HMS Anson, British battleship, WW2

SERVICE HISTORIES of ROYAL NAVY WARSHIPS in WORLD WAR 2
by Lt Cdr Geoffrey B Mason RN (Rtd) (c) 2003

HMS ANSON - King George V-class 14in gun Battleship
including Convoy Escort Movements

Edited by Gordon Smith, Naval-History.Net; additional material & editing by Mike Simmonds

HMS Anson in 1945
(Navy Photos, click images for enlargement)

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KING GEORGE V-Class Battleship ordered from Swan Hunter of Newcastle on 28th April 1937 under the 1937 build programme and laid down on 20th July that year. Originally the ship was to be named JELLICOE but this was changed to ANSON before launch on 24th February 1940. The 10th RN ship intended to carry this name, introduced for a 4th Rate in 1736, and lastly carried by an 1886 battleship sold in 1909. Build was completed on 22nd June 1942. She was adopted by the civil community of the City of London following a National Savings WARSHIP WEEK Campaign in March 1942.

B a t t l e H o n o u r s

THE SAINTES 1782 - DONEGAL 1798 - CURACOA 1807 - ARCTIC 1942-43

H e r a l d i c Data

Badge: On a Field per fess wavy blue and white out of a ducal

Coronet gold a spear head proper.

Motto:

Nil desperandum: Never despair

D e t a i l s o f S e r v i c e

1 9 4 2

April

14th Commissioned for trials.

May Contractors trials.

June

22nd Build completion and commenced Acceptance Trials.

Commanding Officer: Captain R G Kinaham, CBE, RN)

(Note: On measured mile during trials achieved speed of 27.62 knots).

Took passage to Scapa Flow for completion of trials and for gunnery firings.

28th Flag Officer Second-in Command, Home Fleet joined ship.

July to August Worked-up for operational service at Scapa Flow with ships of Home Fleet. to

September Ready for operational service with Home Fleet.

2nd Took passage from Scapa Flow to Hvalfjord.

4th Arrived at Hvalfjord.

9th Took passage to Akureyri.

11th Deployed with HM Battleship DUKE OF YORK and HM Cruiser JAMAICA screened

by HM Destroyers MONTROSE, BRAMHAM, KEPPEL and MACKAY to provide

Distant Cover for passage of Russian Convoy PQ18 and return Convoy QP14.

(For details of all Russian convoy operations see CONVOYS TO RUSSIA by R A

Ruegg, CONVOY! by P Kemp, ARCTIC CONVOY by R Woodman and THE RUSSIAN

CONVOYS by B Schofield.)

14th Returned to Akureyri with HMS DUKE OF YORK.

Passage to Scapa Flow.

October Deployed at Scapa Flow

9th Present at Scapa Flow during visit by Prime Minister and Sir Stafford Cripps to

Home Fleet.

Passage to Iceland for interception of commerce raiders.

November Home Fleet deployment in continuation in Iceland area and at Scapa Flow.

December

22nd Sailed from Akureyri to provide Distant Cover for passage of Russian Convoy JW51B with

HM Cruiser CUMBERLAND, HM Destroyers BLANKNEY, FORESTER,

CHIDDINGFOLD, ICARUS and IMPULSIVE.

31st Convoy JW 51B was attacked in Barents Sea by the German Panzerschiff (Pocket Battleship)

KMS LÜTZOW, the heavy cruiser KMS HIPPER and 6 destroyers but the covering force was

patrolling 1000 miles to the west, north east of Jan Mayen Island and was unable to intervene.

1 9 4 3

January Passage to Scapa Flow from patrol area.

3rd Resumed Fleet duties at Scapa Flow.

23rd Deployed with HM Cruiser SHEFFIELD, HM Destroyers ECHO, ECLIPSE,

FAULKNOR, INGLEFIELD, MONTROSE, QUEENBOROUGH, RAIDER and

Polish destroyer ORP ORKAN to provide Distant Cover for passage of

Russian Convoy JW52 and return Convoy RA52

27th Remained in Arctic after arrival of JW52 at Kola Inlet

30th Provided Distant Cover for RA52 with HMS SHEFFIELD screened by HM

Destroyers INGLEFIELD, OBEDIENT, ORIBI and ORP ORKAN,

February

2nd Took passage to return to Scapa Flow on completion of covering duties.

March to May Deployed for interception of commerce raiders with Home Fleet ships at

Scapa Flow and in Iceland area.

June Deployed at Scapa Flow.

9th Provided cover for relief of Anglo- Norwegian garrison at Spitzbergen with

HMS DUKE OF YORK, US battleships USS SOUTH DAKOTA and ALABAMA

screened by five US Navy destroyers (Operation GEARBOX).

(Note: These US Navy warships had been transferred for loan service with

to reinforce Home Fleet after HM Battleships KING GEORGE V and

HOWE were detached for service in Mediterranean for planned allied

landings in Sicily (Operation HUSKY)

13th On release from GEARBOX took passage to Scapa Flow with covering

force.

28th Vice Admiral Bruce Fraser left ship on promotion to Admiral and relieved by

Vice Admiral Sir Henry Moore as VA2 (Second in Command) Home Fleet

July Home Fleet deployment at Scapa Flow in continuation.

27th Deployed with HM Aircraft Carriers ILLUSTRIOUS and UNICORN for

repeat diversion operation to simulate possible allied landing in south

Norway as a diversion during HUSKY, the invasion of Sicily.

(Note: Ships involved included HMS DUKE OF YORK and seven cruisers

screened by RN and USN destroyers (Operation GOVERNOR).

The earlier Operation CAMERA was carried out on 7th July.)

August

1st (Note: US ships were withdrawn from loan service.)

Took passage for refit and routine docking,

(Note: HM King George VI visited Home Fleet ships at Scapa Flow on 11th

August. Presence of ship is to be confirmed)

September Resumed Home Fleet duties at Scapa Flow.

8th Deployed with HMS DUKE OF YORK and screen of five Home Fleet

destroyers to intercept German battleships TIRPITZ and SCHARNHORST

which had carried out bombardment of Spitzbergen.

9th Returned to Scapa Flow after German warships reported as returned to

Altenfjord.

October Home Fleet deployment in continuation.

4th Part of Home Fleet cover with HMS DUKE OF YORK, US cruisers

TUSCALOOSA, three RN cruisers and screen of RN and USN destroyers

during air strikes by US aircraft carrier USS RANGER on shipping at Bodo

on coast of Norway (Operation LEADER).

6th Returned to Scapa Flow with Home Fleet ships.

14th Deployed with HM Destroyers HAIDA (RCN), IROQUOIS (RCN), HARDY,

JANUS and VIGILANT to land relief stores for allied garrison at

Spitzbergen (Operation GEARBOX III/FQ.)

November

2nd Provided Distant Cover for return Convoy RA54 from Kola Inlet with HM

Aircraft Carrier FORMIDABLE, HM Cruisers JAMAICA screened by HM

Destroyers ONSLOW, VENUS, HAIDA (RCN), Norwegian STORD, US

destroyers USS CAPPS and USS HOBSON.

19th Deployed with USS TUSCALOOSA and screened by US Navy destroyers

USS CORRY, USS FITCH, USS FORREST and USS HOBSON to provide

Distant Cover for passage of Russian Convoy JW54A to Kola Inlet.

28th Provided Distant Cover for passage of Russian Convoy JW54B during

passage to Kola Inlet and return Convoy RA54B with HM Cruiser BELFAST

screened by HM Destroyers ASHANTI, MATCHLESS, MUSKETEER and

OBDURATE.

29th HMS MATCHLESS detached with weather damage.

December Detached from RA54B and returned to Scapa Flow.

(Note: Extreme weather conditions were experience during the cover of

JW54B and destroyers were temporarily detached.)

Deployed at Scapa Flow for Home Fleet duties.

1 9 4 4

January Home Fleet service based at Scapa Flow in continuation.

February

24th Deployed with Free French battleship RICHELIEU and two Home Fleet cruisers

to provide cover for HMS FURIOUS during series air strikes on Norwegian coast

(Operation BAYLEAF).

March Home Fleet deployment at Scapa Flow in continuation.

30th Sailed from Scapa Flow with HMS DUKE OF YORK, HM Aircraft Carriers

VICTORIOUS and FURIOUS, HM Cruisers BELFAST, ROYALIST, SHEFFIELD and

JAMAICA, HM Escort Aircraft Carriers EMPEROR, FENCER. PURSUER and

SEARCHER screened by HM Destroyers MILNE, URSA, ONSLAUGHT, VERULAM,

METEOR, UNDAUNTED, VIGILANT, VIRAGO, SWIFT, JAVELIN, WAKEFUL,

ALGONQUIN (RCN), SIOUX (RCN) and Polish ORP PIORUN to provide Distant

Cover for passage of Russian Convoy JW58 to Kola Inlet and for air attacks on

German battleship TIRPITZ at Altenfjord (Operation TUNGSTEN)

April

2nd HMS DUKE OF YORK and two destroyers detached to provide Distant Cover for

JW58.

3rd Provided cover during strikes by aircraft from carriers. (For details see CONVOY!

by P Kemp)

4th Second series of strikes abandoned and took return passage to Scapa Flow.

6th Arrived at Scapa Flow with Fleet units.

21st Sailed from Scapa Flow with HMS VICTORIOUS, HMS FURIOUS, HMS

SEARCHER, HMS STRIKER, HMS EMPEROR and PURSUER, Home Fleet cruisers

and destroyer screen to provide cover during further series of air strikes on

TIRPITZ (Operation PLANET)

(Note: HMS DUKE OF YORK did not take part.)

25th Air operations postponed because of weather conditions.

See above reference.

26th TIRPITZ attacks cancelled in view of weather and carried out on secondary

target of shipping near Bodo.

May Scapa Flow deployment in continuation.

12th Deployed to provide cover for air strikes by HMS VICTORIOUS and HMS

FURIOUS on TIRPIRTZ with Home Fleet cruisers and destroyer screen.

(Note: This operation was cancelled and ships returned to Scapa Flow.

June Nominated for refit at Devonport to prepare for service in British Pacific Fleet.

Took passage to Devonport to Pay-off.

July Paid-off and taken in hand for refit by HM Dockyard.

(Note: During the nine month refit extensive changes were made to the radar

equipment and to improve close range AA defence prior to service in the

Pacific. Radar changes included:

Aircraft warning Type 281 replaced by single mast 281B.

Surface warning Type 273 replaced by Type 293 and Type 277.

Close Range AA fire-control replaced by four Type 262 and single

Type 282 retained.

4 AA Fire-control Type 285 replaced by Type 274. Barrage Control Type 283

fitted for all four mountings.

(Note: Main Armament Fire Control Type 284 replaced by two Type 274 to provide

separate facilities for forward and after turrets.

The aircraft facilities were removed to provide additional accommodation

and improved boat stowages.

July to December

Under refit

1 9 4 5

January to February

Under refit

March Recommissioned for service with British Pacific Fleet.

Commanding Officer Captain A C G Madden.

Post refit trials.

April On completion of sea trials took passage to Scapa Flow to work-up with

ships of Home Fleet for operational service in Pacific.

Trials including gunnery firings and weapon calibrations whilst working up at Scapa Flow.

(Note: Trials of newly developed surface warning radar Type 277P were carried out.)

25th Took passage to Mediterranean with HMS DUKE OF YORK.

May

2nd Arrived at Malta.

(Note: HMS DUKE OF YORK remained in Malta for repair of major

electrical defect.

Took independent passage to Ceylon via Suez Canal.

June Passage to Sydney

July Arrived in Sydney, escorted by HM destroyers WAGER and WHELP, after British Pacific

Fleet had sailed to join US 3rd Fleet as Task Force 37 to take part in operations off Japan

(Note: Further research is required for these months.)

August Deployed at Sydney

Nominated for duty at Hong Kong as part of re-occupation Task Force.

Took passage from Sydney.

20th Joined HM Light Fleet Aircraft Carrier VENGEANCE and ships of Task

Force 111 during passage to Hong Kong.

26th Arrived in Hong Kong and landed parties to assist in re-occupation and

repatriation of military and civil personnel taken prisoner in December

1941 when Colony fell to Japanese forces.

P o s t W a r N o t e s

HMS ANSON was retained as part of the British Pacific Fleet and was deployed as Guardship at Tokyo after release from duties at Hong Kong. The ship went to Australia in 1946 and left the the BPF on 28th June that year when she took passage to return to UK. Arriving at Plymouth on 29th July she remained in service as part of the Training Squadron until 1949 when she Paid off into Reserve in November that year. After destoring the ship was towed to the Gareloch to be preserved before laying there in Reserve. Placed on the Disposal List in 1957 the ship was sold to Shipbreaking Industries for demolition and towed to the Breaker's yard as Faslane on 17^thDecember 1957.

Addendum

CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of HMS ANSON

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

02/09/42	11/09/42	PQ 018	14/09/42	21/09/42
13/09/42	19/09/42	QP 014	22/09/42	26/09/42
22/12/42	26/12/42	JW 051B	30/12/42	04/01/43
17/01/43	23/01/43	JW 052	24/01/43	27/01/43
29/01/43	01/02/43	RA 052	02/02/43	09/03/43
01/11/43	02/11/43	RA 054A	08/11/43	14/11/43
15/11/43	19/11/43	JW 054A	24/11/43	24/11/43
22/11/43	28/11/43	JW 054B	02/12/43	03/12/43
26/11/43	28/11/43	RA 054B	03/12/43	09/12/43

(Note on Convoys)

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