Type
A BELMONT-Class destroyer Ex-USS McALLA built by Bethlehem Steel at Quincy. Massachusetts USA. The ship was laid
down on 25th April 1918 and launched on 28th March 1919. Commissioned on 19th
May 1919 for service in the US Navy she had been transferred to Reserve by 1939
and laid -up. This destroyer was transferred to the Royal Navy on 3rd September
1940 under the UK/USA Lease Lend Agreement and commissioned as HMS STANLEY at
Halifax on 23rd October 1940. She was the 2nd RN ship to carry this name
introduced about 1778. In common with other ships of the Class she was named
after a town in the USA and of Urban Districts in Durham, Yorkshire as well as
a village in Perthshire, Scotland.
B a t t l e H o n o
u r
ATLANTIC 1941
H e r a l d i c D a
t a
Badge: On Field, Blue, an eagle's leg erased 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
October
23rd
Commissioned as HMS STANLEY at Halifax.
Prepared for passage to Devonport with call at St Johns, Newfoundland.
November During Atlantic
passage from St Johns developed machinery defects and had to
return to Newfoundland
6th Taken in
hand for repair at St Johns.
December Under repair
13th Took
passage from St Johns after post repair trials.
Delayed at Belfast.
1 9 4 1
January Passage to
Devonport after delay
2nd Arrived
at Devonport and taken in hand for repair and modification to suit RN
use
as a convoy escort.
(Note: State of equipment required extensive work and ship selected for use as a
Long Range
Escort.
Two
other sister ships HMS BRADFORD and HMS CLARE were also selected for
similar conversion, the later being done later by HM Dockyard at Devonport.
This
work involved removal of the two forward boilers and the associated funnel so
that
additional fuel could be carried in additional tanks. The space saved at higher
levels was
used
to provide additional accommodation and stowage for stores.
This
type of conversion reduced boiler power and therefore speed to 25 knots but
increased the ship's endurance which was an essential requirement for escorts
deployed
for
ocean passages
. The
conversion work also included fit of a new design of Bridge similar to that in
RN
destroyers.)
February Under
conversion.
to
Nominated for escort of Atlantic convoys to and from West Africa.
August (See Note
above.)
September On completion
of conversion carried out post refit trials and took passage
to join Liverpool Sloop
Division
(Note: Later this became 40th Escort Group.)
Worked-up for operational service.
Nominated for escort of military convoy in NW Approaches.
October Radar Type
271 had been fitted. See RADAR AT SEA by D Howse.
1st Joined
Convoy WS12 with HM Destroyer BLANKNEY.
(Note: The Local Escort also included HM Cruiser CAIRO, HM Destroyers
SIKH,
BADSWORTH, BRADFORD*, BRIGHTON*, LANCASTER*,
NEWARK*, VERITY, WHITEHALL and WITCH. * Sister Ex US Navy Destroyers)
7th Detached
from Escort with HMS BLANKNEY.
(Note: The other escorts detached earlier.
HM
Cruiser DEVONSHIRE was deployed as Ocean Escort until 12th October and
was
relieved by HM Cruiser DORSETSHIRE.
This
may have been part of the work-up period.)
After
detachment took passage to Liverpool and joined the Ex US Navy Coastguard
Cutters for deployment in 40th Escort Group.
(Note: Ships in Group included HM Cutters CULVER, GORLESTON, LANDGUARD,
LULWORTH and HM Sloop BIDEFORD.
Deployed as part of escort for Convoy OS 10 of 34 ships with HMS GORLESTON,
HMS
LULWORTH and HM Corvette VERBENA for passage to Freetown..
31st Under
attack by U96 which was successfully driven off by the escort.
November
1st Drove
off second attack on OS10 by U96 with HMS GORLESTON and HMS VERBENA by
depth
charge and surface gunfire.
(Note: U-Boat Group STOERTEBECKER Group which had been formed specifically for
concerted attacks against OS 10 after sighting by U96 was unable to carry out
the
intended offensive due to the weather conditions.)
After
arrival of OS 10 at Freetown deployed with ships of Group for escort of inward convoy
SL73
to UK
Took
passage to Gibraltar with escort of SL73.
(For
details of U-Boat deployments see U-BOAT WAR IN THE ATLANTIC (HMSO)
For
information about Atlantic convoy defence weapons and tactic see SEEK AND STRIKE
by W
Hackmann and THE BATTLE OF THE ATLANTIC by D Macintyre,)
Dates
of sailing of convoys are given in ALLIED CONVOY SYSTEM IN WW2 by
A
Hague.)
December After arrival
at Gibraltar nominated with ships of Group for escort of Convoy HG76 and
attached to 36th Escort Group
(Note: This Group was commanded by Commander F J Walker.
See
Final Special Note below.
Departure of this convoy had been delayed pending the arrival of additional
escorts.
14th Sailed
with the 58 ships of HG76 as part of escort from Gibraltar.
(Note: The other ships in the escort included HM Escort Carrier AVENGER,
HM
Sloops STORK (SO) and DEPTFORD, HM Destroyers BLANKNEY and
EXMOOR (ii), HM Corvette PENTSTEMON.
Eight
U-Boats had been formed as the SEERAUBER Group to carry co-ordinated
attacks on this convoy.)
15th Passage
as escort to HG76 with air cover provided by HMS AUDACITY.
Sighted KONDOR aircraft carrying out observation for future U-Boat attacks.
16th Ships of
Gibraltar Escort Force detached.
First
report of U-Boat activity in preparation for attack received from Admiralty
after
decrypted ENIGMA signals intercepted in UK.
17th Following
sighting of submarine by MARTLET aircraft from HMS
AVENGER detached
with
HMS BLANKNEY, HMS EXMOOR (ii) and HMS PENTSTEMON to carry out anti-
submarine operation in reported position.
Carried out depth charge attacks and joined by HMS STORK.
Anti-
submarine sweep carried with the other ships during which firm contact was made
further depth charge attack carried out.
Submarine, identified later as U131 surfaced and attacked by surface fire from
the five
escorts and MARTLET aircraft which was shot down by return fire from the
submarine.
After
several hits pressure hull was holed U131 was abandoned by crew and scuttled in
position 34.12N 13.35W off Cape St Vincent.
Took
part in rescue of 55 German survivors with the ships from HG76 escort.
(Note: The body of the MARTLET pilot was recovered by HMS STORK.)
Returned to convoy which was being shadowed by rest of SEERAUBE Group and took
up
position in screen.
18th Sighted
surfaced submarine and took part in anti-submarine hunt with HMS EXMOOR (ii),
HMS
BLANKNEY and HMS DEPTFORD.
(Note: Submarine dived when attackers sighted but sonar outfit defective and
unable to
make
contact.)
After
submarine detected by HMS BLANKNEY took part in depth charge attacks which
forced U434 to surface.
Ramming attempt by HMS BLANKNEY abandoned in order to board but scuttling
charges
had
been activated and submarine sank in position 36.15 N 15.48W before arrival of
boarding party from HMS BLANKNEY
Returned to HG76 and took up allocated screening position.
19th Whilst
deployed astern of convoy sighted submarine on surface and fired flare to
indicate
position to HMS STORK.
Hit
by torpedo fired by U574 and sank in position 38.12N 17.23W after a violent
explosion.
(Note: Only 25 of the ship's company survived.
U574
was sunk very soon after this loss when rammed by HMS
STORK which had
carried out depth charge attacks and forced the submarine to surface.
For
details see HITLER'S U-BOAT WAR by C Blair, THE BATTLE OF THE
ATLANTIC and U-BOATS DESTROYED by P Kemp
HMS
STORK sustained major structural damage to bow and her Sonar Dome was broken
away
from ship's structure by U574 when it sank after the ramming.)
Special Note
The
defence of HG76 was of very great significance since it proved the advantage of
having air cover provided by an auxiliary aircraft carrier attached to an
Escort Group. It also fully justified the deployment of a long range escort
with any ocean convoy. Most importantly it demonstrated the value of the
anti-submarine tactics practiced by Commander Walker which formed the basis of
future training. Later promoted Captain he was the most renowned U-Boat Hunter
of WW2. For details see FIGHTING CAPTAIN by A Burn and SEEK AND STRIKE.
Addendum
CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of HMS STANLEY
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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25/10/41
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01/11/41
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OS 010
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14/11/41
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18/11/41
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18/11/41
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18/11/41
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SL 093
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24/11/41
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10/12/41
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30/11/41
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30/11/41
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SL 094
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05/12/41
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30/12/41
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14/12/41
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14/12/41
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HG 076
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19/12/41
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30/12/41
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(Note on Convoys)
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