GREYHOUND-Class
Fleet Destroyer ordered from Alex.
Stephen of Govan under the 1933 Programme in
March 1934. The ship was
laid down on 15th September that year and
launched on 26th August 1935 as the 3rd RN
warship
to carry the name which
dates from 11797 and was last used for a Gun
Brig sold in 1815. Build was
completed
on 25th February 1936 at a cost of £252,920 (excluding Admiralty
supplied equipment such as guns,
ammunition
and communications
equipment. She served with in the Mediterranean
before the outbreak of war.
Following a successful WARSHIP WEEK National Savings
campaign in February 1942 this ship was
'adopted' by the civil
community of Sevenoaks, Kent.
B
a t t
l e H o n o u r s
ATLANTIC
1939 -
DUNKIRK
1940 -
SPARTIVENTO
1940
- MEDITERRANEAN 1940-41
-
MALTA
CONVOYS 1941
H
e r a l d i c D a t a
Badge: On
a Field Blue,
a
female head
proper
crowned
with scallops shells Gold.
M
o t t
o
Nobis
Mare Patria:
'The sea is our Fatherland '.
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
September
Deployed with 1st Destroyer Flotilla for
patrol and contraband control in
Mediterranean.
October
Transferred with Flotilla for duty in Hone
Waters.
22nd
Passage to UK with ships of D1 for escort
duty in SW Approaches.
November
Boiler Cleaning at Devonport.
6th
Carried out unsuccessful search for Blockade
Runner in SW Approaches.
11th
Re-deployed at Harwich with ships of
Flotilla for convoy escort and patrol in
North
Sea.
December
North Sea deployment in continuation.
1 9
4 0
January
North Sea deployment in continuation.
February
1st
Transferred to Rosyth in continuation.
2nd
During escort of Convoy FS84 stood by as
BRITISH COUNCILLOR mined in position
53.48N 00.34E.
3rd
Rescued crew of BRITISH COUNCILLOR when she
sank and landed them at Rosyth.
18th
Joined escort for Convoy HN12 as replacement
for HM Destroyer DARING.
25th
Rescued survivors from Swedish ship SANTOS
in position 50 miles E. of Duncansby
Head.
March
20th
Provided A/S protection for HM Armed
Merchant Cruisers CILICIA and
CARINTHIA
after they
had collided in North Sea in position 57.17N
00.42 W).
28th
Taken in for refit at Southampton
April
Under refit
May
1st
Rejoined Flotilla at Harwich in continuation
of North Sea duties.
10th
Deployed with HM Destroyer BULLDOG to assist
in defence of HM Destroyer KELLY
during return to Tyne after being damaged in
action with E-Boats in North Sea.
Embarked crew of HMS KELLY not required for
salvage and damage control.
18th
Took part in
rescue of survivors from HM Auxiliary
Minelayer PRINCESS VICTORIA with HM
Destroyers GRAFTON and FORESIGHT in
Humber Estuary.
(Note: HMS PRINCESS VICTORIA sank after
detonating mine.
For details see The Naval Staff History
(Mining).)
25th
Detached for
evacuation and support duties in Channel
area.
26th
Participated in evacuation of troops from
Dunkirk (Operation DYNAMO).
28th
Passage to Dunkirk and embarked troops for
passage to Dover
29th
Second trip to Beaches and embarked troops
for passage to Dover
Sustained damage aft during dive barbing
attacks whilst in company with
HM Destroyers
GRENADE and JAGUAR.
Returned to Dover under own power.
(For details of DYNAMO see NINE DAYS OF
DUNKIRK by A D Divine, BEF SHIPS by
J de Winser and Naval Staff History (HMSO –
2003).)
(Note: Total of 1,466 personnel were
embarked on the two trips.).
30th
Taken in hand for repair in Hull shipyard.
June
Under repair
5th
On completion nominated for escort of HM
Auxiliary Minelayer TEVIOT BANK and HM
Coastal Minelayer PLOVER with HM Destroyer
WALPOLE.
Deployed for escort during North Sea minelay
in East Coast Barrier.
(Operation BS11)
10th
Escort duty for further minelay with HMS
WALPOLE (Operation BS12)
13th
Escort duty for further minelay with HMS
WALPOLE (Operation BS14)
(Note: For details of minelaying operations
see Naval Staff History (MINING).
15th
Resumed North Sea escort and patrol duties.
21st
Detached for duty with Home Fleet and took
part in unsuccessful search for the
German
warships SCHARNHORST and GNEISENAU in NW
Approaches by HM Battlecruisers
RENOWN and REPULSE.
July
Nominated for service in Mediterranean and
taken in hand for refit at Chatham.
3in Anti-Aircraft gun mounting fitted.
24th
On completion of post refit trials took
passage to Gibraltar to Join Force H.
Part of escort for HM Aircraft Carrier
ARGUS, HM Armed Merchant Cruiser MALOJA
and Middle East convoy with HM Destroyers
GREYHOUND, ENCOUNTER and HOTSPUR.
30th
Joined 13th Destroyer Flotilla for Fleet
screening and patrol duties.
31st
Joined HMS ARGUS as screen with HM
Destroyers ENCOUNTER, GREYHOUND and
HOTSPUR
during delivery of
aircraft to
Malta covered
with ships of Force H.
(Operation HURRY - This was coincident with
a diversionary attack on Cagliari
by aircraft
from HM Aircraft Carrier ARK ROYAL
(Operation CRUSH).
(For details of operations in Western Mediterranean see Naval Staff History (HMSO-2001),
THE
BATTLE FOR THE
MEDITERRANEAN
by D Macintyre and ENGAGE THE ENEMY
MORE CLOSELY
by Corelli
Barnett).
August
4th
Returned to Gibraltar after Malta aircraft
delivery.
30th
Joined HM Destroyers GREYHOUND, GRIFFIN,
HOTSPUR, NUBIAN, MOHAWK,
JANUS and HERO in Force A as screen for HM
Aircraft Carrier ILLUSTRIOUS, HM
Battleship VALIANT, HM Cruisers COVENTRY and
CALCUTTA (Force F) during passage
reinforce Fleet in the Eastern Mediterranean
(Operation HATS).
September
Passage to
Malta with
Force A.
13th
Resumed duty at Gibraltar with Flotilla.
October
Gibraltar deployment in continuation.
20th
Participated in sinking of Italian submarine
LAFOLE with HM Destroyers GRIFFIN and
HOTSPUR east of Gibraltar in position 35.50N
02.53W
31st
Part of screen for HM Battlecruiser RENOWN
and H M Battleship BARHAM with HM
Destroyers FAULKNOR, FORESTER, FIREDRAKE,
FORTUNE, GREYHOUND and
GRIFFIN during surveillance of Vichy French
naval movements off Morocco.
November
Nominated for transfer to Mediterranean
Fleet based at Alexandria.
5th
Reinforced defence of Convoy HX84 under in
Atlantic after it had been attacked by commerce
raider.
7th
Joined HMS BARHAM, HM Cruiser BERWICK and HM
Cruiser GLASGOW in Force F with
HM Destroyers GREYHOUND, GRIFFIN and ENCOUNTER as screen for passage to join
Fleet in Eastern Mediterranean covered by
ships of Force H (Operation COAT).
10th
Arrived in Malta with ships of Force F.
23rd
Joined HM Destroyers GREYHOUND, GRIFFIN,
HOTSPUR and IMPERIAL in 14th Destroyer
Flotilla, Mediterranean Fleet for screening
duties.
24th
Part of Force D as screen for HMS RAMILLIES,
HM Cruisers BERWICK,
NEWCASTLE
with HM Destroyers DIAMOND,
DEFENDER, GREYHOUND and HEREWARD as escort
during
transit to Western
Mediterranean.
(Note: HMS RAMILLIES was considered
unsuitable for service in the Mediterranean
and HMS
NEWCASTLE was returning to UK for repair)
(Operation COLLAR: - This also covered
Convoy MG1 to Gibraltar and military convoy
to Alexandria as well as passage of HM
Cruisers MANCHESTER, SOUTHAMPTON
and four
corvettes to Join
Fleet at Alexandria as reinforcements).
27th
Took part in engagement with Italian Fleet
units during which the enemy ships
withdrew.
(Battle of Spartivento - Action of Admiral
Sir James Somerville in failing to
pursue the enemy
was criticised but he was later exonerated
from any blame by a
Board of Inquiry.
See ENGAGE
THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY by Corelli Barnett).
28th
Escorted supply ships from COLLAR convoy
with same destroyers.
29th
Arrived at Alexandria with COLLAR convoy.
December
Nominated for screening duties during cover
by Mediterranean Fleet for passage
of
Malta
convoys, ME5 eastbound and MW5 westbound.
(Operation MC2)
16th
Deployed with HM Aircraft Carrier
ILLUSTRIOUS, HM Battleships WARSPITE,
VALIANT,
HM Cruisers AJAX, GLOUCESTER, ORION, SYDNEY (RAN) and
YORK
with ten
destroyers
to cover passage
of convoys.
24th
Returned to Alexandria with Fleet units.
1 9
4 1
January
7th
Joined HMS ILLUSTRIOUS, HMS WARSPITE and HMS
VALIANT with HM Destroyers
DAINTY,
GREYHOUND, GRIFFIN,
JERVIS, JUNO, MOHAWK and NUBIAN as Force A
to
cover passage
of convoys in
eastern
Mediterranean (MW51, ME5l and ME6 (Operation
MC4).
9th
Deployed with same ships to cover the
passage of military convoy from
Gibraltar that
was being
escorted and covered by ships of Force H.
(Operation EXCESS - For details see above
references).
10th
Mined in position 36.24N 12.10E SE of
Pantellaria after meeting convoy.
Bow section separated and heavy loss of
life.
65 killed with 15 injured.
Survivors rescued by HM Destroyer
GRIFFIN.
Stern section towed to Malta by
HM Destroyer MOHAWK.
11th
Paid off Into Dockyard Control at Malta for
repair.
February
Under repair in Malta.
to
December
1 9
4 2
January
Under repair in Malta
to
Completion date in June anticipated.
March
April
5th
Extensively damaged by near miss and beached
at Pinto Wharf.
Declared Constructive Total Loss and
de-equipped.
Special
Note
In
1943 the hulk of this ship was used as a
Blockship in St Pauls Bay. The wreck was
broken up during 1953.
Addendum
CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of
HMS GALLANT
by
Don Kindell
This convoy list has not been cross-checked
with the text above
|
|
|
|
|
Date
convoy sailed
|
Joined
convoy as escort
|
Convoy No.
|
Left
convoy
|
Date
convoy arrived
|
|
|
|
|
|
28/09/39
|
03/10/39
|
GREEN
3
|
07/10/39
|
07/10/39
|
11/10/39
|
17/10/39
|
BLUE
004
|
18/10/39
|
21/10/39
|
17/10/39
|
28/10/39
|
HX
005
|
29/10/39
|
29/10/39
|
04/11/39
|
04/11/39
|
OA
030
|
06/11/39
|
07/11/39
|
25/11/39
|
25/11/39
|
OA
041
|
unknown
|
unknown
|
17/11/39
|
29/11/39
|
SL
009F
|
29/11/39
|
29/11/39
|
|
|
|
|
|
(Note
on Convoys)