H . M . S . F A M E
( H 7 8 )
F-Class Fleet Destroyer ordered on 17th March 1933 from Parsons Marine Turbine Company under the 1932 Programme. The ship was built by Vickers-Armstrong at Newcastle and laid down on 5th July 1933 at The same time, as sister ship HMS FIREDRAKE in the same
shipyard. She was launched on 28th July
1934 with HMS FIREDRAKE. She was the13th RN ship to
carry this name, introduced in 1655 and
previously carried by a destroyer
launched in 1896 and sold in 1921. Build was completed on 30th May 1935
at a cost of £244,216 excluding
Admiralty supplied equipment. She was serving in the Home Fleet in August 1939. After a successful WARSHIP WEEK National
Savings campaign held in February 1942
she was adopted by the civil
community of Stratford–on--Avon.
B a t t 1 e H o n o u r s
LOWESTOFT 1663 - BREST
1778 - GRENADA 1779
- THE
SAINTES 1782 - CHINA 1900 - NORWAY 1940
- ATLANTIC 1942-44
- NORMANDY 1944
H
e r a l d i c D a t a
Badge : On a Field Black, crossed trumpets Silver,
in the centre a torch Gold
M o t t o
Fama si merita: 'Fame comes if deserved'
D e t a I l s
o f W a r S e r v i c e
1 9 3 9
September Part of 8th
Destroyer Flotilla, Home Fleet.
3rd Deployed for fleet screening and
anti-submarine duties in Western Approaches.
(Note : Ships of Flotilla sank U39
which attacked HM Aircraft Carrier
ARK ROYAL
on 14th.)
October Home Fleet duties in continuation with
Flotilla based at
Scapa Flow.
to (For details of naval activities in
Home waters see ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY
December Corelli Barnett and Naval Staff History).
1 9 4 0
January
4th Part of
escort for HM Battleship NELSON on passage to Portsmouth from Loch Ewe.
(Note : HMS NELSON was damaged by a
magnetic mine.)
Returned to rejoin Flotilla for
Home Fleet duties after arrival at
Portsmouth.
February Home Fleet duties based at
Scapa Flow with Flotilla duties in continuation.
(Note : Home Fleet ships were
deployed for escort or cover of convoys to and from
Norway
and for interception of German
warships in
North Sea and
in the NW Approaches.)
March Under repair at
Grimsby
April
10th On completion of repairs and trials took passage to Scapa Flow to
resume Home Fleet
Flotilla duties.
13th Damaged by return fire from shore at Narvik.
18th Escorted French troopships taking Chasseurs to Namsos.
May
Deployed for convoy defence and Fleet support off Norway.
12th Deployed with HM Destroyer HAVELOCK in support of landings by French
troops
at Bjerkvik.
21st Landed 150 French troops at Lilleberg near Narvik supported by HM
Cruiser CAIRO and
French destroyer MILAN.
27th Deployed with HM Destroyers BEAGLE, HAVELOCK and WALKER in support
of crossing
of Rombaksfjord by French troops.
30th Evacuated Irish Guards, Independent Companies
and military police units from Bodo with HM
Destroyer FIREDRAKE.
(Note: Main engines had been at continuous
notice for steam since 10th May.)
June Deployed for cover of allied evacuation
operations from
Norway.
(Operation ALPHABET - For details
of the disastrous operations off
Norway see the
above references and THE DOOMED
EXPEDITION by J
Adams. )
Resumed Flotilla duties in Home
Fleet on release from escort of returning ships.
4th
Escorted Group II of evacuation convoys with HM Cruisers COVENTRY,
SOUTHAMPTON, HM Destroyers HAVELOCK, BEAGLE,
FIREDRAKE and DELIGHT.
10th Deployed with Flotilla with Home Fleet.
July Home Fleet Flotilla duties in
continuation
6th Deployed for screening of Home Fleet
major units during search for H M Submarine
SHARK in
North Sea.
Under air attack and sustained
splinter damage.
(Note : HMS SHARK had been sunk in
air attack off
Skudesnes,
Norway on 6th.)
After return of Hone Fleet took
passage to Robb's shipyard,
Leith for
repair.
August Under repair at
Leith.
September Completion of repair work arranged at Rosyth.
Passage to Rosyth.
October Under repair by HM Dockyard.
11th Rejoined Home Fleet on completion of
post repair trials.
16th Deployed with HM Destroyer ASHANTI for
escort of HM Battleship KING GEORGE V from
mouth of River Tyne to Rosyth after
build completion.
Sustained major damage in collision
with HMS ASHANTI and caught fire.
Ship subsequently ran aground
(Note : Some reports state that the
ships were carrying out high speed operations
intended to
actuate mines known to have been
laid in area.)
19th Salvage of ship arranged.
November Salvage work in hand to lighten vessel prior
to tow for repair.
1st Ship refloated and taken to
Sunderland.
3rd Taken in hand for temporary repair at
commercial shipyard.
December Under temporary repair
1 9 4 1
January Temporary repair in continuation.
February Towed to
Chatham for permanent repair and conversion
for use as escort.
Paid off into Dockyard Control.
March Under repair and conversion by HM
Dockyard, Chatham.
to
December
1 9 4 2
January Repair and conversion in continuation.
to Note : Radar Type 271 for surface
warning and Oerlikons for close range defence
fitted.
August For details of weapons and radar used in
Battle
of the Atlantic
see RADAR AT
SEA
by D Howse, SEEK
AND STRIKE by
W Hackmann and U-BOAT WAR
IN THE
ATLANTIC (HMSO).
Nominated for service
in 6th British Escort Group.
September Recommissioned and carried out post refit
trials.
Worked-up for Atlantic convoy
defence at Tobermory
October On completion joined Group.
11th Escorted Convoy SC104 with HM Destroyer VISCOUNT, HM
Norwegian Corvettes
ACANTHUS, MONTBRETIA, POLYANTHUS and EGLANTINE
Under threat of attacks by WOTAN Group of
U-Boats.
15th During sustained attacks by WOTAN Group
took part in anti-submarine operations.
(Note : U661 was rammed and sunk by
HM Destroyer VISCOUNT.
See U-BOATS DESTROYED by P. Kemp
and HITLER'S U-BOAT WAR,
Volume 2 by C Blair.)
16th After radar detection carried out depth
charge attack on U353 which was forced to surface.
During further attack and ramming
manoeuvre hit submarine which caused major structural
damage.
Boarding party unable to recover
any significant material as scuttling procedures had been
initiated. See above references.
Submarine sank in position 53-54N
29-30W. Some survivors were rescued by escort ships.
(Note : Eight ships of SC104 were
sunk during transit.)
17th Detached from convoy and made passage
to UK
for repair
Taken in hand for repair on
arrival.
November Under repair.
December On completion rejoined Group and resumed
Atlantic convoy escort duties.
8th Escorted Convoy HX127 which came under
attacks by DRAUFGANGER U-Boat Group.
(See HITLER'S U-BOAT WAR Volume 2.)
(Note : Group included Polish
destroyer ORP BURZA.)
28th Part of escort for Convoy ONS155 with
Group.
30th Detached from ONS155 to reinforce
Canadian 1st Escort Group in defence of Convoy
ONS154 which was under heavy
attacks by SPITZ U-Boat Group.
(Note : On arrival relieved HM
Destroyer ST LAURENT as Senior Officer.
14 ships were lost from this
Convoy. See above reference.)
1 9 4 3
January
Atlantic convoy defence in continuation.
(Note : Group escorted Convoy SC1l6
without loss).
February Joined Convoy ONS165 as escort with ships
of Group.
17th Under heavy and sustained attacks by
group of U-boats which located ONS165.
Carried cut attacks on U69 with HMS
VISCOUNT after wireless signals intercepted.
(Note : U69 was sunk by HMS
VISCOUNT in position 50.50N 40.50W.
There were no survivors.)
Sank U201 by depth charge attacks
in position 50.36N 40.50W with no survivors.
(See HITLER'S U-BOAT WAR Volume 2.)
26th Part of escort for Convoy HX227 with
ships of Group.
27th Carried out attacks on submarines of
NEPTUN Group which had located convoy.
(Note : One ship of convoy was sunk
in the attacks. See above reference.
March Deployment with 6th British Escort Group in
continuation.
18th Joined Convoy ONS1 as escort with ships of Group.
(Note : Convoy arrived without
loss. It was first of redesignated ONS series.)
31st Joined Convoy SC125 at
Halifax with
ships of Group as escort for eastward passage to UK.
April Detached from Convoy SC125 on arrival
without loss.
May Group escorted Convoy
ONSS6 and Convoy SC131 without loss in either.
(Note : For details of this
significant phase of the
Battle of the
Atlantic see
above references.
June Atlantic convoy defence with Group in
continuation.
to (Note : Information about weapons and
tactics in the
Battle are
available in SEEK
September and STRIKE by
W Hackmann.)
October Part of escort for Convoy ON206 with HM
Destroyer VANQUISHER and HM Nor. Corvettes
POTENTILLA and ROSE.
Passage of this convoy was
supported by 7th Escort Group.
(Note : HM Destroyers VANQUISHER,
DUNCAN, VIDETTE, HM Frigate DEVERON and
seven
corvettes were also involved in defence of this
convoy. See references.)
15th ONS206 sighted by U844.
16th Under attacks by U-boats during which
U844, U663 and U84l were sunk by escorts of other
to Groups. See HITLER'S U-BOAT WAR and
U-BOATS DESTROYED.)
20th
28th Part of escort for Convoy SC145 with HM
Escort Carrier FENCER, Polish destroyers
ORP BURZA, ORP
GARLAND and HM Destroyer INCONSTANT of 8th
Support Group.
Attempted attacks by SIEGFRIED U-
Boat Group were driven off.
November Atlantic convoy defence with Group in
continuation.
to
December
1 9 4 4
January Atlantic convoy defence with Group in
continuation.
February Part of escort to Convoy ON29 with HM
Destroyers VANQUISHER and VESPER, HM Frigate
DEVERON, HM Corvettes KINGCUP,
VERVAIN, EGLANTINE, ROSE and ACANTHUS.
14th Convoy sighted by aircraft.
16th HM Escort Carrier STRIKER, HM Frigates
SPEY, ROTHER, FINDHORN and LOSSIE
provided additional support in view
of threat of attacks by
HAI U-Boat
Group.
18th Attacks avoided by diversion of route.
March Part of escort for Convoy HX281 with H M
Frigates DEVERON,
ANTIGUA, HM
Corvettes
KINGCUP, VERVAIN, EGLANTINA, ROSE
and ACANTHUS.
10th Convoy avoided known U-Boat assemblies.
April Transferred to 14th Escort Group and
joined HM Destroyers
HAVELOCK,
HOTSPUR,
ICARUS and INCONSTANT for Atlantic
convoy defence in Western Approaches.
May Western Approaches convoy defence in
continuation.
Nominated for detached service in
support of planned allied landings in
Normandy.
(Operation
NEPTUNE. - For
details of naval activities prior to and during landings see
OPERATION
NEPTUNE by K
Edwards and LANDINGS IN
NORMANDY, JUNE1944
(HMSO).)
June Deployed in Plymouth Command for
ant-submarine operations in western Approaches.
(Note : These operations were made
to prevent access by submarines into Channel.)
4th Carried out patrols in SW Approaches.
18th After detection of wireless
transmissions carried out search for submarine. Made ASDIC
contact and attacked U765 with
HEDGEHOG and depth charges.
Came under shore fire and continued
attacks with ships of Group during which one survivor
from U765 was rescued.
(Note : U765 was sunk in position
49.03N 03-13 W, SW of
Guernsey.)
July On release from detached service in
Plymouth Command resumed Atlantic duties with 14th
Escort Group.
August Deployed for convoy defence.
1 9 4 5.
January Convoy defence in continuation
(Note : SCHNORKEL fitted submarines were
concentrating their attacks focal points for
convoy assembly in SW and NW Approaches as well
as on convoys in the coastal
waters. Escorts were transferred to those areas
to reinforce the existing convoy escort
ships. Atlantic convoys were also routed through
the English Channel and
Irish Sea
after air threat from French bases was removed
by allied advance.
May Withdrawn from service for refit at
Leith.
June Under refit
to Nominated for service in Training
Flotilla.
August
P o s
t W a r N o t e s
HMS
FAME joined 3rd Training Flotilla at Londonderry as Senior Officer's ship on
completion of refit and trials she carried out duties at Portland, Rosyth and
Londonderry until 1947 when nominated for reduction to Reserve status. After entering Reserve she was placed on the Disposal List and in
February 1949 after refit FAME transferred to the Dominican Republic Navy and renamed GENERALISIMO. Later in
1962 the ship was again renamed as SANCHEZ and served until 1968 when scrapped.
Addendum
CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of
HMS FAME
by Don Kindell
Date convoy
Joined
convoy
Convoy
No.
Left convoy Date
convoy
sailed as
escort
arrived
26/10/39 26/10/39 NARVIK 1 31/10/39 31/10/39
04/11/39 04/11/39 ON 001/1 05/11/39 07/11/39
30/01/40 05/02/40 TC 003 07/02/40 07/02/40
10/03/40 11/03/40 HN 018 13/03/40 13/03/40
24/04/40 24/04/40 FP 002 27/04/40 27/04/40
19/09/42 20/09/42 ON 132 03/10/42 08/10/42
03/10/42 10/10/42 SC 104 16/10/42 21/10/42
27/11/42 04/12/42 HX 217 13/12/42 14/12/42
19/12/42 20/12/42 ON 155 29/12/42 06/01/43
18/12/42 31/12/42 ON 154 02/01/43 12/01/43
04/01/43 12/01/43 SC 116 27/01/43 29/01/43
02/02/43 08/02/43 ON 165 20/02/43 01/03/43
18/02/43 24/02/43 HX 227 05/03/43 06/03/43
15/03/43 22/03/43 ONS 001 31/03/43 04/04/43
31/03/43 04/04/43 SC 125 15/04/43 15/04/43
24/07/43 25/07/43 ON 194 02/08/43 07/08/43
08/08/43 13/08/43 HX 251 22/08/43 23/08/43
31/08/43 02/09/43 ONS 017 12/09/43 16/09/43
16/09/43 22/09/43 HX 257 29/09/43 30/09/43
11/10/43 12/10/43 ON 206 21/10/43 27/10/43
24/10/43 28/10/43 SC 145 06/11/43 07/11/43
19/11/43 20/11/43 ON 212 29/11/43 05/12/43
02/12/43 06/12/43 SC 148 15/12/43 16/12/43
31/12/43 01/01/44 ON 218 11/01/44 18/01/44
14/01/44 18/01/44 SC 151 30/01/44 31/01/44
12/02/44 13/02/44 ONS 029 25/02/44 29/02/44
27/02/44 05/03/44 HX 281 14/03/44 15/03/44
23/03/44 24/03/44 ON 229 01/04/44 07/04/44
05/04/44 09/04/44 HX 286 21/04/44 20/04/44
(Note on Convoys)
