A or ACASTA-Class Fleet Destroyer built by Scotts at Greenock under 1927 Programme and ordered on 6th March 1928. She was laid down on 30th July that year and
launched on 24th April 1929 as the second ship to
carry the name which dates from 1417.
This ship commissioned on 14 February 1930. Following a successful
WARSHIP WEEK National Savings campaign in February 1942
she was adopted by the civil community of Matlock, Derbyshire.
B a t t
l e H o n o u r s
ARMADA
1588 - DUNKIRK 1940
- BISMARCK action 1941 - DIEGO SUAREZ 1942
- ATLANTIC 1940-44 - ENGLISH CHANNEL 1944-45
H e r a l d i
c D a t a
Badge: On a Field Black, the
head of St Anthony Proper
with a White owl and halo Gold.
M o t t
o
Portia in Arduia: 'Brave under difficulties'
D e t a i
ls 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
September Deployed at Portland with
18th Destroyer Flotilla for anti-submarine patrol and convoy defence
in English Channel and SW Approaches.
(For details of measures taken in defence of convoys after outbreak of
war see ENGAGE THE
ENEMY MORE CLOSELY by C. Barnett and SEEK AND STRIKE by W Hackmann.).
October
Channel deployment in continuation.
November Transferred to 23rd
Destroyer Flotilla for defence of east coast convoys
December Convoy defence duty in
continuation.
1 9 4 0
January
Escorted HM Battleship ROYAL SOVEREIGN for part of passage to Halifax
with HM Destroyers
ACHATES and ARROW.
February Deployed on convoy
defence in Western Approaches.
March
Transferred to 16th Destroyer Flotilla at Portsmouth.
Convoy escort duty in continuation.
April
15th Under repair at
Portsmouth.
May
20th Rejoined Flotilla on
completion of post refit trials.
26th Participated in
evacuation of troops from Dunkirk (Operation DYNAMO).
Carried over 3.000 soldiers during this task.
30th Under air attack and
sustained damage from near miss.
31st Taken in hand for
repair at Portsmouth.
June
18th On completion took
passage to Harwich rejoin 16th Flotilla.
19th Deployed on convoy
defence and patrol duties in North Sea.
July
Carried out anti-invasion patrol until detached for duty with Home
Fleet.
August
Deployed with Hone Fleet for anti-submarine defence of major units.
September Transferred to 12th
Destroyer Flotilla based at Greenock for convoy defence in NW
Approaches.
27th Rescued some survivors
from ss CITY OF BENARES who had been adrift in
an open boat
since ship was sunk by a submarine torpedo on 17th September
October Convoy defence in
continuation.
November
18th Transferred to 4th
Escort Group, Western Approaches Command for Atlantic convoy defence
based at Greenock.
December Atlantic convoy defence in
continuation.
1 9 4 1
January
Atlantic convoy escort with Group In continuation.
February Sustained carnage during
air raid on Clyde area.
13th Under refit and damage
repair in Glasgow.
March
Nominated for duty with Home Fleet.
Joined 3rd Destroyer Flotilla on completion of refit.
Deployed for anti-submarine defame of Float units.
April
Detached for escort and cover of Northern Barrage minelaying operations
in the Denmark Strait
and Faeroes-Iceland Gap by ships of 1st Minelaying Squadron.
(For details see Naval Staff History (Mining).)
6th Covered
minelay in Northern Barrage with HM Destroyer COSSACK (Operation SN8).
24th Escorted HM Cruisers
KENYA and EDINBURGH with HM Destroyer ACHATES for minelay.
(Operation SM 71).
May
Home Fleet duties in continuation.
15th Deployed with HM
Cruisers HERMIONE and KENYA for Ocean Escort of minelayers during
minelay in Faeroes Iceland Gap with HM Destroyers ELECTRA and ANTELOPE.
(Operation SN9B)
23rd Part of escort for HM
Battlecruiser HOOD and HM Battleship PRINCE OF WALES during
search for German battleship BISMARCK.
24th Detached to refuel in
Iceland before HMS HOOD was sunk in action.
(For details of the search and sinking of BISMARCK see ENGAGE THE ENEMY
MORE
CLOSELY and BATTLESHIP BISMARCK by Mullenheim Rechbeg)
26th Escorted HMS PRINCE OF
WALES to Iceland after action with BISMARCK.
June
Nominated for further minelaying escort duties.
10th Escorted HM Cruiser
NIGERIA during cover during minelay in Northern Barrage.
(Operation SN64A and SN64B)
July
Deployed with Home Fleet in W Approaches.
23rd Part of screen for HM
Cruisers DEVONSHIRE, SUFFOLK with five other destroyers to cover air
attacks on Petsamo and Kirkenes by HM Aircraft Carriers VICTORIOUS and
FURIOUS and.
passage of HM Minelaying Cruiser ADVENTURE to Murmansk with mines
(Operation EF).
25th Detached for tow of HM
Destroyer ACHATES to Seidisfjord after mine damage.
See CONVOYS TO RUSSIA by R Woodman.
August
Home Fleet deployment in continuation.
Nominated for escort of ships during PLANNED LANDING AT Spitzbergen by
Canadian troops..
3rd Part of Force
K for raid on Spitzbergen (Operation GAUNTLET).
19th Deployed with HM
Destroyers TARTAR, ICARUS, ANTHONY and ECLIPSE as screen for
ss EMPRESS OF AUSTRALIA, HM Cruisers AURORA and NIGERIA during passage
to
Spitzbergen
(Note: Mines were destroyed with evacuation of Norwegian and Russian
nationals .)
29th Joined escort of Russian
Convoy PQ1 with HM Destroyer ANTELOPE.
(For details of all Russian Convoy operation see CONVOYS TO RUSSIA by
RA Ruegg.
CONVOY ! by P Kemp, THE RUSSIAN CONVOYS by B Schoefield and ARCTIC
CONVOYS.
by R Woodman.)
October
2nd Detached from
Convoy PQ1 with Royal Fleet Auxiliary tanker BLACK RANGER to join
returning Convoy QP1 during passage from Archangel.
4th Joined Convoy
QP1 with RFA BLACK RANGER.
Detached from QP1 for special duty to embark Trades Union Congress
delegation for
passage to Archangel with HM Destroyer NORMAN.
6th Embarked
passengers and took passage with HMS NORMAN.
12th Landed passengers and
remained to await return of delegates.
27th Took independent passage
with passengers from Archangel
November
2nd Landed passengers
at Scapa Flow
Passage to Humber for refit.
December Under refit
Nominated for duty with 38th Destroyer Division at Gibraltar on completion.
1 9 4 2
January
On completion of post refit trials took passage to join Flotilla at
Gibraltar
Deployed for Flotilla duties at Gibraltar.
17th Joined military convoy
WS 15 with HM Destroyer NORMAN.
18th Detached from WS 15 and
returned to Clyde.
21st Deployed for
Flotilla duties.
February
Deployed for convoy defence based at Gibraltar.
Took passage to Clyde
(Note: Ship may have been part of escort for routine Gibraltar-UK
convoy)
17th Joined military Convoy
WS16 as screen for HM Battleship MALAYA, HM Aircraft Carrier
EAGLE and HM Cruiser HERMIONE with HM Destroyers ACTIVE, BLANKNEY,
CROOME,
DUNCAN, FIREDRAKE, LAFOREY and LIGHTNING during Atlantic passage from
Clyde.
21st HM Cruiser
NEWCASTLE and HM Destroyer PALADIN joined WS16.
22nd Detached from WS 16 with ships
nominated for Operation SPOTTER and took passage to
Gibraltar.
24th At Gibraltar whilst aircraft prepared for flight.
27th Sailed for aircraft
delivery with HM Destroyers
ACTIVE, BLANKNEY, CROOME, DUNCAN, FIREDRAKE, LAFOREY and LIGHTNING as
screen for HMS MALAYA and HMS HERMIONE, during aircraft delivery.
28th Operation SPOTTER I
abandoned after incorrect
Long Range Fuel Tanks had been
provided for aircraft.
(See THE BATTLE FOR THE MEDITERRANEAN by D. MacIntyre and
ENGAGE THE
ENEMY MORE CLOSELY)
March
6th Deployed with
HM Destroyers LAFOREY, LIGHTNING, ACTIVE, WHITEHALL,
WISHART, CROOME, BLANKNEY and EXMOOR as screen for HM Battleship
MALAYA and HM Cruiser HERMIONE to provide cover for HM Aircraft Carriers
EAGLE and ARGUS during repeat Malta aircraft delivery (Operation
SPOTTER II)
8th Returned to
Gibraltar on completion of SPOTTER II
20th Deployed as screen for
HMS EAGLE and HMS ARGUS with same ships as SPOTTER
and HM Destroyer DUNCAN to cover Malta aircraft deliveries (Operation
PICKET I).
22nd PICKET I aborted for same
reason as SPOTTER I
27th Deployed with same ships
as PICKET I for repeat Malta aircraft delivery (Operation PICKET II)
(Note: PICKET I was cancelled because of incorrect fit of fuel tanks
to aircraft.)
30th Returned to Gibraltar on completion of PICKET II
Nominated for detached duty with Force H ships to support the planned
landings at Diego
Suarez, Madagascar as Force 121 (Operation IRONCLAD).
(For details see RELUCTANT ENEMIES by W Tute, ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE
CLOSELY and Naval Staff History).
Took passage from Gibraltar with HM Destroyers ACTIVE, WILD SWAN, HM
Corvette
HYDRANGEA and Free French COMMANDANTE DETROYAT to join escort for
military
Convoy WS17 on passage in Atlantic from Clyde to Freetown.
April
1st Joined
WS17.
6th Detached from
WS17 with escort on arrival at Freetown
9th Sailed from
Freetown as part of Ocean Escort for WS17A during passage to Durban.
(Note: Other ships in Ocean Escort included HM Battleship MALAYA. HM
Cruiser
HERMIONE, HM Destroyers ACTIVE, INCONSTANT, JAVELIN, LAFOREY,
LOOKOUT, LIGHTNING and PAKENHAM.)
May
Prepared for landing operations at Diego Suarez and embarked Royal
Marines.
4th Passage to
Diego Suarez with HM Cruiser DAUNTLESS
5th Landed Royal
Marines for successful diversionary landing at Antsirane.
(Note: Cheered by assembled ships on return.)
For details see above references and WAR WITH JAPAN (HMSO).).
On completion of operation IRONCLAD remained in Indian Ocean for escort
and patrol
duty with 2nd Destroyer Flotilla, Eastern Fleet).
June
Indian Ocean trade defence and patrol in continuation.
to
August
September
17th Escorted damaged
battleship HMS ROYAL SOVEREIGN with HM Destroyer DUNCAN
during passage for repair at Philadelphia.
October
Diverted to New York during passage.
22nd Arrived New York and deployed
as part of escort for US troop convoy UGF2 during passage
to take part in planned allied landings in North Africa (Operation
TORCH)
November Detached from UGF2 to
refuel in Azores at Punta Delgado.
Joined escort for routine Cape - UK convoy CP7.
Diverted to escort HM Cruiser SHROPSHIRE to Clyde.
15th Arrived at Greenock.
21st Taken in hand for
refit in Thames commercial shipyard.
December Under refit.
1 9 4 3
January Under refit
to
Nominated for service with 13th Destroyer Flotilla at Gibraltar.
February
March
Carried out Post Refit trials.
4th On completion
worked up for service in Home waters.
Deployed for convoy defence in Western Approaches
April
Nominated for escort of military convoy during passage to Freetown in
NW Approaches.
20th Joined escort for
military Convoy WS29A in Clyde with HM Destroyer LEWES.
26th Detached from WS29A and
took independent passage to Gibraltar to join Flotilla.
May
Deployed with Flotilla for escort and patrol duties in western
Mediterranean and Atlantic.
to June
July
Deployed as part of Escort Group 5 for escort of military convoys on
passage in Mediterranean
for planned allied landing in Sicily.
(Operation HUSKY - See Naval Staff History).
7th Passage from
Bone to join escort for military Convoy KMF18 during passage to landing
area.
9th Detached from
KMF18
10th Deployed for
anti-submarine patrol off beach head,
August
On release from HUSKY deployed at Gibraltar for convoy escort and
patrol.
to
December
1 9 4 4
January Gibraltar deployment in continuation.
February
24th Took part in sinking of
U761 with HMS WISHART, aircraft from 202 Squadron RAF, and US
Navy CATALINA aircraft west of Straits of Gibraltar at position 35.55N
5.45W.
(Note: Aircraft had detected submarine using Magnetic Anomaly
Detection equipment and made
rocket attacks which caused a fuel leak. See HITLER’S U-BOAT WAR by C
Blair and
U-BOATS DESTROYED by P Kemp.
49 survivors were rescued one of whom died later in hospital at
Gibraltar.)
March
Convoy defence in western Mediterranean in continuation
to
August
September Transferred to Homer waters
for defence of convoys in English Channel and SW Approaches.
(Note: The increased threat of SCHNORKEL fitted U-Boats had made
necessary an increase
in number of escorts required.
Enemy submarines were concentrating their attacks in focal assembly
points and on coastal
shipping. See ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY, SEEK AND STRIKE and HOLD
THE NARROW SEAS by P Smith.)
October
Deployed for defence of coastal convoys.
to
November
December
24th During escort duty with
HM Destroyer BRILLIANT came under attack by U86 which sank the
Belgian troopship LEOPOLDVILLE.
819 personnel lost their lives.
1 9 4 5
January
Coastal convoy escort and patrol in Channel area in continuation.
to
Nominated for service as an Air Target Ship after modification to suit
new role.
February
March
Withdrawn from operational service.
13th Taken In hand for
conversion to Air Target
April
Under Conversion
to
Allocated for Target Ship duties in NW Approaches and Irish Sea
May
(Note: Air Target Ships were used for training of aircrew in warship
recognition and to
exercise procedures needed for attacks.
June
6th Took up
station for duty on completion of conversion.
July
Air Target Ship duties in continuation.
to
August
P o s t W a r N o t e s
HMS ANTHONY continued these duties for training of aircrew
until January 1946. She was placed in Reserve on 27th March 1946 and put on the
Disposal List. However in September that year sale was deferred and she was used for
Damage Control trials until February 1948. Sold to BISCO for breaking up by West of Scotland
Shipbreakers on 21st February she arrived at the breaker’s
yard at Troon, Ayrshire during May.
Addendum
CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of
HMS ANTHONY
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 |
|
|
|
|
|
21/09/39
|
21/09/39
|
MB 006/1
|
23/09/39
|
23/09/39
|
03/10/39
|
03/10/39
|
SA 010
|
04/10/39
|
04/10/39
|
09/10/39
|
09/10/39
|
SA 012
|
10/10/39
|
10/10/39
|
04/12/39
|
04/12/39
|
SA 020
|
05/12/39
|
05/12/39
|
27/07/40
|
09/08/40
|
HX 061
|
10/08/40
|
11/08/40
|
11/08/40
|
12/08/40
|
OB 196
|
12/08/40
|
15/08/40
|
16/08/40
|
18/08/40
|
OB 199
|
20/08/40
|
20/08/40
|
13/09/40
|
23/09/40
|
HX 073
|
28/09/40
|
28/09/40
|
29/09/40
|
29/09/40
|
OB 221
|
03/10/40
|
03/10/40
|
21/09/40
|
03/10/40
|
HX 075
|
07/10/40
|
07/10/40
|
04/10/40
|
14/10/40
|
HX 078
|
18/10/40
|
18/10/40
|
26/11/40
|
26/11/40
|
OB 250
|
29/11/40
|
29/11/40
|
12/11/40
|
30/11/40
|
SL 055
|
02/12/40
|
02/12/40
|
07/01/41
|
07/01/41
|
OG 049
|
11/01/41
|
21/01/41
|
29/12/40
|
11/01/41
|
HG 049
|
15/01/41
|
15/01/41
|
19/01/41
|
19/01/41
|
OB 276
|
24/01/41
|
25/01/41
|
12/01/41
|
27/01/41
|
SC 019
|
31/01/41
|
02/02/41
|
03/02/41
|
04/02/41
|
OB 282
|
07/02/41
|
08/02/41
|
20/01/41
|
09/02/41
|
SL 063
|
09/02/41
|
09/02/41
|
05/06/41
|
05/06/41
|
DS 005
|
09/06/41
|
09/06/41
|
29/09/41
|
29/09/41
|
PQ 001
|
11/10/41
|
11/10/41
|
28/09/41
|
04/10/41
|
QP 001
|
09/10/41
|
10/10/41
|
26/01/42
|
04/02/42
|
CARNIVAL
|
04/02/42
|
04/02/42
|
03/06/42
|
03/06/42
|
KM 001
|
06/06/42
|
06/06/42
|
02/11/42
|
02/11/42
|
UGF 002
|
08/11/42
|
18/11/42
|
27/04/43
|
27/04/43
|
RS 004A
|
unknown
|
unknown
|
22/05/43
|
22/05/43
|
MKS 013G
|
24/05/43
|
24/05/43
|
24/05/43
|
24/05/43
|
SL 129MK
|
26/05/43
|
01/06/43
|
28/06/43
|
07/07/43
|
KMF 018
|
unknown
|
11/07/43
|
10/07/43
|
10/07/43
|
MKF 018
|
17/07/43
|
23/07/43
|
14/07/43
|
14/07/43
|
KMF 019Y
|
unknown
|
unknown
|
20/07/43
|
20/07/43
|
MKF 019Y
|
23/07/43
|
23/07/43
|
14/07/43
|
21/07/43
|
MKF 019
|
23/07/43
|
30/07/43
|
17/08/43
|
17/08/43
|
KMS 023G
|
18/08/43
|
18/08/43
|
17/08/43
|
08/09/43
|
KMS 025G
|
10/09/43
|
30/08/43
|
28/09/43
|
28/09/43
|
KMS 027G
|
29/09/43
|
29/09/43
|
23/10/43
|
23/10/43
|
MKS 028G
|
24/10/43
|
24/10/43
|
02/11/43
|
02/11/43
|
SL 139
|
03/11/43
|
14/11/43
|
29/06/44
|
29/06/44
|
MKS 053G
|
30/06/44
|
30/06/44
|
30/06/44
|
30/06/44
|
SL 162MK
|
06/07/44
|
12/07/44
|
30/12/44
|
30/12/44
|
TBC 023
|
02/01/45
|
02/01/45
|
13/02/45
|
13/02/45
|
BTC 068
|
16/02/45
|
16/02/45
|
|
|
|
|
|
(Note
on Convoys)