H. M. S. G N A T
"INSECT" Class River
Gunboat ordered from Barclay Curie and launched on 3rd December 1915 as the 4th
RN ship to carry the name, introduced for a wooden gunboat in 1856. It was
previously used by a coastal destroyer renamed TB8 in 1908. After WW1 she joined
the Yangtse Flotilla at Shanghai where she provided a British presence to
provide protection to British flagged shipping and British nationals in case of
an emergency.
B a t t l e H o n o u r s
MEDITERRANEAN
1940-45 LIBYA 1941
H e r a l d i c D a t a
Badge: On a Field a gnat
gold.
M o t t o
Minitus acumine: Protected by a sting or
Furnished with wit.
D e t a i l s o f W a r
S e r v i c e
1 9 3 9
September Nominated for conversion for minesweeping
duties.
to Taken in hand for conversion to new role.
December
1 9 4 0
January Took passage to
Mediterranean.
to On arrival deployed
for bombardment of enemy positions on North African coast and
November minesweeping in eastern Mediterranean.
December Deployed for support of 8th Army
advance towards Tobruk.
9th Deployed with HM Monitor TERROR, HM River Gunboats APHIS and LADYBIRD
for
support of attack on Tobruk by ANZAC troops as Force A.
17th Took
passage to Alexandria.
1 9 4
1
January Support and minesweeping duties in Eastern
Mediterranean continued.
to
March
April Deployed in support of
military withdrawal operations.
9th Carried out
bombardments at Bomba and Gazala with HMS APHIS.
13th Bombarded enemy positions near Sollum.
May Support
duties in continuation.
June Deployed off North
African coast for bombardment duties.
21st Torpedoed by U79 north of Bardia in
position 32.08N 25.22E.
Sustained
major damaged
July Towed to Alexandria.
to Found beyond
economic repair for use in support of military operations.
December
1 9 4 2 t o 1 9 4 3
Beached off
Alexandria and used as AA Guardship
1 9 4 4
After enemy forces were cleared from North Africa withdrawn from service
and
placed on the Disposal List.
1 9 4 5
Sold for
breaking-up at Alexandria.
DRAFT