L-Class
destroyer ordered from Scotts at Greenock on 31st March 1938 under the
1937 Programme and laid
down
on 23rd November 1938 at the same time as
her sister destroyer HMS
LOOKOUT. She was launched on 8th
October
1941 after delays due to design changes and other priority requirements.
She was the 2nd RN ship to
bear this name, introduced for a destroyer
built in
1913 and sold in 1921. Build of this ship
was completed on 31st October
1942. Tender cost was
£440,204 which excluded items such as
weapons and communications
equipment
supplied by the Admiralty. After a
successful WARSHIP
WEEK National Savings campaign in January
1942 this destroyer was adopted by the civil
community of Cambridge.
B
a t t l e H o n o u r s
SICILY 1943 -
SALERNO 1943 - MEDITERRANEAN 1943 - ANZIO 1944 -
ADRIATIC
1944
H
e r a l d i c D a t a
Badge: On a
Field barry wavy of four White and Blue, a
red rose barbed
and seeded proper charged with
the Royal Crest.
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 4 2
October
Contractors Trials and commissioned
for service in 19th Destroyer Flotilla.
31st Build
completion and commenced Acceptance
Trials.
November
On completion of trials and storing took
passage to Scapa Flow.
11th Began work-up
for operational service at
Scapa Flow with ships of Home Fleet.
December
15th Completed
work-up
16th Under repair at
Greenock to rectify defects
found during work-up.
26th Sailed from
Greenock to join Flotilla in
Mediterranean as part of escort for
routine convoy to
Algiers.
1
9 4 3
January
Joined Flotilla at Bone after call
at Gibraltar
Deployed for screening
of cruisers of Force Q and interception
patrol duties.
(Note: Ships of Force
Q included HM Cruisers AJAX, AURORA,
PENELOPE., DIDO
SIRIUS, HM
Destroyers LIGHTNING and LOOKOUT.
18th Deployed with
HMS LIGHTNING for
interception patrol south of Cagliari and
sank one
mercantile which
exploded after surface gunfire. Repelled
aircraft during intermittent attacks.
(Note:
One source record
that this was Italian naval oiler TANARO
sunk in Gulf of Gabes
23rd Returned to Algiers.
30th Deployed as escort
for HM Fast Minelayer
ABDIEL during minelay on Skerki Bank.
See
Naval Staff History
(Mining) for details.)
31st Minelay
abandoned after engagement with
E-Boats and returned to Bone
(Note: One unconfirmed
source records sinking of two Italian
mercantiles.)
February
1st Deployed with
HMS LIGHTNING as escort for
HM Fast Minelayer ABDIEL during resumed
minelaying operation.
2nd On completion of lay
escorted HMS ABDIEL to
Oran with HMS LIGHTNING to load mines.
5th Escorted HMS
ABDIEL with HMS LIGHTNING
during passage to Bone.
6th Escorted HMS
ABDIEL with HMS LIGHTNING
during second minelay in Skerki Bank.
7th Escorted HMS
ABDIEL back to Bone with HMS
LIGHTNING after completion of lay.
Under unsuccessful
attack by Italian submarine ACCACIO during
passage
16th Rescued survivors
from HM Canadian Corvette
LOUISBERG off Oran.
(Note: HMCVS LOUIS BERG
had been sunk after attack by torpedo
aircraft.)
March
1st Sustained
damage during air raid at Bone with 10
casualties, two of whom later died..
3rd Took
passage to Algiers for minelaying escort.
5th Deployed
with HMS LIGHTNING for escort of HMS ABDIEL
during passage for further
minelay on Skerki Bank.
Carried
out
diversionary sweep to the north during
minelay.
6th Escorted
HMS ABDIEL to reload mines at
Algiers and for return passage to Bone
8th Deployed
with HM Destroyers LIGHTNING,
PAKENHAM and PALADIN for escort and
cover during minelay on
Skerki Bank.
8th Stationed
to north east of lay position with HMS
LIGHTNING during operation.
(Note:
The other two destroyers
were stationed south east of lay position.)
Passage to Algiers.
9th Deployed
with HMS LIGHTNING as escort for HM Landing
Ship Infantry ROYAL
ULSTERMAN during passage from Algiers
to Bone
with troops.
Under
torpedo attack by aircraft on passage.
10th Sailed
from Bone with Landing Ships after
refuelling and took passage to Algiers.
11th Embarked
Army personnel and sailed from Algiers
12th Sailed
from Bone with HMS LIGHTNING as screen for
HMS AURORA, HMS SIRIUS
during planned attack on convoy during
its
passage from Sicily to North Africa.
Under air attack soon after departure
and
threat of attack by E-Boats.
Remained with cruiser force when HMS
LIGHTNING
hit by torpedo and disabled.
(Note: HMS LIGHNING sank later.)
13th Rescued
183 survivors after some delay.
(Note: Result of search for this
convoy is
not known.)
14th Landed
survivors in Bone.
Further details of the loss are given
in
STRUCK BY LIGHTNING and privately published
by
E Gilroy of 33a Nickleby Close,
ROCHESTER ME21
2LE
April
Bone deployment with Force Q in
continuation.
May
Deployed with HM Destroyers LOYAL,
TARTAR,
ZETLAND, LAMERTON, ALDENHAM,
BICESTER, HURSLEY, DULVERTON,
LAUDERDALE,
OAKLEY, WILTON, ZETLAND
and Polish destroyer BLYSKAWICA to
intercept
craft evacuating personnel from Cape Bon
area after defeat of the Afrika Korps
.
(Operation RETRIBUTION – For details
see
ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY by
C Barnett and Naval Staff History.)
8th Deployed
with HMS TARTAR and HMS LAFOREY. Intercepted
two ships which were sunk.
(Note
One source identifies these as KT5 and
KT21.)
9th Carried
out bombardment of gun battery at Sidi David
near Cape Bon with HMS TARTAR.
Nominated for support of planned
British
landings on Pantelleria and Lampedusa.
(Operation CORKSCREW)
Took part in preparatory exercises for
CORKSCREW.
Sank two mercantiles
during interception patrol with HM Destroyer
TARTAR
13th Captured
small boat carrying 12 Germans attempting
passage from Cape Bon to
to coast of Europe.
23rd Sank small supply
ship off Cape Bon.
June
Nominated for support of planned
landings in
Pantalleria (Operation CORKSCREW).
(Note:
Other ships involved included HM Cruisers
AURORA, NEWFOUNDLAND,
ORION,
PENELOPE and EURYALUS, HM
Destroyers LOOKOUT, LOYAL,
JERVIS,
TARTAR, NUBIAN, TROUBRIDGE and WHADDON.)
8th Carried
out bombardment of Pantellaria with Fleet
units.
11th Deployed for further
bombardment during
landings.
Came under unsuccessful
dive bombing attack
July
Nominated for support of planned
allied
landings in Sicily (Operation HUSKY)
10th Joined
support Force East and deployed for
screening duties on passage to assault
area.
Provided naval gunfire support
during
landings
(Note:
See ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY and
Naval Staff History for
details
of HUSKY.)
19th Deployed
with HM Destroyers
LOOKOUT,
JERVIS, NUBIAN and ESKIMO as escort for HM
AURORA
taking HM
King George from Tripoli during passage to
Malta for Royal visit to the
island
Returned
to Tripoli with
HMS AURORA during return passage to
Tripoli from Malta
Passage to resume
duties at Salerno
August
HUSKY support and patrol in
continuation.
On release from HUSKY
deployed in central Mediterranean based in
Malta
September
1st Deployed with HM
Destroyer OFFA and Polish
destroyer ORP PIORUN for patrol off Sicily.
2nd Carried out bombardment of
shore positions
on Italian mainland between Reggio Calabria
and
Pessaro prior to
landings by British XXX Corps across the
Straits of Messina.
(Operation BAYTOWN.)
(Note: HM Battleships
VALIANT, WARSPITE, HM Cruisers ORION,
MAURITIUS, HM
Monitors
ROBERTS, ABERCROMBIE, EREBUS, HM River
Gunboats APHIS,
and SCARAB
also took part.
8th Deployed with ships of
Flotilla as part of
Northern Attack Force for support during
planned landings
at Salerno (Operation
AVALANCHE)
(Note: Flotilla then
included HM Destroyers LAFOREY, LOOKOUT,
NUBIAN and TARTAR)
During deployment with
HM Cruiser ORION came under unsuccessful
rocket attack from
He111 aircraft.
Sustained
slight damage by near misses.
9th Deployed with Support
and Escort Groups
during landings by British X Corps, 7th
Armoured
Division, 46th and 56
Infantry Divisions supported by Two Commando
Groups and 3rd US Rangers.
Provided naval gunfire
support and carried out night patrol to
intercept any enemy attempt to
interfere
with landings.
Hit by return fire from
88m battery. Shell damaged No 2 Boiler Room
which sustained damage and was
disabled.
Ship remained operationally available
for
support.
10th Returned to Malta for
repair.
12th Resumed support of
landings
During support of
counter attack by three German divisions
came under air attacks using radio
controlled
FX1400 weapons and Hx293 Glider Bombs and
sustained damage by near miss.
(Note: Other ships providing gunfire
support
were HM Cruisers MAURITIUS, UGANDA,
ORION,
AURORA, US Cruisers USS PHILADELPHIA and USS
BOISE. HM Destroyers
LOOKOUT,
TARTAR, NUBIAN, BRECON, QUANTOCK and
EGGESFORD were
also
deployed for fire support.
USS PHILADELPHIA
and HMS TARTAR were also damaged.)
For details of
AVALANCHE see above references.
October
Based at Naples and deployment for
support and
convoy defence in continuation.
13th Carried
bombardment of targets north of Volturno
during
landings from Tank Landing Craft.
Under air attacks.
November
Transferred for interception patrol and
gunfire support deployment off east coast of
Italy with con
HM Destroyer QUILLIAM.
19th During
attack on convoy hit by return fire but
remained operational.
25th Carried
out shore bombardment at Civita
Nova.
December
2nd Carried
out bombardment of at San Bendedetto
and Ancona
Passage
to Malta for
service with Force K in support of planned
allied landings at Anzio
with Northern Attack
Force (Peter).
(Operation SHINGLE).
1
9 4 4
January
Deployed
with HM Cruisers ORION and
SPARTAN, HM Auxiliary AA Ships ULSTER QUEEN,
and PALOMARES. HM
Destroyers JERVIS, JANUS,
LAFOREY, INGLEFIELD, TENACIOUS,
URCHIN and
KEMPENFELT for support and
Escort duties during landings by 1st British
Infantry
Division at Anzio.
22nd
Present at
landings and provided naval gunfire
support. Under air attacks.
23rd
Under
air attacks during which HMS JANUS is sunk
and HMS JERVIS damaged.
(Note: Attacks by
U-boats were made during
the period after 23rd.)
29th
Took
part in rescue of survivors when HM Cruiser
SPARTAN was hit by a
radio controlled
bomb and later sank.
February
Anzio support
in continuation. U Boat
attacks were countered by destroyer patrols.
(Note:
Cruisers were deployed in pairs
with destroyer screen attached and
replenished at
Naples.)
9th
Sustained
damage in Boiler Room by return fire from
shore.
Withdrawn from
operational area and
returned to Naples at reduced speed.
11th
Repair
arranged at Taranto. Passage to Taranto
arranged by tow.
16th
Taken
in hand for repair.
March
Under
repair.
30th
On completion took
passage to Malta
April
Deployed
in Malta for work-up
Resumed service
in support of military operations at Anzio
May
9th
Under air attacks off Anzio and
straddled by bombs
causing structural damage,
Passage
to Malta for repair
Repair arranged
at Taranto.
27th
Taken
in hand for repair at Taranto.
July
Under
repair
August
18th
Carried
out post repair trials on completion.
Nominated
for support and convoy
defence in Adriatic based at Ancona.
September
Adriatic
deployment in continuation
with HM Destroyers UNDINE, URCHIN,
KIMBERLEY, HM
River Gunboats APHIS and SCARAB for support
of military operations
by 8th Army in
Rimini area.
4th
Carried out bombardment with HMS
URCHIN.
7th
Carried out bombardment with HMS
SCARAB.
October
11th
Carried out bombardment in Cesebatico
area with HMS LOOKOUT
12th
During return passage sustained major
structural and shock damage to machinery
with
consequential flooding after detonating a
mine.
Taken in tow to
Ancona by HMS
LOOKOUT
21st
Withdrawn from operational
service and towed
to Taranto for docking and survey.
November
Under
survey at Taranto.
17th
Survey
result determined that future use
required extensive repair to hull structure.
To
remain at Taranto pending
arrangements for tow.
December
Paid-off and placed in Care and
Maintenance
1
9 4 5
January
Retained
at Taranto pending tow to Malta.
to
August
P
o s t W a
r N o t e s
HMS
LOYAL remained at Taranto
until 1946 when she was towed to Malta for
repair sufficient for use as an
Accommodation Ship. In 1947 having been
declared a Constructive Total Loss, approval
was given for the ship to be placed on the
Disposal List. Sold to BISCO for
demolition by TW Ward, she
was towed to UK by HM Tug EARNER on 15th
July 1948 and arrived at the Beaker’s
yard at Milford Haven on 31s July. 1948.
Addendum
CONVOY
ESCORT MOVEMENTS of HMS LOYAL
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
|
|
|
|
|
|
26/12/42
|
26/12/42
|
KMF
006
|
03/01/43
|
03/01/43
|
19/01/43
|
21/01/43
|
MKS
006
|
22/01/43
|
01/02/43
|
26/01/43
|
30/01/43
|
TE
014
|
30/01/43
|
30/01/43
|
06/02/43
|
18/02/43
|
KMS
009G
|
20/02/43
|
20/02/43
|
05/06/44
|
09/06/44
|
XIF
016
|
09/06/44
|
10/06/44
|
|
|
|
|
|
(Note
on Convoys)