SHOREHAM-Class
Sloop ordered under the 1929 Programme from HM. Dockyard Devonport and laid
down on 10th June 1930. The ship was launched on 1st April 1931 as the 5th RN
warship to carry the name which was introduced in 1695 and last used in 1756
for a 6th Rate. She was completed on 27th November 1931 and deployed as a Sloop
on the East Indies Station until 1938 when she went to the China Station. In December 1939 she returned to UK.
After a WARSHIP WEEK National Savings
campaign
in February 1942 was appropriately adopted by the civil community of Bideford,
Devonshire.
B a t
t l e H o n o
u r s
ATLANTIC
1939-45 - DUNKIRK 1940 - NORTH AFRICA 1942 - BISCAY 1943 - ENGLISH CHANNEL
1945
H e r a l d i c D a t a
Badge: On a Field Blue, a Bridge silver,
beneath it a ship silver
upon 2
wavelets gold and green.
M o t t
o
'Bide your time'
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 Deployed on
contraband control and patrol on China Station.
to
October
November Nominated for
return to UK for
deployment in Home Waters.
December Passage to
UK for
deployment in Home Waters as an Escort.
1 9 4 0
January Passage in
Mediterranean.
5th After
arrival at Gibraltar joined HM Sloop ABERDEEN and HM Destroyer VIDETTE as
escort for inward Convoy HGF14 during passage to UK.
15th Detached
and took passage to Plymouth.
Taken
in hand for refit by HM Dockyard Devonport.
February Passage to
Liverpool to join 1st Escort Division at Liverpool for
convoy defence in Western
Approaches Command.
11th Joined
outward Convoy OG18F on formation in WS Approaches with HM Sloop
LEITH
As
Ocean Escort during passage to
Gibraltar
(Note: HM Destroyer VERSATILE was Local Escort a detached same day.)
17th Detached
with HMS LEITH and joined inward Convoy HG19 as Ocean Escort during passage
to
Liverpool.
24th HM
Destroyers MACKAY, WALPOLE and WHITSHED joined HG19 as Local Escort in SW
Approaches
27th Detached
from HG19 with escorts and returned to Plymouth.
March
14th Deployed
with outward Convoy OG22F in SW Approaches as escort during passage to
Gibraltar with HM Sloop FOWEY.
19th Detached
from OG22F on arrival at Gibraltar
Joined HM Destroyers VELOX and VIDETTE as escort for Outward Convoy OG23F during
passage in Atlantic from Liverpool
28th Detached
from OG23F on arrival in Gibraltar.
April
5th Deployed
with HM Sloop FOWEY and HM Destroyer WATCHMAN as escort for inward
Convoy HG25 during passage from
Gibraltar to Liverpool
15th Detached
from HG25 on arrival at Liverpool and returned to Plymouth.
22nd Joined
outward Convoy OG27F on formation in SW Approaches with HM Sloop
LEITH
as
escort during passage to Gibraltar.
24th HMS LEITH
detached during passage and returned to Plymouth.
28th Detached
from OG27F on arrival at Gibraltar.
May Detached
FROM Western Approaches Command to assist in evacuation of troops from
Dunkirk (Operation DYNAMO).
(For
details see TWELVE DAYS AT
DUNKIRK
by D Divine, Naval Staff History and
BEF
SHIPS by J de Winser.)
29th Sustained
serious damaged in air attack during evacuation operations.
June Under
repair.
to Pennant
Number for visual signalling purposes changed to U43.
December Carried out
post repair trials
1 9 4 1
January Passage to resume convoy defence
February
March On completion of post refit trials carried out work-up
for operational service at Tobermory
April Rejoined Sloop Division at Liverpool for service as
escort for OG series outward convoys
to Gibraltar and HG series inward convoys to
Liverpool.
May
31st Deployed from Gibraltar with HM Corvette ALYSEE and
HM Trawler IMPERIEUSE
in support of escort of convoy under attack by
group of Italian submarines.
(See CHRONOLOGY OF THE WAR AT SEA by Jurgen
Rhower (2005) for details.)
June Deployed with EG40 for Atlantic convoy
defence
to (For details of Atlantic convoy
defence and tactics see U-BOAT WAR IN THE ATLANTIC
July (HMSO), THE
BATTLE OF THE
ATLANTIC by D
Macintyre. SEEK AND STRIKE by
W Hackmann and
above reference.)
(Note: Other ships in EG40
included HM Cutters LANDGUARD, WALNEY and HM
Destroyer STANLEY)
August
23rd Deployed for escort of outward Convoy
OS4 during passage from
Liverpool to
Freetown
Other ships deployed included HM
Destroyers VANOC, WALKER with another Destroyer.
another Sloop and two Trawlers.
26th Sighted by U557 of the CENTRE Group and
reported to U-Boat Headquarters at Kerneval.
Seven other submarines were
instructed to join U557 for concerted attacks.
27th Under attacks by U557 during which four
mercantiles were sunk
Took part in counter attacks in
heavy weather some of which were driven off.
(See HITLER’S U-BOAT WAR by C
Blair, THE
REAL CRUEL SEA
by R Woodman
and ALLIED CONVOY SYSTEM by A
Hague.)
28th After mercantiles on passage to
Panama were
detached, British mercantile OTAIO was sunk
by U558.
September
11th Detached from OS4 on arrival at
Freetown.
14th Deployed as escort for inward convoy
SL87 from
Freetown to
Liverpool
with HM Cutters
LULWORTH, GORLESTON, Free French
Patrol Vessel COMMANDANT DUBOC and
HM Corvette GARDENIA.
21st Convoy sighted by U107 and other
submarines ordered to take part in attacks on SL87.
22nd Carried out A/S operations against U68,
U103 and U107 in defence of SL87.
(Note: Two mercantiles were sunk
and another damaged and abandoned
24th Carried out further attacks against
reinforced U-Boat Group during which four more
mercantiles were sunk.
(Note: For details see above
references.
October
6th Detached from SL87 on arrival in
Liverpool.
17th Board of Enquiry held at
Londonderry on
board HM Sloop EGRET into the conduct of defence
of this convoy. As a result the
Senior of The Escort Group in HMS GORLESTON was
disciplined.
Deployed as escort for outward
convoy OS10 during passage from
Liverpool to
Freetown
with HM Cutters LULWORTH,
GORLESTON, HM Corvette GARDENIA and French
Patrol Vessel COMMANDANT DUBOC of
Group.
(Note: One source records corvette
was HMS VERBENA)
31st Convoy under attacks by U96 which were
driven off by surface gun and depth charge
attacks but one mercantile was
sunk. See above references.
November Drove off further attacks by STOERTBECKKER U-Boat Group formed to reinforce
U96. No other ship of OS10 was
sunk. (See ALLIED CONVOY SYSTEM.)
December EG40 deployment in continuation
1 9 4 2
January
15th Deployed with HM Sloop LONDONDERRY, HM Cutters LANDGUARD, LULWORTH
CULVER of Group and joined on sailing from
Freetown
as escort for SL98 during passage
to Liverpool.
25th HMS CULVER detached to escort mercantile ss NURTURETON to Funchal,
Madeira for
repair to boiler that had developed defect since
joining SL98.
26th HMS CULVER Rejoined SL98 escort from Madeira.
31st Convoy under attack by U105 during
which HMS CULVER was torpedoed and sunk by
U105. Submarine sustained damaged
during depth charge counter attacks
(Note: Magazine exploded after ship hit by two
torpedoes and sank in about one minute.)
(See above reference and WARSHIPS LOSSES OF WW2
by D Brown.)
HMS CULVER was one of the first
Atlantic escorts to be fitted with HF/DF
equipment for locating source of
wireless transmissions. (See SEEK
AND STRIKE.)
Radar Type 271 was unserviceable at the time
Rescued 12 of the ship’s company.
For details see above references.
February
5th Detached from SL98 on arrival at Liverpool
(Note: None of the 26 ships in convoy was
lost.)
March Under refit at Hartlepool. Involved in minor collision
with ss PETROPHALT but
completion not delayed.
(Note: Radar Type 286M (Ex RAF equipment )
modified for ship installation fitted.
For details of the development and use of radar
in RN see RADAR AT SEA by
D Howse.)
April On completion of work-up at Tobermory resumed
deployment for escort of UK – West
Africa route convoys.
Nominated for service with EG42.
May Deployed for Convoy escort with 42nd Group
to High Frequency Direction Finding Equipment fitted,
(See SEEK AND STRIKE by
June W Hackmann.)
July
5th Deployed with HM Sloops LONDONDERRY, HASTINGS and HM Cutter
LULWORTH
of Group as escort for inward Convoy SL115
during passage from Freetown to Liverpool.
15th Under torpedo attack by Italian submarine CALVI which failed.
(Note: HMS LULWORTH later sank CALVI in surface
gun duel.)
See CHRONOLOGY OF THE WAR AT SEA BY J Rohwer.)
27th Detached from SL115 on arrival at Liverpool
(Note: No ship of the 27 in convoy was lost during passage )
Nominated for support of joint anti-submarine
operations with RAF in Bay of Biscay area.
August
Deployed with 38th Escort Group in support role off Finisterre.
1st Rescued crew of RAF CATALINA aircraft
September
Nominated for escort of military convoys to Gibraltar for North African
landings.
(Operation TORCH - See ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE
CLOSELY and Naval Staff
History).
October
25th Sailed from Clyde as part of escort for follow-up military convoy
KMS1
during passage to Gibraltar (Operation TORCH).
November
Atlantic convoy duties in continuation.
December
In collision with HM Canadian Frigate LOUISBERG.
1 9 4 3
January Under
refit and repair to collision damage at Avonmouth.
to
Surface warning radar Type 271 fitted and radar type 291 replaced Type 286M.
March
April On
completion of post refit trials worked-up at Tobermory for Escort duty.
May
Rejoined Western Approaches Command for Atlantic convoy escort and support.
June Escort
and support of Atlantic convoys in continuation.
to (For
details of the development of new weapons and anti-submarine tactics see
July SEEK
AND STRIKE.)
August Deployed
for Anti-submarine operations in Bay of Biscay with 40th Escort Group.
(Operation MUSKETRY - see CONFLICT OVER THE BAY by N Franks).
25th During
Bay of Biscay operations attacked by Glider Bombs and damaged by three
near misses.
Casualties included one killed and 16 injured.
September Under repair
at Londonderry.
October On
completion joined 41st Escort Group for convoys between UK and Freetown.
November Convoy
defence in continuation with Group.
to
December
1 9 4 4
January
Transferred with Group to Gibraltar for convoy escort.
to
March
April Joined
44th Escort Group in continuation of Mediterranean convoy escort duty.
to
Nominated to return to UK for refit and to join 41st Escort Group.
December
1 9 4 5
January Passage
to Devonport and under refit.
to
March
April Joined
41st Escort Group at Devonport for convoy defence in SW Approaches
(Note: During this period SCHNORKEL fitted U-Boats were concentrating their
attacks on
coastal convoys in focal points. Ocean Convoys were also being routed via the
English
Channel because the enemy air threat from French bases had been removed).
May Part of
escort of Convoy MKS100.
June
Nominated for transfer to Reserve.
Passage to Cardiff to Pay-of and de-stored.
July
Reduced to Reserve.
August Laid-up at
Milford Haven.
P o s t W a r
N o t e s
HMS BIDEFORD remained in
Reserve at Milford Haven and was placed on the Disposal Lost. She was sold to BISCO for demolition by T W Ward
at Milford Haven. Later that month the ship was towed to the breaker’s yard.
Addendum
CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of HMS
BIDEFORD
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
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
05/01/40
|
05/01/40
|
HG 014F
|
15/01/40
|
15/01/40
|
|
26/12/39
|
10/01/40
|
SL 014
|
15/01/40
|
15/01/40
|
|
08/02/40
|
10/02/40
|
OA 088GF
|
11/02/40
|
11/02/40
|
|
11/02/40
|
11/02/40
|
OG 018F
|
17/02/40
|
17/02/40
|
|
17/02/40
|
17/02/40
|
HG 019
|
27/02/40
|
27/02/40
|
|
28/02/40
|
28/02/40
|
OA 100G
|
01/03/40
|
01/03/40
|
|
29/02/40
|
29/02/40
|
OA 101
|
01/03/40
|
03/03/40
|
|
14/03/40
|
14/03/40
|
OG 022F
|
19/03/40
|
19/03/40
|
|
21/03/40
|
unknown
|
OG 023F
|
28/03/40
|
28/03/40
|
|
05/04/40
|
05/04/40
|
HG 025
|
15/04/40
|
15/04/40
|
|
22/04/40
|
22/04/40
|
OG 027F
|
28/04/40
|
28/04/40
|
|
07/05/40
|
07/05/40
|
HG 029
|
10/05/40
|
17/05/40
|
|
20/05/40
|
20/05/40
|
OG 030
|
23/05/40
|
26/05/40
|
|
20/05/40
|
26/05/40
|
HG 031F
|
28/05/40
|
29/05/40
|
|
15/05/41
|
15/05/41
|
OG 062
|
29/05/41
|
29/05/41
|
|
04/06/41
|
04/06/41
|
HG 064
|
19/06/41
|
19/06/41
|
|
04/07/41
|
04/07/41
|
OG 067
|
20/07/41
|
20/07/41
|
|
28/07/41
|
28/07/41
|
HG 069
|
11/08/41
|
11/08/41
|
|
23/08/41
|
23/08/41
|
OS 004
|
09/09/41
|
11/09/41
|
|
14/09/41
|
16/09/41
|
SL 087
|
06/10/41
|
06/10/41
|
|
25/10/41
|
26/10/41
|
OS 010
|
15/11/41
|
18/11/41
|
|
18/11/41
|
18/11/41
|
SL 093
|
10/12/41
|
10/12/41
|
|
23/12/41
|
24/12/41
|
OS 015
|
11/01/42
|
13/01/42
|
|
15/01/42
|
18/01/42
|
SL 098
|
05/02/42
|
05/02/42
|
|
12/04/42
|
23/04/42
|
OS 025
|
29/04/42
|
29/04/42
|
|
04/05/42
|
04/05/42
|
SL 109
|
18/05/42
|
28/05/42
|
|
21/05/42
|
21/05/42
|
HG 083
|
07/06/42
|
07/06/42
|
|
11/06/42
|
11/06/42
|
OS 031
|
27/06/42
|
30/06/42
|
|
05/07/42
|
05/07/42
|
SL 115
|
25/07/42
|
26/07/42
|
|
10/08/42
|
11/08/42
|
OS 037
|
27/08/42
|
29/08/42
|
|
03/09/42
|
03/09/42
|
SL 121
|
21/09/42
|
21/09/42
|
|
26/09/42
|
09/10/42
|
SC 103
|
14/10/42
|
14/10/42
|
|
25/10/42
|
25/10/42
|
KMS 002G
|
12/11/42
|
12/11/42
|
|
15/11/42
|
15/11/42
|
MKS 001X
|
23/11/42
|
23/11/42
|
|
11/12/42
|
11/12/42
|
KMS 005G
|
24/12/42
|
27/12/42
|
|
22/12/42
|
26/12/42
|
MKS 004
|
06/01/43
|
06/01/43
|
|
25/04/43
|
09/05/43
|
SC 128
|
10/05/43
|
13/05/43
|
|
18/05/43
|
27/05/43
|
SC 131
|
28/05/43
|
31/05/43
|
|
28/05/43
|
02/06/43
|
ONS 009
|
04/06/43
|
09/06/43
|
|
26/05/43
|
04/06/43
|
SC 132
|
06/06/43
|
11/06/43
|
|
01/06/43
|
06/06/43
|
ON 187
|
09/06/43
|
15/06/43
|
|
16/06/43
|
20/06/43
|
ON 189
|
22/06/43
|
01/07/43
|
|
15/06/43
|
23/06/43
|
HX 244
|
26/06/43
|
30/06/43
|
|
07/10/43
|
07/10/43
|
OS 056KM
|
18/10/43
|
18/10/43
|
|
18/10/43
|
18/10/43
|
OS 056
|
29/10/43
|
29/10/43
|
|
02/11/43
|
02/11/43
|
SL 139
|
16/11/43
|
14/11/43
|
|
28/11/43
|
28/11/43
|
OS 059
|
08/12/43
|
08/12/43
|
|
12/12/43
|
12/12/43
|
SL 143
|
25/12/43
|
25/12/43
|
|
07/01/44
|
08/01/44
|
OS 063
|
17/01/44
|
17/01/44
|
|
22/01/44
|
22/01/44
|
SL 147
|
02/02/44
|
02/02/44
|
|
07/02/44
|
12/02/44
|
KMS 040
|
18/02/44
|
18/02/44
|
|
24/02/44
|
28/02/44
|
GUS 032
|
07/03/44
|
23/03/44
|
|
23/02/44
|
10/03/44
|
UGS 034
|
20/03/44
|
20/03/44
|
|
30/03/44
|
31/03/44
|
MKS 045
|
11/04/44
|
11/04/44
|
|
17/04/44
|
17/04/44
|
KMS 047
|
27/04/44
|
27/04/44
|
|
04/05/44
|
05/05/44
|
GUS 039
|
15/05/44
|
29/05/44
|
|
14/06/44
|
14/06/44
|
KMS 053
|
23/06/44
|
24/06/44
|
|
28/07/44
|
29/07/44
|
MKS 057
|
08/08/44
|
08/08/44
|
|
13/08/44
|
13/08/44
|
KMS 059
|
23/08/44
|
23/08/44
|
|
02/09/44
|
03/09/44
|
GUS 051
|
08/09/44
|
28/09/44
|
|
23/08/44
|
12/09/44
|
UGS 052
|
17/09/44
|
17/09/44
|
|
26/09/44
|
27/09/44
|
MKS 063
|
08/10/44
|
08/10/44
|
|
11/10/44
|
11/10/44
|
KMS 065
|
21/10/44
|
21/10/44
|
|
01/11/44
|
02/11/44
|
GUS 057
|
07/11/44
|
30/11/44
|
|
22/10/44
|
12/11/44
|
UGS 058
|
18/11/44
|
18/11/44
|
|
01/01/45
|
01/01/45
|
MKF 037
|
04/01/45
|
06/01/45
|
|
02/03/45
|
02/03/45
|
ON 288
|
07/03/45
|
19/03/45
|
|
23/02/45
|
07/03/45
|
HX 340
|
10/03/45
|
10/03/45
|
|
22/03/45
|
22/03/45
|
OS 118KM
|
25/03/45
|
29/03/45
|
|
21/03/45
|
25/03/45
|
MKS 090G
|
28/03/45
|
28/03/45
|
|
07/04/45
|
07/04/45
|
OS 121KM
|
10/04/45
|
14/04/45
|
|
05/04/45
|
10/04/45
|
MKS 093G
|
13/04/45
|
14/04/45
|
|
12/04/45
|
12/04/45
|
ON 296
|
14/04/45
|
30/04/45
|
|
17/04/45
|
19/04/45
|
OS 123KM
|
20/04/45
|
23/04/45
|
|
15/04/45
|
21/04/45
|
MKS 095G
|
23/04/45
|
23/04/45
|
|
11/05/45
|
12/05/45
|
OS 128KM
|
14/05/45
|
15/05/45
|
|
10/05/45
|
15/05/45
|
MKS 100G
|
17/05/45
|
17/05/45
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(Note on Convoys)
