H .  M .  S .   G R A F T O N   ( H 8 9 )

 

GREYHOUND or G-Class Fleet Destroyer ordered from John I Thornycroft at Woolston, Southampton in the 1933 Programme on 5th March 1934. The ship was laid down on 30th August 1934 as Yard No. 1126 and launched on 18th September 1935. She was the 7th RN ship to carry the name, introduced in 1679 and previously used by a cruiser sold in 1920. Build was completed on 20th March 1936 for a cost of £248,485 except Admiralty supplied items such as guns, ammunition and communication equipment. She joined the 1st Destroyer Flotilla in the Mediterranean in June 1936 and served on there until Sept. 1939.

 

B a t t l e   H o n o u r s

 

BEACHY HEAD 1690 - BARFLEUR   169 - VIGO 1702 - GIBRALTAR 1704 - VELEZ MALAGA 1704 - CAPE  PASSARO 1718 - PORTO NOVA 1759 - MANILA 1761 - GRENADA 1779 - OFF MARTINIQUE 1780 - DARDANELLES 1915-16 - DUNKIRK  1940 - ATLANTIC   1939

 

H e r a l d i c   D a t a

Badge : On a Field Green., a Lion's mask Gold, crowned Silver,

with collar red and silver.

 

M o t t o

Decus pretutis  pretium  :   'Glory is  the reward of valour'.

 

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 with 1st Destroyer Flotilla and under repair in Malta.

                                Nominated for service with Flotilla in Home Fleet.

 

October                  Under repair.

                22nd       Arrived at Plymouth and deployed on convoy escort and anti-submarine patrol duty in SW

                                Approaches with HM Destroyers GALLANT GREYHOUND and GLOWWORM

 

November              Nominated for transfer to 22nd Destroyer Flotilla based at Harwich.

                                Passage to Harwich for convoy escort and contraband control in North Sea and English

                                Channel.

                                Replaced HM Destroyer KEITH.

 

December              Harwich deployment in continuation.

 

1 9 4 0

 

January                  Harwich deployment in continuation.

                10th        Transferred to reformed 1st Destroyer Flotilla based at Harwich.

                                Deployed for interception of mercantile traffic between German and Dutch ports.

                16th        Escorted Latvian ship GRADA into Dover for detailed examination.

 

February                Contraband control in continuation.

                11th        Boarded Dutch ship GRADA which was released after inspection.

 

March                    Contraband control in continuation.

                26th        Taken in hand for refit at Hull.

 

April                       Under refit.

                                Nominated for duty with Home Fleet on completion.

                14th        Post refit trials.

                15th        Passage to Scapa Flow to commence duty off Norway with Home Fleet.

                17th        Deployed on convoy defence and support of operations in Norway.

                                Carried out patrol and anti-aircraft defence duties.

 

May                        Norwegian support in continuation.

                12th        Returned to Scapa Flow for screening of major units of Home Fleet.

                18th        Took part in rescue of survivors from HM Auxiliary Minelayer PRINCESS VICTORIA with

                                HM Destroyers GALLANT and FORESIGHT.

                                (Note : This ship sank after detonating a mine off the Humber. See Naval Staff History

                                (Mining) for details.)

                24th        Deployed in Nore Command with HM Destroyers GALLANT, GREYHOUND and Polish

                                destroyer ORP BLYSKAWICA as Force B for patrol in southern North Sea. See THE

                                BATTLE OF THE EAST COAST by J P Foynes.

                                Detached for support of evacuation of troops from France and the Low countries.

                                (Operation DYNAMO). Deployed in Nore Command.

                26th        Escorted HM Cruisers ARETHUSA and GALATEA during bombardment of Pas de-Calais

                                area in support of military defence.

                28th        Carried 277 troops from La Panne and Eayne (?Bray) to Dover.

                29th        Torpedoed when assisting in recovery of survivors from HM Destroyer WAKEFUL.

                                For details of DYNAMO see Naval Staff History and BEF SHIPS by J de Winser.)

                                Ship had embarked troops and was returning to Dover.

                                Sustained major damage aft and later a second explosion wrecked forward structure,

                                including part of Bridge, killing the captain and another officer.

                                Ship's back was broken but vessel remained afloat long enough for all troops and

                                survivors of ship's company to be rescued by HM Destroyer IVANHOE.

                                Four of crew were killed.

                                Sunk by gunfire from HMS IVANHOE in position 51-22N 02.39E.

 

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Addendum

 

CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of HMS GRAFTON

by Don Kindell

 

Date convoy         Joined convoy            Convoy No.          Left convoy           Date convoy

sailed                     as escort                                                                                arrived

 

05/09/39                       13/09/39                 RED 1                    16/09/39                 27/09/39

28/09/39                       03/10/39                 GREEN 3               07/10/39                 07/10/39

11/10/39                       17/10/39                 BLUE 004              18/10/39                 21/10/39

17/10/39                       28/10/39                 HX 005                  29/10/39                 29/10/39

02/11/39                       14/11/39                 HX 007                  17/11/39                 17/11/39

18/11/39                       18/11/39                 OA 037                  20/11/39                 21/11/39

  25/11/39                      25/11/39                 OA 041                 unknown               unknown

17/11/39                       29/11/39                 SL 009F                 29/11/39                 29/11/39

 

(Note on Convoys)