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SERVICE HISTORIES of ROYAL NAVY WARSHIPS in WORLD WAR 2

by Lt Cdr Geoffrey B Mason RN (Rtd) (c) 2003

HMS DURBAN  - World War 1 D-type Light Cruiser
including Convoy Escort Movements

Edited by Gordon Smith, Naval-History.Net

HMS Durban in China 1927 (George Smith, click to enlarge)) return to Contents List 
 

D-Class cruiser ordered from Scotts of Greenock in July 1917 and laid down in January 1918. The ship was launched on 29th May 1919 as the 2nd RN ship to carry the name that was previously used by a WW1 Trawler, She was completed on 1st September 1921. Her service between completion and 1936 when she was placed in Reserve, was mainly on foreign stations, in China, the West Indies and in the Mediterranean. She was re-commissioned before outbreak of war and after a WARSHIP WEEK National Savings campaign in March 1942 was adopted by the civil community of Finsbury, London.

 

B a t t l e   H o n o u r s

 

NORMANDY   1944

 

H e r a l d i c   D a t a

Badge:  On a  Field White, a mealie Gold, the leaves Green.

 

Motto

Natalis honore:    'For the honour of our Country'

 

 

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 3 9

 

August                  Part of 9th Cruiser Squadron.

 

September             Deployed on convoy defence between Freetown and Cape of Good Hope.

                2nd         Took passage from Gibraltar for trade defence in the South Atlantic.

                8th          Arrived at Freetown.

                28th        On arrival at Capetown taken in hand for repair.

 

October                  Transferred to China Station for service with 5th Cruiser Squadron.

                13th        Passage to Singapore with calls at Mauritius and Colombo.

                31st         Joined Squadron at Singapore.

 

November

                2nd         Passage to Hong Kong for refit

                6th          Taken in hand for refit.

                24th        Resumed Squadron duties on completion.

 

December              Deployed on trade defence and patrol in South China Sea.

                21st         Transferred to 9th Cruiser Squadron on China Station.

 

1 9 4 0

 

January                  Deployed on trade defence in East Indies area.

to

February

 

March

                23rd        Joined British Malaya Force on formation.

                                Carried out surveillance of German shipping in Dutch East Indies ports.

                                These included ss BITTERFELD, ss FRANKEN, ss RHEINLAND, ss SONEK and

                                ss WUPPERTAL.

 

April                       Surveillance and patrol duties in continuation.

 

 

May                        Deployed in Malacca Strait and Singapore areas on surveillance and trade defence.

to

June

 

July                         Under refit in Singapore.

 

August                  Post refit trials

                10th        On completion deployed on trade protection and surveillance duty in China Sea.

 

September

                20th        Joined HM Cruisers CANBERRA (RAN), CAPETOWN and HM Armed Merchant Cruiser

                                WESTRALIA (RAN) in Hunting Group to search for German raider ATLANTIS

 

October

                29th        Returned to Singapore for trade defence in Malacca Straits and Dutch East Indies.

 

November              Trade protection duty in continuation.

to

December

 

1 9 4 1

 

January                  Trade defence deployment in continuation.

 

February                Passage to Fremantle for military convoy escort.

                12th        Escorted Convoy US9 Including rms QUEEN MARY, rms AQUITANIA, rms MAURITANIA

                                and Dutch liner NIEUW AMSTERDAM from Fremantle for passage in Indian Ocean.

                16th        Detached to escort rms QUEEN MARY to Singapore.

 

March                    Deployed on trade defence in Malacca Straits and Dutch East Indies.

 

April                       Deployed in Indian Ocean for interception of commerce raiders and trade defence.

to

May

 

June                        Passage to Singapore.

 

July                         Under refit in Singapore.

to

August

 

September             Post Refit trials.

 

October                  On completion resumed trade protection and Interception duties.

 

November

                18th        Relieved HM Australian Cruiser SYDNEY as escort for torpedoed troopship ZEALANDIA

                                from Sunda Strait to Singapore.

 

December

                8th          Transferred to 5th Cruiser Squadron after outbreak of war with Japan.

                12th        Deployed for escort of convoy between Suda Strait and Singapore.

                19th        Escorted troopship taking survivors from HM Battlecruiser REPULSE and HM Battleship

                                PRINCE OF WALES to Colombo.

                20th        Joined China Force on formation and took passage to Singapore.

 

1 9 4 2

 

January

                5th          Embarked Naval Staff at Singapore for passage to Batavia from Singapore.

                6th          Joined Striking Force.

                                (See OPERATION PACIFIC by E Grey, ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY by C

                                Barnett and WAR WITH JAPAN (HMSO).)

                8th          Passage in Indian Ocean with HM Cruiser EXETER and HM Indian Sloop JUMNA to Addu

                                Atoll to reinforce escort of military convoy DM1.

                                (Note: This was the first of a series of convoys taking troops to reinforce the Singapore

                                garrison after the Japanese invasion of Malaya

                9th          Joined DM1 at Addu Atoll.

                10th        Dutch cruiser DE RUYTER, HM Destroyers ENCOUNTER, JUPITER and VAMPIRE

                                joined convoy escort.

                13th        Detached from DM1 after arrival at Singapore.

                19th        Escorted troopship from Singapore taking survivors from HM Battlecruiser REPULSE and

 

February

                6th          Relieved HM Australian Cruiser CANBERRA off Christmas Island, south of Java, as escort for

                                Convoy MS3 for passage to Palembang, Sumatra with HM Cruiser DRAGON.

                10th        Passage to Singapore with HM Destroyer JUPITER, H M Destroyer STRONGHOLD and HM

                                Auxiliary KEDAH to evacuate RAF personnel.

                11th        Under air attack on passage to Singapore.

                12th        Escorted coastal steamers carrying evacuees from Singapore.

                                Under air attack when north of Sunda Strait and hit forward causing loss of 6" mounting.

                16th        Withdrawn from area at Batavia.

                                Escorted merchant ship for part of passage to Colombo.

                17th        Detached and took passage for Fremantle.

 

March                    Deployed for trade defence in Indian Ocean.

                13th        Intercepted German ss DOGGERBANK laying mines off Capetown.

                                As challenge by visual signalling was correctly answered using name of British ss

                                LEVERBANK, ship was allowed to proceed.

                                Passage to USA for repair of bomb damage, with call at Azores.

 

April

                9th          Under repair in New York as US Navy dockyard.

                                (Note: Work included preparation for later installation of surface warning Radar Type 273

                                and warning radar Type 286, a modified RAF ASV equipment.

                                For details of development and use of radar by RN see RADAR AT SEA by D Howse)

 

June                        Carried out Post refit trials

 

July                         Passage to UK.

 

August                  Taken in hand for completion of radar outfit installation and other outstanding changes not

                                in USN shipyard.

 

September             Carried out Worked-up at Scapa Flow for service with 5th Cruiser Squadron in Eastern Fleet.

 

October

                4th          Joined military convoy WS23 in Clyde as Ocean Escort with HM Cruiser DESPATCH and

                                HM Armed Merchant Cruiser QUEEN OF BERMUDA during Atlantic passage.

                15th        Detached from U523 with Ocean Escort before arrival at Freetown.

                20th        Rejoined W323 as Ocean Escort on departure from Freetown for Durban.

                                (Note: HM Armed Merchant Cruiser CARTHAGE and Greek destroyer KANARIS were also

                                part of Ocean Escort.)

                23rd        HMS DESPATCH joined Ocean Escort.

 

November

                5th          Detached from WS23 on arrival at Durban.

                                Deployed with Squadron for trade defence in Indian Ocean.

 

December              Indian Ocean deployment in continuation.

                30th        Taken in hand for refit and repair at Bombay.

 

1 9 4 3

 

January                  Under refit.

to

February

 

March                    On completion of post refit trials resumed Squadron trade defence duties.

 

April                       Deployed in Indian Ocean for convoy defence duty.

                5th          Joined military convoy MS27 in Indian Ocean during its passage from Durban.

                                Relieved HM Cruiser FROBISHER as Ocean Escort with HMS CARTHAGE.

                9th          Detached from WS27 on arrival at Aden.

                10th        Deployed for defence of Persian Gulf convoys.

                28th        At Bahrein during Persian Gulf convoy defence.

 

May                        Deployed In Persian Gulf for convoy defence and support of military operations.

 

June                        Resumed Indian Ocean convoy defence based at Kilindini.

to

September

 

October                  Withdrawn from operational service.

                23rd        Took passage from Seychelles to UK.

 

November              Arrived at Portsmouth after call at Plymouth.

 

December              Reduced to Care and Maintenance.

 

1 9 4 4

 

January                  Under care and maintenance at Portsmouth.

                                Nominated for support of Normandy landings after refit

                                (Note: Ship to be sunk as part of  GOOSEBERRY No 5 off Ouistreham.

February                Under refit at Portsmouth.

to April                  (Note Main armament retained and 24 20mm Oerlikon guns fitted.

 

May                        On completion prepared for use as part of breakwater off Normandy.

                                Passage to Oban to join Blockships..

                27th        At Oban

 

June

                2nd         Took passage to Channel under own power with Blockships.

                4th          Operation postponed for 24 hours.

                                Diverted to Poole.

                6th          Passage to Ouistreham

                9th          Sunk as part of No. 5 GOOSEBERRY breakwater in British Assault Area.

                                (Note: Deployed as Senior Officer for CORNCOB to establishment of Blockships

                                providing shelter for small craft during the assault (Operation NEPTUNE)

                                For full details of naval activities prior to and during the landings see LANDINGS IN

                                NORMANDY June 1944 and OPERATION NEPTUNE by Kenneth Edwards).

 

July                         In use as SNO CORNCOB.

 

August

                3rd          Hulk hit by German torpedo during series of attacks off Beachhead.

 

 


 

Addenda

 

CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of HMS DURBAN

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

 

 

 

 

 

02/09/39

13/09/39

AB 001/1

unknown

10/09/39

24/03/40

26/03/40

OA 116

unknown

28/03/40

17/03/41

22/03/41

BM 005

25/03/41

25/03/41

24/03/41

24/03/41

BM 004/2

26/03/41

26/03/41

21/12/41

30/12/41

BM 009A

03/01/42

03/01/42

02/01/42

09/01/42

DM 001

13/01/42

13/01/42

19/01/42

26/01/42

BM 011

28/01/42

29/01/42

15/02/42

15/02/42

SJ 002

22/02/42

22/02/42

31/05/43

31/05/43

PB 043

05/06/43

05/06/43

24/08/43

28/08/43

KR 006

03/09/43

03/09/43

14/09/43

20/09/43

CM 045

22/09/43

27/09/43

21/05/44

21/05/44

WP SP 31

23/05/44

23/05/44

 

 

 

 

 

(Note on Convoys)

 


 

link to

 

COMMISSION OF HMS DURBAN, CHINA STATION, 1926-28

from the photographic collection of Chief Yeoman of Signals George Smith

 

 

 

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revised 3/6/11
further editing and formatting is required


 

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