Ex USS CONWAY. This ship
had been built by US Navy Yard at Norfolk
Virginia and was launched as USS
CRAVEN on 29th June 1918 with completion on
19th October 1918. After US Navy
service she was placed on the Disposal List
and the name allocated to a new
warship. Pending sale for scrap she was
renamed USS CONWAY. She was transferred
to the RN under the US/UK Lend Lease Agreement
en 23rd October 1940. On commissioning
she was renamed LEWES which is common to towns
in Delaware, USA and in East
Sussex. This name had been used by a Paddle
Minesweeper in 1918 on completion
of build and sold in 1922. In March 1942
following a successful WARSHIP WEEK
National Savings campaign in May 1942 this ex
USN destroyer was adopted by the
civil community of Lewes, East Sussex. Unlike
other four funnelled Ex USN destroyers
transferred to the RN she had 3in guns as main
armament instead of 4in
weapons.
B
a t t
l e H o n o u r
NORTH
SEA 1942
H
e r a l d i c
D a t a
Badge:
On a Field
White,
a
lion's
gamb
erased Blue charged with a mullet White
grasping a cross
crosslet
in fitchy
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
October
Pre-acceptance trials.
23rd
Transferred to RN and renamed HMS LEWES at
Halifax.
Commissioned for service and prepared for
passage to UK.
November
On passage via
St. Johns, Newfoundland.
11th
Arrived at Devonport.
Taken in hand for modifications by HM Dockyard
to suit RN use as
a convoy escort.
December
Under refit
1
9 4 1
January
Under refit.
February
Carried out post refit trials.
March
Prepared for convoy defence service.
April
Deployed at Devonport.
22nd
Sustained damage during air raid at Devonport
May
Under repair
to
December.
1
9 4 2
January
Carried out post repair trials and prepared
for East coast convoy defence in Rosyth
Command
Passage to Rosyth.
February
Joined Rosyth Escort Force.
(Note: This Ex US Navy destroyer was the last
to begin RN operational RN service).
March
Deployed at Rosyth for escort of East coast
convoys.
to
(Note: During this period fitted with Radar
Type 286 and VHF Radio telephone outfit
November
in general use by East coast escorts.
See RADAR AT SEA by D Howse).
Future deployment under discussion.
December
Selected for use as an Air Target ship after
refit and modification.
Withdrawn from operational service.
(Note: This Class of destroyer had not been
notably successful as convoy escorts.
Several other TOWN Class were withdrawn from
escort duty and converted for this duty,
essential for training of aircrew in anti ship
operations)
1
9 4 3
January
Under refit and conversion for new duties at
Humber shipyard.
February
On completion nominated for service in South Atlantic.
March
After preparation for foreign service took
passage to Simonstown with Convoy WS29.
to
Deployed on South Atlantic Station for air
target duties.
December
1 9 4
4
January
Detached for passage to Casablanca.
(Note: This reasons for this requirement are
not known)
February
Return passage to Simonstown to resume target
duties.
March
South Atlantic service in continuation
to
Nominated for transfer to Ceylon for duty in
Eastern Fleet as Target Ship.
July
(Note: Eastern Fleet had been reinforced with
Fleet aircraft carriers and training
for
future
deployments involving shipping attacks was
essential)
August.
Passage to Ceylon to join Eastern Fleet.
September
Deployed at Ceylon and carried out escort duty
with convoy to Addu Atoll.
October
Deployed with Eastern Fleet for Air Target
duties.
to
December
1
9 4 5
January
Eastern Fleet duties in continuation
Nominated for transfer to British Pacific
Fleet for Air Target Ship duties.
February
Passage from Trincomalee to Fremantle with
escort for HM Destroyer Depot Ship TYNE
to
Detached from HMS TYNE on arrival and took
passage to Sydney to join BPF.
March
April
Deployed at Sydney as Air Target Ship.
to
August
P o s t W a r
N o t e s
HMS
LEWES remained in commission after VJ Day and
continued in the
training role until she paid-off at Sydney in
November 1945. Placed on the Disposal List
whilst at Sydney she
was de-quipped and then sold to BISCO for
disposal, All valuable items were removed and
on 25th May 1946 the ship
was scuttled off Sydney, New South Wales,
Australia.
Addendum
CONVOY
ESCORT MOVEMENTS of HMS
LEWES
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
|
|
|
|
|
|
27/03/42
|
28/03/42
|
WN 263
|
30/03/42
|
30/03/42
|
13/04/42
|
13/04/42
|
WN 269
|
14/04/42
|
14/04/42
|
13/05/42
|
14/05/42
|
WN 282
|
15/05/42
|
15/05/42
|
19/05/42
|
20/05/42
|
WN 285
|
21/05/42
|
21/05/42
|
24/05/42
|
25/05/42
|
WN 287
|
26/05/42
|
26/05/42
|
28/05/42
|
29/05/42
|
WN 289
|
30/05/42
|
30/05/42
|
03/06/42
|
04/06/42
|
WN 291
|
05/06/42
|
05/06/42
|
07/06/42
|
08/06/42
|
WN 293
|
09/06/42
|
09/06/42
|
10/09/44
|
10/09/44
|
XC 029
|
13/09/44
|
13/09/44
|
|
|
|
|
|
(Note
on Convoys)
|