H . M . S
. V A L O R O U S ( L 0 0 )
"Admiralty V
Design" Fleet destroyer ordered from Denny of Dumbarton in 1916 for
delivery in April 1917. She was laid down on 25th May 1916 and was intended to
be named MONTROSE. However this was changed before launch MONTROSE on 8th May
1917 and the ship was renamed. She was
the 5th RN ship to carry the name, VALOROUS which was introduced in 1804
and previously used for a Frigate sold in 1891. Build was completed on 21st August
1917 and this ship was classified as a 'Half Leader'. The Tender
price was £195,500. Before the armistice she was converted for use as a
minelayer and after November 1918 was deployed in the Baltic where she was in
action against Russian warships. In 1921 she served in the Atlantic Fleet with
the 4th Destroyer Flotilla and later went to the Mediterranean. When relieved by
a "B" Class Destroyer in 1931 she was placed in Reserve. As part of the naval
re-armament Programme in 1938 she was selected for conversion to an
Anti-Aircraft Escort (WAIR) by HM Dockyard Chatham.. The work was
completed in June 1939 and she remained In commission. After a successful
"WARSHIP WEEK" National Savings campaign in October 1941 this
ship was adopted by the civil community of Dewsbury then in the West Riding of
Yorkshire.
Battle Honours
BALTIC 1854
- BLACK SEA 1854-55 - NORTH SEA 1940-45
H e r a l d i c D a t a
Badge : On a Field White,
within an annulet Blue,
a
Shahin falcon proper.
M o t t o
Valenter volenter : 'Strongly and willingly'
D e t a i l s o f
W a r S e r v i c e
1 9 3 9
August Nominated
for duty with Rosyth Escort Force.
September Deployed
in Rosyth Command for convoy defence in North Sea and NW Approaches.
to (For details of naval activities In 1939
see ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY by
December. C Barnett).
1 9 4 0
January Area
of deployment extended to cover defence Channel and East Coast convoys.
to (Note : Remained on convoy escort duties
and did not take part directly in evacuation of
May allied troops from Dunkirk in May
(Operation DYNAMO).
June
11th During escort of
Convoy FN23 under air attack.
Rescued crew of collier HEWORTH which was
sunk after bomb hit.
July Deployed
for North Sea Convoy defence and anti-invasion patrol
to
December
1 9 4 1
January Coastal convoy defence in continuation.
to (For details of North Sea convoys see THREE CORVETTES
by N
Montserrat).
May
June
21st Rescued the only 3 survivors from tanker VANCOUVER mined off
Sunk Head Buoy
and set on fire.
(Note : This ship had the highest casualties in any ship lost
off Harwich during WW2
and was on passage to Shellhaven
from Halifax. 45 lives were lost..)
July Coastal
convoy defence in continuation
to
December
1 9 4 2
January Deployed
with Home Fleet ships covering passage of mercantiles
which had broken
out of Baltic Sea from Sweden (Operation PERFORMANCE).
February Coastal Convoy defence in
continuation.
to Note : Fitted with fire control radar
(Type 285) for main armament.
December (See RADAR AT SEA by D Howse for details of design and development of RN radar).
1 9 4 3 a n d
1 9 4 4
Coastal Convoy defence in continuation.
(Notes : Did not take part in escort and support of allied
landings in Normandy, see
LANDINGS
IN NORMANDY JUNE 1944 (HMSO) which lists ships involved).
Additional radar for detection of aircraft and surface targets.
Type 286P fitted and
direction finding outfit for interception of wireless
signals
1 9 4 5
January Coastal
Convoy defence in continuation.
to (Note : During this period SCHNORKEL
fitted submarines were concentrating attacks
April on
convoy focal points in Home Waters and Atlantic convoys were re-routed
through
English
Channel.
May
8th After
VE-Day deployed in support of military re-occupation operations.
14th Escorted minsweepers with HM Destroyer
VENOMOUS during clearance operations prior
to entry of allied personnel into Kristiansund,
South
June Support
deployment in continuation
to
August
P o s t W a r
N o t e s
HMS
VALOROUS was one of the 'unsung' escorts which protected coastal convoys
throughout WW2. This work received little detailed publicity but was very
hazardous, as evidenced by the number of ship structures which could be seen
off the East coast for many years after the end of WW2.. She was paid off and
placed in Reserve after VJ Day. She was put on the Disposal List in 1946 and
sold for breaking-up on 4th March 194? at Thornaby.
Addendum
CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of
HMS VALOROUS
by
Don Kindell
Date convoy
Joined convoy
Convoy
No.
Left convoy
Date convoy
sailed as
escort
arrived
12/09/39
12/09/39
FS 0004
14/09/39
14/09/39
03/11/39
03/11/39
FS 0031
05/11/39
05/11/39
09/11/39
09/11/39
FS 0034
11/11/39
11/11/39
15/11/39
15/11/39
FS 0037
17/11/39
17/11/39
02/12/39
02/12/39
FS 0047
03/12/39
03/12/39
03/12/39
03/12/39
FN 0048
04/12/39
04/12/39
07/12/39
07/12/39
FS 0051
08/12/39
08/12/39
13/12/39
13/12/39
FS 0054
14/12/39
14/12/39
25/12/39
25/12/39
FS 0059
27/12/39
27/12/39
28/12/39
28/12/39
FN 0060
29/12/39
29/12/39
05/01/40
05/01/40
FS 0065
07/01/40
07/01/40
17/01/40
17/01/40
FS 0075
19/01/40
19/01/40
19/02/40
19/02/40
FS 0100
21/02/40
21/02/40
23/02/40
23/02/40
FN 0102
25/02/40
25/02/40
27/02/40
27/02/40
FS 0107
29/02/40
29/02/40
11/03/40
11/03/40
FS 0119
13/03/40
13/03/40
19/03/40
19/03/40
FS 0124
21/03/40
21/03/40
23/03/40
23/03/40
FN 0127
24/03/40
24/03/40
29/03/40
29/03/40
FN 0132
31/03/40
31/03/40
09/04/40
09/04/40
FN 0141
11/04/40
11/04/40
14/04/40
14/04/40
FS 0146
16/04/40
16/04/40
21/04/40
21/04/40
FS 0152
23/04/40
23/04/40
01/05/40
01/05/40
FS 0159
03/05/40
03/05/40
19/05/40
19/05/40
FS 0174
21/05/40
21/05/40
26/05/40
26/05/40
FS 0180
28/05/40
28/05/40
05/06/40
05/06/40
FS 0188
07/06/40
07/06/40
13/06/40
13/06/40
FS 0194
15/06/40
15/06/40
17/06/40
17/06/40
FN 0198A
18/06/40
18/06/40
18/06/40
18/06/40
FS 0198
20/06/40
20/06/40
21/06/40
21/06/40
FN 0201
23/06/40
23/06/40
21/06/40
21/06/40
FS 0201
23/06/40
23/06/40
24/06/40
24/06/40
FN 0204
26/06/40
26/06/40
04/07/40
04/07/40
FS 0212
05/07/40
05/07/40
07/07/40
07/07/40
FN 0216
09/07/40
09/07/40
15/07/40
15/07/40
FN 0223
17/07/40
17/07/40
08/08/40
08/08/40
FS 0246
10/08/40
10/08/40
11/08/40
11/08/40
FN 0249
13/08/40
13/08/40
15/08/40
15/08/40
FS 0253
17/08/40
17/08/40
27/08/40
27/08/40
FS 0264
29/08/40
29/08/40
03/09/40
03/09/40
FS 0271
05/09/40
05/09/40
06/09/40
06/09/40
FN 0274
08/09/40
07/09/40
12/09/40
12/09/40
FS 0279
14/09/40
15/09/40
15/09/40
15/09/40
FN 0281
17/09/40
17/09/40
21/09/40
21/09/40
FS 0288
23/09/40
23/09/40
24/09/40
24/09/40
FN 0290
26/09/40
26/09/40
29/09/40
29/09/40
FS 0295
01/10/40
01/10/40
02/10/40
02/10/40
FN 0297
04/10/40
04/10/40
09/10/40
09/10/40
FN 0304
11/10/40
11/10/40
17/11/40
17/11/40
FS 0337
19/11/40
19/11/40
20/11/40
20/11/40
FN 0338
22/11/40
22/11/40
24/11/40
24/11/40
FS 0344
26/11/40
26/11/40
27/11/40
27/11/40
FN 0345
30/11/40
30/11/40
06/12/40
06/12/40
FS 0355
09/12/40
09/12/40
10/12/40
10/12/40
FN 0356
12/12/40
12/12/40
17/12/40
17/12/40
FS 0362
19/12/40
19/12/40
25/12/40
25/12/40
FS 0370
27/12/40
27/12/40
18/01/41
18/01/41
FS 0391
20/01/41
20/01/41
31/01/41
31/01/41
FN 0396
02/02/41
02/02/41
04/03/41
04/03/41
EN 081/1
09/03/41
09/03/41
08/03/41
09/03/41 OB
295
14/03/41
14/03/41
27/03/41
27/03/41
OG 057
01/04/41
11/04/41
(Note
on Convoys)
