H.
M. S. A P H I S
"INSECT" Class River Gunboat ordered from Ailsa Shipbuilders and launched on 15th September 1915 as
the 1st RN ship to carry this name. Build was completed in November 1915.
During 1917 she was deployed in support of military operations on the Danube,
baaed at Bucharest. She remained there until 1919 when she took passage to join the China Squadron for service in
the Yangtse Flotilla to provide aid for British
flagged shipping and British nationals in an unstable environment. During WW2
in February 1942 after a successful WARSHIP WEEK National Savings campaign this
ship was adopted by the civil communities of Warminster and Westbury in Wiltshire.
B a t t l e H o n o u r s
MEDITERRANEAN 1940-45 LIBYA 1940-42
SICILY 1943 ADRIATIC
1944
SOUTH FRANCE 1944
H e
r a l d i c D
a t a
Badge: On a Field Gold, an Aphis
green.
M o t t o
Hostibus hostis : 'A Foe to our Foes’.
D e t a i l s o f
W a r S e r v
i c e
1 9 3 9
September Deployed with Yangste
Flotilla.
to
December
January
Yangste deployment in continuation.
to Nominated for
service in Mediterranean
May
June
Passage to Join Mediterranean Fleet at Alexandria.
July Prepared for bombardment support duties in eastern
Mediterranean
August Deployed in eastern
Mediterranean.
to
November
December Deployed for bombardment duties
in support of 8th Army advance.
9th Bombarded positions at Tobruk in support of ANZAC advance with HM Monitor TERROR,
HM River Gunboats LADYBIRD and GNAT.
17th Carried out Bombardment of harbour
installations at Tobruk during which three mercantiles
were sunk
1 9 4 1
January
Bombardment duties in
continuation.
February
21st Provided further gunfire support at
Tobruk with HM Australian Destroyers STUART,
VAMPIRE and VOYAGER.
March
Eastern Mediterranean deployment in continuation.
April Provided support for
8th Army withdrawal.
9th Bombarded positions at Bomba and Gazala.
May
Deployed in eastern Mediterranean.
to
December
1 9 4 2
Deployed In eastern Mediterranean baaed at
Alexandria.
1 9 4 3
January Eastern
Mediterranean support duties In continuation at
Alexandria.
to Nominated for transfer to Malta after siege
lifted.
March Passage to Malta.
April Deployed at Malta and nominated for support
of planned operations.
May Prepared for bombardment support of attack
on Pantalleria.
31st Deployed
with HM Headquarters Ship LARGS
and HM Destroyers PETARD and
PALADIN.
Covered landings
(Operation CORKSCREW - See ENGAGE THE ENEMY
MORE CLOSELY by C Barnett
and Naval Staff
History).
June
13th On release from CORKSCREW returned to Malta
to prepare for support of the allied landings
in Sicily.
Passage to Malta
July Deployed in Malta.
(Note: In view of
loss of this type of warship by sir attack off North Africa thies
type of ship
was not deployed for bombardments off Sicily during landings
(Operation HUSKY)'
August Nominated for support of
allied landings in Calabria.
31st Deployed with HM River Qunboat SCARAB. HM Monitors EREBUS, ROBERTS and
ABERCROMBIE to bombard positions on coast
between Reggio Calabria and Passaro prior
to landings by British XIII Corps
(Operation BAYTOWN - See above references).
September
2nd Took part in preparatory bombardments
before landings.
3rd Provided support bombardments during landings.
Returned to Malta on release.
October Deployed at Malta.
to
December
1 9 4 4
January Malta deployment in continuation
to Nominated far support of landings in South of
France under US Command.
June
July Joined Western Task Force and attached to
Special Operations Group at Ajaccio
August Joined
HM River Gunboat SCARAB, HMS ANTWERP, HMS STUART PRINCE,
four Motor
Launches and 12 US Navy PT Boats to form eastern section of SOG.
(Notes: HMS
ANTWERP was deployed for Air Sea Rescue and HMS ULSTER PRINCE
for Fighter Direction duties,
The SOG was deployed to create diversion to
suggest landings ware to be
made
between Genoa and the Spanish border.
See INVASION OF THE SOUTH OF
SOUTH FRANCE HMSO)
14th Sailed from
Ajaccio
with SOG except PT boats which joined later.
Air cover was provided to prevent enemy air interference.
15th Carried cut bombardments with SOG between
Antibes and Var River.
(Note: Simulation
operation carried out to provide indication of large assault force
was a complete success.
Radio countermeasures
were used to divert attention from the bombardment
ships.)
Took part in second diversionary operation
off La Ciotat and carried out shore
bombardment of La Ciotat with HMS
SCARAB and US Destroyer ENDICOTT
After retirement from La Ciotat engaged corvette UJ6082 (Ex Italian navy) and UJ 6083
(Turkish yacht KEMID
ALLAH) with HMS SCARAB and later USS ENDICOTT.
Both ships ware sunk
Returned to Assault
area.
18th Released from DRAGOON and resumed duty
with Mediterranean Fleet.
September Deployed in Adriatic in support of shore
operations, based at Ancona
to
December
1 9 4 5
January Deployed in Malta.
to Nominated for service with British Pacific
Fleet
June
July Took passage to join Fleet at British Forward Base in Manus, Admiralty Islands
August On passage.
P o s
t W a r N o t e s
HMS APHIS
did not join British Pacific Fleet until after VJ Day and later went to
Singapore, Paid –off on arrival
the ship
was placed on the Disposal List in 1946 she was sold for demolition locally in May that year.
DRAFT