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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 SHERWOOD (I 80) - ex-US Destroyer
including Convoy Escort Movements

Edited by Gordon Smith, Naval-History.Net

 HMS Sherwood as USS Rodgers (Len McCartney, click to enlarge)

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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

 

 

 

 

 

Date convoy sailed

Joined convoy as escort

Convoy No.

Left convoy

Date convoy arrived

 

 

 

 

 

23/03/41

14/04/41

SL 069

16/04/41

unknown

22/04/41

23/04/41

OB 313

28/04/41

28/04/41

09/04/41

28/04/41

SL 071

04/05/41

04/05/41

16/06/41

16/06/41

OB 335

24/06/41

02/07/41

21/06/41

26/06/41

TC 011

28/06/41

30/06/41

20/06/41

04/07/41

HX 134

09/07/41

09/07/41

09/10/41

14/10/41

TC 014

17/10/41

17/10/41

11/10/41

23/10/41

SC 049

27/10/41

27/10/41

22/11/41

22/11/41

CT 007

02/12/41

02/12/41

21/11/41

22/11/41

ON 039

27/11/41

04/12/41

15/12/41

22/12/41

TC 016

unknown

25/12/41

31/12/41

03/01/42

ON 052

05/01/42

11/01/42

27/12/41

09/01/42

SC 062

12/01/42

12/01/42

16/10/42

18/10/42

ON 139

22/10/42

01/11/42

01/11/42

08/11/42

SC 108

19/11/42

19/11/42

26/11/42

27/11/42

ON 149

01/12/42

12/12/42

12/12/42

19/12/42

SC 113

28/12/42

02/01/43

11/01/43

12/01/43

ON 160

01/02/43

04/02/43

30/01/43

05/02/43

HX 225

13/02/43

13/02/43

14/03/43

14/03/43

KMS 011G

24/03/43

28/03/43

23/03/43

27/03/43

MKS 010

05/04/43

05/04/43

 

 

 

 

 

(Note on Convoys) 

 


 

 

HMS SHERWOOD in US NAVY SERVICE

by Len McCartney

 

 

My late father was with the American Navy crew which transferred the USS Rodgers, DD 254, to the British Navy in 1940. I do not have any ID on the two British sailors but they must have been among the initial crew of the HMS Sherwood, probably engine room crewmen since my father held the WT2c (Water Tender) rating.

The second photograph  is the Rodgers DD254 tied up at Morehead, South Carolina about that same time late Summer/Fall, 1940. This photo shows just how small this class was and how little freeboard existed. I also have a sequence of photos of the aftermath of a storm at sea aboard possibly the Rodgers but most likely the Peary DD 226. These show rigging damage and the decks still awash in heavy seas. If it's the Peary, the deck gun is shown clearly in several views. This would have been between Sep 1937 and Sep 1939 in the Pacific.

 

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revised 15/8/11
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