Type III
HUNT Class Escort Destroyer ordered on 23rd
August 1940 from J. S. White of Cowes under the
1940 War Emergency Programme
and laid down on 2nd September 1941 as Job No
J6056. The ship was launched on
23rd November 1942 as the first RN warship to
carry the name, that of a
Devonshire fox-hunt. In December 1942 it was
proposed that she be transferred
to the Free French navy but this was cancelled
early the next year. She was
adopted by the civil community of Barnstaple,
Devonshire following a
successful WARSHIP WEEK National Savings
campaign in March 1942. After
completion on 18th March 1943 she entered RN
service.
B
a t t l
e H o n o u r s
ENGLISH
CHANNEL
1943-44 - NORTH SEA 1944 - NORMANDY
1944
H
e r a l d i
c D a t a
Badge:
On a Field per fess
wavy
Blue and White
a cubit
arm
vested
blue charged with a fesse
indented
and
double
cotised Gold, the
hand proper grasping a horn
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 2
December
Proposal made to transfer to Free French Navy.
1
9 4 3
January
Transfer arrangements cancelled.
February
Fitting out and build in continuation.
March
Contractors trials and commissioned for
service with 1st Destroyer Flotilla
18th
Build completion and commenced Acceptance
Trials.
Passage to work-up on completion of trials and
storing.
April
Worked-up for operational service
(Note: Work-up at Tobermory to be confirmed.
Most ships of this Class worked-up at
Scapa Flow with ships of Home Fleet)
May
Joined
Flotilla based at
Portsmouth
for convoy defence and patrol duties in
English Channel.
June
Deployed in English Channel and detached as
required for special operations to intercept
to
convoys or blockade runners attempting to pass
through English Channel
September
(For details o naval activities in Channel see
HOLD THE NARROW SEA by P Smith and THE
BATTLE OF THE NARROW SEAS by P Scott).
October
Detached for offensive patrols off French
coast based at
Plymouth.
(Operation TUNNEL- Attacks on coastal shipping
and blockade runners).
23rd
Deployed with HM Cruiser CHARYBDIS and H M
Destroyers GRENVILLE, .LIMBOURNE,
ROCKET, TALYBONT and WENSLEYDALE to intercept
the German blockade runner
MUNSTERLAND.
(Note: This was a badly planned and poorly
executed disastrous operation.
HMS CHARYBDIS and HMS LIMBOURNE were lost in
action with warships escorting
a coastal convoy off the North Brittany.
For full details see HOLD THE NARROW SEA by P.
Smith and ENGAGE THE ENEMY
MORE CLOSELY by Corelli Barnett).
On release resumed deployment with Flotilla
for convoy escort and patrol duties in Channel
November
Flotilla deployment for convoy defence and
patrol.
to
December
1
9 4 4
January
Channel and North Sea convoy escort and patrol
with Flotilla in continuation.
to
March
April
24th
In action against E-Boats of the 9th German
MTB Flotilla attacking coastal convoy off
Hastings with HM Destroyers
BERKELEY, VOLUNTEER, Free French Destroyer LA
COMBATTANTE
and Light Coastal Forces.
May
Transferred to Force
J for support of
Normandy
landings (Operation NEPTUNE).
(For details of naval activities prior to and
during the landings see OPERATION NEPTUNE by
K
Edwards, LANDINGS IN NORMANDY June 1944 (HMSO)
and D DAY SHIPS by J de
Winser
for information relating to all ships
involved.)
2nd
Loading and Sailing Exercise, Full Rehearsal
(Exercise FABIUS)
to
Landings made at Bracklesham Bay, West Sussex.
6th
18th
Took part in Defence exercise in Channel off
Brighton with Forces G, J and S
See references.
On completion deployed in Solent to prepare
for NEPTUNE.
Allocated target in Pre-Arranged Fire Plan -
Beaches at Beny-sur-Mer.
June
Joined HM Destroyers KEMPENFELT, FAULKNOR,
VENUS, FURY, VIGILANT,
BLEASDALE, SIOUX (RCN), ALGONQUIN (RCN),
GLAISDALE and French LA
COMBATTANTE for Force J support during
assault..
3rd
Deployed with HMS VENUS and French LA
COMBATTANTE as escort for Convoy J9
to
JUNO
Beach Head.
4th
Operation postponed 24 hours.
5th
Escorted Convoy J9 comprising HM Frigate
LAWFORD, 10 Landing Ships (Infantry), three
Motor Gunboats and two US Navy Coastguard
Cutters through Swept Channel.
6th
On arrival in area took up bombardment
position.
Provided preliminary bombardment prior to
landings.
Deployed in Eastern Task Force area during
assault for naval gunfire support.
7th
Deployed for defensive patrol to prevent
access by enemy naval forces and to give
gunfire
support.
(For details see references.)
12th
In action against E-Boats off Le Havre during
patrol with HM Destroyers ISIS and Norwegian
GLAISDALE.
Inflicted damage on enemy craft of 4th
Flotilla.
27th
On release from NEPTUNE resumed duties with
Flotilla at Portsmouth.
July
Patrol and escort duties in English Channel in continuation.
6th
Assisted in rescue work and with wounded after
HM Frigate TROLLOPE was torpedoed during
action against E-Boats in Seine
Bay off Le Havre.
(Note: HMS TROLLOPE was badly damaged and
later beached later at Arromanches).
27th
During patrol with HM Destroyer BLEASDALE
embarked casualties from HM Steam Gunboats
GREY SHARK and GREY SEAL which had been in
action against a German convoy and its
escorts off Pointe de Barfleur
(For details see THE BATTLE OF THE NARROW SEAS
by Peter Scott).
August
Patrol and convoy escort duty in English Channel with Flotilla in continuation.
September
Transferred to 16th Destroyer Flotilla based
at Harwich for convoy defence in North Sea.
(Note: An Increased E-Boat and minelaying
activities were threatening passage of convoys
to
ports in Belgium
and France.
In addition U-Boats with 'Schnorkel1 device
were being deployed in all UK coastal waters).
October
31st
Sank German E-Boat off Nieuport during
patrol.
November
30th
Detonated mine during patrol with HM Frigate
STAYNER off
Ostend.
Major damage was sustained to forward
structure abreast 4in magazine causing some
flooding.
Forward 4in mounting disabled.
Ship took on list and fire broke out due to
fuel and coolant leakages.
There were 32 casualties including 14 killed.
Took passage stern first to Thames Estuary
under own power escorted by Salvage Vessel
LINCOLN SALVOR and Tug EUSTON CROSS.
December
1st
Examination on arrival at Sheerness revealed
extensive buckling of keel plate and a hole 12
feet
wide and 11 feet long.
Taken in hand for repair in Thames shipyard.
1
9 4 5
January
Under repair.
to
May
June
Nominated for foreign service and to be held
as Reserve for deployment in the Far
East
if
required.
28th
On completion carried out post refit trials in
Thames Estuary area.
July
Prepared for foreign service.
August
Passage to Mediterranean and worked-up for
operational deployment.
P o s t
W a r N o t e s
HMS
STEVENSTONE joined 3rd Destroyer
Flotilla, Mediterranean Fleet after
working-up. During March
1946
she collided with HM Frigate BRISSENDEN in
March 1946.
On return to UK next year she Paid-off
and reduced
to Reserve
status at Harwich. Subsequently she
transferred to lay-up in Chatham and to Hartlepool
later. Placed on the
Disposal
List in November 1958 she was sold to
BISCO for demolition
by Clayton in 1959 and arrived
at the breaker’s yard in Dunston
on 2nd September
that year.
Addendum
CONVOY
ESCORT MOVEMENTS
of HMS
STEVENSTONE
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
|
|
|
|
|
|
20/03/43
|
20/03/43
|
PW
311
|
22/03/43
|
22/03/43
|
19/05/43
|
19/05/43
|
PW
341
|
21/05/43
|
21/05/43
|
07/06/43
|
07/06/43
|
WP
351
|
09/06/43
|
09/06/43
|
16/06/43
|
16/06/43
|
PW
355
|
18/06/43
|
18/06/43
|
17/07/43
|
17/07/43
|
WP
371
|
19/07/43
|
19/07/43
|
23/07/43
|
23/07/43
|
WP
374
|
25/07/43
|
25/07/43
|
10/08/43
|
11/08/43
|
WP
383
|
12/08/43
|
12/08/43
|
19/09/43
|
19/09/43
|
WP
403
|
21/09/43
|
21/09/43
|
29/09/43
|
29/09/43
|
WP
408
|
02/10/43
|
02/10/43
|
05/10/43
|
05/10/43
|
WP
411
|
07/10/43
|
07/10/43
|
09/10/43
|
09/10/43
|
WP
413
|
11/10/43
|
11/10/43
|
27/10/43
|
28/10/43
|
WP
422
|
29/10/43
|
29/10/43
|
07/11/43
|
07/11/43
|
CE
220
|
08/11/43
|
08/11/43
|
14/11/43
|
14/11/43
|
WP
431
|
16/11/43
|
16/11/43
|
25/11/43
|
25/11/43
|
CE
224
|
26/11/43
|
26/11/43
|
26/11/43
|
26/11/43
|
CW
227
|
27/11/43
|
27/11/43
|
28/11/43
|
28/11/43
|
WP
438
|
30/11/43
|
30/11/43
|
30/11/43
|
30/11/43
|
WP
439
|
02/12/43
|
02/12/43
|
05/12/43
|
05/12/43
|
CE
227
|
06/12/43
|
06/12/43
|
18/12/43
|
18/12/43
|
WP
448
|
20/12/43
|
20/12/43
|
23/12/43
|
23/12/43
|
CE
231
|
24/12/43
|
24/12/43
|
25/12/43
|
25/12/43
|
CW
234
|
26/12/43
|
26/12/43
|
03/01/44
|
03/01/44
|
CE
234
|
04/01/44
|
04/01/44
|
07/01/44
|
08/01/44
|
WP
458
|
09/01/44
|
09/01/44
|
09/01/44
|
10/01/44
|
WP
459
|
11/01/44
|
11/01/44
|
15/01/44
|
16/01/44
|
WP
462
|
17/01/44
|
17/01/44
|
19/01/44
|
19/01/44
|
CE
238
|
20/01/44
|
20/01/44
|
02/02/44
|
02/02/44
|
WP
471
|
05/02/44
|
05/02/44
|
20/03/44
|
20/03/44
|
CE
253
|
21/03/44
|
21/03/44
|
29/03/44
|
29/03/44
|
WP
499
|
31/03/44
|
31/03/44
|
02/04/44
|
02/04/44
|
WP
501
|
04/04/44
|
04/04/44
|
18/04/44
|
19/04/44
|
WP
509
|
20/04/44
|
20/04/44
|
16/06/44
|
16/06/44
|
FTM
009
|
16/06/44
|
17/06/44
|
|
|
|
|
|
(Note
on Convoys)
|