Modified BLACK SWAN-Class ordered from
Harrow's of Scotstoun, Glasgow in 1940 Build Programme
on 23rd March 1941 and laid down on 18th May 1942. The ship was launched on
25th February 1943 by Mrs Mitchell. She was the fifth RN warship to carry the
name dating from 1808 and previously used for a destroyer built in 1910 and
sold in 1921. She had been adopted by the civil community of the Rural
District of Kettering, Northamptonshire in March 1942 following a successful
WARSHIP WEEK National Savings campaign. Build was completed .on
26th June 1943.
B a t t
l e H o n o u r s
BASQUE ROADS 1809 - ATLANTIC 1943-44 - NORMANDY 1944
- BURMA 1944-45
H e r
a l d i c D a
t a
Badge: On a Field
White, a
Redpole Proper upon a branch of a tree also 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 3
June
Contractors trials and commissioned for service in 7th Escort Group.
26th Build
completion and commenced Acceptance Trials
July On
completion of trials and storing took passage to Tobermory to commence Work-up
for
operational service.
Carried out work-up at Tobermory
Passage to Scapa Flow to complete work-up with ships of Home Fleet.
August On completion
took passage to Greenock
Joined Group based at
Greenock for convoy escort and support in Atlantic.
September
Detached for service at Gibraltar
for convoy escort and support in Mediterranean
and
Atlantic.
October
Deployment at Gibraltar in
continuation
to
December
1 9 4 4
January
Nominated for return to 7th Escort Group.
February
Passage to UK to rejoin Group and
deployed on convoy defence in Home waters.
March
Deployed in NW Approaches and UK
coastal waters for convoy defence.
to
April
May
Nominated for duty with Support Force G during Assault Phase of planned allied
landings
in
Normandy (Operation NEPTUNE).
For details of naval activities before and during landings see OPERATION NEPTUNE
by
K Edwards and LANDINGS IN
NORMANDY June 1944 (HMSO).
3rd Took
part in Final Rehearsal for
NEPTUNE landings with ships of Force G
4th
Took part in Exercise FABIUS at
Hayling Island with ships and craft of Forces G, J and G.
See references.
18th Took part
in Defence exercise off
Brighton with Forces S, G and J.
21st
Preparation for NEPTUNE.
June Passage
to Solent.
Nominated for escort of Assault Convoy G5 to Gold beach head
HM
Trawler BOMBARDIER joined
5th
Passage through swept channel with
Convoy.
6th
On arrival at Lowering position
detached and returned to Portsmouth to join HM Sloop
STORK and HM Escort Destroyer EGLINTON in 116th Escort Group for
defence of
follow-up
convoys.
27th On
termination of NEPTUNE deployed for Channel convoy escort and patrol.
July
Nominated for duty in Eastern Fleet on completion of refit.
5th Passage to Clyde
6th Taken in
hand for refit in Clyde commercial shipyard
August Under refit
September
On completion of post refit trials
took passage for work-up.
Passage to join military convoy in
Clyde on
completion of work-up.
October
1st Sailed from Clyde
as part of escort for Convoy KMF35 during passage to Port Said.
11th At
Gibraltar and joined escort of Convoy KMS65 during passage in Mediterranean to
Port
Said.
21st
Arrived at Port Said and detached from KMS65.
Canal transit and passage in Red Sea.
November Passage in
Indian Ocean
6th
Joined Eastern Fleet at Trincomalee.
Transferred to East Indies Fleet of formation when some Eastern Fleet ships
transferred to
British Pacific Fleet
December Deployed for
convoy defence.
Prepared for support of planned landings in Burma.
(For details of Eastern Fleet activities see OPERATION PACIFIC BY E Gray, THE
FORGOTTEN FLEET by J Winton and WAR WITH JAPAN (HMSO).)
1 9 4 5
January Joined
Task Force 64 for support of landings in Burma
16th
Provided gunfire support with Bombardment Force during landings by British 4th
and
Indian 71st Brigade in northern part of Ramree Island (Operation MATADOR).
(Note: Bombardment Force included HM Battleship QUEEN ELIZABETH, HM Cruiser
PHOEBE, HM Destroyers PATHFINDER, RAIDER and RAPID, HM Sloops
FLAMINGO and KISTNA (RIN).)
Transferred to British Pacific Fleet and Took passage to Sydney.
February Passage in
Indian Ocean
17th On
arrival at Sydney required refit prior to operational service with BPF.
Refit arranged at Auckland, New Zealand by HM Dockyard.
March Passage
to Auckland.
April Under
refit
to
June
July On
completion of post refit trials took passage to Sydney for BPF service.
August Passage to
forward operational base at Manus, Admiralty Islands.
P o s t W a r N o t e s
HMS REDPOLE
reverted to RN control after arrival and was deployed with the British Pacific
Fleet at Hong Kong for support of repatriation operations. She remained in the
Pacific until returning to UK in 1946 to Pay off into Reserve at Harwich. Three
years later the ship was brought forward for duty as Navigation Training Ship
attached to HMS DRYAD at Portsmouth and re-commissioned. Her armament was
removed during an extensive refit including fitting of a tripod mast and
providing facilities for practical instruction of Junior officers in
navigation. On 12th July 1957 she was involved in a collision with the Gosport Ferry VADNE causing one fatality and badly
damaged the Ferry. In 1958. The ship was withdrawn from her training role to Pay
off and was remained in Reserve until 1960. She was sold to BISCO
on 11th November 1960 for demolition by
J A White and arrived in tow at the
breaker’s yard at St Davids on 20th November that
year.
Addendum
CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of
HMS
REDPOLE
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
|
|
|
|
|
|
08/08/43
|
09/08/43
|
OS 053KM
|
17/08/43
|
17/08/43
|
05/09/43
|
05/09/43
|
KMS 026G
|
17/09/43
|
18/09/43
|
25/09/43
|
25/09/43
|
MKS 025G
|
01/10/43
|
08/10/43
|
26/09/43
|
02/10/43
|
KMS 028G
|
06/10/43
|
07/10/43
|
15/12/43
|
01/01/44
|
OS 062KM
|
01/01/44
|
02/01/44
|
03/02/44
|
15/02/44
|
MKF 028A
|
16/02/44
|
20/02/44
|
02/03/44
|
09/03/44
|
MKF 029
|
16/03/44
|
16/03/44
|
15/03/44
|
16/03/44
|
ON 228
|
unknown
|
01/04/44
|
01/10/44
|
01/10/44
|
KMF 035
|
11/10/44
|
11/10/44
|
|
|
|
|
|
(Note on Convoys)