H .
M . S . F O X H O U N D ( H 6 9 )
F-Class Fleet Destroyer built by John Brown at Clydebank under 1932 Programme.
She was laid down on 15th August
1933 and launched on 12th October 1934 as the 6th RN ship to carry the name. It
was introduced in
1806 and last used for a pre WW1 destroyer sold in 1920. Build was completed on
21st June 1935 and the
Tender cost was £247,234, excluding Admiralty supplied equipment such as
weapons and communications
equipment. Before the outbreak of war she was part of the 6th Destroyer
Flotilla and served in Home
waters and in the Mediterranean. The Flotilla was re-numbered 8th in April 1939
After a successful
WARSHIP WEEK National Savings campaign in January 1942 this ship
was adopted by the civil community
of Epsom and Ewell, Surrey.
B a t t l e H o n o u r s
BASQUE ROADS 1809
- DARDANELLES 1916 - ATLANTIC 1939-41 - NARVIK 1940
- NORWAY 1940 - MALTA CONVOYS 1941
- MEDITERRANEAN 1941
H e r a l d i c D a t a
Badge : On a Field Red, a Foxhound's
head proper
M o t t o
Acar in venatu :
'Keen in the chase'
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 on escort of Fleet units in Home waters.
14th During deployment as escort for HM Aircraft Carrier ARK ROYAL shared
credit with
HM Destroyers FAULKNOR and FIREDRAKE for sinking
of U39 in position 58.32N 11.39W
in NW Approaches. 43 survivors were rescued.
(Note : This was the First U- Boat 'kill1 of
WW2).
October
Deployed with destroyer screen of major Home Fleet units during
North Sea
and NW Approaches
operations.
(For details of naval activities in Home waters
see ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY
by Corelli Barnett and Naval Staff History).
1 9 4 0
January
4th Escorted HM Battleship NELSON from Loch Ewe to Portsmouth after
mine damage.
February
11th Rescued survivors of Swedish ship ORANIA in position NE of
Shetlands.
March
Home Fleet patrol and screening duties in continuation.
April
8th Deployed with Home Fleet in support of military operations in
Norway.
(Operation WILFRED/R4).
13th Participated in 2nd Battle of Narvik with Home Fleet units.
Sank German Destroyer ERICH GIESE with HM
Destroyer COSSACK.
(For details see NARVIK by D MacIntyre and Naval
Staff History (2001).).
May
Norwegian support duties in continuation.
1st Detached for escort of HM Battleship WARSPITE to Gibraltar.
8th Escorted HM Cruisers GLASGOW and BERWICK carrying Royal Marines for
the British
occupation of Iceland.
Retained temporarily in Iceland.
June
5th Part of destroyer screen for HM Battlecruisers RENOWN and REPULSE
during a
search for two unknown vessels in
Faeroes-Iceland Gap
8th Search abandoned and returned to Scapa Flow.
Transferred with Flotilla to join Force H at
Gibraltar.
July
2nd Part of destroyer screen for HM Battlecruiser HOOD, HM Battleships
RESOLUTION
and VALIANT, HM Aircraft Carrier ARK ROYAL, HM
Cruisers ARETHUSA and
ENTERPRISE with HM Destroyers FAULKNOR,
FEARLESS, FORESTER, FORESIGHT,
ESCORT of 8th Flotilla and destroyers of 13th
Flotilla for passage to Oran
(Note : Captain Holland, Royal Navy was embarked
for negotiations with French Admiral,
3rd Present for negotiations in relation to future deployment of French
warships.
Attempt to avoid Inevitable bloodshed failed
(Operation CATAPULT)
(For details see THE DEADLY STROKE by Warren
Tute).
6th Part of destroyer screens for HMS HOOD, HMS VALIANT, HMS ARK ROYAL,
HM Cruisers
ARETHUSA and ENTERPRISE with HM Destroyers
FEARLESS, FORESTER, ESCORT,
WISHART, VIDETTE, VORTIGERN and WRESTLER for air
attack on French battleship
DUNKERQUE. (Operation LEVER)
8th Part of destroyer screen for HMS HOOD, HMS VALIANT, HMS RESOLUTION,
H M Cruisers
ARETHUSA, DELHI and ENTERPRISE with HM
Destroyers FAULKNOR, FEARLESS,
FORESTER, ESCORT, DOUGLAS, ACTIVE, VELOX,
VORTIGERN and WRESTLER to cover
air attacks on Cagliari, Sardinia (Operation
MA5)
Operation abandoned after ships came under air
attack south of Majorca.
31st Joined HMS HOOD, HMS ARK ROYAL and HMS ENTERPRISE as destroyer
screen for Group
1 with HM Destroyers FAULKNOR, FORESTER and FORESIGHT for air
attacks on Cagliari
(Operation CRUSH).
August
4th Passage to UK with Force H ships.
September
Under refit at Sheerness.
October
On completion took passage to rejoin Flotilla at Gibraltar.
Deployed en convoy defence in Atlantic based at
Gibraltar.
November
9th Joined Force B with HM Destroyers DUNCAN, ISIS, FORESTER,
FIREDRAKE, FAULKNOR
and FURY as destroyer screen for HMS ARK ROYAL
and HM Cruiser SHEFFIELD to carry
out air attack on Cagliari (Operation CRACK).
(For details of operation in western
Mediterranean in 1940 see ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE
CLOSELY by Corelli Barnett and Naval Staff
History (2001) ).
15th Joined Force B with HM Destroyers, FAULKNOR, FORTUNE, FORESTER and
FIREDRAKE
as screen for HM Battlecruiser RENOWN, HMS ARK
ROYAL and HM Cruiser SHEFFIELD
to provide cover for aircraft delivery by HMS
ARGUS and a diversionary air attack on Alghero
(Operation WHITE - This attack was cancelled
because of weather conditions).
20th Joined escort for
Gibraltar
- West Africa convoy.
29th Delayed at Takoradi by condenser trouble
December
Rejoined Flotilla at Gibraltar.
1 9 4 1
January
Deployment with Flotilla in Force H in continuation.
7th Joined screen for HMS RENOWN, HM Battleship MALAYA, HMS ARK ROYAL
and HM
Cruiser SHEFFIELD with HM Destroyers FAULKNOR,
FORESIGHT, FURY, FIREDRAKE,
FORTUNE and DUNCAN to cover transit of military
convoys to Malta and Piraeus.
(Operation EXCESS - For details of 1941
operations see above references).
31st Joined Group2 with HMS Destroyers FEARLESS, FORESIGHT, FURY,
FIREDRAKE and
JERSEY as screen for HMS RENOWN, HMS MALAYA, HMS
ARK ROYAL and HMS
SHEFFIELD during an air attack on Tirso Dam,
Sardinia.
(Operation PICKET)
February
6th Joined Group 2 with HM Destroyers FEARLESS, FORESIGHT, FURY,
ENCOUNTER and
JERSEY as screen for HMS RENOWN, HMS MALAYA, HMS
ARK ROYAL and HMS
SHEFFIELD during a combined minelay off Spezia
and bombardment of Genoa.
(Operation GROG).
March
Deployment with Force H in continuation.
25th Joined escort for Convoy WS7 in NW approaches with HM Destroyer
ECLIPSE
28th Detached from WS7 with HMS ECLIPSE and took passage to rejoin Force
H.
30th Joined HM Cruiser
SHEFFIELD,
HM Destroyers FURY, FEARLESS, FORESTER
and FORTUNE with HM Destroyers FAULKNOR and
FORESIGHT to intercept a Vichy
French convoy.
(Note :This was unsuccessful and resulted in air
attacks on British ships during return passage).
April Detached with HM Destroyer DUNCAN for escort of WS7.
1st Rejoined escort for WS7 with HMS DUNCAN.
4th Detached from WS7 with HM Destroyers DUNCAN, VIDETTE and WISHART on
arrival at Freetown.
6th Took part as screen for Force H units during search for German
warships reported
in Atlantic.
7th Joined escort for WS7 with HM Destroyers DUNCAN and VIDETTE.
9th Detached from WS7 and took passage to rejoin Flotilla at Gibraltar.
May
19th Deployed with HM Destroyers FAULKNOR, FORESTER, FURY, HESPERUS and
BRILLIANT
as screen for HMS RENOWN, H M Aircraft Carriers
ARK ROYAL and ARGUS and HM Cruiser
SHEFFIELD during Malta aircraft delivery
(Operation SPLICE).
24th Deployed with Flotilla as screen for Force H for cover passage of
Atlantic military convoy in
case of attack by German warships BISMARCK and
PRINZ EUGEN.
Diverted with Force H to prevent return of
BISMARCK
to Brest.
Part of screen for HMS ARK ROYAL and HMS RENOWN
with HMS FAULKNOR,
FORESTER, FORTUNE and FORESIGHT.
25th Detached with other destroyers because of fuel shortage for high
speed operation.
June
5th Part of screen for HMS RENOWN and HM Aircraft Carrier FURIOUS with
HM Destroyers
FAULKNOR, FORESTER and FORESIGHT for
Malta
aircraft delivery.
(Operation ROCKET).
13th Escorted HMS ARK ROYAL, HMS RENOWN and HM Aircraft Carrier
VICTORIOUS for
Malta aircraft delivery with HM Destroyers FAULKNOR, FEARLESS,
FORESIGHT,
WISHART and HESPERUS (Operation TRACER).
17th On return from TRACER deployed in Atlantic with HM Destroyers
FAULKNOR, FEARLESS,
FORESTER and FURY
18th Shared credit for sinking of U138 in position 36.04N 07-29W with
same ships.
(Note : This was during A/S operations north of
Gibraltar.
27 survivors were rescued. For details see U-BOATS DESTROYED by
P. Kemp
and HITLER'S U-BOAT WAR by C Blair)
23rd Intercepted German supply ship ALSTERTOR in position 41.22N 13.10W
with ships of 8th
Flotilla.
Enemy vessel scuttled en approach and survivors
taken to Gibraltar.
30th Escorted HMS FURIOUS and HM Cruiser HERMIONE for Malta aircraft
delivery with HM
Destroyers FEARLESS and LEGION (Operation
RAILWAY II).
July
21st Joined Force X as screen for H M Cruisers EDINBURGH, MANCHESTER,
ARETHUSA and
HM Minelaying Cruiser MANXMAN with HM Destroyers
COSSACK, MAORI, SIKH.
NESTOR, ERIDGE, AVONVALE, FARNDALE, FEARLESS and
FIREDRAKE during
passage of Malta supply convoy.
25th Deployed In minesweeping role during entry into Malta.
August
Withdrawn from Force H with ships of Flotilla and took passage to UK for refit.
September
Under refit.
to Nominated for service with 2nd Destroyer Flotilla
in Eastern Mediterranean.
October
November Post
refit trials.
December Part
of escort for military Convoy WS14.
9th Joined escort for military convoy WS14 in Clyde with H M Destroyers
GURKHA and
NESTOR.
13th Detached from WS14 and took independent passage to rejoin Flotilla.
15th Deployed for anti-submarine operation off Gibraltar prior to
departure of Convoy
HG76 for UK. Shared credit for sinking U127 with
HM Destroyers CROOME, GURKHA (ii)
and NESTOR (RAN) in position 36.28N 9-12W. There
were no survivors.
Deployed for anti-submarine patrol off
Gibraltar.
Shared credit for sinking U127 with HM
Destroyers CROOME, GURKHA (ii) and
NESTOR (RAN) in position 36.28N 9.12W. There
were no survivors.
30th Joined HM Cruiser
SHEFFIELD,
HM Destroyers FURY, FEARLESS, FORESTER and
FORTUNE with HM Destroyers FAULKNOR and
FORESIGHT to intercept a Vichy French
convoy.
Under air attacks during return passage)
1 9 4 2
January
Joined 2nd Destroyer Flotilla at Alexandria for Fleet escort duties.
16th Part of escort for HM Cruisers NAIAD, DIDO and EURYALUS covering
passage of Convoy
MW8B to Malta from Alexandria (Operation MF3).
February
Deployed with destroyer screen for a series of convoys to Malta from Port Said.
to
March
April Transferred to Eastern Fleet to reinforce destroyer
strength.
Passage to Indian Ocean.
May
Deployed with Eastern Fleet for convoy defence In Indian Ocean.
June South Atlantic and Indian Ocean convoy defence in
continuation.
to Based at Simonstown.
September.
October
Deployed with HM Destroyers NIZAM (RAN), ACTIVE, ARROW and HM Corvette
ROCKROSE.
(Note : An increase in U-Boat activity against
convoys in area was causing much concern.
See HITLER'S U-BOAT WAR.)
8th Took part in search for survivors from mercantiles sunk by U-Boats.
Carried out A/S operations.
November
Deployment at Capetown in continuation.
to
December
1 9 4 3
January
Convoy defence in Atlantic and Indian Oceans in continuation.
to
February
March
24th Joined military convoy WS27 with HM Destroyers QUILLIAM and
RACEHORSE
during passage from Freetown to Cape of Good
Hope for escort in place of H M
Destroyers QUAIL, QUEENBOROUGH and RAIDER.
26th Detached from WS27 off Capetown.
Rejoined WS27 off Durban with HM Destroyers
CATTERICK, NAPIER and
ROTHERHAM.
April
1st Detached from WS27 during passage to Aden.
Took passage to join military convoy WS28
11th Joined W528 with HM Destroyers QUILLIAM and ROTHERHAM off Capetown
for
escort of Middle East section.
14th Detached from WS28 on arrival at Durban.
May
Selected for conversion to Long Range Escort with improved anti-submarine weapon
equipment fitted.
For details of development and use of radar and
new anti-submarine weapons see
RADAR AT SEA by D Hawse and SEEK AND STRIKE by W
Hackmann).
Took passage to UK but diverted for escort of
military convoy when at Gibraltar.
25th Escorted military convoy WS30 with HM Destroyers ANTELOPE and
CATTERICK
during passage to Freetown.
29th Detached from WS30 and returned to Gibraltar.
June Deployed at Gibraltar for convoy defence.
26th Joined military convoy WS31 with HM Destroyers AMAZON, BULLDOG and
BLACKMORE at Gibraltar as escort for passage to
Freetown.
(Note : Joint Convoy KMF17 for Mediterranean and
WS31 for Bombay had divided
at Gibraltar.
July
4th Detached on arrival at Freetown with WS31.
6th Rejoined WS31 on departure from Freetown with HM Armed Merchant
Cruiser
CORFU, HM Destroyers BLACKMORE, BULLDOG,
WOLVERINE as escort
during passage to Capetown.
12th Detached from WS31 for independent passage after relief by HM
Destroyer RAPID.
Rejoined Flotilla at Gibraltar.
August
Passage to UK for refit.
Paid off.
September
Under refit in Humber shipyard
to Future deployment under consideration.
December
1 9 4 4
January
Under refit.
Transfer to Royal Canadian Navy approved.
_______________
W a r S e r v i c e
a s
H . M . C . S . Q U ‘ A
P P E L L E
February
8th Transferred to Royal Canadian Navy and renamed QU'APPELLE.
Worked-up for Atlantic convoy defence at
Tobermory.
March
Joined 6th Escort Group at Londonderry as Senior Officer's ship.
April Transferred to 12th Escort Group and joined HM
Destroyers SASKATCHEWAN (RCN),
RESTIGOUCHE (RCN) and SKEENA (RCN) for escort
duty in NW Approaches.
May
Atlantic convoy escort duty in continuation
Nominated with Group for deployment in support
of Allied landings in Normandy.
June Deployed with Group in SW Approaches to deny access
to Channel by German U-boats.
Based at Plymouth.
(For details of naval activities prior to and
during the landings see OPERATION
NEPTUNE by K Edwards and LANDINGS IN NORMANDY
(HMSO)).
July Deployed on offensive operations against U-Boat
escorts in Bay of Biscay and the
English Channel (Operation DREDGER).
6th Sank Flak ships off Brest.
August
Deployed with HM Canadian Destroyers ASSINIBOINE, RESTIGOUCHE and
SKEENA for interception of evacuation shipping
in Bay of Biscay.
(Operation KINETIC)
11th Sank two trawlers.
Damaged in collision with SKEENA.
14th Taken in hand for repair.
September On
completion resumed convoy escort duties In NW Approaches.
October
Group redesignated 11th Escort Group and transferred to Iceland in continuation.
25th Subjected to extreme weather conditions whilst at anchor off
Reykjavik
(Note : HMCS SKEENA also anchored near-by came
adrift and grounded
This ship subsequently was declared a Total
Loss,)
November
Convoy defence in N Atlantic in continuation.
29th Arrived at Halifax to prepare for refit.
December
Under refit at Pictou, Nova Scotia.
1 9 4 5
January
Under refit.
to
March
April Resumed convoy escort duties.
May
Deployed in Canadian waters
to Nominated for duty as troop transport
August
P o
s t W a r N o t e s
HM
Canadian Destroyer QU'APPELLE was used for bringing Canadian service personnel
from Greenock to Halifax until
25th September 1945. She was paid off on 11th October and used for training
duties at the Canadian Navy Torpedo
School (HMCS STADACONA) in Halifax until 1946 when she was placed on the
Disposal List. This ship was
sold in December 194? and broken up at Sydney Nova Scotia in 1948.
Addendum
CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS
by Don Kindell
as
HMS FOXHOUND
Date convoy
Joined
convoy
Convoy
No.
Left convoy Date
convoy
sailed
as
escort
arrived
30/01/40 05/02/40 TC 003
07/02/40 07/02/40
08/07/41 08/07/41 HG 067
unknown 24/07/41
06/08/41 06/08/41 HG 034FA
13/08/41 14/08/41
19/11/41 21/11/41 ON 038
26/11/41 30/11/41
16/11/41 29/11/41 SC 055
02/12/41 05/12/41
17/12/42 28/12/42 MC 002
01/01/43 01/01/43
25/01/43 09/02/43 PAMPHLET
09/02/43 27/02/43
10/05/43 10/05/43 TS 039
15/05/43 15/05/43
16/05/43 16/05/43 SR 004F
23/05/43 23/05/43
14/07/43 14/07/43 TS 047
20/07/43 20/07/43
11/08/43 11/08/43 TS 050
16/08/43 16/08/43
25/08/43 25/08/43 CF 013B
31/08/43 31/08/43
19/08/43 01/09/43 MKF 022
07/09/43 09/09/43
as HMCS
QU'APPELLE
07/04/44 08/04/44 ON 231
17/04/44 24/04/44
17/04/44 27/04/44 SC 157
28/04/44 01/05/44
10/09/44 15/09/44 SL 169MK
16/09/44 17/09/44
18/11/44 19/11/44 ON 267
24/11/44 05/12/44
(Note on Convoys)
