EGRET-Class Sloop ordered from Denny at Dumbarton
under 1936 Estimates on 5th March 1937. This ship was laid down on 16th June
1937 and intended to be named HERON but when selected for use as an unarmed Survey
Ship in New Zealand waters the name was changed to one more suitable for this
duty. She was launched as HMS AUCKLAND by Mrs W Denny on 30th June 1938 as the
second RN ship to carry the name, previously borne by a frigate built at Bombay
in 1840. However because of the deterioration of the international situation it
was necessary to change this requirement and she was completed as a fully armed
EGRET Class Sloop on 16th November 1938 and sailed to relieve HM Sloop
LONDONDERRY at Simonstown in January 1939.
B a t t l e H o n o
u r s
CHINA 1856-60 - ATLANTIC 1939 - NORWAY 1940 - GREECE 1941
- CRETE 1941 - LIBYA 1941
H e r a l d i c D a t a
Badge On a Field barry wavy Blue and
White a Kiwi proper.
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 3 9
September
3rd
Deployed for interception of commerce raiders and blockade runners in the South
Atlantic
based at Simonstown.
October
Transferred to West Africa Command for convoy defence.
Deployed at Freetown, Sierra Leone.
November Nominated
for escort duty in Home waters after refit at Portsmouth.
Took passage to UK as part of escort for Convoy SLF9.
December Under refit
at Portsmouth.
1 9 4 0
January On
completion of post refit trials joined Rosyth Escort Force and deployed for
defence of North
to Sea
convoys.
March
April
Detached for duty with Home Fleet after German invasion of Norway.
8th
Deployed with Fleet units off Norway to supplement AA defence during the allied
landings in
Norway.
14th
Embarked Royal Marines with supporting army artillery and searchlight units for
passage to
Andalsnes with HM Sloops BLACK SWAN, FLAMINGO and BITTERN.
(Operation PRIMROSE).
Sailed for Norway on completion but delayed by weather.
15th
Embarked Captain M M Denny RN at Invergordon for passage.
17th Landed
PRIMROSE Party as Alesund
21st Under
continuous air attacks during passage up fjord to Namsos to relieve HM Destroyer
NUBIAN as AA Guardship.
Arrived without damage.
22nd
Embarked troops from French liner VILLE D'ANGERS at Namsos for transfer to
shore.
24th
Passage to UK to re-ammunition and escorted HM Cruiser
CURACOA with HM Cruisers
GLASGOW and SHEFFIELD.
26th Return
passage to Andalsnes for AA Guardship duties.
27th Under
heavy and sustained air attacks and took passage to UK
to replenish ammunition.
29th
Passage to Andalsnes to relieve HM Sloop FLEETWOOD as AA Guardship.
30th
Deployed as AA Guardship at Andalsnes.
May
1st
Assisted in evacuation of troops from Andalsnes with HM Cruisers BIRMINGHAM,
CALCUTTA, HM Destroyers INGLEFIELD and MASHONA.
Under heavy and sustained air attacks.
3rd Last
warship to leave port after embarking 240 men to UK.
(For full details of the disastrous naval operations off Norway see NARVIK by D
Macintyre, CARRIER GLORIOUS by J Winton and Naval Staff History (HMSO, 2001).)
10th
Transferred to Mediterranean for convoy defence in Red Sea.
Took passage to Alexandria via Malta.
On
arrival sent to Bombay for refit
June Under
refit in HM Dockyard.
Pennant Number for visual signalling changed to U61.
July On
completion of post refit trials took passage to Join Red Sea Escort Force at
Aden.
August Nominated
for support of military operations in East Africa.
13th
Bombarded Italian troop positions W of Berbera with HM Destroyer KIMBERLEY.
15th Joined
HM Cruisers HOBART, CALEDON, CERES, CARLISLE, HM Destroyers
KANDAHAR, KIMBERLEY, HM Sloop SHOREHAM, HM Australian Sloop
PARRAMATTA, three Armed Merchant Cruisers and a hospital ship for evacuation of
Berbera.
(Note: Over 7,000 troops and civilians were taken by these ships to Aden.)
September Deployed on
convoy escort duty in Red Sea and approaches to Aden.
October Red Sea
convoy defence in continuation.
20th In
action with HMS KIMBERLEY against Italian destroyer attacking Convoy BN(?) in
Red Sea.
November Convoy
escort duty with Red Sea Force in continuation.
to
December
1 9 4 1
January Passage
to Bombay for routine docking and refit
February Under
refit in Bombay.
March On
completion of post refit trials resumed convoy defence with Red Sea Force at
Aden.
Nominated for transfer to Mediterranean for convoy defence.
April
Passage to Alexandria.
8th
Joined Mediterranean Fleet for convoy escort in Eastern Mediterranean.
23rd At
Port Rafti, Greece with HM Sloop GRIMSBY. 400 personnel evacuated.
Escorted Convoy AG13 (3 troopships). Under air attacks in Kaso Straits.
26th
Assisted in evacuation of allied troops from Greece.
(Operation DEMON - For details see ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY by
C
Barnett and Naval Staff History (2001).)
May
Deployed for defence of reinforcement convoys to Crete.
30th
Assisted in evacuation of troops from Crete and defence of convoys.
June On
completion resumed convoys defence in Eastern Mediterranean.
18th Joined
Inshore Squadron with HM Sloops PARRAMATTA (RAN) and FLAMINGO for
support of military operations and defence of supply convoys to Tobruk.
24th
Deployed for transfer of reinforcement troops to Crete with HM Cruiser ABDIEL
and HM
Sloop FLAMINGO.
(See BATTLE OF THE WINE DARK SEA by L Lind and Naval Staff History).
Sunk in dive bombing air attack by German aircraft in position 32.15N 24.30E, 20
miles ENE of Tobruk during convoy defence.
162 survivors rescued by HMAS PARRAMATTA.
Addendum
CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of HMS
AUCKLAND
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
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
17/11/39
|
17/11/39
|
SL 009F
|
29/11/39
|
29/11/39
|
|
08/01/40
|
08/01/40
|
FS 0067
|
09/01/40
|
09/01/40
|
|
12/01/40
|
12/01/40
|
FS 0070
|
13/01/40
|
13/01/40
|
|
21/01/40
|
21/01/40
|
FS 0078
|
22/01/40
|
22/01/40
|
|
23/01/40
|
23/01/40
|
FN 0079
|
24/01/40
|
24/01/40
|
|
24/03/40
|
24/03/40
|
FS 0128
|
26/03/40
|
26/03/40
|
|
24/03/40
|
24/03/40
|
MT 037
|
24/03/40
|
24/03/40
|
|
29/03/40
|
29/03/40
|
TM 035
|
30/04/40
|
30/04/40
|
|
01/04/40
|
01/04/40
|
FS 0135
|
03/04/40
|
03/04/40
|
|
01/04/40
|
01/04/40
|
MT 042
|
01/04/40
|
01/04/40
|
|
08/04/40
|
08/04/40
|
MT 047
|
09/04/40
|
09/04/40
|
|
09/04/40
|
09/04/40
|
FS 0141
|
11/04/40
|
11/04/40
|
|
12/05/40
|
12/05/40
|
FS 0169
|
14/05/40
|
14/05/40
|
|
12/05/40
|
12/05/40
|
MT 067
|
12/05/40
|
12/05/40
|
|
17/07/40
|
30/07/40
|
BN 002
|
03/08/40
|
05/08/40
|
|
05/09/40
|
08/09/40
|
BS 004
|
12/09/40
|
13/09/40
|
|
30/08/40
|
12/09/40
|
WS 002A
|
14/09/40
|
14/09/40
|
|
10/09/40
|
19/09/40
|
BN 005
|
22/09/40
|
26/09/40
|
|
20/09/40
|
23/09/40
|
BS 005
|
28/09/40
|
28/09/40
|
|
23/09/40
|
04/10/40
|
BN 006
|
09/10/40
|
11/10/40
|
|
05/10/40
|
11/10/40
|
BS 006
|
13/10/40
|
13/10/40
|
|
10/10/40
|
16/10/40
|
BN 007
|
23/10/40
|
26/10/40
|
|
20/10/40
|
unknown
|
BS 007
|
28/10/40
|
28/10/40
|
|
29/10/40
|
12/11/40
|
WS 003
|
16/11/40
|
16/11/40
|
|
12/11/40
|
unknown
|
BS 008A
|
16/11/40
|
16/11/40
|
|
18/11/40
|
18/11/40
|
BN 009
|
22/11/40
|
25/11/40
|
|
19/11/40
|
23/11/40
|
BS 009
|
26/11/40
|
26/11/40
|
|
27/11/40
|
03/12/40
|
BN 010
|
07/12/40
|
10/12/40
|
|
04/12/40
|
unknown
|
BS 010
|
12/12/40
|
11/12/40
|
|
18/12/40
|
18/12/40
|
BN 011
|
22/12/40
|
25/12/40
|
|
19/12/40
|
22/12/40
|
BS 011
|
27/12/40
|
27/12/40
|
|
29/12/40
|
29/12/40
|
BN 011B
|
01/01/41
|
04/01/41
|
|
01/01/41
|
02/01/41
|
SW 004A
|
unknown
|
unknown
|
|
27/02/41
|
28/02/41
|
SW 005A
|
04/03/41
|
04/03/41
|
|
10/03/41
|
10/03/41
|
BN 019
|
unknown
|
17/03/41
|
|
17/03/41
|
17/03/41
|
BN 020
|
21/03/41
|
25/03/41
|
|
18/03/41
|
21/03/41
|
BS 020
|
25/03/41
|
26/03/41
|
|
20/03/41
|
31/03/41
|
BN 022
|
07/04/41
|
07/04/41
|
|
13/04/41
|
13/04/41
|
ASF 025
|
15/04/41
|
15/04/41
|
|
06/05/41
|
06/05/41
|
AN 030
|
09/05/41
|
09/05/41
|
|
09/05/41
|
09/05/41
|
AS 030/1
|
12/05/41
|
12/05/41
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(Note on Convoys)
