Naval History Homepage - and Site Search

 

SERVICE HISTORIES of ROYAL NAVY WARSHIPS in WORLD WAR 2

by Lt Cdr Geoffrey B Mason RN (Rtd) (c) 2004

HMS CATTERICK (L 81) -  Type III, Hunt-class Escort Destroyer including Convoy Escort Movements

HMS Stevenstone, Type III sister ship (Navy Photos, click to enlarge)

return to Contents List 

 

Type III HUNT Class Escort Destroyer ordered from Vickers Armstrong at Barrow under the 1940 War Emergency Programme on 4th July 1940. She was laid down as Yard No 794, Admiralty Job No J3886 on 1st March 1941 and was launched on 22nd November 1941 as the 1st RN ship to carry the name of  this Yorkshire fox-hunt. Her build completion date was 12th June 1942. After a successful WARSHIP WEEK National Savings campaign in February 1942 she was adopted by Border Urban District.

 

B a t t l e   H o n o u r s

 

SALERNO 1943 - SOUTH FRANCE 1944 - AEGEAN 1944

 

H e r a l d i c   D a t a

Badge: On a Field White, in front of a roundel  paly wavy Blue

and White, a beagle courant 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 2

 

June                        Contractor's trials and commissioned for service.

                12th        Build completion and commenced Acceptance Trials.

                                On completion of trials and storing took passage to Scapa Flow.

                                Worked-up for operational service with ships of Home Fleet

                                During work-up took part in Diversionary Convoy operation covering passage of the ill

                                fated Russian Convoy PQ 17.

                                (For details of all Russian Convoy operations see CONVOYS TO RUSSIA by R A Ruegg.

                                ARCTIC CONVOYS by R. Woodman, CONVOY ! by P. Kemp and THE RUSSIAN CONVOYS

                                by B. Schoefield.)

 

July                         On completion of work-up nominated for foreign service with 2nd Destroyer Flotilla, Eastern Fleet.

                29th        Joined military convoy WS21 in Clyde with HM Armed Merchant Cruiser RANPURA, HM

                                Destroyers LEDBURY and PETARD as Ocean Escort during passage in Atlantic.

 

August

                10th        Detached with escort on arrival of WS21 at Freetown.

                                (Note: HMS LEDBURY left WS21 to join PEDESTAL convoy for Malta relief during the

                                Atlantic passage.)

                15th        Rejoined WS21 as Ocean Escort during [passage to Capetown with HM Cruiser HAWKINS and

                                HM Destroyer PETARD on

                27th        Detached from WS21 with Ocean Escort on arrival at Capetown.

 

September

                19th        Arrived at Kilindini and deployed for convoy defence in Indian Ocean.

 

October                  Indian Ocean convoy defence duty in continuation.

 

November

                30th        Rescued 157 survivors from ss LLANDAFF CASTLE.

                                (Note: This ship was torpedoed by U177 NE of Durban.)

 

December              Indian Ocean deployment in continuation.

 

1 9 4 3

 

January                  Deployed in Indian Ocean for convoy defence.

to

February

 

March

                1st           Joined military convoy WS26 with HM Destroyers BLACKMORE and RELENTLESS as Local

                                Escort from Durban during passage in Indian Ocean.

                4th          Detached from WS26 and returned to Durban with Local Escort.

                29th        Joined military convoy WS27 with HM Destroyers FOXHOUND, NAPIER and ROTHERHAM

                                as Local Escort from Durban during passage in Indian Ocean.

 

April

                1st           Detached from WS27 with Local Escort and took passage to Durban.

                7th          Under routine docking and refit at Durban.

                15th        Post refit trials.

                                Nominated for service in South Atlantic.

                16th        On completion of trials escorted HM Battleship WARSPITE for part of return passage to UK

                                (Note: HMS WARSPITE had been deployed for escort of PAMPHLET convoy taking ANZAC

                                troops back to Australia from Middle East.

                                On arrival at Freetown detached for escort of Atlantic convoys.

 

May                        Deployed at Freetown.

                22nd       Passage to Gibraltar with HM Destroyers ANTELOPE and FOXHOUND

                25th        Joined HM Armed Merchant Cruiser CORFU, HM Cruiser SUFFOLK with HM Destroyers

                                ANTELOPE and FOXHOUND as Ocean Escort for military convoy WS30 during passage to

                                Freetown.

                29th        Detached from WS30 with Ocean Escort on arrival at Freetown.

 

June

                3rd          Joined WS30 with HM Cruiser SUFFOLK, HM Armed Merchant Cruisers CARNARVON

                                CASTLE and CORFU as Ocean Escort during passage to Capetown.

                16th        Detached from WS30 with Ocean Escort on arrival at Capetown.

 

July                         Convoy defence in South Atlantic and Indian Ocean in continuation.

 

August                  Transferred to Mediterranean.

                24th        Part of escort for Convoy CF13 to Gibraltar.

 

September             Joined 50th Escort Division at Algiers and prepared for Salerno landings.

                                Deployed as part of Force V and screened aircraft carriers during passage to take part in planned

                                allied landing operation at Salerno. (Operation AVALANCHE)

                                For details of AVALANCHE see Naval Staff History and BRITISH INVASION FLEETS by

                                J de Winser.

                                Deployed for convoy escort and patrol off beach head.

 

October                  Escort of military convoys in continuation.

 

November              Transferred to Mediterranean HUNT Flotilla in Malta.

 

December              Joined 18th Destroyer Flotilla based in Malta.

 

1 9 4 4

 

January                  Deployed for convoy escort and patrol duties in Central Mediterranean.

to                           

June                       

 

July                         Took part in preparatory exercises for support and convoy escort of panned landings in South

                                France landings under US Navy overall command (Operation DRAGOON).

 

August                  Passage to Oran.

                10th        Deployed at Oran

                11th        Part of escort of AM1 military convoy from Oran with H M Destroyers CLEVELAND and

                                CALPE.

                13th        Detached to refuel.

                14th        Rejoined AM1

                15th        Arrived at beach head.

                                (For details of DRAGOON see above references.)

                                On release from DRAGOON returned to CinC Mediterranean command.

 

September             Deployed for patrol and escort in Mediterranean,

                                Joined British Aegean Force based at Alexandria

                24th        Deployed in support of operations to reoccupy Aegean Islands with HM Escort Aircraft Carriers

                                ATTACKER, EMPEROR, HUNTER, KHEDIVE, PURSUER and SEARCHER, HM Cruisers

                                ORION, AJAX, ROYALIST, BLACK PRINCE, ARGONAUT, AURORA, COLOMBO,

                                Destroyers of 24th Flotilla and nine other HUNT Class including five manned by Greek Navy.

October                  Deployed for interception of craft evacuating German troops.

                5th          Bombarded Levitha with HM Cruiser AURORA

                                On termination of Aegean islands defence operations resumed convoy defence in

                                eastern Mediterranean,

 

November              Deployed for Convoy escort and patrol in Eastern Mediterranean

                                (Note: Operation MANNA to support re-occupation of Greece was in progress.)

                                For details see Naval and Military Staff Histories (HMSO).

 

December              Joined 22nd Destroyer Flotilla based in Malta for escort and patrol in the central Mediterranean

                                and Adriatic.

 

1 9 4 5

 

January                  Deployment for escort duty and support of military operations in Adriatic Sea and in Aegean Sea

to                            in continuation.

April                       For details of work of HUNT Class destroyers in Adriatic see THE LAST DESTROYER by

                                FA Mason.

 

May

                1st           Took part in landing on the Island of Rhodes with HM Destroyer KIMBERLEY and Greek

                                HUNT Class Destroyer KRITI.

                                On release took passage to UK to prepare for foreign service and give leave.

                                Nominated for service in Eastern Fleet.

 

June                        Preparation for foreign service and refit

 

July                         Passage to Durban for refit.

 

August                  Under refit

P o s t   W a r   N o t e s

 

HMS CATTERICK was deployed in the Mediterranean on completion of refit in January 1946. This ship was transferred on loan to the Royal Hellenic Navy in the following May and renamed HHMS HASTINGS. Later the ship was reclassified as a Frigate and served in the Greek Navy until 1963 when she sold for breaking up at Piraeus. She arrived there for demolition in June that year.

 


 

Addendum

 

CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of HMS CATTERICK

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

 

 

 

 

 

01/02/43

01/02/43

CM 038

05/02/43

20/02/43

14/02/43

16/02/43

CM 039

17/02/43

03/03/43

22/03/43

22/03/43

CM 040

23/03/43

01/04/43

30/03/43

11/04/43

MC 006

13/04/43

13/04/43

10/05/43

10/05/43

TS 039

15/05/43

15/05/43

16/05/43

18/05/43

SR 004F

23/05/43

23/05/43

13/08/43

15/08/43

CF 013A

22/08/43

24/08/43

25/08/43

25/08/43

CF 013B

31/08/43

31/08/43

30/09/43

30/09/43

NSF 004

06/10/43

06/10/43

07/10/43

07/10/43

SNF 004

10/10/43

10/10/43

16/10/43

25/10/43

KMF 025

29/10/43

30/10/43

02/11/43

03/11/43

XIF 003

06/11/43

06/11/43

31/10/43

12/11/43

MKF 025A

14/11/43

24/11/43

15/11/43

25/11/43

KMF 026

30/11/43

30/11/43

15/01/44

25/01/44

KMF 028

29/01/44

29/01/44

03/02/44

04/02/44

XIF 009

07/02/44

08/02/44

09/02/44

09/02/44

IXF 009

13/02/44

13/02/44

02/03/44

02/03/44

MKF 029

09/03/44

16/03/44

11/03/44

13/03/44

NSF 017

14/03/44

14/03/44

15/03/44

15/03/44

SNF 017

18/03/44

18/03/44

29/03/44

05/04/44

KMF 030

12/04/44

12/04/44

15/04/44

15/04/44

XIF 013

unknown

20/04/44

21/04/44

unknown

IXF 013

unknown

25/04/44

29/04/44

29/04/44

XIF 014

04/05/44

04/05/44

05/05/44

unknown

IXF 014

unknown

09/05/44

15/05/44

15/05/44

MKF 031

22/05/44

29/05/44

24/05/44

24/05/44

NSF 023

27/05/44

27/05/44

11/06/44

19/06/44

KMF 032

24/06/44

24/06/44

28/06/44

unknown

XIF 017

unknown

02/07/44

04/07/44

unknown

IXF 017

unknown

08/07/44

12/07/44

13/07/44

XIF 018

18/07/44

18/07/44

18/07/44

18/07/44

IXF 018

22/07/44

22/07/44

28/07/44

28/07/44

MKF 033

04/08/44

11/08/44

18/07/44

30/07/44

KMF 033

31/07/44

31/07/44

10/08/44

10/08/44

AM 001

15/08/44

15/08/44

24/08/44

01/09/44

KMF 034

07/09/44

07/09/44

10/09/44

11/09/44

XIF 021

15/09/44

15/09/44

16/09/44

16/09/44

IXF 021

20/09/44

20/09/44

10/10/44

10/10/44

MKF 035

15/10/44

21/10/44

20/10/44

20/10/44

MKF 035A

22/10/44

02/11/44

06/11/44

16/11/44

KMF 036

19/11/44

19/11/44

 

 

 

 

 

(Note on Convoys)

 

back to Contents List
or Naval-History.Net

revised 12/8/11
further editing and formatting is required