Ex-USS FOOTE (Type C - ANNAPOLIS-Class) built by Bethlehem Steel, Fore River and laid down on 7 August 1918 and launched on
14th December that year. Build completed on
21st March 1919. She was transferred to the RN under the US/UK Lend Lease Agreement on 3rd
September 1940.
When the ship
commissioned at Halifax on 23rd September 1940 she still carried
her original name. The formal date for renaming was 2nd
October when she became HMS ROXBOROUGH. The town in North Carolina, USA is ROXBORO and that in Scotland
is named
ROXBURGH with a compromise name ROXBOROUGH being given to the RN destroyer. However the name used
previously for an RN ship was ROXBURGH, a cruiser built in 1904 and sold in 1921. This Ex US Navy destroyer was not adopted by a civil community in
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
H e r a l d i c D a t a
There is no Crest recorded in
the official Record of Heraldic Crests for RN ships,
either for HM Cruiser ROXBURGH or HM Destroyer
ROXBOROUGH.
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 and took passage to Halifax.
23rd
Commissioned at Halifax with the second batch of eight transferred destroyers.
(Note: Commissioned as HMS FOOTE)
Prepared for passage to
UK.
29th Took
passage from Halifax for UK.
October
4th
Formally renamed HMS ROXBOROUGH.
Returned to Halifax for repair of defects.
10th Taken
in hand for repair on arrival at Halifax.
November Under
repair.
December Post repair
trials and prepared for passage to UK via Newfoundland.
7th Took
passage to Devonport.
27th Taken
in hand for repair and modification to suit RN use as convoy escort
1 9 4 1
January Under
repair by HM Dockyard, Devonport.
to
(Note: Stage 1 Refit included:
February Removal of
mainmast and reduction of the height of foremast.
Removal of after gun mountings and replacement with since 12pdr HA gun.
Removal of the after two beam mounted torpedo tubes.
Installation of British design Depth Charge Throwers.
Fit of RN ASDIC Outfit if US Navy Sonar not fitted.
Addition of RN design ASDIC Recorders to existing US Navy outfit.
Allocated for service with 2nd Escort Group after completion.
March Under
repair and refit. Harbour trials
18th
Passage to join Group after post refit trials.
27th
Deployed with Group for escort of Convoy OB305 from Liverpool during passage in
NW
Approaches.
Based at Londonderry.
(Note: OB Series convoys from Liverpool were instituted in September 1939.
They were replaced by ON Series in October 1941.
April
1st
Under threat of attack by U76 which failed.
(See HITLER’S U-BOAT WAR by C Blair, Volume 1)
May
Atlantic convoy defence with Group in continuation.
June
Transferred to 4th Escort Group in continuation of NW Approaches convoy defence.
Group was based at Greenock.
(Note: Other ships in Group were:
HM
Destroyers HIGHLANDER, WINCHELSEA and BEVERLEY.
HM
Corvettes BORAGE, ABELIA, ANEMONE, PENNYWORT, ASPHODEL and
CLOVER.
July
Atlantic service with Group in continuation.
27th Taken
in hand for refit in Clyde shipyard.
August Under
refit.
September Carried out
post refit trials.
22nd Resumed
convoy defence with Group.
October Atlantic
convoy defence in continuation
(Note: Group escorted Convoys ON26 and SC49 without loss during this period.
For details of weapons and tactics used in the Battle of the Atlantic See THE
BATTLE OF
THE ATLANTIC by D Macintyre, HITLER’S U-BOAT WAR, SEEK AND STRIKE by W
Hackmann and U-BOAT WAR IN THE ATLANTIC (HM30) .
For information of dates of sailing for convoys and losses see ALLIED CONVOY
SYSTEM
IN
WW2.)
November Nominated
for transfer to Western Local Escort Force based at Halifax.
(Note: Group escorted Convoys HX158 and ONS33 without loss during this period.
Canadian Groups included both RCN and RN ships.)
December Prepared for
service in Canada.
16th Took
passage to Halifax as part of escort by 6th Escort Group for Convoy ON47.
Remained with convoy which was escorted by US 3rd Escort Group from the Western
Meeting
Point.
On
arrival joined Western Escort Force but unable to begin duties due to extent
of defects requiring
immediate attention.
1 9 4 2
January Passage
to Charlestown, South Carolina for repairs and refit.
12th Taken
in hand for repair.
February Under
repair.
March
26th
Passage to Halifax on completion of post repair trials.
April
Deployed for coastal convoy defence based at Halifax.
to
May
June
Coastal convoy escort in continuation.
24th
Sustained structural damage after running aground off Chebogue.
Repair arranged at Norfolk, Virginia USA.
July Under
repair in Norfolk Navy Yard
to
August
September
9th On
completion of post refit trials took passage to Halifax.
Resumed convoy escort duties based at Halifax.
October Deployed
for escort of Atlantic convoys.
to
(Note: Available evidence suggests deployment was primarily coastal waters.
November
December Part of
local escort for Convoy HX222.
1 9 4 3
January During
escort of Convoy HX222 sustained major structural damage in heavy weather.
Bridge structure was badly damaged causing death of eleven of ship's company.
These included Captain and First Lieutenant.
Passage to St Johns Newfoundland using emergency hand steering under command of
sole
surviving officer a Canadian Sub-Lieutenant.
February Under
repair at St Johns to allow passage to Charlestown to complete work.
March Under
repair at Charlestown.
April On
completion of post refit trials took passage to resume convoy escort duties at
Halifax with
Western Escort Force.
May
Deployed off Eastern coast of USA and Canada for convoy escort.
to
Future service under consideration.
November
December Nominated
for return to UK.
Passage from Halifax to St Johns.
31st
Sailed from St Johns for return to Tyne.
1 9 4 4
January
10th
Arrived in Tyne estuary,
Paid off and de-stored prior to retention in Reserve.
February Laid-up in
Tyne
to
Transferred on loan to Soviet Northern Fleet.
June
July
Prepared for operational service. Russian crew arrived
August
10th
Transferred to Soviet Navy and renamed DOBLESTINI.
On
completion of Sea trials took passage to Scapa Flow.
17th Sailed
from Scapa Flow with other ships being transferred.
Joined Convoy JW59 for passage to Kola Inlet.
(Note: Other ships transferred included battleship ARKHANGELSKI,
Ex
HMS RESOLUTION
and seven other TOWN Class destroyers.)
25th
Arrived at Kola Inlet
September Deployed
with Northern Fleet for convoy defence duties in Arctic waters.
to
December
1 9 4 5
January Arctic
convoy defence in continuation.
to
May
June
Deployed with Russian Northern Fleet.
to
August
P o s t W a r
N o t e s
HMS ROXBOROUGH remained on loan to Soviet Navy as DOBLESTINI until
1949. The ship returned to Rosyth on 7th February that year and reverted to RN
control. She was placed on the Disposal List after being de-stored was sold to
BISCO for demolition by Clayton and Davie on 5th April 1949 arriving later
under tow at the breaker’s yard.
Addendum
CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of HMS ROXBOROUGH
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
|
|
|
|
|
|
02/04/41
|
03/04/41
|
OB 305
|
06/04/41
|
06/04/41
|
24/03/41
|
06/04/41
|
HG 057
|
09/04/41
|
11/04/41
|
23/03/41
|
14/04/41
|
SL 069
|
16/04/41
|
unknown
|
23/04/41
|
24/04/41
|
OB 314
|
28/04/41
|
30/04/41
|
16/04/41
|
28/04/41
|
HX 121
|
30/04/41
|
03/05/41
|
08/05/41
|
09/05/41
|
OB 320
|
13/05/41
|
14/05/41
|
29/04/41
|
15/05/41
|
SC 030
|
18/05/41
|
20/05/41
|
30/04/41
|
18/05/41
|
HX 124
|
20/05/41
|
20/05/41
|
04/06/41
|
05/06/41
|
OG 064
|
08/06/41
|
18/06/41
|
17/05/41
|
09/06/41
|
SL 075
|
12/06/41
|
13/06/41
|
30/05/41
|
16/06/41
|
SL 076
|
21/06/41
|
21/06/41
|
20/06/41
|
04/07/41
|
HX 134
|
09/07/41
|
09/07/41
|
16/07/41
|
18/07/41
|
OB 347
|
22/07/41
|
31/07/41
|
11/07/41
|
23/07/41
|
HX 138
|
26/07/41
|
27/07/41
|
06/08/41
|
08/08/41
|
ON 004
|
12/08/41
|
18/08/41
|
21/09/41
|
22/09/41
|
ON 019
|
27/09/41
|
07/10/41
|
22/09/41
|
01/10/41
|
HX 151
|
05/10/41
|
07/10/41
|
11/10/41
|
23/10/41
|
SC 049
|
27/10/41
|
27/10/41
|
03/11/41
|
04/11/41
|
ON 033
|
08/11/41
|
23/11/41
|
03/11/41
|
13/11/41
|
HX 158
|
17/11/41
|
18/11/41
|
15/12/41
|
16/12/41
|
ON 047
|
23/12/41
|
23/12/41
|
05/04/42
|
05/04/42
|
SC 078
|
09/04/42
|
22/04/42
|
04/04/42
|
15/04/42
|
ON 083
|
17/04/42
|
17/04/42
|
26/04/42
|
26/04/42
|
HX 187
|
29/04/42
|
08/05/42
|
21/04/42
|
03/05/42
|
ON 088
|
06/05/42
|
08/05/42
|
24/05/42
|
24/05/42
|
HX 191
|
28/05/42
|
06/06/42
|
19/05/42
|
01/06/42
|
ON 096
|
07/06/42
|
07/06/42
|
08/06/42
|
08/06/42
|
BX 023A
|
10/06/42
|
10/06/42
|
14/06/42
|
14/06/42
|
HX 194
|
17/06/42
|
26/06/42
|
09/06/42
|
20/06/42
|
ON 102
|
24/06/42
|
25/06/42
|
19/07/42
|
19/07/42
|
XB 030
|
21/07/42
|
21/07/42
|
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
|
12/09/42
|
28/09/42
|
ON 130
|
30/09/42
|
30/09/42
|
03/10/42
|
03/10/42
|
SC 104
|
07/10/42
|
21/10/42
|
11/10/42
|
15/10/42
|
SC 105
|
18/10/42
|
31/10/42
|
11/10/42
|
22/10/42
|
ON 137
|
26/10/42
|
29/10/42
|
11/10/42
|
31/10/42
|
ON 138
|
03/11/42
|
03/11/42
|
09/11/42
|
09/11/42
|
SC 109
|
12/11/42
|
30/11/42
|
11/11/42
|
13/11/42
|
HX 215
|
17/11/42
|
25/11/42
|
07/11/42
|
20/11/42
|
ON 144
|
25/11/42
|
27/11/42
|
25/11/42
|
04/12/42
|
SC 111
|
08/12/42
|
17/12/42
|
19/12/42
|
27/12/42
|
SC 114
|
28/12/42
|
07/01/43
|
06/01/43
|
11/01/43
|
HX 222
|
14/01/43
|
22/01/43
|
02/05/43
|
02/05/43
|
SC 129
|
06/05/43
|
21/05/43
|
29/04/43
|
14/05/43
|
ONS 006
|
17/05/43
|
17/05/43
|
17/05/43
|
17/05/43
|
XB 053
|
18/05/43
|
19/05/43
|
26/05/43
|
26/05/43
|
SC 132
|
29/05/43
|
11/06/43
|
28/05/43
|
07/06/43
|
ONS 009
|
11/06/43
|
09/06/43
|
10/06/43
|
23/06/43
|
ON 188
|
26/06/43
|
26/06/43
|
30/06/43
|
30/06/43
|
HX 246
|
06/07/43
|
14/07/43
|
01/07/43
|
07/07/43
|
ON 191
|
14/07/43
|
15/07/43
|
09/07/43
|
20/07/43
|
ON 192
|
22/07/43
|
22/07/43
|
30/07/43
|
30/07/43
|
HX 250
|
01/08/43
|
12/08/43
|
08/08/43
|
19/08/43
|
ON 196
|
21/08/43
|
21/08/43
|
27/08/43
|
27/08/43
|
HX 254
|
02/09/43
|
12/09/43
|
26/08/43
|
04/09/43
|
ON 199
|
09/09/43
|
09/09/43
|
18/10/43
|
28/10/43
|
ON 207
|
31/10/43
|
04/11/43
|
31/10/43
|
02/11/43
|
HX 264
|
05/11/43
|
17/11/43
|
31/10/43
|
09/11/43
|
ON 209
|
09/11/43
|
17/11/43
|
|
|
|
|
|
(Note on Convoys)
|