01/41

06/02/41

HX 105

09/02/41

09/02/41

16/02/41

20/02/41

OB 287

21/02/41

21/02/41

09/02/41

24/02/41

HX 108

27/02/41

27/02/41

05/03/41

05/03/41

OB 294

09/03/41

09/03/41

18/02/41

10/03/41

SL 066

14/03/41

14/03/41

19/03/41

19/03/41

OB 299

24/03/41

25/03/41

11/03/41

24/03/41

HX 114

unknown

30/03/41

27/03/41

10/04/41

HX 117

15/04/41

15/04/41

04/09/41

12/09/41

HX 148

14/09/41

17/09/41

21/09/41

22/09/41

ON 019

27/09/41

07/10/41

22/09/41

01/10/41

HX 151

06/10/41

07/10/41

22/11/41

06/12/41

SC 056

08/12/41

10/12/41

       

 

 

 

 

 

and as HMCS MONTGOMERY

 

 

 

 

 

08/01/42

08/01/42

CT 009

14/01/42

15/01/42

11/02/42

11/02/42

NA 003

19/02/42

19/02/42

03/03/42

16/03/42

ON 072

18/03/42

19/03/42

24/03/42

24/03/42

SC 076

28/03/42

11/04/42

21/03/42

01/04/42

ON 078

09/04/42

09/04/42

20/04/42

20/04/42

HX 186

23/04/42

02/05/42

14/04/42

26/04/42

ON 086

unknown

29/04/42

14/05/42

14/05/42

SC 084

17/05/42

29/05/42

12/05/42

22/05/42

ON 094

26/05/42

25/05/42

29/05/42

29/05/42

BX 021

31/05/42

31/05/42

07/06/42

07/06/42

XB 024

09/06/42

09/06/42

10/06/42

10/06/42

BX 024

12/06/42

12/06/42

17/06/42

17/06/42

BX 025

20/06/42

20/06/42

28/06/42

28/06/42

XB 027

30/06/42

30/06/42

02/07/42

02/07/42

BX 027

04/07/42

04/07/42

05/07/42

05/07/42

XB 028

07/07/42

07/07/42


12/07/42

12/07/42

XB 029

14/07/42

14/07/42


15/07/42

15/07/42

BX 029

17/07/42

17/07/42

26/07/42

26/07/42

XB 031

unknown

28/07/42

30/07/42

30/07/42

BX 031

01/08/42

01/08/42

02/08/42

02/08/42

XB 032

04/08/42

04/08/42

05/08/42

05/08/42

BX 032

07/08/42

07/08/42

09/08/42

09/08/42

XB 033

11/08/42

11/08/42

14/08/42

14/08/42

BX 033

16/08/42

16/08/42

23/08/42

23/08/42

XB 035

25/08/42

25/08/42

30/08/42

30/08/42

XB 036

01/09/42

01/09/42

02/09/42

02/09/42

BX 036

04/09/42

04/09/42

06/09/42

06/09/42

XB 037

08/09/42

08/09/42

09/09/42

09/09/42

BX 037

11/09/42

11/09/42

04/09/42

18/09/42

ON 127

20/09/42

20/09/42

24/09/42

24/09/42

HX 209

27/09/42

09/10/42

01/10/42

04/10/42

HX 210

07/10/42

16/10/42

26/09/42

10/10/42

ON 134

14/10/42

17/10/42

11/10/42

28/10/42

ON 138

31/10/42

03/11/42

18/10/42

02/11/42

ON 140

07/11/42

07/11/42

11/11/42

11/11/42

HX 215

14/11/42

25/11/42

17/11/42

20/11/42

SC 110

24/11/42

06/12/42

27/11/42

02/12/42

HX 217

07/12/42

14/12/42

03/12/42

13/12/42

ON 151

18/12/42

23/12/42

03/02/43

10/02/43

SC 119

14/02/43

22/02/43

13/02/43

21/02/43

SC 120

23/02/43

05/03/43

11/02/43

23/02/43

ON 166

25/02/43

03/03/43

22/02/43

09/03/43

ON 169

12/03/43

21/03/43

20/03/43

29/03/43

SC 124

02/04/43

09/04/43

24/03/43

02/04/43

ON 175

08/04/43

16/04/43

31/03/43

13/04/43

ON 176

17/04/43

20/04/43

06/05/43

16/05/43

ON 182

22/05/43

22/05/43

31/05/43

31/05/43

HX 242

06/06/43

15/06/43

01/06/43

10/06/43

ON 187

13/06/43

15/06/43

08/07/43

08/07/43

HX 247

14/07/43

22/07/43

09/07/43

18/07/43

ON 192

21/07/43

22/07/43

23/07/43

25/07/43

HX 249

26/07/43

06/08/43

24/07/43

04/08/43

ON 194

07/08/43

07/08/43

14/08/43

14/08/43

HX 252

20/08/43

28/08/43

14/08/43

22/08/43

ON 197

25/08/43

28/08/43

03/09/43

06/09/43

SC 141

07/09/43

17/09/43

26/08/43

07/09/43

ON 199

09/09/43

09/09/43

16/09/43

16/09/43

HX 257

22/09/43

30/09/43

15/09/43

25/09/43

ON 202

28/09/43

01/10/43

09/10/43

22/10/43

ONS 020

26/10/43

26/10/43

26/10/43

26/10/43

XB 080

28/10/43

29/10/43

06/11/43

06/11/43

SC 146

09/11/43

22/11/43

04/11/43

17/11/43

ONS 022

22/11/43

22/11/43

20/11/43

22/11/43

XB 084

23/11/43

23/11/43

02/12/43

02/12/43

SC 148

06/12/43

16/12/43

11/10/43

11/10/44

SC 144

15/10/43

27/10/43

 

 

 

 

 

(Note on Convoys)

 

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revised 5/7/11
further editing is required


 

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