1 9 3 9
August Commissioned
with Reservists for Royal Review at. Weymouth.
September Remained
in commission, and nominated for service with 15th Destroyer Flotilla.
5th Deployed with HM Destroyers
WITHERINGTON. WOLVERINE and VIMY as escort,
for Convoy GC1 from Milford Haven.
October Transferred
to 17th Destroyer Flotilla in Western Approaches Command for convoy
defence in Atlantic.
November Atlantic
convoy duty in continuation based at Plymouth.
to
December
1 9 4 0
January Deployed
for Atlantic convoy defence in SW Approaches
8th Deployed with HM Destroyers VANOC , VENETIA and VISCOUNT for
escort of inward
Convoy
HG13 during passage to Liverpool from Gibraltar
in SW Approaches.
10th Detached from HG13 in Irish
Sea and returned to Plymouth.
(For
details of naval activities in Hone waters before April 1940 see ENGAGE THE
ENEMY MORE CLOSELY by Corelli Barnett.).
February Atlantic convoy defence in continuation in SW
Approaches.
March
5th Joined outward Convoy OG21F with HM
Destroyer WHIRLWIND, HM Sloops
ENCHANTRESS
and SANDWICH on formation in SW Approaches for escort
during
initial stage of passage to Gibraltar
8th Detached from OG21F and returned to Plymouth.
Joined
HM Sloop LEITH, HM Destroyers VENETIA
and WILD SWAN with HM
Destroyers
VETERAN and WHIRLWIND in unsuccessful search for submarine reported by
aircraft in SW Approaches,
25th Joined outward Convoy OG23 with HM
Destroyers CAMPBELL, WALKER, WANDERER
and HM Sloop ABERDEEN
on formation in SW Approaches as escort for initial part of passage
to Gibraltar in SW Approaches.
26th Detached from OG23 and took passage to
meet inward Convoy HG23 from Gibraltar with HMS
CAMPBELL and HMS WALKER.
27th Joined HM Sloops SCARBOROUGH and WELLINGTON
as part of escort for HG23 during
passage to Liverpool in SW
Approaches.
30th Detached from HG23 and returned to Plymouth.
April Detached
for duty with Home Fleet for escort of military convoys to Norway.
(Operation RUPERT/R4).
11th Escorted first troop convoy (NP1) from Clyde with HM Cruisers MANCHESTER,
BIRMINGHAM, HM Destroyers WITHERINGTON,
VANOC, WHIRLWIND,
HIGHLANDER and HM Netlayer PROTECTOR.
15th After arrival continued convoy escort
role in support of landings.
26th Joined HM Aircraft Carriers ARK ROYAL and GLORIOUS as escort
with HM Destroyers
GRENADE,
BEAGLE, FORTUNE, ENCOUNTER and ESCORT during air operations in
defence of Fleet, units at Namsos
and Andalsnes.
27th Made unsuccessful attack on submarine
during escort of aircraft, carriers.
Escorted HMS GLORIOUS to Scapa
Flow for refuelling and aircraft,
replenishment.
(For
details of the disastrous naval operations off Norway
see CARRIER GLORIOUS
by J. Winton, NARVIK by D MacIntyre and the Naval Staff
History 9HMSO-2002).)
May Deployment in support of
military operations off Norway
in continuation.
Pennant
Number for visual signalling purposes changed to I71 to conform with changes
made to all RN warships.
27th Deployed with HM Destroyer AMAZON and HM
Sloop FLEETWOOD as escort for
damaged destroyer ESKIMO during passage under tow from Skelfjord to UK
for repair.
June Resumed duty in Western Approaches.
June Western Approaches convoy defence in
continuation.
7th Rescued survivors from HM Armed
Merchant Cruiser CARINTHIA with HM Destroyer
WREN and HM Minesweeper GLEANER.
8th Joined HM Cruiser DEVONSHIRE as escort for passage to Clyde.)
(Note : Cruisers had Norwegian Royal Family embarked
29th Joined military convoy WS1 at Liverpool as Local Escort- during passage
in NW
Approaches
with HM Destroyers HARVESTER, HIGHLANDER and WHIRLWIND.
30th Detached from WS1 with Local Escort and
returned to Clyde.
July Atlantic convoy defence in continuation.
August Transferred
to English
Channel
for anti-invasion patrol duties and convoy defence..
September Channel
duties in continuation.
to (Note
: In addition to Anti-invasion patrol various operations were carried out in
the
October area
including bombardment of Cherbourg was HM Battleship REVENGE, HM
Cruisers EMERALD and NEWCASTLE on. 10th October
. Ship
was not part of screen during bombardment.)
November Resumed
Atlantic convoy duties in Western Approaches Command.
to
December
1 9 4 1
January Joined
HM Destroyers VANOC, CALDWELL, WALKER and nine FLOWER Class
Corvettes
in 5th Escort Group based at Londonderry for Atlantic convoy defence.
February Atlantic convoy defence in continuation.
March Part
of escort, for Convoy HX112 with HM Destroyers WALKER, VANOC, SARDONYX
and SCIMITAR, HM Corvettes BLUEBELL and HYDRANGEA of Group.
(Note : 5th Escort. Group was commanded by Donald MacIntyre
author of THE BATTLE
OF
THE ATLANTIC which gives details of this operation.
See
also HITLER’S U-BOAT WAR by C Blair and U-BOAT WAR IN THE
ATLANTIC
(HMSO)
16th HX110 Sighted by U110 which was detected
by Radar Type 2S8M in HMS VANOC and was
forced to submerge by depth charge attacks of escorts.
17th Took part in
continued anti-submarine operations in defence of HX112 with other escorts.
(Note : U99 was commanded by Otto Kretchmer,
a leading 'U-Boat ace' of WW2.
U99
and U100 were both sunk. For details see HITLER'S U-BOAT WAR and
U-
BOATS destroyed by P Kemp.)
April Deployed
at Devonport.
10th During local
exercise rammed by HM Destroyer NEWARK.
Six
of ship's company were killed and forward structure was badly damaged.
Remained at Devonport pending arrangements for repair at Belfast commercial
shipyard.
Passage to Belfast.
May Under repair.
to
September
October Rejoined
Group and resumed Atlantic convoy defence duties.
(For
details of convoy defence and tactics see above references .)
Part of escort for Convoy HX155 with Group.
(See
HITLER'S U-BOAT WAR Vol. 1 for details of turn-over from US warships at Mid-
Atlantic Meeting Point.)
November Atlantic duty in continuation with Group.
December
13th Joined military convoy WS14 with HM
Destroyer WITCH during its passage in NW
Approaches as part, of Local Escort.
15th Detached from WS1J45 with HMS WITCH and
returned to Clyde.
1 9 4 2
January Local
Escort duties in NW Approaches an continuation.
12th Joined military convoy WS15 in Clyde as Local Escort during passage
in the NW
Approaches
with HM Destroyers VANOC, VANQUISHER, WALKER and
WITHERINGTON.
15th Detached from WS15 with Local Escort,
and returned to Clyde.
February Local Escort duties in continuation.
March Nominated
for escort of military convoy bound for Middle East during Atlantic
passage.
23rd Joined military convoy WS17 in Clyde as Local Escort in NW Approaches
with HM
Destroyers
NEWPORT, BADSWORTH, BEVERLEY, KEPPEL, LEAMINGTON,
ANTELOPE, BOADICEA and ROCKINGHAM.)
27th Shared credit for the sinking of U587
with HM Destroyers GROVE, LEAMINGTON and
ALDENHAM
in position 47.21N 21.39W, west of Ushant during defence of WS17X
None
of U587 crew survived.
See
HITLER'S U -BOAT WAR and U- BOATS DESTROYED by P Kemp.
(Note : This sinking was a result of detection of wireless
transmissions from U-Boats by
new Direction finding Outfit FH3 in HMS KEPPEL.
See
SEEK AND STRIKE by W Hackmann.)
Detached
from WS17 with part of Local Escort and returned to Clyde.
April Atlantic escort duty in continuation.
18th Joined military convoy WS18 in Clyde as Local Escort in NW
Approaches with HM
Destroyers
BADSWORTH, GEORGETOWN, LANCASTER, LAUDERDALE,
ST MARY'S, BOADICEA
and SALISBURY.
20th Detached from WS18 with HMS BOADICEA and
returned to Clyde.
May
10th Joined military convoy WS19 in Clyde as Local Escort in NW
Approaches with HM
Destroyers KEPPEL, LEAMINGTON, ST MARYS and
CASTLETON.
13th Detached from WS19 with Local Escort and
returned to Clyde.
Nominated
for duty with Home Fleet for convoy escort in Arctic and took passage
to Scapa Flow.
23rd Joined Ocean Escort for Russian Convoy
PQ16 with HM Destroyers ACHATES, ASHANTI,
MARTIN,
Polish destroyer ORP GARLAND, HM AA Ship ALYNBANK, HM Corvettes
STARWORT, HONEYSUCKLE, HYDERABAD and French
ROSELYS.
25th Rescued pilot of HURRICANE aircraft from
escorting CAM Ship who had been shot
down in error by US mercantile CARLTON.
(See FRIEND OR FOE by P Kemp).
30th Detached from
convoy after arrival of Eastern Local Escort.
(For
details of all Russian Convoy operations see CONVOYS TO RUSSIA by RA Ruegg
CONVOY ! by P Kemp, THE RUSSIAN
CONVOYS by B Schoefield and ARCTIC
CONVOYS by R Woodman.)
June Deployed
in North
Russia.
26th Joined Ocean Escort at Kola Inlet with
same ships as Convoy PQ16 for Convoy QP16.
July
5th Detached from QP16.
Nominated for refit.
August Taken
in hand for refit and conversion for use as Long Range Escort at Rosyth.
(For
details of conversion see V AND W DESTROYERS by A Preston). Under refit
1 9 4 3
January Post
refit trials.
On
completion took passage to Tobermory for work-up
February On
completion of work-up joined H M Destroyer HIGHLANDER, BEVERLEY,
WINCHELSEA
and six FLOWER Class Corvettes in 4th Escort Group based at Greenock
for Atlantic convoy defence.
March Part
of escort for Convoy HX229 with HM Destroyer BEVERLEY, HM Corvettes
ANEMONE and
PENNYWORT.
16th Convoy under
threat from RAUBGRAF and DRANGER Groups of U-Boats.
17th Under sustained
U-Boat attacks.
Torpedo
attack by U616 was unsuccessful.
Several
ships in convoy were sunk.
18th Convoy escort reinforced
(For
details of this critical convoy action see THE BATTLE
OF THE ATLANTIC by D
MacIntyre
and U-BOAT WAR IN THE ATLANTIC (HM30).
April Convoy defence in continuation.
(For
details of the development of new weapons and improvements in defence of Atlantic
convoys see SEEK AND STRIKE by W Hackmann).
May Re-deployed
with 5th Escort Group and joined escort for Convoy ONS7
11th Under series of
U-Boat attacks until 13th May.
17th Attacks resumed by DONAU 1 Group of
U-Boats and although evasive action taken
one
ship is sunk.
June Atlantic
convoy escort in continuation Including convoys to Gibraltar for support of
to planned
allied military operations
September
October Deployed
with 5th and 4th Escort Groups for escort of convoys to the Azores.
(Operation
ALACRITY to establish allied air bases on Fayal and Terceira).
November Deployed
in anti-submarine operations in Bay of Biscay to intercept U-Boats on passage
to and from Atlantic.
December Atlantic Convoy defence in
continuation with Group.
1 9 4 4
January Atlantic convoy escort in continuation with Group.
to
March
April Deployed
in English
Channel
for coastal convoy escort.
Nominated
for duty in Force "B" of Western Task Force for escort of convoys to
Normandy beach head (Operation NEPTUNE).
21st In action against E-Boats of 9th German
MTB Flotilla with HM Destroyer
HALDON
and French destroyer LA COMBATTANTE off Hastings.
(For
details of Channel operations see HOLD THE NARROW SEA by P Staith).
May Channel deployment in continuation.
June Joined
HM Canadian Corvette SUMMERSIDE, HM Trawlers RUBY, KINGSTON
ANDALUSITE and ELLESMERE to form Escort Group 144 of Force B at
Milford Haven.
4th Escorted Convoy EBC2 (32 Motor
Transport, coasters and 5 oil tankers) from the Bristol
Channel
to Solent.
5th Passage delayed when 'D-Day' postponed
for 24 hours.
6th Arrived in Solent.
7th Passage through
swept channel to Western Task Force area (US) with Convoy.
8th Detached on arrival off beach head and
returned to Milford Haven for escort of Build-Up
phase convoys.
10th Deployed on escort of Build-up convoys
from Bristol
Channel.
(For
details of naval activities prior to and during of Normandy assault see OPERATION
NEPTUNE by K Edwards
and LANDINGS IN NORMANDY June 1944 (HMSO).).
July On
release from NEPTUNE resumed Channel convoy escort and patrol duty.
August Channel deployment in continuation.
to
December
1 9 4 5
January Transferred
to Nore Command for convoy defence and patrol in North Sea and in English
to Channel
April (Note : During this period there was an increase in
minelaying by E-Boats and submersibles
which required the deployment of additional ships for
anti-submarine patrol and
interception. - See HOLD THE NARROW SEA by P Smith and ENGAGE THE
ENEMY MORE CLOSELY BY C Barnett).
May After
VE Day reduced to Reserve status.
