Ex USS FAIRFAX (Type B - CALDWELL Class) built by Mare
Island Navy Yard. The ship was launched en 15th December 1917. Build was
completed on 6th April 1918 and the ship was held in Reserve in 1939.
Transferred under the UK/US Lend Lease Agreement on 26th November 1940. and the
ship commissioned into RN service as HMS RICHMOND on 5th December 1940. This
name is common to one town in Indiana USA and two in UK. This name was introduced in
1660 for a 5th Rate formerly named WAKEFIELD and had last been used by a
trawler requisition during WW1. Following a successful WARSHIP WEEK National
Savings campaign in February 1942 she was appropriately adopted by the civil
community of Richmond in Surrey.
B a t t l e H o n o u r s
QUEBEC
1759 - HAVANA 1762 - CHESAPEAKE 1781 - ATLANTIC 1941-43 - ARCTIC 1942
H e r a l d i c D a t a
Badge: On a Field Blue, a Portcullis winged 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
November
Prepared for transfer and took passage to Halifax.
26th - Taken in custody by Royal Canadian Navy pending arrival of Royal
Navy personnel.
December
5th - Commissioned as HMS RICHMOND at Halifax.
Took passage for Devonport via Newfoundland. Under repair at St Johns,
Newfoundland.
1 9 4 1
January
Under repair
25th - On passage to Devonport
February
1st - Taken in hand for refit by HM Dockyard Devonport after arrival. (Note: Work done included
modifications to suit RN use as convoy escort.)
March
Under refit.
16th - On completion worked up for operational deployment in SW Approaches.
Grounded at Holyhead during
passage to Liverpool for escort duty. Repair arranged in Commercial shipyard at Southampton. Passage to Southampton for
repair.
April to May
Under repair.
Allocated for
duty with 17th Escort Group based in Newfoundland. Took passage to Clyde to join military convoy
June
3rd - Deployed with HM Cruiser CAIRO, HM Destroyers COSSACK, MAORI,
OTTAWA (RCN), RAMSEY,
RESTIGOUCHE (RCN), SIKH, VANQUISHER, WINCHELSEA and ZULU as Local Escort for Convoy WS9A
during passage in Western Approaches.
7th - Detached from WS9A and took independent passage to Group at St
Johns.
July to September
Deployed with Group for convoy escort between eastern American coast and
the Mid Atlantic
Meeting Point.
Allocated for
refit in UK
October
Passage to UK for refit
29th - Taken in for refit in commercial shipyard at Cardiff. (Note: This included further
modifications to suit deployment as convoy escort.)
November to December
Under refit.
1 9 4 2
January to February
Under refit.
Allocated for
duty with 27th Escort Group based at Greenock.
March
On completion worked-up for operational service at Tobermory and joined
Group.
26th - Joined HM Destroyers AMBUSCADE, BULLDOG, Polish ORP BLYSKAWICA
and HM Trawler TANGO
at Oban for escort for Russian Convoy at during passage to Iceland. (For details of all Russian
Convoy operations see CONVOYS TO RUSSIA by RA Ruegg, ARCTIC CONVOYS by R Woodman, THE RUSSIAN CONVOYS by B
Schoefield and CONVOY ! by P
Kemp).
April
In collision with US mercantile FRANCIS SCOTT KEY and sustained major
damage. Towed to
Iceland for temporary repair.
May
Taken in tow for passage to Liverpool on completion.
June to July
Under permanent repair.
Allocated for duty with Western Atlantic Escort Force based at Halifax.
August
On completion of post repair trials carried out work-up at Tobermory.
Passage to Halifax to resume
service in western Atlantic.
September
1st - Joined Escort Force at Halifax for convoy defence
October to December
Deployment based at Halifax in continuation.
1 9 4 3
January
Halifax deployment in continuation.
February
Involved in collision with mercantile ss REINHOLT. Passage to UK for repair.
March
18th - Taken in hand for repair in commercial shipyard at Liverpool.
April
Under repair.
May
31st - On completion of post refit trials prepared for service at
Halifax.
June
Passage to rejoin Escort Force at Halifax. Resumed convoy defence in western Atlantic.
B e l i e v e d S t a r t o f S e r v i c e a s H M C S R I C H M O N D
July to November
Convoy defence in Canadian waters based at Halifax in continuation.
Nominated for withdrawal from
operational service. (Note:
Increasing unreliability of machinery in this Class of warship and requirements
for personnel to
man new construction escort made this an acceptable option.)
December
Passage to UK via Azores.
27th - Paid off and de-stored.
R e v e r t e d t o R o y a l N a v y S e r v i c e
1 9 4 4
January to May
Laid up in Tyne.
Allocated for transfer to Russia in lieu of captured Italian warship
tonnage.
June
Under refit at Palmer's Yard, Hebburn-on Tyne for service in Soviet
Navy.
July
Russian personnel joined.
16th - Transferred to Russian Navy and renamed ZHIVUCHI.
T r a n s f e r t o R u s s i a n N a v y
August
Passage to Scapa Flow to join Russian Squadron.
17th - Joined Russian Convoy JW59 for passage to Kola Inlet with Russian
battleship ARCHANGELSK (Ex HMS ROYAL SOVEREIGN), seven other Ex US Navy sister destroyers and 12
Russian manned Ex US
Navy PT boats being transferred for Soviet navy deployment.,
24th - Joined Russian Northern Fleet after detachment from JW59.
September to December
Service with Russian Northern Fleet as ZHIVUCHI.
1 9 4 5
January to August
Soviet naval service in continuation based in North Russia.
P o s t W a r N o t e s
ZHIVUCHI was returned to the RN
at Rosyth on 24th September 1949 and resumed her
former name. HMS RICHMOND. She was immediately placed on the Disposal List and
sold to BISCO for demolition by G W Brunton and arrived in tow at the
breaker’s yard at Grangemouth on 29th July that year.
Addendum
CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of HMS
RICHMOND
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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10/06/41
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16/06/41
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HX 132
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23/06/41
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28/06/41
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10/06/41
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16/06/41
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SC 034
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22/06/41
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29/06/41
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26/06/41
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02/07/41
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OB 339
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09/07/41
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12/07/41
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12/07/41
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15/07/41
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SC 037
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23/07/41
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28/07/41
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11/07/41
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16/07/41
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HX 138
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23/07/41
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27/07/41
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26/07/41
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31/07/41
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ON 001
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09/08/41
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09/08/41
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26/08/41
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26/08/41
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TC 012B
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27/08/41
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01/09/41
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04/09/41
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07/09/41
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HX 148
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11/09/41
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17/09/41
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17/09/41
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21/09/41
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ON 017
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24/09/41
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29/09/41
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29/09/41
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04/10/41
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SC 047
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12/10/41
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20/10/41
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05/10/41
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16/10/41
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SC 048
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20/10/41
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22/10/41
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27/03/42
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27/03/42
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UR 017
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31/03/42
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31/03/42
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and as HMCS RICHMOND
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21/08/43
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22/08/43
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ON 198
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29/08/43
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04/09/43
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20/08/43
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29/08/43
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ONS 016
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01/09/43
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01/09/43
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02/09/43
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04/09/43
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HX 255
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06/09/43
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16/09/43
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15/09/43
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15/09/43
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SC 142
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19/09/43
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29/09/43
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12/09/43
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25/09/43
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ONS 018
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29/09/43
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29/09/43
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29/09/43
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29/09/43
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XB 076
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01/10/43
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01/10/43
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27/09/43
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12/10/43
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ON 204
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15/10/43
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15/10/43
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18/10/43
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18/10/43
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HX 262
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24/10/43
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02/11/43
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18/10/43
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28/10/43
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ON 207
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31/10/43
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04/11/43
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(Note on Convoys)
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