H. M. S. L A D Y B I R D
"INSECT” Class River Gunboat ordered from Lobnitz and
launched on 12th April 1916 as the 1st RN ship to carry the name. After
completion 1917 she was deployed in the Mediterranean where she supported army
operations and carried out patrol duties. In 1919 she began service on the
China Station and joined the Yangtse Flotilla to protect British shipping and
British nationals during an emergency. The ship was damaged by Japanese
artillery after the Japanese invasion of China in 1938.
B a t
t l e H o n o u r s
MEDITERRANEAN 1940-41 LIBYA 1940-41
H e r
a l d i c D a t a
Badge: On a Field White, a Ladybird proper.
M o t t o
Ne sperne Fortuna : ' Do not throw away your luck
'
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 the Yangtse Flotilla.
to Nominated for service
In the Mediterranean
December
1 9 4 0
January Took passage to Mediterranean.
to On arrival deployed for
bombardment of enemy positions on North African coast.
July
August
23rd Carried
out bombardment of Bardia harbour with HM Australian Destroyer WATERHEN
September Deployed for gunfire support of 8th
Army advance towards Tobruk.
to
November
December
9th Deployed
with HM Monitor TERROR and HM
River Gunboats APHIS and GNAT as
Force A
. Bombarded Tobruk in
support of ANZAC troops
. Took
passage to Alexandria.
1 9 4 1
January
21st Deployed
with HMS TERROR, HMS APHIS, m Australian Destroyers STUART,
VOYAGER
and VAMPIRE for support of ANZAC Brigade in final assault on Tobruk.
February Nominated for support of commando
raid on Castellorizo.
Joined HM
Destroyers HEREWARD and DECOY.
5th Landed troops and deployed for gunfire
support.
(Note: This
requirement for this operation was ill-judged and its execution
proved
unsatisfactory)
March Resumed service in support of army
operations.
April Deployed in support of 8th Army
withdrawal operations.
15th
Bombarded Gazala
18th Bombarded enemy positions near Sollum.
May Support duties in continuation.
12th Came
under German dive bombing attacks during air raid on Tobruk harbour.
Sustained major
damage and sank.
Wreck only
partially submerged.
(Casualty
List - note on casualties)
(Note: Some of the guns on the hulk were used by army
personnel for defence during
air raids).
Post War Notes.
This name was reintroduced in 1950 when given to the China
Navigation Company's mercantile ss WUSUEH which was requisitioned at Hong Kong.
This
ship was then used as the RN Headquarters Ship at Sasebo, Japan during the
Korean War. She paid off in 1953 after the armistice and was returned to her
former owners.
DRAFT