B a t t l e H o n o u r
NORMANDY 1944
H e r a l d i c D a t a
Badge: On a field Blue a dolphin embowed
White pierced
through the sides with two fishing spears in saltire
Gold.
S u m m
a r y 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 3 9
August Deployed for survey of St Lewis
Inlet, Labrador Canada.
Recalled to take up
war station and took passage to UK with call at Halifax
September
3rd Arrived
at Dover for surveying duties in connection Channel Mine Barrage.
Deployed to lay
marker buoys between Goodwin to minelaying by HM
Minelayer ADVENTURE
HM Auxiliary
Minelayers HAMPTON and SHEPPERTON (Operations GR, DM, HW, FE
and
RG)
(Note: The Auxiliary
Minelayers were Cross Channel this specific use before outbreak of war.)
October Transferred to Faeroes to carry out
survey in anticipation of use of Scaale Fjord as a refuelling base
for
Atlantic convoy escorts.
During survey work
ordered to Scapa Flow for priority requirement.
November Carried out investigation of tidal
movements prior to improvement of defences against submarine
entry
following the sinking of HM Battleship ROYAL OAK on 14th October.
December
Scapa Flow deployment in continuation.
On completion transferred for duties in North
Sea.
January Deployed off UK East Coast for
survey duties including:
to
Establishment of diversions from Swept Channel because of wrecks
October. Provision of markers
during minelay in Galloper area
(Operation DML - Part of East Coast Mine Barrier See reference)
Selection
of positions for the erection of sea defence towers in Thames Estuary as part
of Anti-Invasion measures.
(Note:
This involved extensive use of shore parties for setting-up of triangulation
points.)
Pennant Number for visual signalling purposes changed to J84 (May 1940.)
November
Under refit in West India Docks, London
to
December
1 9 4 0
January Deployed off UK East Coast for
survey duties including:
to Establishment
of diversions from Swept Channel because of wrecks
October. Provision of markers
during minelay in Galloper area
(Operation
DML - Part of East Coast Mine Barrier See reference)
Selection
of positions for the erection of sea defence towers in Thames Estuary as part
of Anti-Invasion measures.
(Note:
This involved extensive use of shore parties for setting-up of triangulation
points.)
Pennant Number for visual signalling purposes changed to J84 (May 1940.)
November
Under refit in West India Docks, London
to
December
1 9 4 1
Deployed for survey and marking duties in North Sea and for convoy
escort as required.
Sustained damage by collision in fog with tanker DOMAX and under repair
at Aberdeen
for one month.
After completion deployed off UK West coast to carry out survey in Kilbrannon Sound
prior to its use as an Anti-submarine Exercise
area for Western Approaches and Home Fleet
warships.
1 9 4 2 t o 1 9 4 3
Deployed in Home Waters for survey duties, marking of specific areas
prior to minesweeping
operations or for Home Fleet requirements.
1 9 4 4
January Home Waters
survey and marking in continuation.
to (Note: During this
period extensive amphibious training exercises were carried out in
March preparation for the
planned allied landings in Normandy.
(Operation NEPTUNE - For details of naval activities prior to assault
landings
including exercises and the execution of the attacks see
OPERATION NEPTUNE
by
K Edwards, LANDINGS IN NORMANDY (HMSO) and D-DAY SHIPS by
J de Winser for information about all mercantiles
and warships taking part.))
April
Nominated for survey duties with HM Survey Ship SCOTT for support of
operations off French
to coast including clearance
of entrance channels to ports after re-occupation
May. Took part in preparatory exercises requiring survey assistance.
June
Nominated for retention as Reserve minesweeper
during assault phase and to relieve HMS
SCOTT for maintenance and leave after initial landings had been
completed.
Home waters survey duties in continuation.
July Relieved HMS SCOTT off Beach Head
Deployed for survey
duties to enable clearance of entrance to port of
Cherbourg after capture.
August Carried out surveys in Seine estuary prior
to clearance of entrances to Le Havre
to and Dieppe.
September
October Deployed for survey and marking of
entrance to Ostend and south bank of Scheldt.
November Transferred to Terneuzen
to carry out survey of Scheldt entrance to allow clearance for passage of
shipping
to and from Antwerp.
December Scheldt clearance survey duties in
continuation.
1 9 4 5
January Scheldt
survey duties in continuation.
to Nominated for testing of radio navigational equipment being developed by the DECCA Company for
February mercantile use.
(Note: This system had
been used by the RN since 1944 and had revolutionised ship navigation
especially in bad weather.
Its Naval
Identity was Outfit QM).
March Deployed for testing of DECCA Navigator
System.
to Local surveys were carried out in North Sea
and off Dutch coast during this period.
May
June
DECCA testing and surveys to assist in mine
clearance in North Sea.
to (Note: Extensive mine clearance operations
were carried out in areas known to be infested with
August allied and enemy air and sea minelaying operations.
Groups of
all sizes of minesweeper were deployed with specialist survey capability
provided
by this type of ship
to ensure accurate positioning of markers used to indicate areas which
had been cleared..)
P o s
t W a r N o t e s
HMS FRANKLIN continued deployment
in Home waters including assistance during mine clearance operations as
well as post war survey requirements. The ship remained in
service until 1955 when Paid-off and reduced to Reserve
status. She was placed on the Disposal List in 1956 and sold to
BISCO for demolition by Clayton and Davie at Dunston.
where she arrived in tow at the breaker’s yard during
February that year.
