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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 PUCKERIDGE (L 108) - Type II, Hunt-class Escort Destroyer including Convoy Escort Movements

HMS Cowdray, Type II sister-ship  (Navy Photos/Mike Pocock, click to enlarge)

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Type II HUNT Class Escort Destroyer ordered under the 1939 Emergency War Programme from J S White, Cowes, IoW on 4th September 1939. The ship was laid down as J6108 on 1st January 1940. She was launched 17th October 1940 as the first RN warship to carry the name, that of a fox-hunt in Hertfordshire. Build completion date was 30th July 1941 and the ship had been adopted by the civil community of Watford, Hertfordshire after a successful WARSHIP WEEK National Savings campaign in March 1942.

 

B a t t l e    H o n o u r s

 

ENGLISH  CHANNEL 1942 - NORTH AFRICA 1942-43 - SICILY  1943

 

H e r a l d i c   D a t a

Badge: On a Field Red, a hunting horn Gold and a

Battle Axe White in saltire interlaced with a

 horseshoe  inverted also 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 1

 

July                         Contractor's sea trials and commissioned for service in 1st Destroyer Flotilla.

                30th        Build completion and commenced Acceptance Trials

 

August                  During trials leaks were discovered in shaft glands which were repaired before Acceptance.

                                Passage to Scapa Flow on completion of trials and storing.

                                Worked-up for operational service with ships of Home Fleet at Scapa Flow

 

September             Passage to Portsmouth to join Flotilla for convoy defence and patrol in English Channel.

                                (For details of naval activities in English Channel see HOLD THE NARROW SEA by

                                P Smith and THE BATTLE OF THE NARROW SEAS by P Scott).

 

October                  Channel deployment with Flotilla in continuation.

to

November

 

December

                11th        Detached for duty with Home Fleet

                13th        Whilst on passage in action with aircraft off Pembroke coast.

                                Hit on Quarterdeck by bomb caused explosion in after 4in magazine.

                                18 ratings were killed and 20 injured in after messdeck.

                                Y mounting wrecked and lost overboard.

                                Damage control measures taken to deal with fires and flooding and ship settled by stern

                                with quarterdeck awash.

                                After propulsion restored took passage to Milford Haven steering by engines.

                                Taken in tow to HM Dockyard, Pembroke Dock by tug.

                15th        Taken in hand for survey

 

1 9 4 2

 

January

                3rd          Paid-off into Care and Maintenance.

 

February                Under repair at Pembroke Dock

to June

 

July                         Re-commissioned for service

                10th        Carried out post repair trials on completion of dockyard work.

                23rd        On completion of trials took passage to Plymouth.

                24th        Taken in hand by HM Dockyard for modifications.

 

August                  On completed of modifications took passage to Scapa Flow

                                Worked-up for service at Scapa Flow with Home Fleet.

 

September             Deployed at Scapa Flow.

                15th        Escorted ships of 1st Minelaying Squadron during lay of section of the Northern Barrage

                                south of Faeroes (Operation SN65A).

                                (For details of minelaying operations in WW2 see Naval Staff History (MINING).)

 

October                  Deployed in Western Approaches Command for convoy escort defence.

                5th          Joined military convoy WS23 in Clyde with HM Destroyers BEAGLE, WRESTLER,

                                BICESTER, ZETLAND and Greek destroyer KANARIS as escort during

                                passage in NW Approaches.

                                (Note: HM Cruisers DESPATCH, DURBAN and HM Armed Merchant Cruiser QUEEN OF

                                BERMUDA provided Ocean Escort for passage in Atlantic.)

                10th        Remained for escort of WS23 when destroyers of Local Escort detached.

                15th        Detached from WS23 with KANARIS and took passage to Freetown after destroyers from

                                Freetown arrived for Local Escort

                16th        Deployed at Freetown.

                23rd        Escorted troopships BERGENSFJORD and LEOPOLDVILLE during passage from Freetown

                                to Gibraltar.

                31st         Attached to Central Task Force for planned allied landings in North Africa.

                                (Operation TORCH – For details see ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY by Corelli

                                Barnett, Naval Staff History and for information on all ships involved BRITISH INVASION

                                FLEETS by J de Winser).

 

November              Deployed at Gibraltar for briefing and preparation for support of TORCH

                                Deployed with Task Force for support of landing operations.

                8th          At Oran for landings.

                13th        Searched for survivors from Dutch destroyer ISAAC SWEERS sunk by U431 north west of

                                Algiers.

                                On release from Central Task Force attached to Destroyer Division 59 based at Gibraltar.

 

December              Deployment for convoy defence duties in continuation based at Gibraltar.

 

1 9 4 3

 

January                  Gibraltar deployment for convoy defence in continuation.

to

May

 

June                        Nominated for support of planned allied landings in Sicily with Support Force East as part of

                                Escort Group S.

                                (Operation HUSKY - See ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY, Naval Staff History and

                                BRITISH INVASION FLEETS.).

                                Convoy defence duties in continuation.

 

July                         Joined Support Force.

                                Passage to Bone.

                5th          Deployed as part of escort for assault convoy KMS18

                8th          Detached from KMS18 to refuel and rejoined escort on completion.

                10th        Detached from KMS18 on arrival at BARK WEST Beach Head.

                                Deployed for naval gunfire support during landings and carried out patrols to intercept any

                                attempt to interfere with landings.

 

August                  Resumed convoy defence deployment.

                8th          Escorted liners SATURNIA and VULCANIA from Gibraltar to Malta.

 

September             Deployment for western Mediterranean escort and patrol in continuation.

                6th          Torpedoed and sunk by U617 whilst on passage to Gibraltar in position 40 miles east of Europa

                                Point in position 36.06N, 04.44W.

                                Two hits aft detonated after magazine and ship stayed afloat for only 8 minutes.

                                62 of ship’s company were killed with 129 survivors.

                                (Note: Some survivors were rescued by a Spanish mercantile and avoided internment by

                                attracting the attention of a naval patrol craft which took them to safety in Gibraltar.

                                U617 was later damaged in an A/S attack and then abandoned off Morocco on 11th

                                September 1943).

 


 

Addendum

 

CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of HMS PUCKERIDGE

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

         

21/07/42

21/07/42

WP 190

23/07/42

23/07/42

13/12/42

13/12/42

TE 009

14/12/42

18/12/42

12/12/42

31/12/42

UGS 003

01/01/43

01/01/43

08/02/43

14/02/43

KMF 009

16/02/43

16/02/43

17/02/43

17/02/43

MKF 009

19/02/43

24/02/43

25/02/43

03/03/43

KMF 010A

04/03/43

04/03/43

26/02/43

08/03/43

KMS 010G

11/03/43

11/03/43

10/07/43

10/07/43

MKF 018

17/07/43

23/07/43

14/07/43

14/07/43

KMS 019Y

unknown

unknown

26/07/43

27/07/43

MKS 019Y

29/07/43

31/07/43

 

 

 

 

 

(Note on Convoys)

 

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revised 13/8/11
further editing and formatting is required