Type I HUNT Class Escort Destroyer ordered from Parsons
Marine Steam Turbines Company under 1939 Programme. The hull build was
sub-contracted to Vickers-Armstrong's Tyne shipyard. She was laid down as Job
No J4099 on 8th June 1939 and launched on 25th January 1940 as the 2nd RN ship
to carry this name. It had previously been used for a WW1 minesweeper sold in
1920. Build was completed on 1st November 1940. This ship had a short period in
service culminating in her tragic loss 4 months later. Another Escort Destroyer
to be named HMS BURTON was renamed in June 1941 and carried the name forward.
This name is that used by a Somerset fox- hunt.
B a t t l e H o n o u r s
NORTH SEA 1941
H e r a l d i c D a t a
Badge: On a Field Red., two foxes
brushes in Saltire
between two mullets Gold.
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 0
October Contractors
trials and commissioned for service in 16th Destroyer Flotilla after work-up.
November Build
completion and commenced Acceptance Trials.
Took
passage to Scapa Flow on completion of trials and storing.
5th
Worked-up for operational service with ships of Home Fleet.
6th Detached
during work-up for escort duties.
Deployed with HM Destroyer PYTCHLEY for escort of ss ADDA to Faeroe Islands.
11th Resumed
work-up with Home Fleet at Scapa Flow.
December Escorted HM
Armed Merchant Cruisers CHITRAL and SALOPIAN for passage in NW
for
Northern Patrol duty.
When
detached took passage to Portsmouth.
1 9 4 1
January Part of
destroyer screen for HM Battleship QUEEN ELIZABETH whilst on passage from
Portsmouth to Rosyth to prepare for service after completion of modernisation
by HM Dockyard.
When
detached took passage to Harwich for coastal convoy escort and patrol duty
in
North Sea.
Joined 16th Destroyer Flotilla.
February Flotilla
duties in continuation.
23rd Deployed
with HM Corvette SHEARWATER and other escorts for Convoy FN417 from the
Thames estuary to Methil, Fife.
(Note
Convoy No to be confirmed)
25th During
E-Boat attack off Lowestoft sustained major structural damage aft after an
explosion.
This
caused rupture of fuel supply pipe-work which ignited.
Fire
spread
rapidly
forward from after compartments and ship capsized.
Ship
sank within ten
minutes.
Survivors rescued by HM Corvette SHEARWATER and HM Trawler COMMANDER EVANS
were
landed at
Yarmouth
(Note: Despite German claims that the explosion was due was due to torpedo from
E-Boat S30.
It
also recorded that her loss was more likely to have been due to hitting a
British mine in
the
East Coast Barrier) .
HMS
EXMOOR was the first of the 19 ships of this Class to be lost during
WW2.
The
name was carried forward to another HUNT Class Destroyer then
being built
See
Chronology for HMS EXMOOR (ii).
Addendum
CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS
of HMS
EXMOOR (i)
by Don Kindell
This convoy list has 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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21/12/40
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21/12/40
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FS 0367
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24/12/40
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24/12/40
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(Note on Convoys)
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