Naval History Homepage and Site Search

 

 

SERVICE HISTORIES of ROYAL NAVY WARSHIPS in WORLD WAR 2

by Lt Cdr Geoffrey B Mason RN (Rtd) (c) 2005

HMS GRIMSBY (L 16) - Grimsby-class Sloop
including Convoy Escort Movements  

Edited by Gordon Smith, Naval-History.Net

 HMS Grimsby (Photo Ships, click to enlarge)

return to Contents List 

 

GRIMSBY-Class Sloop ordered from HM Dockyard Devonport under the 1931 Programme on 1st Nov. 1932 and laid down on 23rd January 1932. The ship was launched by Mrs Forbes on 19th July 1933 as the 2nd RN  ship to carry the name. previously used by a WW1 trawler. Build was completed on 17tn May 1934. After commissioning at Devonport she visited Grimsby and Mablethorpe before taking passage to Hong Kong where minesweeping equipment was fitted. All her pre-war service was east of Suez and she was recalled to UK for convoy defence duties after the outbreak of WW2.

 

B a t t l e   H o n o u r s

 

GREECE  1941 - CRETE  1941 - LIBYA 1941

 

H e r a l d i c   D a t a

Badge: On a Field Silver a  Boar’s  head Black.

 

M o t t o

Premia post ardus:   'Rewards come after toil'

 

 

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 3 9

 

September             Deployed in Persian Gulf

                                Transferred to Home waters after outbreak of war and took passage to UK.

 

October                  On arrival deployed with Rosyth Escort Force for East coast convoy defence.

                                ( Note: Installation of two twin 4in HA mountings was not carried out due to a chronic need

                                for these weapons to be fitted in other Escorts)

 

November              East coast deployment in continuation.

to                            (For details of naval activities in North Sea, see THE BATTLE OF THE EAST COAST by

December              J P Foynes and Naval Staff History.).

 

1 9 4 0

 

January                  East coast deployment in continuation.

to                            Nominated for refit.

March

 

April                       Taken in hand for refit at commercial shipyard in Leith.

 

May                        Refit terminated to meet urgent need for escorts in Mediterranean Fleet

                                See Naval Staff History (HMSO, 2001)

                                Pennant Number for visual signalling purposes changed to U16.

                20th        Sailed from Devonport to Join Fleet at Alexandria.

                31st         On arrival transferred to Red Sea Escort Force for convoy defence.

 

June                        Joined Red Sea Escort Force and provided defence for convoys between Aden and Suez.

 

July                         Red Sea deployment in continuation.

to

December

 

1 9 4 1

 

January                  Convoy defence in Red Sea in continuation.

 

February

                11th        Joined military convoy WS5A as escort during Red Sea passage with HM Cruiser CALEDON,

                                HM Sloops FLAMINGO and INDUS (RIN).

13th        Detached from WS5A and returned to Aden.

                                (Note: This convoy was taking troop reinforcements to Egypt and had a strong escort when

                                within range of Italian air bases in Somaliland.)

 

March                    Joined Fleet at Alexandria for convoy defence in Eastern Mediterranean.

                                Deployed for escort of military convoys to Greek ports.

 

April                       Eastern Mediterranean duties in continuation.

                22nd       Assisted with evacuation of Allied troops from Greece (Operation DEMON).

                27th        Towed mercantile as SCOTTISH PRINCE to Suds Bay after this mercantile had been damaged

                                in air attacks north of Crete.

                30th        Took over tow of damaged HM Auxiliary GLENEARN from HM Destroyer GRIFFIN and

                                took ship to Alexandria.

                                (For details of Greek evacuation, see ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY by C Barnett

                                and Naval Staff History (HMSO – 2001).

 

 

May                        Deployed on support of military operations at Tobruk and defence of ships engaged in supply

                                of stores and transport of personnel to garrison.

                25th        Sank north of Tobruk in position 32.30N 24.30E after air attacks during support of Tobruk

                                garrison.

 


 

Addendum

 

CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of HMS GRIMSBY

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

 

 

 

 

 

30/09/39

30/09/39

BLUE 003

11/10/39

11/10/39

28/10/39

28/10/39

FS 0028

30/10/39

30/10/39

13/11/39

13/11/39

FS 0036

15/11/39

15/11/39

26/11/39

26/11/39

FN 0042

28/11/39

28/11/39

30/11/39

30/11/39

FS 0045

01/12/39

01/12/39

23/12/39

23/12/39

FS 0058

24/12/39

24/12/39

26/12/39

26/12/39

FN 0059

28/12/39

28/12/39

03/01/40

03/01/40

FS 0063

05/01/40

05/01/40

26/01/40

26/01/40

FS 0082

28/01/40

28/01/40

03/02/40

05/02/40

FS 0086

05/02/40

05/02/40

05/02/40

05/02/40

FS 0088

07/02/40

07/02/40

25/02/40

25/02/40

FS 0105

27/02/40

27/02/40

03/03/40

03/03/40

FS 0111

05/03/40

05/03/40

03/03/40

03/03/40

MT 022

03/03/40

03/03/40

10/03/40

10/03/40

FS 0118

12/03/40

12/03/40

07/05/40

07/05/40

FS 0165

09/05/40

09/05/40

07/05/40

07/05/40

MT 065

07/05/40

07/05/40

12/05/40

12/05/40

MT 067

12/05/40

12/05/40

14/05/40

14/05/40

FS 0170

16/05/40

16/05/40

07/07/40

07/07/40

BS 001

10/07/40

10/07/40

23/06/40

10/07/40

BN 001

12/07/40

12/07/40

31/07/40

31/07/40

BS 002

03/08/40

09/08/40

11/08/40

11/08/40

BS 002A

17/08/40

17/08/40

10/08/40

21/08/40

BN 003

23/08/40

23/08/40

01/09/40

01/09/40

BS 003A

03/09/40

06/09/40

05/09/40

05/09/40

BS 004

08/09/40

13/09/40

20/09/40

20/09/40

BS 005

23/09/40

28/09/40

10/09/40

23/09/40

BN 005

26/09/40

26/09/40

05/10/40

05/10/40

BS 006

11/10/40

13/10/40

23/09/40

09/10/40

BN 006

11/10/40

11/10/40

20/10/40

21/10/40

BS 007

24/10/40

28/10/40

10/10/40

23/10/40

BN 007

26/10/40

26/10/40

04/11/40

05/11/40

BS 008

unknown

12/11/40

19/11/40

19/11/40

BS 009

unknown

26/11/40

12/11/40

21/11/40

BN 008A

23/11/40

23/11/40

23/11/40

27/11/40

BN 009A

28/11/40

28/11/40

04/12/40

04/12/40

BS 010

unknown

11/12/40

27/11/40

07/12/40

BN 010

10/12/40

10/12/40

19/12/40

19/12/40

BS 011

22/12/40

27/12/40

18/12/40

22/12/40

BN 011

25/12/40

25/12/40

03/01/41

04/01/41

BS 012

unknown

11/01/41

27/12/40

06/01/41

BN 012

09/01/41

09/01/41

10/01/41

10/01/41

BS 012B

13/01/41

13/01/41

19/01/41

20/01/41

BS 013

unknown

27/01/41

25/01/41

25/01/41

BS 013A

unknown

01/02/41

01/02/41

02/02/41

BSF 001

06/02/41

07/02/41

11/02/41

14/02/41

BSF 001A

unknown

22/02/41

17/02/41

17/02/41

BN 016

20/02/41

20/02/41

18/03/41

18/03/41

AS 020/1

20/03/42

22/03/41

06/05/41

06/05/41

AN 030

09/05/41

09/05/41

 

 

 

 

 

(Note on Convoys)

 

back to Contents List
or Naval-History.Net

revised 30/5/11
further editing and formatting is required


 

if any ads offend, please contact Naval-History.Net