Ex-USS TILLMAN (Type B -
CALDWELL-Class) built by Bath Iron Works. The ship was laid down on
29th July 1918 and launched on 7th July 1919. Commissioned on 30th April 1921 for service in the US Navy
and was held in Reserve in 1939. The ship transferred to the RN under the 1940
UK/US Land-Lease Agreement on 5th December 1940 and commissioned as HMS
WELLS on that date at Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. This name was cannon to
towns in Somerset and Nevada, USA and previously had been used
for an RN Cutter in 1764. There is no record of an adoption by any UK civil community following a
successful WARSHIP WEEK National Savings campaign during 1941-42.
B a t
t l e H o n o
u r s
ATLANTIC 1940-42 - ARCTIC 1942 -
NORTH SEA 1943-44
H e r a l d i c D a t a
Badge:On a Field Blue, issuant from
the base a well White,
thereon a hurt charged with a mullet also
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 to RN control.
Passage to Halifax manned by US Navy personnel.
December
5th
Commissioned into RN as HMS WELLS at Halifax.
9th
Sustained damage when lying alongside jetty in Halifax with two other destroyers
(Note: One of these
other ships moved under power whilst still secured, thus causing a
collision with sister ship HMS
NEWMARKET and the dockside wall.
Taken
in hand for repair at St .John New Brunswick in dry dock.
27th Returned
to Halifax.
(Note: Local community provided generous local hospitality to ship’s company.).
1 9 4 1
January Prepared for
passage to UK and
sailed for Newfoundland.
During passage sustained structural damage in
Hurricane force winds and significant icing of
equipment on foc'sle which affected stability.
Ship manoeuvred with skill and returned to
Halifax for repair.
February Under repair at Halifax.
4th Took
passage from Halifax after completion of repair to storm damage repair.
(Note: One source states that ship broke down on passage and returned under tow by
HMS
NEWARK to Halifax for further repair work).
Sailed on completion for St. Johns, Newfoundland
for repair of defects found during
March On
completion took passage from St. Johns to Plymouth.
(Note: During passage 500 miles west of Ireland ship broke down and was disabled for
some
time but resumed passage after repair work.)
9th Arrived
at Plymouth and taken in hand for modifications to suit RN requirements by for
use
as a
convoy escort.
Allocated for service with 1st Minelaying Squadron based at Kyle of Lochalsh.
April Under
refit by HM Dockyard, Devonport.
13th Joined
Squadron at Kyle of Lochalsh.
(Note: Although primarily required for escort of Auxiliary Minelayers during mining
operations
in
Atlantic Northern Barrage ship was detached when available for escort of convoys
in
NW
Approaches).
May Deployed
at Kyle of Lochalsh and detached for escort of convoys between UK and Iceland.
June
16th Escorted
HM Auxiliary Minelayers AGAMEMNON and MENESTHEUS with HM Destroyers
BRIGHTON, CASTLETON and ST MARY'S during Northern Barrage minelay.
(Operation SN66)
(Note: HM Cruiser KENYA provided
cover)
25th Escorted
HMS AGAMEMNON and HMS MENESTHEUS with same destroyers during further
minelay in Northern Barrage (Operation SN70B).
Stood
by HMS BRIGHTON after she had collided with HM Cruiser KENYA which was providing
cover
for the operation.
29th Joined HM
Cruiser CAIRO, HM Destroyers CASTLETON,
ST FRANCIS, VANQUISHER,
WINCHELSEA, WOLVERINE, READING, Polish destroyers ORP GARLAND and ORP
PIORUN for Local Escort of military convoy WS9B during passage in NW Approaches.
July
1st
Detached from WS9B and returned to Clyde with Local Escort.
(Note
HM Cruiser EDINBURGH was deployed as Ocean Escort for WS9B)
9th Escorted
HM Auxiliary Minelayers PORT QUEBEC, AGAMEMNON, MENESTHEUS and
SOUTHERN PRINCE with HM Destroyer CASTLETON for further minelay in Northern
Barrage.
.
(Operation SN67A).
August Squadron
deployment and detached service for Atlantic convoy escort.
September
3rd Taken in
hand for repair and refit at Humber shipyard.
October Under
repair.
November Under refit and
post refit trials.
25th On
completion took passage to Tobermory before resuming Squadron duties at Kyle
of Lochalsh.
December Deployed at
Tobermory for work-up
Resumed Squadron duty.
1 9 4 2
January Squadron
deployment in continuation.
9th Escorted
HM Minelaying Cruiser ADVENTURE for Northern Barrage minelay off
Cape Wrath with
HM
Destroyer NEWARK (Operation SN15A).
February Squadron
duties in continuation.
16th Escorted
HM Auxiliary Minelayers MENESTHEUS, AGAMEMNON and PORT QUEBEC during
Northern Barrage minelay with HM Destroyers LANCASTER, SOMALI and VANQUISHER.
(Operation SN84)
28th Escorted
sane ships and HM Auxiliary Minelayer SOUTHERN PRINCE for minelay in Northern
Barrage with HM Destroyers LANCASTER and SKATE
(Operation SN85).
(Note: HMS SKATE detached because of weather conditions).
March Detached for
duty with Home Fleet providing cover for Russian convoy.
1st
Deployed with HMS LANCASTER of Squadron and Joined Hone Fleet destroyers for
screening
of HM
Battleships. DUKE OF YORK and KING GEORGE V, HM Battlecruiser RENOWN,
HM
Aircraft Carrier VICTORIOUS and HM Cruisers BERWICK and KENYA.
(For
details of other ships involved in cover of passage of Convoy PQ12 during
passage to
Murmansk and return Convoy OPS see CONVOYS to RUSSIA by A Ruegg. The strong Home
Fleet
cover was made necessary by the threat from the German battleship TIRPITZ known
to
be in
Norwegian waters)
.
Resumed Squadron duties at Kyle of Lochalsh on release from Home Fleet.
15th Deployed
with m Destroyers LANCASTER and ST MARY'S as escort for m Auxiliary
Minelayers MENESTHEUS, AGAMEMNON,
PORT QUEBEC and SOUTHERN PRINCE
during minelay in Northern Barrage (Operation SN8D).
31st Deployed
with HM Destroyers SCOTT, CHARLESTON and LANCASTER for escort of the
same
four minelayers as SN81 for further Northern Barrage minelay. (Operation SN87).
April
18th Escorted
same ships as SN87 for continuation of Northern Barrage minelay with HM
Destroyers
SARDONYX, SALADIN, SCOTT and
CHARLESTON
(Operation SN88).
May
8th Escorted
HM Cruiser ADVENTURE, HMS AGAMEMNON, HMS SOUTHERN PRINCE and
HMS
PORT QUEBEC for Northern Barrage minelay with HM Destroyers BRIGHTON,
CASTLETON and SCOTT (Operation SN3A).
(Note: US Navy observers were embarked in HMS ADVENTURE during this period).
June Nominated
for refit.
1st
Deployed with HM Destroyers KEPPEL, LEAMINGTON, BEAGLE and DOUGLAS as Local
Escort for military convoy WS19P during passage in NW Approaches from Clyde.
4th Detached
from WS19P with HMS KEPPEL and HMS LEAMINGTON and took return passage
to
Clyde.
(Note: HM Battleship NELSON was deployed to provide
Ocean Escort for WS19P)
6th Resumed
duties with 1st Minelaying Squadron at Kyle of Lochalsh.
11th Escorted
HM Auxiliary Minelayers MENESTHEUS, AGAMEMNON, PORT QUEBEC and
SOUTHERN PRINCE with HM Destroyer CASTLETON for further minelay in Northern
Barrage (Operation SN67A)
July Under
refit
August Carried out
post refit trials.
September Resumed service
with Squadron on completion of work-up at Tobermory
October
18th Escorted
HM Cruiser ADVENTURE, HM Auxiliary Minelayers AGAMEMNON, MENESTHEUS,
PORT
QUEBEC and SOUTHERN PRINCE for minelay in Northern Barrage with Squadron
Destroyers HMS CASTLETON, CHARLESTON and HM Destroyer LEDBURY from tome Fleet.
(Operation SN3E).
November
1st
Escorted same ships as SN3E for further Northern Barrage minelay with Squadron
destroyers HMS
BRIGHTON, CASTLETON and LANCASTER (Operation SN3F)
December Detached for
convoy defence in NW Approaches.
(Note: During this period the ship escorted rms QUEEN MARY, Iceland convoys and a military
convoy during part of passage to
Gibraltar after allied landing
in
North Africa.
(Operation TORCH).
1 9 4 3
January Under refit
and repair in Clyde shipyard.
February Resumed
Squadron duties.
March
21st Escorted
HM Auxiliary Minelayers AGAMEMNON, MENESTHEUS and
PORT QUEBEC
during Northern Barrage minelay with HM Destroyers NEWARK and ST MARY'S
(Operation SN90A)
April
6th Under
repair at Newport.
May Under
repair.
to
June
July Resumed
Squadron duties after work-up
August
16th Escorted
HM Auxiliary Minelayers AGAMEMNON, MENESTHEUS and
PORT QUEBEC
during Northern Barrage minelay in
Denmark Strait with HM Destroyers ST
MARY'S, SABRE,
SALADIN and IMPULSIVE covered by HM Cruiser NORFOLK (Operation SN7M).
September
1st Transferred to
Home Fleet after 1st Minelaying Squadron disbanded.
Allocated for convoy defence in
North Sea based at Rosyth.
Taken
in hand for repair and modification for East Coast convoy defence.
(Note: The modifications for this duty included Radar Type 286P for aircraft
and surface
warning and VHF radio telephone equipment for inter-ship and aircraft communication
use.
August On completion
deployed with Rosyth Escort Force for North Sea convoy defence.
September Deployed in
North Sea.
to
December
1 9 4 4
January North Sea
convoy defence in continuation.
to
Nominated for withdrawal from operational service and conversion for use as an
Air Target
September Ship.
October Converted
for new duty at Rosyth. Specialist equipment removed.
November Under
conversion.
26th Completed
conversion.
December Passage to
Clyde to take up training station.
1 9 4 5
January
Deployment delayed by defects and taken in hand for
repair in Clyde.
February Under repair.
to
March
April
15th Deployed
in Irish Sea for training of aircrew in attacks on ships.
May Aircrew
training deployment ceased after VE Day.
Paid
off in Clyde and placed on Disposal List.
24th Placed on
Disposal List
June Sold to
BISCO for demolition by West of Scotland Shipbreakers at Troon
P o s t W a r N o t e s
HMS WELLS did not arrive in
tow at the breaker’s yard until February 1946. In comparison with other TOWN
Class destroyers this ship saw extensive service in the intended role, but was
frequently under repair.
Addendum
CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of HMS
WELLS
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
|
|
|
|
|
|
23/04/41
|
23/04/41
|
DS 002
|
27/04/41
|
27/04/41
|
28/04/41
|
28/04/41
|
SD 002
|
01/05/42
|
01/05/41
|
10/05/41
|
10/05/41
|
DS 003
|
13/05/41
|
13/05/41
|
15/05/41
|
15/05/41
|
SD 003
|
17/05/41
|
17/05/41
|
21/05/41
|
21/05/41
|
DS 004
|
24/05/41
|
24/05/41
|
27/05/41
|
27/05/41
|
SD 004
|
29/05/41
|
29/05/41
|
05/06/41
|
05/06/41
|
DS 005
|
09/06/41
|
09/06/41
|
10/06/41
|
10/06/41
|
SD 005
|
12/06/41
|
12/06/41
|
20/06/41
|
20/06/41
|
DS 006
|
22/06/41
|
22/06/41
|
25/06/41
|
25/06/41
|
SD 006
|
27/06/41
|
27/06/41
|
21/07/41
|
21/07/41
|
DS 008
|
24/07/41
|
24/07/41
|
26/07/41
|
26/07/41
|
SD 008
|
28/07/41
|
28/07/41
|
10/08/41
|
10/08/41
|
DS 009
|
12/08/41
|
12/08/41
|
13/08/41
|
13/08/41
|
SD 009
|
15/08/41
|
15/08/41
|
13/12/41
|
13/12/41
|
DS 018
|
16/12/41
|
16/12/41
|
20/12/41
|
20/12/41
|
SD 018
|
23/12/41
|
23/12/41
|
17/01/42
|
17/01/42
|
DS 020
|
20/01/42
|
20/01/42
|
21/01/42
|
21/01/42
|
SD 020
|
23/01/42
|
23/01/42
|
01/03/42
|
unknown
|
PQ 012
|
unknown
|
12/03/42
|
01/04/42
|
01/04/42
|
DS 025
|
04/04/42
|
04/04/42
|
08/04/42
|
08/04/42
|
SD 025
|
11/04/42
|
11/04/42
|
01/05/42
|
01/05/42
|
DS 026
|
03/05/42
|
03/05/42
|
13/05/42
|
13/05/42
|
SD 026A
|
14/05/42
|
14/05/42
|
30/08/42
|
05/09/42
|
AT 021
|
05/09/42
|
05/09/42
|
08/09/42
|
08/09/42
|
TA 021
|
09/09/42
|
14/09/42
|
05/09/42
|
10/09/42
|
AT 022
|
11/09/42
|
11/09/42
|
14/09/42
|
14/09/42
|
TA 022
|
15/09/42
|
19/09/42
|
16/09/42
|
16/09/42
|
DS 032
|
19/09/42
|
19/09/42
|
20/09/42
|
20/09/42
|
SD 032
|
23/09/42
|
23/09/42
|
08/11/42
|
08/11/42
|
KX 006
|
17/11/42
|
17/11/42
|
23/11/42
|
27/11/42
|
MKF 003
|
01/12/42
|
03/12/42
|
12/12/42
|
12/12/42
|
DS 035
|
16/12/42
|
16/12/42
|
16/12/42
|
16/12/42
|
SD 035
|
22/12/42
|
22/12/42
|
|
|
|
|
|
(Note on Convoys)
|