Modified BLACK SWAN-Class ordered from Scotts, Greenock under the 1940 Build Programs on 27th
March 1941 and laid down on 17th December 1941. The ship was launched by Mrs Evelegh en 16th July 1943 and was the 11th RN warship to
carry the name. It was first used in 1764 by a Cutter
built at Broadstairs and lastly by a WW1 destroyer
sold in 1921. In February 1942 this ship was adopted by the civil community of
Saffron Walden. Essex after a successful WARSHIP WEEK National
Savings campaign. Build was completed on 21st March 1943 and armament
included the new design Type 276 radar in place of Type 272 for surface
warning, Type 285 for fire control and Type 291 to
give warning of aircraft and surface targets (See RADAR AT SEA by D Howse).
B a t t l e H o n o u r s
HELIGOLAND 1914 - BELGIAN
COAST 1914 - DOGGER BANK 1915 - JUTLAND 1916 - NORMANDY
1944 - NORTH SEA 1944 -
ARCTIC 1944-45
He r a l d i c D at a
Badge: On a Field White, a lapwing in flight 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 4 4
March Contractors
trials and commissioning.
21st Build
completion and commenced Acceptance Trials.
On
completion of trials and storing took passage to Tobermory.
April Carried
out work-up for operational service at Tobermory.
On completion deployed in Western Approaches for
convoy escort.
May Nominated
for service with 111th Escort Group for support of allied landings in
Normandy
based
at Plymouth
(Operation NEPTUNE - For details of naval activities before and during NEPTUNE
see
OPERATION NEPTUNE
by K Edwards and LANDINGS IN
NORMANDY, June 1944
(HMSO).
Convoy defence in continuation.
June
Joined Group at Milford Haven for escort of Convoy EBP1.
(Note: Other ships in this Group were HM Sloop PELICAN, HM Destroyer MENDIP, HM
Frigates NARBROUGH and RUPERT.)
4th
Operation delayed by 24 hours
5th Joined
Convoy EBP1 with Group in Bristol Channel.
(Note: EBP1 was made up of 4 ships carrying Pre-loaded US Build-up Division and
two Depot
Ships
for passage to beach head in Western Task Force Area for
US Army landings.)
7th
Arrived in beach head with EBP1 after passage through
swept channel.
Took
passage to Plymouth with Group to continued escort of follow-up convoys.
27th After
termination of NEPTUNE remained in Channel area for convoy escort and
anti-submarine
operations.
July Channel
deployment based at Plymouth in continuation. Nominated for transfer to 8th Escort
to Group
for convoy defence in NW Approaches.
August
September Passage to
Clyde to Join new Group.
Deployed with Group in NW Approaches.
October Detached for
Russian convoy escort duty with Home Fleet.
Deployed with HM Destroyer WALKER, HM Sloop LARK, HM Corvettes CAMELLIA,
OXLIP
and RHODODENDRON as Close Escort for Convoy JW61 during passage to Kola
Inlet.
(For
details of Russian convoy operations with names of mercantiles and escorts
see
CONVOYS TO RUSSIA by RA
Ruegg, CONVOY! by P Kemp, ARCTIC CONVOYS by
R
Woodman and THE RUSSIAN CONVOYS by B Schoefield.)
November
1st Took
part in anti-submarine operations against U-Boats assembled off Kola Inlet for
attack on
return convoy to UK.
2nd Part of
escort returning Convoy RA 61 with same ships.
9th Detached
from RA61 on arrival at Loch Ewe after uninterrupted passage.
10th Under
repair of weather damage in Clyde shipyard.
26th On
completion prepared for further convoy defence duties in Home Fleet.
28th Involved
in collision with HM Mooring Vessel MOORBY when leaving
Clyde on passage
No
serious damage sustained.
29th Joined
escort for Russian convoy JW62 with HM Sloops CYGNET and
LARK
December
1st Main
escort and covering ships from Home Fleet joined JW62
(Note: Heavy escort was provided despite the elimination TIRPITZ by bombing attacks
on
12th November 1944).
7th Detached
on arrival of JW62 at Kola Inlet after unscathed passage,
9th Deployed
with other escorts for attacks on U-Boat assembly off Kola Inlet before
return convoy sailed for UK.
10th Joined
escort for Convoy RA62 with same ships.
19th Detached
from RA62 on arrival in NW Approaches.
30th Joined
escort for Russian Convoy JW63 with HM Destroyers KEPPEL, WALKER,
HM
Sloops CYGNET, LARK and three CASTLE Class corvettes.
1 9 4 5
January
8th Detached
from JU&3 on arrival at Kola Inlet after safe passage.
11th Joined
escort for Convoy RA63 with same ships.
21st Detached
from RA63 after an exceptionally stormy passage which had forced convoy
to
take shelter when NE of Faeroes.
24th Taken in
hand for rep-air of weather damage repair in Clyde shipyard.
(Note: Many other escorts also sustained structural damage,
February
2nd Passage
to Scapa Flow to resume convoy defence duties.
3rd Joined
Close Escort for Russian Convoy JW64 with HMS LARK, HMS WHITEHALL
and
four corvettes
for passage to Kola Inlet.
15th Detached
from JW64 on arrival at Kola Inlet.
11th Joined Close Escort for Russian Convoy JW64 with HMS LARK, HMS
WHITEHALL and four
corvettes for passage to Kola Inlet.
See U-BOATS DESTROYED by P Kemp.
13th HMS DENBIGH CASTLE was torpedoed by U993 and sustained major damage
The abandoned ships was taken in tow and beached
but slid into the sea and sank.
See above HITLER’S U-BOAT WAR by C Blair and
above references.)
15th Detached from JW64 on arrival at Kola Inlet.
(Note: This convoy had been under heavy and
sustained air attacks during passage
with one
escort.)
16th Deployed with other escorts to carry out anti-submarine hunt
assisted by Russian aircraft to
attack U-Boats assembled outside Kola Inlet in wait for returning convoy to UK.
(
Note: During
these operations U425 was sunk by HMS
LARK
and HM Corvette ALNWICK
CASTLE.)
17th During U-Boat attacks HMS LARK was hit by a Homing torpedo from U968
and
abandoned.
(Note: This ship was taken in tow to Kola
Inlet, beached and de-equipped
Although declared a total loss she was salvaged
by the Soviet Navy and later put into
service.)
HM Corvette was also sunk by U711 using the same
type of weapon.
Only 12 survivors were rescued.
19th
Collected ships of convoy after dispersal by very heavy weather.
20th Under
sustained air attacks which were driven off by AA fire
from escorts and aircraft from
HM
Escort Aircraft Carrier NAIRANA.
See above references.
23rd Hurricane force winds again dispersed convoy which was reassembled.
Enemy aircraft failed to find convoy.
March
1st
Detached from RA64 escort on arrival in NW Approaches.
11th Joined close escort for Russian Convoy JW65 with HM Destroyers MYNGS,
Norwegian
STORD and seven corvettes for defence during
passage to Kola Inlet.
20th Hit amidships by T5 homing torpedo fired from U968 off Kola Inlet in
position 69
26N 33.44E.
Ship broke in two but stern section remained
afloat for 20 minutes which enabled
some
survivors
to be
rescued.
(Note: Post war research suggests U968 was
responsible but U716 is also recorded
as the
attacker.
See references.)
Addendum
CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of HMS
LAPWING
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
|
|
|
|
|
|
11/06/44
|
11/06/44
|
FCM 001
|
12/06/44
|
12/06/44
|
20/10/44
|
20/10/44
|
JW 061
|
28/10/44
|
28/10/44
|
02/11/44
|
02/11/44
|
RA 061
|
09/11/44
|
09/11/44
|
29/11/44
|
29/11/44
|
JW 062
|
07/12/44
|
07/12/44
|
10/12/44
|
10/12/44
|
RA 062
|
19/12/44
|
19/12/44
|
30/12/44
|
30/12/44
|
JW 063
|
08/01/45
|
08/01/45
|
11/01/45
|
11/01/45
|
RA 063
|
21/01/45
|
21/01/45
|
03/02/45
|
06/02/45
|
JW 064
|
15/02/45
|
15/02/45
|
17/02/45
|
17/02/45
|
RA 064
|
28/02/45
|
28/02/45
|
11/03/45
|
11/03/45
|
JW 065
|
20/03/45
|
21/03/45
|
|
|
|
|
|
(Note on Convoys)