H . M . S . S
H I K A R I ( D 9 5 )
"S" Class Destroyer ordered in 1917 from William
Doxford, Sunderland under the 1917 - 18 Programme with the 11th Order. The ship
was laid down on 15th January 1918 but her build was delayed due to the
restrictions on naval expenditure after WW1. Launched on 14th July 1919 she was
taken in tow to Chatham for completion by HM Dockyard. This name had previously
used by a trawler hired during 1915. Completion was subject to further delay
until after September 1923. It was then decided to
modify the ship for remote wireless control of the
battleship HMS AGAMEMNON that was used as a target during gunnery firings. No
armament was fitted and after modification to carry the control equipment she
was deployed for this purpose during Fleet Gunnery exercises. Later HMS
CENTURION became the Fleet Target and was controlled by this destroyer until September 1939.
Following a successful "WARSHIP WEEK" National Savings campaign in
March 1942 she was 'adopted' by the civil community of Camborne, Cornwall.
B a t t l e H o n o u r s
DUNKIRK 1940 - ATLANTIC 1939-
H e r
a l d i c D a t a
B a d g e: On a Field
Green An Indian's head with turban all proper.
Motto
'Good
Hunting'
D e t
a i l s o f W a r
S e r v i c e.
1 9 3 9
September Withdrawn
from control ship duty.
Nominated
for use as an escort.
October Under
modification
to Armament including depth charges fitted
December
1
9 4 0
January On
completion deployed for escort of coastal convoys.
to
April
May Transferred
to Dover Command for evacuation of allied troops from Dunkirk.
(Operation
DYNAMO - For details see NINE DAYS AT DUNKIRK by
AD
Divine and the Naval Staff History)
Pennant
Number for visual signalling purposes changed to I85
28th Began evacuation
duties.
June
1st Rescued French soldiers from ss PRAGUE sinking off Gravelines
4th Last RN warship
to leave Dunkirk. Embarked
French soldiers.
Engaged
shore batteries.
On release from DYNAMO resumed coastal
convoy escort duties.
July Convoy
escort and patrol duties in continuation in Channel area.
August Deployed
on anti-invasion patrols and convoy defence.
September Nominated
for service in Atlantic for convoy defence.
Modified to carry increased depth charge outfit.
October On
completion joined Western Approaches Command.
Deployed
for Atlantic convoy defence in NW Approaches.
November Atlantic convoy escort in
continuation.
to December
1 9 4 1
January Atlantic convoy escort in
continuation.
to
August
September Deployed
with 1st Escort Group in NW Approaches.
October Atlantic
convoy escort in co
24th Sustained structural damage in heavy
weather south of Iceland during the
escort of an Atlantic convoy. After funnel
was lost overboard.
November Under repair at Belfast.
December
25th On completion rejoined Group.
1 9 4 2
January Resumed
convoy escort in NW Approaches with Group
to (Note: Other ships in Group included H M
Destroyers KEPPEL and ST ALBANS
December (Ex US
Navy), HM Corvettes ANCHUSA, WALLFLOWER,
DAHLIA
and MEADOWSWEET)
1 9 4 3
January Deployment
in NW Approaches and Irish Sea for convoy defence in continuation
to
March
April
12th Joined military convoy WS29 at Avonmouth
for Local Escort during passage to
Clyde prior to
Ocean passage.
14th Detached from WS29
and resumed service in NW Approaches.
May Transferred
for service in Iceland with other destroyers of
this type.
Passage to Iceland. ,
June Atlantic
convoy defence based in Iceland in continuation.
to Took part in support operations with
escorts of convoys under heavy
July submarine
attacks (Operation ROSEGARDEN)
August Returned
to Home waters
September
21st Deployed with HM Destroyers
MATCHLESS and OBEDIENT in anti-
submarine operations in NW Approaches,
October Convoy defence deployment in
continuation.
to
December
1 9 4 4
January Convoy
defence in continuation.
to
August
September Withdrawn
from Atlantic convoy defence duties.
(Note: The availability of new escorts including CAPTAIN
Class Frigates built in
USA and transferred to RN under
Lease-Lend enabled older destroyers of
this Class to be taken out of Atlantic service).
Paid
off at Grangemouth and laid-up in Reserve
(Note: One source records deployment for training purposes. This is
included below but is to be confirmed.)
October Not
deployed operationally
to
December
1 9 4 5
January Not
deployed operationally
to
August
October Reverted
to Training role.
November Deployed
for training duties in Home Waters.
to
December
P o s
t W a r N o t e s
HMS
SHIKARI was placed on the Sales List after VJ Day and sold to BISCO for
demolition on 13 September by J Cashmore, She arrived at the breaker's yard in Newport,
Glamorgan on 4th November 1945.
Addendum
CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of
HMS SHIKARI
by Don Kindell
Date convoy
Joined convoy
Convoy
No. Left convoy Date convoy
Sailed as escort arrived
09/01/40 09/01/40 SA 025 10/01/40 11/01/40
30/08/40 02/09/40 OB 206 04/09/40 05/09/40
18/08/40 04/09/40 SL 044 07/09/40 07/09/40
07/09/40 09/09/40 OB 210 10/09/40 10/09/40
17/09/40 17/09/40 OB 215 21/09/40 21/09/40
09/09/40 21/09/40 HX 072 unknown 21/09/40
07/10/40 07/10/40 OB 225 10/10/40 10/10/40
30/09/40 11/10/40 HX 077 unknown 15/10/40
25/10/40 25/10/40 OL 009 27/10/40 27/10/40
22/10/40 07/11/40 SL 052F 08/11/40 10/11/40
30/11/40 01/12/40 OB 252 04/12/40 04/12/40
22/11/40 05/12/40 SC 013 07/12/40 07/12/40
14/12/40 15/12/40 OB 259 16/12/40 17/12/40
20/12/40 21/12/40 OB 262 23/12/40 23/12/40
07/12/40 24/12/40 SL 058 28/12/40 28/12/40
03/01/41 04/01/41 OB 269 06/01/41 06/01/41
26/12/40 07/01/41 HX 099 10/01/41 11/01/41
19/01/41 19/01/41 OG 050 20/01/41 31/01/41
08/01/41 21/01/41 HG 050 26/01/41 26/01/41
25/02/41 26/02/41 OG 054 04/03/41 14/03/41
12/03/41 12/03/41 OB 297 17/03/41 17/03/41
05/03/41 18/03/41 HX 113 20/03/41 21/03/41
15/06/41 16/06/41 OB 336 22/06/41 23/06/41
10/06/41 24/06/41 SC 034 28/06/41 29/06/41
06/07/41 06/07/41 OB 343 12/07/41 21/07/41
30/06/41 13/07/41 HX 136 18/07/41 18/07/41
01/07/41 13/07/41 SC 036 18/07/41 19/07/41
16/07/41 26/07/41 HX 139 30/07/41 31/07/41
06/08/41 07/08/41 ON 005 11/08/41 14/08/41
01/08/41 12/08/41 HX 142 unknown 18/08/41
01/08/41 12/08/41 SC 039 17/08/41 19/08/41
27/08/41 29/08/41 ON 010 01/09/41 11/09/41
21/08/41 02/09/41 HX 146 06/09/41 06/09/41
11/09/41 11/09/41 ON 015 14/09/41 16/09/41
04/09/41 14/09/41 HX 148 17/09/41 17/09/41
28/09/41 09/10/41 HX 152 09/10/41 14/10/41
26/01/42 27/01/42 ON 060 02/02/42 15/02/42
08/02/42 09/02/42 ON 065 12/02/42 19/02/42
07/02/42 17/02/42 HX 174 21/02/42 21/02/42
19/02/42 26/02/42 AT 012 01/03/42 02/03/42
01/05/42 01/05/42 DS 026 03/05/42 03/05/42
03/05/42 03/05/42 SD 026 05/05/42 05/05/42
08/05/42 08/05/42 UR 023 12/05/42 12/05/42
15/05/42 15/05/42 RU 023 19/05/42 19/05/42
28/05/42 28/05/42 UR 026 31/05/42 31/05/42
04/06/42 04/06/42 RU 026 08/06/42 08/06/42
18/06/42 18/06/42 UR 029 22/06/42 22/06/42
25/06/42 25/06/42 RU 029 29/06/42 29/06/42
11/07/42 11/07/42 UR 032 16/07/42 16/07/42
16/07/42 16/07/42 RU 032 20/07/42 20/07/42
21/07/41 21/07/42 OB 349 26/07/41 01/08/41
24/07/42 24/07/42 RU 032A 27/07/42 27/07/42
16/08/42 16/08/42 DS 031 18/08/42 18/08/42
22/08/42 22/08/42 SD 031 24/08/42 24/08/42
04/12/42 21/12/42 SC 112 25/12/42 25/12/42
17/02/43 17/02/43 DS 037 19/02/43 19/02/43
12/05/43 12/05/43 DS 040 14/05/43 14/05/43
14/05/43 14/05/43 SD 040 17/05/43 17/05/43
08/06/43 08/06/43 DS 041 11/06/43 11/06/43
12/06/43 12/06/43 SD 041 14/06/43 14/06/43
24/06/43 24/06/43 UR 080 28/06/43 28/06/43
01/07/43 01/07/43 ON 191 unknown 15/07/43
01/08/43 01/08/43 DS 043 03/08/43 03/08/43
06/08/43 06/08/43 SD 043 08/08/43 08/08/43
(Note
on Convoys)
