A-Class Fleet Destroyer ordered In
November 1927 under the 1927 Programme from Hawthorn Leslie at Newcastle and
laid down on 11th July 1928. The ship was launched on 27th July 1929 as the
12th R N warship to carry this name. She commissioned on 9th February 1930 and
the build completion date was 20th March 1930 at a cost of £226,313. This price
excluded items supplied by the Admiralty such as guns, ammunition and
communications outfits. In February 1942, following a successful WARSHIP WEEK
National Savings Campaign, she was adopted by the civil community of Brentwood,
Essex.
B a t t l e H o n o u r s
ARMADA
1588 - LOWESTOFT 1665 - FOUR DAYS BATTLE 1666 - ORFORDNESS
1666 - SOLEBAY 1672 - MARBELLA 1705 -
AQUILON acton 1757
- ATLANTIC 1939-44 - BISMARCK Action - MALTA CONVOYS 1942 - NORTH AFRICA
H e r a l d i c D a t a
Badge : On a Field Green, Head
of an heraldic antelope, white with horns gold.
M o t t o
Audax et vigilans: 'Daring and watchful'
D e t a i l s o f W
a r S e r v i c e
1 9 3 9
September Joined 18th Destroyer
Flotilla at Portsmouth for Anti-submarine
convoy escort and
patrol duty in Channel and SW Approaches.
6th Escorted HM
Aircraft Carrier HERMES with HM Destroyers KEMPENFELT, ACASTA,
ARDENT and AMAZON.
8th Escorted
Convoy OA1 with HMS ACASTA AND HMS AMAZON.
13th Escorted Convoy OA4/MA
with HMS ACASTA
October Channel and SW
Approaches deployment in continuation.
to
(For details of naval activities in 1939 see ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE
CLOSELY by C.
December Bamett and Naval Staff
History.)
1 9 4 0
January
Convoy escort duty in Channel and Western Approaches in continuation.
February
5th Sank U41 part
of escort for Convoy OA84 in position 49.20N 10.04W, south of the Irish
Free State.
There were no survivors from the submarine.
March
Atlantic convoy escort in Western Approaches in continuation.
April
Transferred to Home Fleet
8th Deployed for
defence of troop convoys and Fleet Units engaged in operations off
Norway
following the German invasion.
(Operation WILFRED//R4)
(For details of Norwegian operations see NARVIK by D MacIntyre, ENGAGE
THE ENEMY
MORE CLOSELY, CARRIER GLORIOUS by J Winton and Naval Staff History
(HMSO-2001).
19th Escorted French cruiser
EMILE BERTIN to Scapa Flow after damage during air attacks at
Namsos.
30th Escorted HM Aircraft
Carrier GLORIOUS to Join Carrier Group off Norway with HM
Destroyers ACHERON and BEAGLE.
May
Support of Norwegian operations and convoy defence in continuation.
June
8th Joined escort
for Group I evacuation convoy from Norway (Operation ALPHABET).
13th Sustained structural
damage in collision with HM Destroyer ELECTRA during escort
of H M Aircraft Carrier ARK ROYAL to carry out air attacks on Trondheim
15th Taken In hand for repair
at Tyneside shipyard.
July
Under repair
August
Rejoined Home Fleet for A/S patrol and screening duties on completion
of Post Repair trials.
10th Assisted in rescue of
survivors from H M Armed Merchant Cruiser TRANSYLVANIA with
HM Destroyers ACHATES and FORTUNE.
20th Joined 16th Destroyer
Flotilla at Harwich for East Coast convoy defence duties
(Note : Other ships in Flotilla were HM Destroyers MALCOLM, MONTROSE,
AMBUSCADE, WIVERN, WHITSHED, WORCESTER, VERITY, VETERAN,
WILD SWAN and VENOMOUS).
30th Detached for service
with Home Fleet.
Joined escort of military convoy on passage to Freetown prior to
landing of Free French
troops at Dakar
(Operation MENACE).
(For details of Dakar operation see THE RELUCTANT ENEMIES by W. Tute).
September
1st
Detached from convoy for escort of HM Cruiser FIJI.
(Note : HMS FIJI was hit by torpedo from U32 off Shetlands and
had to return for repair.)
After release from escort of HMS FIJI transferred to 12th Destroyer
Flotilla based at Greenock
for Atlantic convoy defence.
October
Deployed on Atlantic convoy escort in NW Approaches.
November Transferred to 4th Escort
Group in continuation.
2nd During escort of
Convoy OB237 with HM Destroyer ACHATES carried out depth charge
attacks on U31 which sank in position 56.26N 10.18H.18H.
43 survivors ware rescued when submarine scuttled.
Before U31 sank it collided with the ship causing serious structural
damage.
For details see HITLER'S U-BOAT WAR, Volume 1 by C. Blair and U-BOATS
DESTROYED
by P Kemp.
(Note : U 31 had the distinction of being the only German submarine to
have been sunk twice
during WW2. She had been bombed and sunk in March 1940 by an RAF
BLENHEIM
aircraft off Wilhelmshaven but later salvaged and re-commissioned.)
December On completion of repair
resumed Atlantic convoy defence with Group.
1 9 4 1
January
Part of escort for Convoy SC19.
29th Convoy under sustained
attacks by U93, U94 and U106.
During anti-submarine operations carried out ramming attempt on life
raft that had been
mistaken
for a U-Boat. See HITLER'S U-BOAT WAR, Volume 1.
February Atlantic convoy defence
with Group in continuation.
March
Transferred to 3rd Destroyer Flotilla, Home Fleet for screening of
major units.
April
Deployed with Hone Fleet for escort of major units in NW Approaches.
May
15th Detached for escort of
ships of 1st Minelaying Squadron during a minelay in Northern
Barrage
(Operation SN9B - For details see Naval Staff History (Mining).
23rd Part of escort for HM
Battlecruiser HOOD and HM Battleship PRINCE of WALES during
operation to intercept the German battleship BISMARCK and the cruiser
PRINZ EUGEN on
passage to attack Atlantic convoys.
24th Took part in search for
survivors from HMS HOOD.
29th Escorted HM Aircraft
Carrier VICTORIOUS during return to Scapa Flow following the
sinking of BISMARCK.
(For details of BISMARCK search see BATTLESHIP BISMARCK by Mullenheim
Rechberg
ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY and PURSUIT by L Kennedy).
June
Home Fleet screening and patrol duties in continuation.
25th Took part In towing
operation with HM Destroyer ANTHONY after HM Destroyer ACHATES
had been badly damaged by a mine in British Northern Barrage off
Iceland.
July
Deployed in Iceland area.
7th Escorted
damaged H M Destroyer ACHATES under tow by tug ASSURANCE from Iceland
to UK for repair.
21st Resumed Home Fleet
duties with Flotilla after arrival at Scapa Flow.
29th Deployed as part of
Force K for Commando raid on Spitzbergen.
August
15th Deployed with HM
Destroyers CASTLETON, CHARLESTOWN, DOUGLAS,
GEORGETOWN, INTREPID, LEAMINGTON, SALADIN and Polish AA
ship
POZARICA as escort for military convoy from Scapa Flow to Clyde after
operation to occupy
Azores had been cancelled.
18th Resumed Home Fleet
duties on arrival of convoy in Clyde.
Nominated for escort of ships during PLANNED LANDING AT Spitzbergen by
Canadian
troops (Operation GAUNTLET).
19th Deployed with H M
Destroyers TARTAR, ICARUS, ANTHONY and ECLIPSE as screen for
ss EMPRESS OF AUSTRALIA, HM Cruisers AURORA and NIGERIA during passage
to
Spitzbergen
(Note : Mines were destroyed with evacuation of Norwegian and Russian
nationals .)
September Home Fleet screening duties
with Flotilla on completion.
29th Deployed in Iceland and
Joined Russian Convoy PQ1 with HM Destroyer ANTHONY for
escort during passage to Archangel.
October
4th Detached from
PQ1 and returned to Iceland.
(Note : This was the first normal convoy of the PQ series.
See CONVOYS TO RUSSIA by RA Ruegg and ARCTIC CONVOYS by R
Woodman, CONVOY! and THE RUSSIAN CONVOYS by B Schoefield)
November Atlantic convoy defence in
continuation
Nominated for refit.
December Under refit
1 9 4 2
January Under refit.
February On completion of post
refit trials joined 23rd Escort Group based at Greenock for Atlantic
convoy defence.
March
Deployment with Group in continuation.
Nominated for duty at Gibraltar or convoy defence.
23rd Joined HM Destroyers
NEWPORT, BADSWORTH, BEVERLEY, KEPPEL,
LEAMINGTON, VOLUNTEER, BOADICEA and ROCKINGHAM as Local Escort for
military convoy WS17 in Clyde.
(Note : W317 was taking troops to Middle East and to India.)
27th Detached from WS17and
took passage to Gibraltar.
April
Deployed at Gibraltar with 13th Destroyer Flotilla for convoy escort and patrol.
(For details of Mediterranean operations see ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE
CLOSELY.
THE BATTLE FOR THE MEDITERRANEAN by D. MacIntyre and
Naval Staff History)
19th Joined HM Destroyers
WISHART, WESTCOTT, WRESTLER and VIDETTE of Flotilla
as escort for US aircraft carrier USS WASP for aircraft ferrying
operation to Malta.
(Operation CALENDAR - Cover was provided by HM Battlecruiser RENOWN, HM
Cruisers CAIRO and CHARYBDIS screened by Home Fleet and US Navy
destroyers.)
21st On return of USS
WASP to Gibraltar reamed Flotilla duties for convoy defence.
May
8th Deployed with
H M Destroyers VIDETTE, GEORGETOWN, SALISBURY, PARTRIDGE,
ITHURIEL, WESTCOTT, WISHART, WRESTLER and VIDETTE as escort for USS WASP
and HM Aircraft Carrier EAGLE during Malta aircraft delivery (Operation
BOWERY).
(Note : Cover was provided by HMS RENOWN, HMS CHARYBDIS and HM Aircraft
Carrier
EAGLE with Home Pleat and US Navy destroyer screen.)
10th Resumed Flotilla duties
at Gibraltar on completion of BOWERY.
17th Joined H M Destroyers
PARTRIDGE, ITHURIEL WISHART, WESTCOTT, WRESTLER and
VIDETTE as escort for USS WASP and IMS EAGLE for further aircraft
delivery to Malta.
(Operation LB).
(Note : HMS CHARYBDIS provided Cover.)
19th Returned to Gibraltar with USS WASP and ships of escort
June
2nd Deployed with HM
Destroyers WISHART, WESTCOTT, ITHURIEL WRESTLER and
PARTRIDGE as escort for HMS EAGLE and HMS CHARYBDIS during aircraft
delivery to
Malta . (Operation STYLE).
4th Returned to
Gibraltar on completion of STYLE.
8th Deployed with
HM Destroyers PARTRIDGE, ITHURIEL, WISHART, WRESTLER and
WESTCOTT as screen for HMS EAGLE, HM Cruisers CAIRO and CHARYBDIS during
aircraft delivery to Malta by HMS EAGLE.
(Operation SALIENT).
10th On return to Gibraltar with SALIENT ships retained for duty with Force H.
11th Joined HM Destroyers
ONSLOW, ICARUS, ESCAPADE, WISHART, WESTCOTT,
WRESTLER and VIDETTE in Force W as screen for HM Battleship MALAYA. HM
Aircraft
Carriers ARGUS, EAGLE HM Cruisers KENYA, CHARYBDIS and LIVERPOOL providing
cover for passage of Convoy WS19S to Sicilian Narrows prior to passage
to Malta .
(Operation HARPOON).
14th Detached to tow HM
Cruiser LIVERPOOL back to Gibraltar after damage
during air attacks
off Bone, escorted by HM Destroyer WESTCOTT.
(Note : Escort was supplemented by HM Corvettes JONQUIL and SPIRAEA.
For details of HARPOON sea above references.)
15th After arrival at
Gibraltar resumed Local Flotilla duties.
20th Passage from Gibraltar with HM Destroyers WISHART, BEAGLE, WOLVERINE and
VIDETTE to join Ocean Escort of military convoy WS20 on passage to
Freetown.
Remained with WS20 as part of Ocean Escort.
July
2nd Detached from WS20
on arrival at Freetown and returned to Gibraltar.
15th Deployed with HM
Destroyers WESTCOTT, WRESTLER, VANSITTART and ITHURIEL as
escort for HMS EAGLE, HMS CAIRO and HMS CHARYBDIS during Malta aircraft
delivery
by H M S EAGLE
(Operation PINPOINT).
16th After return of PINPOINT
ships retained in Force H for further Malta aircraft delivery.
20th Deployed with same ships
as PINPOINT for repeat aircraft delivery.
(Operation INSECT)
22nd Resumed Flotilla convoy
defence duties on release from INSECT.
August
10th Deployed with HM
Destroyers VANSITTART, WISHART, LAFOREY, LIGHTNING,
ITHURIEL and LOOKOUT as screen for HM Aircraft Carriers VICTORIOUS,
INDOMITABLE, EAGLE, H M Cruisers CHARYBDIS, PHOEBE, SIRIUS in Force Z to
provide Cover for passage of Convoy WS12 to Sicilian Narrows.
(Operation PEDESTAL - See above references and PEDESTAL by P Smith for
details.).
13th Deployed with HM
Destroyers AMAZON, WISHART, WITCH and ZETLAND as
escort for HMS NELSON, HMS INDOMITABLE and HMS ITHURIEL during
passage to Gibraltar after damage during air attacks on PEDESTAL
CONVOY. See
MALTA CONVOYS by R Woodman.
14th Released from Force H
duty and resumed Local Flotilla convoy defence at Gibraltar.
24th Transferred to 18th
Destroyer Flotilla at Freetown.
Passage from Gibraltar to Join Flotilla.
30th Arrived at Bathurst, Gambia for convoy escort duty.
September Deployed at Freetown for
South Atlantic and local coastal convoy defence.
6th Joined
military convoy WS22 for Local Escort into Freetown.
9th Detached on
arrival of WS22 at Freetown.
13th Joined WS22 with HM
Destroyer BOREAS and Greek destroyer PINDOS on departure from
Freetown as Load Escort.
15th Detached from WS22 and
returned to Freetown.
October
13th Joined military Convoy
WS23 as Local Start during passage into Freetown.
16th Detached from WS23 with
Local Escort on arrival at Freetown.
November Nominated for duly at
Gibraltar in support of planned landings in North Africa.
(Operation TORCH)
Passage from Freetown to join escort of convoy KMF1A on passage to
Gibraltar from UK.
8th Deployed with
escort for KMF1A on passage to landing beaches.
After initial landings escorted Follow-up convoys.
(For details of TORCH see ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY and Naval Staff
History.)
December Deployment at Gibraltar in
continuation.
1 9 4 3
January Convoy escort in
Mediterranean in continuation.
30th Sank Italian submarine
TRITONE with HM Canadian Corvette PORT ARTHUR.
February Deployed in western
Mediterranean for anti-submarine patrol and convoy defence.
to
April
May
Deployed with other destroyers to intercept craft evacuating enemy
troops in Cape Bon area
(Operation RETRIBUTION – See above references.)
On completion resumed duties at Gibraltar.
26th Passage from Gibraltar with HM Destroyers CATTERICK end FOXHOUND to join escort
for joint military convoy WS30/KMF15 during Atlantic passage.
Remained with WS30 as part of Ocean Escort during passage to Freetown
after ships for
Middle East detached from Gibraltar section
KMF15.
29th Detached from WS30 on
arrival at Freetown.
June
Return passage to Gibraltar.
On arrival deployed in western and central Mediterranean for convoy
defence.
July
Deployed for escort of military convoys on passage to North African
ports prior to planned
allied landings in Sicily (Operation HUSKY).
August
Mediterranean convoy defence in continuation.
September
6th Carried out
unsuccessful search for U617 off Europe Point following the sinking of
HM
Escort Destroyer PUCKERIDGE.
(Note : HMS PUCKERIDGE was torpedoed by U617 and sank in six minutes in
a position
40 miles east of Gibraltar.
129 survivors were rescued by a Spanish fishing trawler.
October
Convoy escort based at Gibraltar in continuation.
to
December
1 9 4 4
January Gibraltar deployment in continuation.
to
June
July
Nominated for return to UK to reduce to Reserve status.
August Passage to UK.
September Deployed at Portsmouth and
prepared for paying-off.
October Passage to Tyne
3rd Paid-off in
Tyne and laid-up.
P o s t W a r N o t e s
HMS
ANTELOPE was Paid-off because of poor operational availability due to defects and
shortage of personnel
to man new construction ships with improved capabilities, The ship was laid-up
until placed on the
Disposal List in 1945. She was sold to BISCO for demolition by Hughes Bolcow and
arrived in tow at the
breaker’s yard in Blyth on 26th January 1946.
Addendum
CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of
HMS ANTELOPE
by Don Kindell
These convoy lists have not been cross-checked with the text above
Date convoy
Joined
convoy
Convoy
No.
Left convoy Date
convoy
sailed as
escort
arrived
07/09/39 07/09/39
OA 001 09/09/39 unknown
13/09/39 13/09/39
OA 004 16/09/39 unknown
05/10/39 05/10/39
OA 015 08/10/39 08/10/39
15/10/39 17/10/39
OA 020G 18/10/39 17/10/39
17/10/39 18/10/39
OG 003 19/10/39 26/10/39
25/10/39 25/10/39
OA 025 28/10/39 unknown
06/11/39 06/11/39
OA 031 10/11/39 10/11/39
31/10/39 10/11/39
HXF 007 12/11/39 12/11/39
26/11/39 26/11/39
OA 042 27/11/39 30/11/39
02/12/39 04/12/39
OA 045G 05/12/39 05/12/39
05/12/39 05/12/39
OG 009 06/12/39 11/12/39
10/12/39 10/12/39
OA 050G 11/12/39 unknown
11/12/39 11/12/39
OG 010 12/12/39 16/12/39
09/12/39 15/12/39
HG 010 16/12/39 16/12/39
29/12/39 09/01/40
HX 014 12/01/40 12/01/40
13/01/40 14/01/40
OA 072 15/01/40 17/01/40
12/01/40 21/01/40
HXF 016 24/01/40 24/01/40
25/01/40 25/01/40
OA 079 26/01/40 28/01/40
02/02/40 02/02/40
OA 084 05/02/40 05/02/40
28/01/40 06/02/40
HXF 018 08/02/40 08/02/40
13/03/40 14/03/40
OA 109 unknown 16/03/40
05/03/40 18/03/40
HX 025 20/03/40 20/03/40
21/03/40 21/03/40
OA 114 23/03/40 24/03/40
18/03/40 27/03/40
HX 028 02/04/40 02/04/40
02/04/40 02/04/40
OA 122 04/04/40 05/04/40
13/05/40 13/05/40
NP 003 17/05/40 17/05/40
31/08/40 31/08/40
MP
01/09/40 14/09/40
03/09/40 05/09/40
OG 042 08/09/40 16/09/40
13/09/40 23/09/40
HX 073 28/09/40 28/09/40
09/10/40 09/10/40
OB 226 12/10/40 12/10/40
27/09/40 13/10/40
SL 049 17/10/40 17/10/40
17/10/40 17/10/40
OB 230 20/10/40 20/10/40
09/10/40 21/10/40
HG 045 27/10/40 27/10/40
31/10/40 31/10/40
OB 237 02/11/40 02/11/40
10/12/40 11/12/40
OB 257 13/12/40 13/12/40
03/12/40 13/12/40
HX 093 18/12/40 18/12/40
24/12/40 24/12/40
OB 264 29/12/40 29/12/40
15/12/40 29/12/40
SC 016 30/12/40 31/12/40
07/01/41 08/01/41
OG 049 11/01/41 21/01/41
29/12/40 11/01/41
HG 049 15/01/41 15/01/41
19/01/41 19/01/41
OB 276 24/01/41 25/01/41
12/01/41 27/01/41
SC 019 31/01/41 02/02/41
03/02/41 04/02/41
OB 282 07/02/41 08/02/41
20/01/41 07/02/41
SL 063 09/02/41 09/02/41
18/02/41 19/02/41
OB 288 unknown 22/02/41
08/02/41 24/02/41
SC 022 28/02/41 28/02/41
21/06/41 26/06/41
TC 011 30/06/41 30/06/41
02/07/41 02/07/41
OB 341A 07/07/41 18/07/41
29/09/41 29/09/41
PQ 001 11/10/41 11/10/41
27/04/42 28/04/42
HG 082 01/05/42 08/05/42
12/06/42 12/06/42
HARPOON 16/06/42 16/06/42
30/06/42 04/07/42
HG 085 07/07/42 12/07/42
30/09/42 02/10/42
CF 005B 02/10/42 14/10/42
26/10/42 04/11/42
KMF 001 06/11/42 08/11/42
21/11/42 22/11/42
MKS 002 24/11/42 03/12/42
27/11/42 05/12/42
KMF 004 06/12/42 07/12/42
11/12/42 11/12/42
MKF 004Y 14/12/42 24/12/42
13/12/42 23/12/42
UGF 003 25/12/42 24/12/42
19/01/43 19/01/43
MKS 006 23/01/43 01/02/43
14/01/43 24/01/43
UGF 004 25/01/43 25/01/43
16/03/43 16/03/43
XK 003 19/03/43 28/03/43
14/03/43 19/03/43
KMS 011G 28/03/43 28/03/43
28/03/43 28/03/43
ET 016 01/04/43 01/04/43
02/04/43 11/04/43
UGF 007 13/04/43 12/04/43
18/04/43 18/04/43
GUF 007 20/04/43 30/04/43
03/05/43 03/05/43
RS 004F 13/05/43 13/05/43
09/06/43 09/06/43
SR 005/1 14/06/43 14/06/43
15/06/43 15/06/43
CG 037 16/06/43 16/06/43
01/07/43 09/07/43
KMF 019 11/07/43 11/07/43
25/08/43 25/08/43
MKS 022G 26/08/43 26/08/43
14/08/43 25/08/43
SL 135 26/08/43 27/08/43
04/10/43 04/10/43
MKS 026G 05/10/43 05/10/43
25/11/43 25/11/43
RS 012 02/12/43 02/12/43
05/03/44 16/03/44
GUS 033 17/03/44 04/04/44
09/08/44 12/08/44
SL 166MK 16/08/44 20/08/44
(Note on Convoys)
