Naval History Homepage and Site Search

 

 

SERVICE HISTORIES of ROYAL NAVY WARSHIPS in WORLD WAR 2

by Lt Cdr Geoffrey B Mason RN (Rtd) (c)  2005

HMS FALMOUTH (L 34) - Shoreham-class Sloop
including Convoy Escort Movements 

HMS Falmouth (Photo Ships, click to enlarge)

return to Contents List 

 

Repeat SHOREHAM-Class Sloop ordered from HM Dockyard Devonport under the 1930 Programme in 1931 and laid down on 31st August 1931. The ship was launched by Viscountess Astor on 19th April 1932 as the 11th RN ship to carry the name. It had been introduced in 1652 when used for the Prize ROTTERDAM to commemorate the fall of Pendennis Castle in 1646. Build was completed on 27th October 1932 and she served as Despatch Vessel for the CinC China Station until the outbreak of WW2 having been specially modified for this service. She was adopted by the civil community of Falmouth, Cornwall after a successful WARSHIP WEEK National Savings campaign in December 1941.

 

B a t t l e    H o n o u r s

PORTLAND 1653 - GABBARD 1653 - CHAGRES 1740 - CARTAGENA 1741 - SANTA MARTA 1749 - MANILA 1761 - HELIGOLAND 1914  - JUTLAND 1916

H e r a l d i c   D a t a

Badge: On a Field Red. a two headed eagle Silver,

on his breast a castle Gold.

(Derived from the seal of Falmouth).

 

M o t t o

'Fail not'

 

 

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 as Despatch Vessel on China Station.

                3rd          Carried out patrol duties for interception of enemy shipping in Hong Kong area.

 

October                  Patrol deployment in continuation.

to                            (Note: As this ship had no main armament her contribution must have been very

December              limited. Arrangements made for ship to be re-armed and for submarine

                                detection equipment (ASDIC) to be installed.

 

1 9 4 0

 

January                  Hong Kong deployment in continuation.

to

February

 

March                    Under refit at Hong Kong including fit of armament and ASDIC outfit for convoy defence duties.

 

April                       On completion of post refit trials took passage to Singapore for convoy escort and patrol duty

                                in East Indies.

 

May                        Transferred to East Indies Station and took passage to Colombo.

                                Pennant Number for visual signalling purposes changed to U34.

 

June                        Deployed in Persian Gulf for trade defence.

                24th        Sank Italian submarine GALVANI in approaches to Straits of Hormuz.

                                (Note: This sinking was made possible by capture of Italian submarine GALILEO GALILEI

                                off Aden on 19th June.

                                The absence of any Battle Honour Award for this action cannot be explained)

 

July                         Persian Gulf duties in continuation.

to

November

 

December              Passage to Bombay for refit in HM Dockyard.

                                Taken in hand on arrival.

 

1 9 4 1

 

January                  On completion of post refit trials resumed duties in Persian Gulf

to                            Nominated for support of planned British military operations in Persian Gulf.

March

 

April                       Escorted military convoy EM7 for operations in Persian Gulf.

                28th        Supported military operations during occupation of Basra.

 

May                        Persian Gulf support and escort duties in continuation.

to

July

 

August                  Deployed for support of military operations in Northern Persian Gulf.

                25th        Provided support at Abadan during landings to protect oil installations.

                                (Operation COUNTENANCE).

 

September             Released from Persian Gulf support duties.

                4th          Towed mercantile BRONTE from Abadan to Karachi.

 

October                  Transferred to Mediterranean and took passage to Suez.

                                (Note: Mediterranean Fleet was desperately short of escorts following the disastrous

                                operations at in defence of Crete and the transfer of many ships for the occupation

                                of Madagascar.

 

November              Deployed in Eastern Mediterranean for convoy defence and the support of Tobruk garrison.

 

December              Detached service in Mediterranean terminated after outbreak of war with Japan.

                                Took passage to Ceylon from Suez to rejoin East Indies Squadron.

 

1 9 4 2

 

January                  On arrival in Ceylon deployed for convoy escort in Indian coastal waters.

 

February                Convoy defence in continuation.

to                            Nominated for refit

June

 

July                         Under refit by HM Dockyard Bombay.

to

November

 

December              On completion of dockyard work carried out trials and prepared to resume operational

                                service.

                                Deployed for convoy escort between Persian Gulf and Bombay.

 

1 9 4 3

 

January                  Indian Ocean convoy escort in continuation.

to                            Nominated for refit at Durban in commercial shipyard

May                        (Note: This is assumed to be to enable fit of radar equipment as period out of service is

                                small and ship had been refitted at Bombay in 1942)

 

June                        Passage to Durban.

                                Under refit

                                (Note: Radar Type 271 fitted to provide surface warning

                                See RADAR AT SEA by D Howse for details of development and use of radar in RN.)

 

July                         On completion of installation and trials, deployed on convoy escort between East Africa and

                                Aden or India.

August                  Indian Ocean convoy defence in continuation.

to November         Nominated for routine docking and fit of additional equipment at Simonstown.

 

December              Under refit at Simonstown.

                                (Note: Radar Type 291 fitted for surface and air warning. See reference.)

 

1 9 4 4

 

January                  Under refit.

 

February                Carried out post refit trials.

 

March                    Resumed Indian Ocean convoy defence duties.

 

April                       Indian Ocean convoy defence in continuation.

to December

 

1 9 4 5

 

January                  Indian Ocean convoy defence in continuation.

to February

 

March                    Under refit by HM Dockyard, Simonstown

to June                   (Note: Age of the ship may have contributed to high incidence of defects.)

 

July                         Nominated for support and escort duty off Burma and Malaya.

                                Passage to Colombo on completion of trials.

 

August                  Passage to Singapore

                                (Note: Ship did not take part in support of Operation ZIPPER landings in Malaya but was

                                diverted to Singapore for deployment in support of the recovery of the Dutch East

                                Indies, repatriation of Allied prisoners of war and civilians held by Japanese in 1942.

                                See WAR WITH JAPAN (HMSO) and ALLIED INVASION FLEETS by J de S

                                Winser for details of ZIPPER landings and Far East naval activities in 1945.)

  

P o s t   W a r   N o t e s

 

HMS FALMOUTH remained in the East Indies after VJ Day and after release from Operation ZIPPER was deployed for patrol duties in the Persian Gulf until the end of 1946. The ship took passage to pay of into Reserve, but instead of being placed on the Disposal List was selected  for use as RNVR Drill Ship for the Tyne Division. After refit for that duty she took passage to Newcastle on Tyne and served as HMS CALLIOPE from January 1952 until 1968 when placed on the Disposal List.  She was sold to BISCO for demolition by Hughes Blocow at Blyth in 1968 for breaking-up. The ship arrived at the Breakers yard in tow on 30th April 1968 after 36 years service.

 


 

Addendum

 

CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of HMS FALMOUTH

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

 

 

 

 

 

12/04/41

16/04/41

BM 007

17/04/41

17/04/41

21/04/41

28/04/41

BP 001

29/04/41

29/04/41

30/04/41

03/05/41

BP 001A

06/05/41

06/05/41

21/12/41

25/12/41

BM 009A

27/12/41

03/01/42

23/01/42

26/01/42

BM 012

27/01/42

04/02/42

12/02/42

12/02/42

C 001

13/02/42

13/02/42

13/02/42

17/02/42

BM 013

25/02/42

25/02/42

12/02/42

20/02/42

SJ 001

21/02/42

05/03/42

18/03/42

18/03/42

ESCORT

20/03/42

20/03/42

21/04/42

21/04/42

MB 002

25/04/42

25/04/42

06/06/42

06/06/42

C 017

09/06/42

09/06/42

01/07/42

01/07/42

MB 010

05/07/42

05/07/42

09/07/42

09/07/42

BM 025

13/07/42

13/07/42

17/07/42

17/07/42

MB 013

23/07/42

23/07/42

16/11/42

16/11/42

BP 060

unknown

unknown

28/11/42

28/11/42

PB 014

03/12/42

03/12/42

07/12/42

07/12/42

BP 062

unknown

14/12/42

16/12/42

16/12/42

PA 015

22/12/42

22/12/42

26/12/42

26/12/42

AP 011

unknown

unknown

04/01/43

04/01/43

PB 020

10/01/43

10/01/43

12/01/43

12/01/43

BM 037

18/01/43

20/01/43

03/02/43

03/02/43

C 042

07/02/43

07/02/43

14/02/43

14/02/43

A 3

19/02/43

19/02/43

17/02/43

26/02/43

OW 004/1

05/03/43

05/03/43

09/03/43

09/03/43

PA 028

16/03/43

16/03/43

04/04/43

04/04/43

PB 034

10/04/43

10/04/43

14/04/43

14/04/43

BM 049

18/04/43

18/04/43

26/03/43

26/04/43

AP 026

unknown

unknown

23/05/43

23/05/43

MC 007

02/06/43

02/06/43

17/07/43

17/07/43

BC 001

20/07/43

20/07/43

26/07/43

26/07/43

CB 001

06/08/43

06/08/43

28/09/43

28/09/43

DKA 002

08/10/43

19/10/43

11/10/43

11/10/43

AKD 002A

15/10/43

19/10/43

08/10/43

20/10/43

DKA 003

27/10/43

27/10/43

31/10/43

31/10/43

AKD 005

10/11/43

19/11/43

06/11/43

18/11/43

DKA 006

26/11/43

28/11/43

01/12/43

02/12/43

AKD 007S

10/12/43

10/12/43

06/03/44

06/03/44

CM 049D

13/03/44

13/03/44

13/03/44

13/03/44

DKA 014

22/03/44

22/03/44

27/03/44

27/03/44

AKD 019

30/03/44

30/03/44

11/03/44

30/03/44

DKA 015

01/04/44

01/04/44

07/05/44

07/05/44

AK 008/2

16/05/44

16/05/44

26/05/44

26/05/44

KD 003

04/06/44

04/06/44

06/06/44

06/06/44

DKA 019

17/06/44

25/06/44

23/09/44

23/09/44

CM 058A

29/09/44

29/09/44

14/12/44

14/12/44

MC 014

22/12/44

22/12/44

24/12/44

24/12/44

MC 014/1

30/12/44

30/12/44

21/01/45

21/01/45

CM 060

28/01/45

28/01/45

29/01/45

29/01/45

CM 060/1

08/02/45

08/02/45

14/02/45

14/02/45

MC 014E

21/02/45

21/02/45

04/03/45

04/03/45

MC 015A

12/03/45

12/03/45

 

 

 

 

 

(Note on Convoys)

 

back to Contents List
or Naval-History.Net

revised 30/5/11
further editing and formatting is required