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SERVICE HISTORIES of ROYAL NAVY WARSHIPS in WORLD WAR 2

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

 

HMS COTTESMORE (L 78)  -  Type I, Hunt-class Escort Destroyer including Convoy Escort Movements

HMS Atherstone, Type I sister ship (Navy Photos, click to enlarge)

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Type I HUNT Class Escort Destroyer order from Yarrow SB on 11th April 1938 under the 1939 War Programme and laid down as Job Number J1837 on 12th December 1939. She was launched on 5th September 1940 as the 2nd RN warship to carry this name, that previously used for a WW1 minesweeper. Build was completed on 29th December 1940 adopted by the County of Rutland after a National Savings WARSHIP WEEK Campaign in March 1942.

 

B a t t l e   H o n o u r s

 

ENGLISH CHANNEL  1942-44 - NORTH SEA 1941-45 - NORMANDY  1944

 

H e r a l d i c   D a t a

Badge: On a Field Red, a lozenge Gold charged with a fret Red

surmounted by an annulet Black.

 

 

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

 

December              Contractors trials and commissioned for service in 21st Destroyer Flotilla.

                12th        Build completion date and commenced Acceptance Trials.

                                On completion took passage to work-up at Portland.

 

1 9 4 1

 

January                  Passage from Portland to join Flotilla at Sheerness for coastal convoy escort and patrol

                                in North Sea. North Sea Convoy escort and patrol duties in continuation.

 

February                Detached for escort of military convoy in Irish Sea.

                6th          Deployed with HM Destroyers BROADWATER, ATHERSTONE and KEPPEL as escort for

                                military Convoy WS 6A during passage from Avonmouth to Clyde.

                9th          Remained with Local Escort for WS5A during passage in NW Approaches.

                12th        Detached from WS6A with HMS ATHERSTONE and HMS KEPPEL.

                                Passage to resume North Sea Convoy escort and patrol duties with Flotilla.

 

March                    Flotilla duties in continuation.

to                            (For details of activities in defence of East Coast convoys see THREE CORVETTES by

December              N Monsarrat and THE BATTLE FOR THE EAST COAST by JP Foynes.).

 

1 9 4 2

 

January                  Flotilla duties in North Sea in continuation

 

February

                12th        Detached for duty with 16th Destroyer Flotilla and ships of 21sst Flotilla to intercept

                                German battleships GNEISENAU and SCHARNHORST making passage eastwards from

                                Brest to Wilhelmshaven (Operation CEREBUS).

                                (For full details see ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY by Corelli Barnett, and

                                Naval Staff History).

                                Resumed normal convoy defence duty.

  

March                   Flotilla duties in continuation.

         17th              Drove off attack by E-Boats off Lowestoft with other escorts.

 

April                       Flotilla duties in North Sea and Channel continued.

to

June

 

July

                26th        During interception of enemy coastal convoy sank Trawlers VP202 and VF203 off

                                Cherbourg

                                Under air attack and had 3 casualties with damage sustained

 

August                  Resumed Channel and North Sea duty after repair of action damage.

 

September             Flotilla duty in continuation.

 

October

                13th        Deployed with HM Escort Destroyers QUORN, ALBRIGHTON, GLAISDALE, ESKDALE

                                and two MTB Flotillas as Senior Officer Force A to intercept raider KOMET which was

                                attempting to pass westwards through English Channel with escorting E-Boats.

                                Raider set ablaze and later sunk by MTB 236.

                                (See BATTLE OF THE NARROW SEAS by Peter Scott for full details).

 

November              Flotilla escort and patrol duty in continuation.

to

December

 

1 9 4 3

 

January                  Flotilla escort and patrol duty in continuation.

to

December

 

1 9 4 4

 

January                  Flotilla escort and patrol duty in continuation.

to

April

 

May                        Nominated for duty with Force G in support of planned allied landings in Normandy

                                (Operation NEPTUNE).

                                Took part in preliminary exercises for NEPTUNE (Exercise FABIUS)

 

June                        Took up station in Solent for escort duty.

                4th          Operation delayed for 24 hours.

                5th          Escorted Assault Convoy G2 with HM Escort Destroyer PYTCHLEY and three Motor

                                Launches.

                                (Note: Convoy comprised 18th Fleet Minesweeping Flotilla with Danlayers and part of 150th

                                BYMS Minesweeping Flotilla.

                6th          Arrived off GOLD Beach before H-Hour.

                                (For details of Operation NEPTUNE see Naval Staff History, LANDINGS IN NORMANDY

                                June 1944, OPERATION NEPTUNE by K Edwards and D DAY SHIPS by J de Winser.).

                7th          Deployed with ships of Force G in Eastern Task Force area. and provided naval gunfire

                                support as required.

                                Transferred to Portsmouth on completion of Assault Phase and continued escort of Build-up

                                convoys and carried out interception patrols off beach head to prevent incursions by enemy

                                surface craft and submersibles against shipping.

 

July                         NEPTUNE duties in continuation.

 

August                  Resumed coastal convoy escort duty and patrols with 21st Flotilla.

 

September             Flotilla duties in continuation.

to

October

 

November

                1st           Detached with HM Escort Destroyer GARTH to escort HM Monitors EREBUS and

                                ROBERTS during passage to Walcheren Island for bombardment of enemy positions.

                                (Operation INFATUATE).

 

December              Deployed for coastal convoy escort and A/S patrols in North Sea and Channel.

 

1 9 4 5

 

January                  Flotilla patrol and escort duty in continuation.

to                            (Note: During this period SCHNORKEL fitted submarines were concentrating attacks on

April                       convoy assembly and dispersion points. As a result additional escorts were deployed in

                                Channel and southern North Sea.

                                Atlantic convoys were re-routed through Channel after air threat from French bases had

                                been removed.

                                Additional military convoys were also active in Nore Command to Dutch ports.

                                See HOLD THE NARROW SEA by P Smith.)

 

May                        Escorted Minesweepers to Cuxhaven after VE Day.

                                Joined Harwich Escort Force for deployment in support of occupation troops and convoys.

 

June                        Deployed for support of re-occupation operations.

  

P o s t   W a r   N o t e s

 

HMS COTTESMORE was transferred to the Portsmouth Local Flotilla in August 1945. She was {aid-off and reduced to Reserve status in February 1946 at Devonport and remained there until placed on the Sales List in 1956. After a nine month refit at Cowes she was renamed IBRAHIM EL AWAL. The ship remained in the Egyptian Navy under two other names MOHAMED ALJ EL KEBIR and PORT SAID. She was used as a training ship until 1972 when scrapped.

 


 

Addendum

 

CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of HMS COTTESMORE

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

 

 

 

 

 

06/12/40

08/12/40

OB 255

10/12/40

10/12/40

31/10/42

31/10/42

CW 130

01/11/42

01/11/42

01/11/42

01/11/42

CE 128

02/11/42

02/11/42

11/01/43

11/01/43

CW 148

12/01/43

12/01/43

12/01/43

12/01/43

CE 146

13/01/43

13/01/43

24/03/43

24/03/43

CW 165

25/03/43

25/03/43

25/03/43

25/03/43

CE 163

26/03/43

26/03/43

12/05/43

12/05/43

CE 175

13/05/43

13/05/43

14/05/43

14/05/43

CW 178

15/05/43

15/05/43

15/05/43

15/05/43

CE 176

16/05/43

16/05/43

21/05/43

22/05/43

PW 342

23/05/43

23/05/43

24/05/43

25/05/43

WP 344

26/05/43

26/05/43

28/05/43

28/05/43

CE 179

29/05/43

29/05/43

01/07/43

01/07/43

CW 190

02/07/43

02/07/43

02/07/43

02/07/43

CE 188

03/07/43

03/07/43

13/07/43

13/07/43

CW 193

14/07/43

14/07/43

14/07/43

14/07/43

CE 191

15/07/43

15/07/43

18/08/43

18/08/43

CW 202

19/08/43

19/08/43

19/08/43

19/08/43

CE 200

20/08/43

20/08/43

31/08/43

31/08/43

CW 205

01/09/43

01/09/43

01/09/43

01/09/43

CE 203

02/09/43

02/09/43

12/09/43

12/09/43

CW 208

13/09/43

13/09/43

15/09/43

15/09/43

CW 209

16/09/43

16/09/43

22/10/43

22/10/43

CW 218

23/10/43

23/10/43

23/10/43

23/10/43

CE 216

24/10/43

24/10/43

25/12/43

25/12/43

CW 234

26/12/43

26/12/43

26/12/43

26/12/43

CE 232

27/12/43

27/12/43

07/03/44

07/03/44

CE 250

08/03/44

08/03/44

15/04/44

15/04/44

CW 262

16/04/44

16/04/44

16/04/44

16/04/44

CE 260

17/04/44

17/04/44

10/12/44

10/12/44

TAM 014

13/12/44

13/12/44

14/12/44

14/12/44

TAM 018

16/12/44

16/12/44

15/12/44

15/12/44

ATM 013

16/12/44

16/12/44

17/12/44

17/12/44

TAM 021

18/12/44

18/12/44

 

 

 

 

 

(Note on Convoys)

 

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revised 12/8/11
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