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SERVICE HISTORIES of ROYAL NAVY WARSHIPS in WORLD WAR 2
by Lt Cdr Geoffrey B Mason RN (Rtd) (c) 2005

HMS SPEY (K 246) - River-class Frigate
including Convoy Escort Movements

Edited by Gordon Smith, Naval-History.Net

HMS Swale, sister-ship (Navy Photos/Andrew Brookes, click to enlarge)

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RIVER-Class Frigate ordered on 11th February 1941 under the 1940 War Programme from Smith's Dock SB at Middlesbrough . The ship was laid down on 18th July 1941 and launched on 18th December 1941as the 2nd RN warship to carry the name, introduced in 1814. This ship was adopted by the civil Community of Letchworth, Hertfordshire in March 1942 following a successful WARSHIP WEEK National Savings campaign. Build was completed on 19th May 1942.

 

B a t t l e   H o n o u r s

 

ATLANTIC  1942-44 - NORTH AFRICA 1942-43 - BURMA  1944-45

 

H e r a l d i c   D a t a

Badge: On a Field party per fess Blue and Green divided by wavelets

Blue and Gold, In chief, six pearls Silver, beneath a salmon Silver.

 

Motto

Mack Sicker:  'Make sure'

 

 

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

 

May                        Contractor's trials and commissioning.

                19th        Build completion and commenced Acceptance Trials.

                                On completion of trials and storing took passage to Tobermory.

 

June                        Joined Western Approaches Command for convoy defence on completion of work-up for

                                operational service..

                16th        Deployed with HM Destroyers BEAGLE, WILD SWAN and Polish Destroyer ORP

                                KRAKOWIAK in Bay of Biscay to assist escort of Convoy HG84 under attack from a

                                Group of U-Boats.

                                During defence of HG84 under attack by German Glider Bombs which-hit and later sank

                                HMS WILD SWAN. (For details see WILD SWAN by P Smith).

 

July                         Joined escort for Convoy OS53.

                11th        Under attack by HAI Group of U-Boats.

                                Shared credit for sinking U136 with HM Sloop PELICAN and Free French Destroyer

                                LEOPARD in position 36.45N 22.52W. There were no survivors.

                                (For details see U-BOATS DESTROYED by P Kemp.

 

August                  Atlantic Convoy defence in continuation

to

September

 

October                  Deployed for escort of military convoys to Gibraltar for landings in North Africa

 

November              Deployed for escort of assault convoy to Algiers with HM Destroyers WISHART and

                                VELOX.

                7th          Stood by US troopship THOMAS STONE which had been disabled after being hit by a

                                torpedo: See HITLER’S U-BOAT WAR by C Blair for details.

                                (Note: Nationality of the assumed submarine has not been established.)

                                800 troops were disembarked into landing craft to complete passage.

                8th          Escorted troopship with same two destroyers during tow by tug to Algiers.

                                Detached to carry cut rescue work after landing craft required assistance.

                                800 troops were embarked for passage to Algiers.

                9th          Arrived at Algiers with HMS VELOX and HMS WISHART as escort for damaged

                                troopship THOMAS STONE during tow.

                                (Note: Troopship was found Beyond Economic Repair).

 

December              Deployed in western Mediterranean for convoy defence and support

                                Military convoy escort and support of landings (Operation TORCH).

 

1 9 4 3

 

January                  Deployed in Western Mediterranean for convoy defence and support.

 

February                Resumed Atlantic convoy defence duties.

to

March

 

April                       Joined HM Sloop PELICAN, HM Cutter SENNEN, HM Frigates JED and WEAR

                                when 1st Escort Group was reformed.

                                Deployed in Support role for North Atlantic convoy defence.

 

May                        On orders of CinC Western Approaches sent with 1st Escort Group from St Johns to

                                support the Escorts of Convoy ONS5 under attacks by combined SPECHT and AMSEL

                                Groups of U-Boats.

                6th          Took part in search for U438 after radar detection by PELICAN.

                                (Note: This submarine was later sunk by HMS PELICAN and HMS JED).

                13th        Deployed with Group in support of passage of Convoys ONS7 and SC130.

                19th        Drove off U92 which was maintaining contact with Convoy ONS130 with HMS JED.

                                (For details of Atlantic convoy defence operations see THE BATTLE OF THE

                                ATLANTIC by D Macintyre, U-BOAT WAR IN THE ATLANTIC (HMSO), U-BOAT

                                KILLER by D Macintyre and HITLER’S U-BOAT WAR by C Blair.)

 

June                        Deployment with 1st Escort Group in continuation.

to

July

 

August                  Took part in anti-submarine sweeps in SW Approaches and Bay of Biscay for the

                                support of combined RN/RAF operations (Operations MUSKETRY and SEASLUG)

                                (See CONFLICT OVER THE BAY by N Franks).

 

September             Deployment for A/S sweeps in continuation

                                Joined escort for military convoy KMF24 to Gibraltar.

 

October                  Resumed convoy defence and support duties in Atlantic.

 

November              Deployed with Group for support and escort of Atlantic convoys.

to

December

 

1 9 4 4

 

January                  Group deployment in continuation.

 

February                Joined HM Frigates ROTHER, FINDHORN and LOSSIE of 10th Support Group for duty in

                                Support role in Atlantic.

                17th        Deployed with ships of 10th Escort Group in support of passage of Convoy ONS29 against

                                attacks by HAI Groups of U- Boats in SW Approaches.

                                Air support was provided by HM Escort Carrier STRIKER.

                18th        Sank U 406 during defence of convoy.

                                (Note: Some survivors including radar specialists were rescued.

                                See U-BOATS DESTROYED by P Kemp.)

 

                19th        Sank U386 from which there were some survivors. See above reference.

                                (For details see above references and U-BOATS DESTROYED.)

 

March                    Atlantic deployment in continuation..

to                            (For details of tactical and weapon developments during the Battle of the Atlantic see SEEK

April                       AND STRIKE by W Hackmann and RADAR AT SEA by D Hawse).

 

May                        Nominated for duty with Eastern Fleet after refit.

 

June                        Under refit and preparation for foreign service

to                            Passage to Ceylon.

November

 

December              Deployed for convoy defence and support of military operations in Burma.

.                               (For details of Indian Ocean operation see OPERATION PACIFIC by E Gray, THE

                                FORGOTTEN FLEET by J Winton and WAR WITH JAPAN (HMSO).)

 

1 9 4 5

 

 

January                  Eastern Fleet deployment in continuation.

                16th        Took part in escort of assault convoys for landings on northern shore Ramree Is, off Akyab

                                (Operation MATADOR)

                24th        Joined Task Force for landings on Cheduba Island with HM Frigate WEAR.

                                Part of escort for passage (Operation SANKEY).

                                (For details see ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY by Corelli Barnett).

 

February

                24th        Deployed as escort for HM Escort Carriers EMPRESS and AMEER, HM Cruiser KENYA with

                                HM Destroyers VIRAGO, VIGILANT, VOLAGE, HM Frigates SWALE., PLYM and

                                TRENT during air reconnaissance of Malaya and Sumatra and attacks on enemy shipping.

                                (Operation STAGEY).

 

March                    Deployed on convoy defence and support in Bay of Bengal.

to

June

 

July                         Preparation for landings in Malaya (Operation ZIPPER).

                                (Note: This operation was delayed at the insistence of the US Government and did not take

                                place till after VJ Day. See above references.).

 

August                  Part of escort for assault convoys during passage to landings area

  

P o s t   W a r   N o t e s

 

HMS SPEY returned to UK after the surrender of Japanese forces in Singapore and Paid-off into Reserve. She was laid up initially at Dartmouth and later moved to Devonport. The ship was sold to Egypt in November 1948 and renamed RASHEED. After a refit in a Plymouth commercial shipyard she joined the Royal Egyptian Navy in 1950 and was still in service in the early 1970's.

 


 

Addendum

 

CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of HMS SPEY

by Don Kindell

This convoy list has not been cross-checked with the text above

Date convoy sailed

Joined convoy as escort

Convoy No.

Left convoy

Date convoy arrived

 

 

 

 

 

09/06/42

16/06/42

HG 084

17/06/42

20/06/42

04/06/42

18/06/42

SL 112

21/06/42

23/06/42

01/07/42

02/07/42

OS 033

20/07/42

20/07/42

25/07/42

25/07/42

SL 117

15/08/42

15/08/42

19/09/42

22/09/42

ON 132

24/09/42

08/10/42

26/10/42

26/10/42

KMF 001

07/11/42

08/11/42

14/11/42

14/11/42

MKS 001A

unknown

16/11/42

21/11/42

21/11/42

MKS 001Y

30/11/42

30/11/42

11/12/42

16/12/42

MKF 004Y

24/12/42

24/12/42

07/01/43

08/01/43

KMS 007G

18/01/43

21/01/43

19/01/43

23/01/43

MKS 006

01/02/43

01/02/43

14/02/43

15/02/43

OS 043

04/03/43

04/03/43

12/03/43

12/03/43

SL 126

02/04/43

01/04/43

16/04/43

24/04/43

SC 127

25/04/43

03/05/43

13/04/43

26/04/43

ONS 004

28/04/43

05/05/43

21/04/43

06/05/43

ONS 005

08/05/43

12/05/43

29/04/43

09/05/43

ONS 006

10/05/43

17/05/43

02/05/43

10/05/43

SC 129

18/05/43

21/05/43

11/05/43

19/05/43

SC 130

22/05/43

26/05/43

31/05/43

09/06/43

HX 242

12/06/43

15/06/43

08/06/43

12/06/43

ONS 010

18/06/43

27/06/43

27/06/43

01/07/43

SC 135

04/07/43

11/07/43

15/09/43

15/09/43

KMF 024

22/09/43

29/09/43

17/09/43

28/09/43

MKF 024

06/10/43

07/10/43

19/09/42

01/10/43

SC 102

03/10/42

06/10/42

16/10/43

16/10/43

KMF 025

25/10/43

30/10/43

17/10/43

27/10/43

MKF 025

04/11/43

04/11/43

15/11/43

17/11/43

KMF 026

26/11/43

30/11/43

17/11/43

30/11/43

MKF 026

09/12/43

09/12/43

22/01/44

03/02/44

HX 276

05/02/44

07/02/44

07/02/44

10/02/44

ON 223

11/02/44

24/02/44

05/02/44

16/02/44

HX 278

17/02/44

20/02/44

12/02/44

17/02/44

ONS 029

19/02/44

29/02/44

14/02/44

17/02/44

ON 224

18/02/44

02/03/44

03/03/44

03/03/44

KMF 029A

17/03/44

17/03/44

28/03/44

28/03/44

AJ 002/2

04/04/44

04/04/44

25/06/44

25/06/44

RK 002

12/07/44

12/07/44

 

 

 

 

 

(Note on Convoys)

 

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revised 30/5/11
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