V-Class Fleet Destroyer, fitted for use as
Leader and ordered with 8th Emergency Flotilla from John Brown at Clydebank on 1st September 1941. The ship
was laid down on 14th May 1942
and launched on 18th March 1943. Build apart from installation
of the new design Mk 6 Directors was completed on
18th March 1943.
Acceptance Trials were delayed pending the completion of this essential item
and she was the first ship of this Class
to carry out trials in August 1943. During build HMS HARDY was fitted
for service in Arctic waters.
Following a successful WARSHIP WEEK National Savings campaign in February 1942 she was adopted by Chelmsford,
Essex. This name had previously been carried by eight
RN warships. Her immediate
predecessor was a Fleet Destroyer was lost during the first Battle of Narvik
in May 1940 when her Captain was
awarded a Posthumous Victoria Cross.
B a t t l e H o n o u r s
BLACK SEA 1855
- CHINA 1860 - JUTLAND 1916 - ATLANTIC 1940
NARVIK 1940 -
ARCTIC 1943-44
H e r a l d i c D a t a
Badge: On a Field "Peon"
(Black with gold ermine tails)
a scallop shell Silver.
M o t t
o
Amicitia et virtute: ' With
friendship and valour ’.
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 3
March Build
completion except installation of new design Gunnery Fire Control Director.
April Final
completion delayed by arrival of Director and essential setting to work of
gunnery
to fire control
equipment.
July
August Carried out Acceptance Trials
and commissioned for service.
September Joined
Home Fleet and worked up for service at Scapa Flow with
ships of Home Fleet.
October
14th Escorted HM Battleship ANSON with HM
Destroyers HAIDA (RCN), IROQUOIS (RCN),
JANUS and VIGILANT for passage to Spitsbergen with relief
garrison.
November
23rd Part of escort for Russian Convoy JW54B with
HM Destroyers SAUMAREZ, VIGILANT.
SAVAGE, VENUS, SCORPION, SCOURGE, and Norwegian destroyer STORD.
(For details of all Russian Convoy operations see CONVOYS TO RUSSIA by R
Ruegg, THE
RUSSIAN CONVOYS by B. Schoefield and CONVOY !
by P Kemp).
December
2nd Detached from JW54B and returned to
Scapa Flow independently and rejoined Home Fleet.
1 9 4 4
January Deployed with Home Fleet.
21st Joined escort for Russian Convoy
JW56A at Akureyri, Iceland with HM Destroyers VIRAGO,
VIGILANT, VENUS, INCONSTANT,
OBDURATE, OFFA, SAVAGE and Norwegian STORD
as Senior Officer (Escort).
28th On arrival at Kola Inlet with JW56A
and sailed to reinforce escort for incoming Convoy
JW56B under sustained series of U-Boat attacks by WEREWOLF Group in area
of Bear Island.
29th Joined JW56B
30th Hit by acoustic GNAT torpedo (T5)
fired by U278 during defence of convoy against enemy
submarine attacks.
After rescue of ships’ company the hulk was sunk by torpedo from HMS
VENUS.
Addendum
CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of
HMS
HARDY (ii)
by Don Kindell
These convoy lists have not been cross-checked
with the text above
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Date convoy sailed
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Joined convoy as escort
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Convoy No.
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Left convoy
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Date convoy arrived
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22/11/43
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25/11/43
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JW 054B
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02/12/43
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03/12/43
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12/01/44
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21/01/44
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JW 056A
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27/01/44
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28/01/44
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22/01/44
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29/01/44
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JW 056B
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30/01/44
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01/02/44
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(Note on Convoys)
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