H .  M .  S .  D I A M O N D   ( H 2 2 )

 

D or DEFENDER-Class Fleet Destroyer ordered on 2nd February 1931 from Vickers Armstrong at Barrow under the 1930 Programs. The snip was laid down as Yard No 675 on 29th September 1931 and launched on 8th April 1932 as the 14th RN ship to carry the name, introduced in 1652 for a 4th Rate. It was last used in WW1 by two trawlers hired for minesweeping. Build was completed on 3rd Novenfcer1932 for a contract price of £223,509 excluding the Admiralty supplied equipment such as guns, ammunition and wireless outfits. She joined the 1st Destroyer Flotilla in the Mediterranean during December that year. In 1934 she was re-commissioned after refit at Devonport and in November sailed to join the 8th Destroyer Flotilla on the China Station where she served with her sister ships. The Flotilla was renumbered to 21st Destroyer Flotilla before the outbreak of war. As she was then under refit at Singapore the ship did not go to the Mediterranean with the Flotilla when war was declared in September 1939.

 

B a t t l e   H o n o u r s

 

ARMADA 1588 - KENTISH KNOCK 1652 - PORTLAND 1653 - GABBARD 1653 - SCHEVENINGEN 1653 - LOWESTOFT 1665 - FOUR DAYS BATTLE 1666 - ORFORDNESS 1666 - SOLEBAY 1672 - SCHOONVELDT 1673 - TEXEL 1673 - BANTRY BAY 1680 - PORTOBELLO 1739 - SANTA MARIA 1740 - CHAGRES 1740 - TOULON 1744 - BLACK SEA 1854 - SPARTIVENTO 1940 - MEDITERRANEAN 1941 - MALTA CONVOYS 1941 - GREECE 1941

 

H e r a l d i c    D a t a

Badge : On a Field Red, a diamond Silver.

 

M o t t o

Honor clarissima gemma  :   ‘Honour is the brightest jewel’

 

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 on China Station with 21st Destroyer Flotilla

                                Nominated or transfer to Mediterranean.

                3rd          Under refit at Singapore.

 

October                  Under refit

 

November              Post refit trials.

 

December              Prepared for return passage to Malta to rejoin Flotilla.

                4th          Took passage from Singapore via Red Sea to Malta.

                19th        Rejoined Flotilla for contraband control duties.

 

1 9 4 0

 

January                  Recalled with Flotilla to Home waters for Fleet duties.

                8th          Took passage to UK from Malta.

                12th        Diverted for Atlantic convoy defence and ordered to Freetown.

                15th        Arrived at Freetown and deployed in defence of convoys between Gibraltar and Cape

                                of Good Hope.

                                (Note : This diversion was due to increase activity by German commerce raiders in the Atlantic

                                GRAF SPEE had been disposed of in December 1939).

 

February                Atlantic deployment in continuation.

 

March                    Nominated for transfer to Mediterranean Fleet after refit

 

April                       Took passage to Malta to join 10th Destroyer Flotilla, Mediterranean Fleet.

                                (Note : This Flotilla included HM Australia Destroyers STUART, VAMPIRE, .VENDETTA,

                                VOYAGER and WRYNECK).

May                        Under refit by HM Dockyard Malta and on completion joined Flotilla.

                                Carried out Fleet exercises with Flotilla in anticipation of war with Italy.

 

June                        Flotilla deployment based at Malta in continuation.                     

                11th        In action with aircraft off Malta and sustained slight damage.

                12th        Carried out unsuccessful search for HM Submarine GRAMPUS which was missing after a

                                minelaying operation off Augusta.

                                (For details of minelaying by RN ships see Naval Staff History (MINING).

                26th        Escorted French submarine NARVAL into Malta to join Free French Navy.

                28th        Detached with HM Destroyer JERVIS| and took passage to Malta for escort of evacuation convoy.

                                (Note : Mediterranean Fleet cruisers engaged Italian destroyers and expended large proportion of

                                their ammunition.

                                Operation MA3 was cancelled. See THE BATTLE FOR THE MEDITERRANEAN by D

                                MacIntyre, MALTA CONVOYS by R Woodman, ENGAGE THE# ENEMY MORE

                                CLOSELY by C Barnett and the Naval Staff History (HMSO -2001).)

 

July

                9th          Sailed from Malta as escort for Convoy MF1 with HMS JERVIS and HM Australian Destroyer

                                VENDETTA during passage to Alexandria, covered by ships of Mediterranean Fleet ships.

                                (Operation MAS — Repeat of MA3 see above.)

                                (Note : Convoy comprised mercantiles ss EL NID, ss KNIGHT OF MALTA and ss RODO carrying

                                civilians from Malta consequent on entry of Italy into WW2.)

                10th        Attack by CANT seaplane driven off.

                13th        Detached from MF1 on arrival at Alexandria.

 

August                  Deployed for Fleet duties in Eastern Mediterranean.

                23rd        Bombarded Italian seaplane base at Bomba with HM Destroyers STUART (RAN), ILEX and

                                JUNO.

                29th        Deployed with HM Destroyers DAINTY, JERVIS and JUNO as escort for Convoy MF2 from

                                Alexandria to Malta.

                                (Note : Convoy comprised RFA PLUMLEAF, ss CORNWALL and ss VOLVO.)

                31st         Under air attacks during which ss CORNWALL was damaged.

                                (Note : This was part of Operation HATS -Transfer of reinforcement warships to join Fleet at

                                Alexandria from Gibraltar. See above references.)

 

September

                1st           Remained with MF2 with HMS JERVIS as escort into Malta when HMS DAINTY detached to

                                stand by ss CORNWALL.

                3rd          Joined Mediterranean Fleet destroyer screen for return passage to Egypt.

                                (Note : Air attacks were carried out on Rhodes during transit.)

 

October                  Fleet and convoy defence duties in continuation.

                                (Note : Mediterranean Fleet with destroyer screen covered passage of Convoy MF3 during this

                                period. See MALTA convoys.)

 

November              Fleet deployment with Flotilla in continuation.

                                Nominated for screening duties with Fleet during cover for passage of convoys in

                                Mediterranean.

                                (Operation COLLAR).

                                (Note : This was a major operation which included passage of warships from UK to reinforce Fleet

                                in the Eastern Mediterranean..

                                HMS RAMILLIES and HMS BERWICK were leaving Fleet in Eastern Mediterranean.

                                Fleet based at Alexandria. See above references.)

                4th          Deployed with HM Cruiser CALCUTTA, HMS DAINTY, HM Australian Destroyers VAMPIRE,

                                VOYAGER and WATERHEN as escort for Convoy AN6 on passage from Port Said to Suda Bay,

                                Crete.

                                (Operation MB8 - Part of Operation COAT - Transfer of further reinforcement ships at Alexandria

                                and cover by Mediterranean Fleet for the passage of convoys to and from Malta. See references.)

                5th          Arrived at Suda Bay.

                23rd        Deployed with HM Destroyers DEFENDER, GALLAN1, GREYHOUND and HEREWARD as

                                screen for HMS RAMILLIES, HM Cruisers BERWICK, COVENTRY and NEWCASTLE in Force D

                                to cover passage of Convoy MW4 from Egypt to Malta (Operation MB9)

                                Joined escort for Convoy MW4 at sea.

                                (Note : Escort included HM Cruisers GLASGOW, GLOUCESTER and YORK.).

                26th        Force D detached from MW5 off Malta and briefly joined HMS EAGLE, HM Battleships BARHAM

                                and MALAYA (Force C).

                                Detached as screen for Force D off Pantalleria and continued on westward passage through Sicilian

                                Channel.

                27th        With Force D screen met reinforcement ships (H M Destroyer HOTSPUR, H M Cruisers

                                MANCHESTER and SOUTHAMPTON west of Sicilian Channel and took joint passage to rejoin

                                Mediterranean Fleet ships off Malta.

                                (Note : Other ships in screen for Force D were H M Destroyers DEFENDER, GREYHOUND

                                GALLANT and HEREWARD).

                                Took part in brief engagement with Italian battle group which disengaged after exchange of fire.

                                (Battle of Spartivento - See above references for details)

                29th        Part of screen for Mediterranean Fleet units during passage to Malta as escort for Convoy MS4 to

                                Alexandria.

 

December              Arrived at Alexandria

                16th        Mediterranean Fleet with destroyer screen carried out major Fleet operation (HIDE)

                                (See references.)

 

1 9 4 1

 

January                  Fleet screening deployment with Flotilla in continuation.

                7th          Deployed with HM Destroyer DEFENDER and Cruiser CALCUTTA as Force C for escort of

                                Convoy MW5 1/2 during passage to Malta from Alexandria (Operation MC4).

                                (Note : This was part of complex operation including passage of Convoys ME5 1/2 and ME6

                                from Malta as well as a military convoy from Western Mediterranean to Piraeus.

                                Cover was being provided by major Fleet units .Operation EXCESS).

                10th        Detached from Convoy MW5i before arrival in Malta.

                                Rejoined Fleet destroyers in screen for major Fleet units including H M Aircraft Carrier

                                ILLUSTRIOUS for westward passage to meet EXCESS convoy from Gibraltar.

                                Under heavy and sustained air attacks by German dive bombers.

                                Planned deployment as escort for Convoy ME6 changed after HM Destroyer GALLANT detonated

                                a mine south of Pantellaria and was badly damaged.

.                               Joined HM Destroyer GRIFFIN, HM Cruisers BONAVENTURE, GLOUCESTER and

                                SOUTHAMPTON escorting HM Destroyer MOHAWK which was towing HMS GALLANT to

                                Malta.

                11th        Took passage from Malta with HMS SOUTHAMPTON and HMS GLOUCESTER to join

                                Mediterranean Fleet units which were providing cover for passage of EXCESS Convoy and came

                                under sustained and air attacks by German aircraft of Fliegerkorps X during which HMS

                                SOUTHAMPTON was damaged and had to be sunk by HM Cruiser ORION.

                                Embarked the survivors from HMS SOUTHAMPTON that had been abandoned after ship was

                                badly damaged and later sunk. See references.

                                Transferred survivors to HMS GLOUCESTER.

                12th        Passage to Port Said with screen covered by HMS EAGLE, HMS BARHAM and HMS AJAX.

                16th        Arrived at Alexandria with Fleet units.

 

February                Mediterranean Fleet deployment in continuation.

                                (Note : Passage of cruisers taking personnel to Malta and convoy from Malta was covered.

                                (Operation MC8 - See references.

                                The lack of an aircraft carrier prevented any major operation for Malta support.)

 

March                    Deployed for escort of troop convoys to Greek ports (Operation LUSTRE).

 

April                       Eastern Mediterranean convoy defence in continuation.

                19th        Deployed with HMS JANUS, HMS JERVIS and HM Destroyer NUBIAN as escort for Convoy

                                ME7 from Malta.

                20th        Detached from ME7 after transfer to Mediterranean Fleet cover and resumed convoy defence of

                                military convoys to and from Greek ports (Operation LUSTRE).

                                (Note : Mediterranean Fleet with destroyer escort carried out bombardment of Tripoli.

                                See references.)

                25th        Took part in evacuation of allied troops from Greece (Operation DEMON)

                to            (Note : Other destroyers involved were STUART, VOYAGER, VENDETTA, WATERHEN,

                26th        VAMPIRE (all RAN), DEFENDER, DECOY DEFENDER, HASTY, HAVOCK,

                                HERO, HOTSPUR, HEREWARD, ISIS, NUBIAN, KANDAHAR, KINGSTON and

                                KIMBERLEY. For details see Naval Staff History).

                27th        Rescued 700 survivors from troopship SLAMAT with HM Destroyer WRYNECK (RAN).

                                During passage to Crete with HMAS WRYNECK carrying troops from SLAMAT the two

                                destroyers came under air attack and were both sunk south of Morea (Position 36.30N 23.34E).

 

---

 

Addendum

 

CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of HMS DIAMOND

by Don Kindell

 

Date convoy         Joined convoy        Convoy No.             Left convoy           Date convoy

sailed                     as escort                                                                                 arrived

 

22/08/40                 20/09/40                     AP 001/1               23/09/40                 23/09/40

04/11/40                 04/11/40                     MW 003                unknown               10/11/40