H . M
. S . B U L L D O G ( H 9 1)
B-Class Fleet Destroyer ordered from Swan
Ruler, Newcastle on 22nd March 1929
under the 1928 Programme and laid down on
10th August 1929. She was launched on 6th December 1930
As the 7th RN
hip to bear the
name introduced in 1782 and last used by a destroyer sold in 1920. Build was completed on
8th April 1931 and the contract price was Ł221,408 which excluded items
supplied by the Admiralty. In March 1942 after a successful
WARSHIP WEEK National Savings
Campaign she was adopted by the civil community of the London Borough
of Battersea.
B a t t l e H o n o u r s
TOULON
1793 - ST LUCIA 1796 -
BALTIC 1854-55 - DARDANELLES 1915-16
- ENGLISH CHANNEL
1915-16 - ATLANTIC 1941-45 - ARCTIC 1942-44
H e r a l d i c D a
t a
Badge: On a Field Black, a bulldog White.
M o t t
o
'Hold Fast'
D e t a i l s o
f W a r S e r v i c e
1 9 3 9
September Deployed in
Mediterranean as Plane Guard for HM Aircraft Carrier GLORIOUS.
3rd At
Alexandria and retained as Attendant Destroyer for HMS GLORIOUS.
11th Attendant
Destroyer for HMS GLORIOUS during flying exercises.
October Nominated
for duty with HMS GLORIOUS as part of Hunting Group in Indian Ocean.
9th Passage
to Indian Ocean with HMS GLORIOUS.
13th Joined HM
Battleship MALAYA and HM Destroyer DARING in Hunting Group
based
at Socotra.
Took
part in search operations with Group,
November Indian Ocean
deployment with Group in continuation.
December
10th Arrived
at Colombo with HMS GLORIOUS.
29th Joined
French troopships en passage to Red Sea with HM Cruiser KENT, French
cruiser SUFFREN and HMS GLORIOUS as escort for passage to Aden.
(See
CARRIER GLORIOUS by J Winton.)
1 9 4 0
January
7th Detached
with HMS GLORIOUS at Aden.
Passage to Malta with HMS GLORIOUS.
17th On
arrival prepared for refit.
18th Taken in
hand for refit in HM Dockyard.
February Under refit.
22nd On
completion of post refit trials resumed Attendant Destroyer duties.
March
17th Deployed
with Convoy HG25 during passage to
UK.
31st Carried
out joint exercises with HM Aircraft Carrier
ARK ROYAL
April
4th Arrived
at Alexandria.
8th During
further flying operations, exercises cancelled.
9th Passage
from Alexandria to Gibraltar with HMS GLORIOUS and HMS ARK ROYAL.
(Note: Aircraft carriers were recalled to UK after German invasion of Norway).
15th Took
passage to UK from Gibraltar with HMS ARK ROYAL.
19th Under
repair and fitting of DG equipment at Devonport.
May Nominated
for service in Home Fleet
3rd On
completion took passage to join Home Fleet.
9th Sailed from Scapa Flow with HM Destroyers FURY,
FORESIGHT, MOHAWK and GALLANT
to search near Little Fisher Bank for German
warships. HM Cruiser BIRMINGHAM and HM
Destroyers JANUS, HYPERION, HEREWARD, HAVOCK,
KELLY, KANDAHAR, KIMBERLEY
and HOSTILE were also deployed. HMS KELLY and
HMS KANDAHAR later detached and were in
action against E-Boats during which HMS KELLY
was hit by torpedo and badly damaged.
10th Towed HM
Destroyer KELLY to Tyne for repair after being damaged by torpedo in
engagement with E-Boat in North Sea (See THE KELLY by K Poolman).
Stern
structure damaged by tow operation.
13th Under
repair by Swan Hunter at Wallsend.
19th After
completion resumed Fleet duties.
21st Escorted
HM Battlecruiser RENOWN from Rosyth with HM Destroyers ASHANTI and
HIGHLANDER during passage to Scapa Flow.
22nd Redeployed
in English Channel for support of evacuation operations.
27th Sustained
damage to propellers..
28th Taken in
for repair at Chatham.
June
4th On
completion transferred to 1st Destroyer Flotilla,
5th Deployed
with Flotilla for support of evacuations from French ports.
(Operation CYCLE).
10th Under
attack by six aircraft in English Channel whilst on patrol off Le Havre.
Three
bombs hit ship and caused major damage to structure, Engine and Boiler
Rooms. Steering gear disabled and flooding caused ship
11th On
arrival taken in hand for repair by HM Dockyard.
July Under
repair.
August Under repair
24th Damaged
by splinters during air raid at Portsmouth.
(Note
: Ship was lying alongside HM Destroyer ACHERON which received a direct
hit.
The commanding officer of HMS BULLDOG was killed during this raid.
September
8th On
completion of post repair trials rejoined Flotilla for Channel duties.
10th Deployed
with HM Destroyer BEAGLE, HM Escort Destroyers BERKELEY and
ATHERSTONE for interception of German coastal convoy.
(For
details of operations in English Channel see HOLD THE NARROW SŁA by Peter
Smith
and ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY by Corelli Barnett).
13th
Participated in bombardment of Cherbourg with HM Destroyers BEAGLE, HIGHLANDER
and
HARVESTER.
October Detached for
duty with Clyde Escort Force for patrol and convoy defence.
November
2nd Joined
Local escort for Military Convoy WS4 from Clyde with HM Cruiser CAIRO,
HM
Destroyers BEAGLE, HESPERUS, HM Canadian Destroyers SAGUENAY, OTTAWA
and
SKEENA.
3rd Detached
from WS4 to assist rms WINDSOR CASTLE which had been damaged in
air
attack in NW Approaches.
4th Provided
protection and assistance during return of damaged rms WINDSOR CASTLE
to
Clyde for repair.
18th Part of
escort for ships of 1st Minelaying Squadron during minelay in Northern
Barrage (Operation SN3 - See Naval Staff History (Mining).
December Home Fleet
duties in continuation.
1 9 4 1
January
2nd Taken in
hand for refit at Cammell Laird Shipyard in Birkenhead.
February Under refit.
Nominated for service in Western Approaches with 3rd Escort Group.
18th On
completion of post refit trials worked up for convoy escort duties.
(For
details of Atlantic convoy defence see THE BATTLE OF THE ATLANTIC by
D.
MacIntyre and U-BOAT WAR IN THE
ATLANTIC (HMSO).
March Joined Group
for convoy defence in NW Approaches based in Iceland.
April Convoy
defence duties in continuation.
May Iceland
patrol and convoy defence in continuation.
7th
Anti-submarine attack on U94 south of Iceland with HM Destroyer AMAZON and HM
Sloop
ROCHESTER. Submarine reported as damaged.
9th Whilst
escorting Convoy OB318 off Iceland with HM Destroyer BROADWAY attacked U110
which
was
forced to surface. Boarding Party put on submarine and ENIGMA Coding machine
with some
documentation removed. (Operation PRIMROSE)
(Note
: This was a most significant event and assisted work in hand at Bletchley Park.
Later on 27th
August 1941 U570 surrendered after attack by an RAF aircraft and was towed to
Iceland.
U570
was later commissioned as HM Submarine GRAPH. See
BREAKING THE ENIGMA
by D.
Kahn and U-BOATS DESTROYED by P Kemp.)
June Atlantic
convoy defence in continuation.
to
July
August Nominated for
escort of Military Convoy WS8C.
9th Joined
Convoy WS8C in Clyde for Local Escort to Scapa Flow with HM Destroyers
CASTLETON, CHARLESTOWN, ECHO, INTREPID, WHITEHALL WINCHELSEA and
WITCH.
10th Returned
to Clyde on arrival of convoy at Scapa Flow to resumed Atlantic duty.
(Note
: This convoy was taking British troops to occupy Portuguese islands in
the
Atlantic which had initially been proposed in 1940 but cancelled.
(Operation PILGRIM - This too was cancelled and ships of WS8C convoy
returned to Clyde on 17th.)
September Part of escort
for Convoy SC44 with ships of Group.
October Nominated
for refit including hull strengthening.
24th Taken in
hand for refit at Fairfield shipyard in Govan, Glasgow.
November Under refit.
to
December
1 9 4 2
January Under refit
February Post refit
trials.
10th Rejoined
Group for Atlantic convoy defence.
March Detached for
duty in Horne Fleet for Russian convoy escort.
(For
details of all Russian Convoy operations see CONVOYS TO RUSSIA by R. A.
Ruegg, THE RUSSIAN CONVOYS by B Schoefield, ARCTIC CONVOYS by R.
Woodman and CONVOY ! by P. Kemp).
31st Stood by
HMS RICHMOND after she had been damaged in a collision with American
merchant ship FRANCIS SCOTT
KEY.
April Deployed with Home
Fleet for defence of Russian convoys.
(Note : Distant
cover was to be provided for this convoy and returning QP10 by major units of
Home Fleet
12th Joined PQ14 as Senior
Officer’s ship of Ocean Escort with HM Destroyers BEAGLE, BEVERLEY,
AMAZON. HM
Corvettes CAMPANULA, OXLIP, SAXIFRAGE, SNOWFLAKE and three
trawlers.
(Note :HM Cruiser
EDINBURGH was on passage to Murmansk to collect cargo of gold, bullion.)
Two of the
trawlers did not complete passage to Kola.).
17th Eastern Local Escort
joined.
19th Arrived at Murmansk
with PQ14
For details of
the eventful passage see above references.
(Note : German
destroyers HERMANN SCHOEMANN, Z24 and Z25 failed to make contact
28th Sailed from Murmansk
as Ocean Escort for QP11 with HM Destroyers FORESTER, FORESIGHT
and same ships as
arrived with PQ14.
29th Under threat of
submarine attacks.
30th HM Cruiser EDINBURGH
joined convoy after embarking gold bullion at
Murmansk.
Under attacks by
U88 and U 456.
HMS EDINBURGH hit
by torpedo from U456 and sustained serious damage.
with HMS BULLDOG,
HMS BEAGLE and BEVERLEY
May
1st Under air attacks
and later attacks by German destroyer HERMANN SCHOEMANN, Z24 and
Z25 sent to
attack HMS EDINBURGH
Lead the action
against German ships with HMS EDINBURGH and destroyers of Close Escort.
Sustained splinter damage.
(Note : HMS
EDINBURGH sustained further significant damage from return fire from enemy
destroyers.
The successful
repulsion of six attacks on the disabled cruiser reflect great credit on the
commanding
officer Commander M Richmond.)
HMS EDINBURGH
detached and took passage to Murmansk with HMS FORESTER and HMS
FORESIGHT.
2nd HMS EDINBURGH
subjected to further attacks by the German destroyers and had to
be abandoned
after being hit by torpedo from Z25and sunk on 2nd May.
See ARCTIC
CONVOYS for details.)
3rd HMS
AMAZON and HMS BEVERLEY and HMS AMAZON detached took passage to Iceland
to
land injured,
7th Detached
from QP11 on arrival in Iceland.
June
2nd Taken in
hand for repair in Clyde shipyard until 14.8.
July Under
repair.
August Post refit
trials.
14th Joined
Greenock Escort Force.
29th Deployed
with HM Destroyers BICESTER, KEPPEL and ZETLAND for Local Escort
of Military Convoy WS22 from
Clyde.
September
1st
Detached from WS22 with same ships and returned to Clyde.
9th Part of
escort for tankers deployed to establish a fuelling base for replenishment of
escorts for
Convoys PQ18 and returning QP14. and re-supply Norwegian meteorological station.
(Note
: HM Destroyers AMAZON, ECLIPSE, ECHO and VENOMOUS were also involved.)
October Nominated
for escort of military convoys to
Gibraltar for allied landings in N.
Africa (Operation TORCH: See The Naval Staff History and ENGAGE THE ENEMY
MORE
CLOSELY).
November TORCH convoy
escort in continuation.
23rd Taken in
hand for repair at Greenock.
December
15th Rejoined
Western Approaches Command.
22nd Joined HM
Escort Destroyers BLANKNEY, CHIDDINGFOLD and LEDBURY during
passage of Russian Convoy JW51B to reinforce Local Escort
23rd Sustained
weather damage and returned to Greenock for repair.
28th Taken in
hand for repair at Greenock
1 9 4 3
January Under repair
Resumed convoy defence duties on completion.
21st Part of
escort for Russian Convoy JW52 with HM Destroyers BEAGLE, MATCHLESS,
MUSKETEER, OFFA, ONSLAUGHT and Polish ORP PIORUN.
27th Detached
on arrival at Kola Inlet.
29th Joined
Ocean Escort for returning Convoy RA52 with HM Destroyers BEAGLE, ICARUS
FORESTER, MATCHLESS, MUSKETEER, OFFA, ONSLAUGHT, ONSLOW and ORP
PIORUN
February
5th Detached
from RA52 after arrival of Local Escort.
Deployed on defence of Iceland
- UK convoys.
March Atlantic
convoy defence in continuation.
23rd Taken in
hand for Repair in Clyde shipyard.
April Under
repair.
Nominated for convoy defence based at
Freetown.
Prepared for foreign service.
22nd On
completion took passage to Freetown.
May Joined
West African Command and deployed for defence of coastal and Atlantic
convoys
June Freetown
convoy defence in continuation.
Part
of escort for convoy from Freetown
to Gibraltar.
26th Deployed
with HM Destroyers AMAZON, BLACKMORE and FOXHOUND to join escort
for
Military Convoy WS31 when Gibraltar element (KMF17) detached.
July
4th Detached
from escort on arrival of WS31 at Freetown.
6th Deployed
with HMS BLACKMORE for Local Escort of Convoy WS31 on departure from
Freetown.
15th Detached
from WS31 and returned to Freetown.
August Freetown
deployment in continuation.
5th Joined
Military Convoy WS32 with HM Destroyers BEAGLE and
DOUGLAS for Local
Escort from Freetown.
12th Detached
from WS32 and returned to Freetown.
September Freetown
deployment in continuation.
Part
of escort for convoy between Freetown to Gibraltar.
4th Joined
escort for Military Convoy WS33 at Gibraltar with HM Frigates BANN and NESS
HM
Sloop WESTON, HM Cutter TOTLAND and HM Corvette HYDRANGEA for passage
to
Freetown.
9th Detached
from WS33 on arrival at Freetown.
14th Joined
escort for WS33 with HM Destroyers BEAGLE, BOADICEA, WOLVERINE and HM
Frigate BANN for Local Escort.
19th Detached
from WS33 with same destroyers of Freetown Escort Force.
October Nominated
for conversion into Anti-Submarine Escort.
Passage to Portsmouth.
November Prepared for
conversion.
8th Taken in
hand for refit and conversion by HM Dockyard
Portsmouth.
December Under refit.
Main
Armament reduced to two 4.7in mountings.
Radar Type 271 and HEDGEHOG Anti-Submarine Mortar fitted.
(For
details of development and use of new weapons end revised tactics by both
allied warships and German submarines see SEEK AND STRIKE by W Hackmann, RADAR
AT
SEA by D Howse and RELENTLESS PURSUIT by D E G Weymms).
1 9 4 4
January Under refit
to
April
May Post refit
trials
24th On
completion took passage to Tobermory for work-up.
26th Deployed
with HM Frigate AWE to assist HM Canadian Corvette ST THOMAS after the
interception of radio signals from a U-Boat in NW Approaches.
Located and sank U719 in position 55.33N 11.02W, North of Bloody Foreland after
three
HEDGEHOG attacks. There were no survivors from the submarine.
(See
U-BOATS DESTROYED by P. Kemp.)
June On
completion deployed on A/S protection of convoys to Iceland.
July Convoy
defence in NW Approaches in continuation.
August
12th In
collision with HM Frigate LOCH DUNVEGAN in
Gourock Bay.
Major
hull damage sustained.
17th Taken in
hand for repair at Ardrossan
September
4th Resumed
convoy defence duties.
10th Detached
for Russian convoy escort.
15th Deployed
with HM Sloop CYGNET, HM destroyers KEPPEL and
WHITEHALL, HM Corvette
ALLINGTON CASTLE and HM Corvette BAMBOROUGH CASTLE as Close Escort for Russian
Convoy JW60 for passage from Loch Ewe.
23rd Detached
from JW60 on arrival at Kola Inlet.
28th Joined
return Convoy RA60 with same ships for Close Escort to Loch Ewe.
October
4th Detached
from RA60 on arrival at Loch Ewe and resumed convoy defence duties in
NW
Approaches with Group.
November Convoy defence
in continuation.
30th Detached
for service with Home Fleet.
December
1st Joined
HM Cruiser BELLONA, HM Escort Aircraft Carriers
CAMPANIA and NAIRANA as
screen with Destroyers BEAGLE, CAESAR, CAMBRIAN, CAPRICE, CASSANDRA, KEPPEL,
OFFA,
OBEDIENT, ONSLAUGHT, ONSLOW, ORIBl and WESTCOTT for escort of Russian
Convoy JW62 during passage to Kola Inlet.
7th Detached
from JW62 on arrival.
10th Joined
return Convoy RA62 with same ships for escort during passage.
18th Detached
from RA62 on arrival.
Under
repair in Clyde shipyard.
1 9 4 5
January Under
repair. Bow Chaser 20mm gun fitted for use in defence of coastal convoys.
30th On
completion deployed in Irish Sea and SW Approaches for defence of coastal
convoys
February Coastal
convoy defence in continuation.
to (Note :
During this period SCHNORKEL fitted U-Boats were being deployed in UK
April coastal
waters at convoy focal points and anti-submarine defences ware
re-inforced
to counter this threat).
May Channel
deployment in continuation.
9th Accepted
German surrender of Channel Islands Garrison with HM Destroyer BEAGLE.
Surrender document signed on board.
27th Reduced
to Reserve at Dartmouth.
June Laid up
at Dartmouth.
to
August
P o s
t W a r N o t e s
HMS BULLDOG was placed on the Disposal List and sold on
22nd December 1945 to Metal Industries. She arrived
in tow at Rosyth on 17th January 1946 for breaking-up. This destroyer achieved the distinction of being in
operational service for most of WW2 apart from the period when she was under refit or repair.
Addendum
CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of
HMS BULLDOG
by Don Kindell
Date convoy
Joined
convoy
Convoy
No.
Left convoy Date
convoy
sailed as
escort
arrived
17/03/40 17/03/40 HG 023F unknown 26/03/40
03/03/41 17/03/41 HG 055 22/03/41 22/03/41
28/03/41 28/03/41 OB 303 03/04/41 03/04/41
21/03/41 04/04/41 HX 116 09/04/41 09/04/41
13/04/41 14/04/41 OB 310 unknown 18/04/41
10/04/41 21/04/41 HX 120 24/04/41 29/04/41
26/04/41 27/04/41 OB 315 29/04/41 04/05/41
20/04/41 29/04/41 HX 122 04/05/41 08/05/41
02/05/41 07/05/41 OB 318 10/05/41 10/05/41
09/05/41 21/05/41 SC 031 28/05/41 30/05/41
08/06/41 08/06/41 OB 331 12/06/41 19/06/41
01/06/41 15/06/41 SC 033 19/06/41 21/06/41
27/06/41 27/06/41 OB 340 03/07/41 13/07/41
20/06/41 04/07/41 SC 035 08/07/41 09/07/41
20/06/41 05/07/41 HX 134 08/07/41 09/07/41
11/07/41 11/07/41 OB 345 16/07/41 26/07/41
06/07/41 17/07/41 HX 137 21/07/41 22/07/41
10/08/41 22/08/41 HX 144 28/08/41 30/08/41
15/08/41 16/08/94 ON 007 12/10/84 25/08/41
01/09/41 04/09/41 ON 012 06/09/41 14/09/41
29/08/41 08/09/41 HX 147 11/09/41 12/09/41
17/09/41 18/09/41 ON 017 21/09/41 29/09/41
11/09/41 22/09/41 SC 044 27/09/41 30/09/41
08/10/41 08/10/41 ON 024 13/10/41 15/10/41
05/10/41 17/10/41 SC 048 21/10/41 22/10/41
27/03/42 27/03/42 UR 017 31/03/42 31/03/42
03/04/42 03/04/42 RU 017 07/04/42 07/04/42
26/03/42 12/04/42 PQ 014 19/04/42 19/04/42
28/04/42 28/04/42 QP 011 07/05/42 07/05/42
02/09/42 14/09/42 PQ 018 22/09/42 21/09/42
13/09/42 14/09/42 QP 014 22/09/42 26/09/42
27/09/42 01/10/42 AT 024 02/10/42 02/10/42
18/10/42 19/10/42 KX 002 29/10/42 29/10/42
13/11/42 13/11/42 MKF 001O 14/11/42 14/11/42
22/12/42 22/12/42 JW 051B 23/12/42 04/01/43
17/01/43 21/01/43 JW 052 27/01/43 27/01/43
29/01/43 29/01/43 RA 052 05/02/43 09/03/43
03/05/43 03/05/43 RS 004F 08/05/43 13/05/43
16/05/43 16/05/43 SR 004F 23/05/43 23/05/43
13/08/43 15/08/43 CF 013A 22/08/43 24/08/43
25/08/43 25/08/43 CF 013B 31/08/43 31/08/43
26/09/43 04/10/43 CF 014 10/10/43 10/10/43
14/10/43 14/10/43 SR 006/1 21/10/43 21/10/43
17/10/43 28/10/43 MKF 025 02/11/43 04/11/43
10/06/44 11/06/44 ON 240 12/06/44 28/06/44
02/06/44 17/06/44 HX 294 18/06/44 19/06/44
15/09/44 15/09/44 JW 060 23/09/44 23/09/44
28/09/44 28/09/44 RA 060 04/10/44 05/10/44
29/11/44 01/12/44 JW 062 07/12/44 07/12/44
10/12/44 10/12/44 RA 062 19/12/44 19/12/44
06/03/45 12/03/45 MKS 087G 14/03/45 14/03/45