Ex-USS RODGERS (Type A –
BELMONT-Class) built by Bethlehem Steel, Quincy. The ship was laid down on 25th
September 1918 and launched on 26th April 1919. Commissioned on 22nd July 1919 for US
naval service she was held in Reserve in 1939.-The ship transferred to the RN
under the UK/US Lend Lease Agreement in 1940 and commissioned as HMS SHERWOOD
on 23rd October 1940 at Halifax
in Canada. This
name is common to a town in California,
USA and a
suburb of the city of Nottingham.
It had not previously been used for an RN warship. After a successful
WARSHIP WEEK National Savings campaign in March 1942 she was
adopted by the civil community of Bloefield and Flegg, Norfolk.
B a t t l e H o n o
u r s
ATLANTIC
1941-43 - NORTH
SEA
1943
H e r a l d i c D a
t a
Badge: On a Field barry wavy of six White and Blue. Badge, a stag
lodged Red
with Gold antlers within a wreath of oak Gold, the wreath
charged in base
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
October Prepared for
transfer and passage to Halifax
manned by US Navy.
3rd
Commissioned as HMS SHERWOOD at Halifax.
November Sailed from
Halifax for St Johns.
During Atlantic crossing from Newfoundland diverted to search for survivors from
HM Armed
Merchant Cruiser JERVIS BAY sunk by German warship ADMIRAL SCHEER.
(See
ARMED MERCHANT CRUISERS by K Poolman, ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE
CLOSELY by C Barnett)
Developed machinery defects and returned to St Johns.
7th Arrived
at St Johns.
12th On
completion of repairs took passage to Portsmouth.
(Note: Refit had been changed to
Portsmouth instead of Devonport which was used the refit and
modifications carried out on arrival of most of the destroyers ships transferred
from US Navy.)
26th Arrived
at Portsmouth
and taken in hand for refit and modifications to suit RN service as a
convoy escort..
December Under refit and
modification by HM Dockyard, Portsmouth
1 9 4 1
January Under refit
to
Nominated for service with 12th Escort Group based in Iceland.
February
March
11th Damaged
during air raid at Portsmouth.
Transferred to Devonport for completion of dockyard work.
April
4th Refit
work completed.
On
completion of post refit trials took passage to join Group in Iceland
May Deployed
for mid-Atlantic convoy defence based in Iceland.
25th Diverted
to join Home Fleet ships during search for German battleship
BISMARCK.
28th Deployed
with HM Destroyer TARTAR to assist in the rescue of survivors from HM Destroyer
MASHONA which had been sunk by German air attack after loss of BISMARCK.
(See
PURSUIT by L Kennedy, ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY by C Barnett and
Naval
Staff History.)
31st Joined
military convoy WS8X in Clyde with HM Destroyers BRIGHTON, LEGION, ST MARY'S,
VANSITTART, WILD SWAN, WIVERN, SAGUENAY (RCN) and Polish destroyer PIORUN as
Local
Escort during
passage in NW Approaches.
June Detached
from WS8X with Local Escort and returned to Clyde.
Deployed in NW Approaches for convoy defence.
July Intended
service with Newfoundland Escort Force delayed by defects
. Taken
in hand for refit in Clyde commercial
shipyard.
August Under refit.
October On
completion of post repair trials joined Escort Group at Londonderry and deployed
in NW
Approaches.
November Transferred to
22nd Escort Group in continuation.
December
9th Joined
military convoy WS14 in Clyde with HM Destroyers BEVERLEY, CROOME,. NEWARK,
LANCASTER, WESTCOTT, WITHERINGTON and HM AA Ship ULSTER QUEEN as Local
Escort for passage in NW Approaches.
(Note: HM Destroyers FOXHOUND, GURKHA and NESTOR (RAN) also joined as Ocean Escort
during
passage to Freetown.
12th
Detached from WS14 with Local Escort, and returned to
Clyde.
1 9 4 2
January Deployed in
NW approaches for convoy defence.
27th Sustained
structural damage in heavy weather.
February On completion
of repair resumed convoy defence duties at Londonderry.
Escorted HM Aircraft Carried FORMIDABLE during trials in NW Approaches.
March During
Londonderry service escorted HM Aircraft Carrier ILLUSTRIOUS during trials
in NW
Approaches.
Taken
in hand for Boiler re-tubing.
April Under
repair at Liverpool in commercial shipyard.
to
July
August
25th On
completion of post refit trials took passage to Tobermory to work-up for
operational service.
September Worked-up for
operational service.
Nominated for temporary service as an Air Target Ship in Cromarty Firth for
training of aircrew in
torpedo attacks on shipping.
(Note: It is unlikely that any major conversions for this duty were undertaken.)
October Deployed as
an Air Target Vessel in Cromarty area.
(Note: This deployment may suggest a deterioration in ships condition.)
Allocated for convoy defence with Newfoundland Escort
Force and took passage to
St. Johns.
November Deployed at St
Johns for Atlantic convoy defence.
December Atlantic convoy
defence with Newfoundland Escort Force in continuation.
1 9 4 3
January Atlantic
convoy defence in continuation including service with C2 Canadian Group.
to
February
March Returned to
UK and deployed
for convoy escort between UK and Gibraltar.
Availability restricted due to defects and ship laid up at Londonderry pending
survey.
April On survey
declared beyond economic repair.
Withdrawn from operational service.
Passage to Chatham for removal of useful items for repair of sister ships.
May Paid off
at Chatham.
to To be
placed on Disposal List and used as a static target for aircraft rocket attacks
August
September Joined convoy
FN160 in tow of tug SEA GIANT for passage to
Humber.
October Beached in
approaches to Humber for use as target
P o s
t W a r N o t e s
The hulk
of HMS SHERWOOD was disposed of by the RN in 1946 as part of the Wreck Disposal
Programme.
Addendum
CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of HMS SHERWOOD
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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23/03/41
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14/04/41
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SL 069
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16/04/41
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unknown
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22/04/41
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23/04/41
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OB 313
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28/04/41
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28/04/41
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09/04/41
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28/04/41
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SL 071
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04/05/41
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04/05/41
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16/06/41
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16/06/41
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OB 335
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24/06/41
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02/07/41
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21/06/41
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26/06/41
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TC 011
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28/06/41
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30/06/41
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20/06/41
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04/07/41
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HX 134
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09/07/41
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09/07/41
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09/10/41
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14/10/41
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TC 014
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17/10/41
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17/10/41
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11/10/41
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23/10/41
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SC 049
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27/10/41
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27/10/41
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22/11/41
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22/11/41
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CT 007
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02/12/41
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02/12/41
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21/11/41
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22/11/41
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ON 039
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27/11/41
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04/12/41
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15/12/41
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22/12/41
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TC 016
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unknown
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25/12/41
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31/12/41
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03/01/42
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ON 052
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05/01/42
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11/01/42
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27/12/41
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09/01/42
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SC 062
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12/01/42
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12/01/42
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16/10/42
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18/10/42
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ON 139
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22/10/42
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01/11/42
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01/11/42
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08/11/42
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SC 108
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19/11/42
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19/11/42
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26/11/42
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27/11/42
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ON 149
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01/12/42
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12/12/42
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12/12/42
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19/12/42
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SC 113
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28/12/42
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02/01/43
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11/01/43
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12/01/43
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ON 160
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01/02/43
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04/02/43
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30/01/43
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05/02/43
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HX 225
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13/02/43
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13/02/43
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14/03/43
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14/03/43
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KMS 011G
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24/03/43
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28/03/43
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23/03/43
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27/03/43
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MKS 010
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05/04/43
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05/04/43
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(Note on Convoys)
HMS SHERWOOD in US NAVY SERVICE
by Len McCartney
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