H . M . S
. H A V E L O C K ( H 8 8 )
Variant of H-Class Fleet Destroyer ordered on 8th
December 1937 from JS White of Cowes, IoW by Brazil.
The ship was laid down on 31st May 1938 and was to have been named JUTAHY. However she as requisitioned by the Admiralty in September that year and
launched as HMS HAVELOCK on 16th October 1939. This name had been used by a Monitor built during
WW1. Basic design was similar to the Royal Navy H-Class but her cabin
accommodation was much improved. Prior to entering RN service the after 4.7in gun was removed to
enable more depth charges to be carried. This ship was commissioned on 10th February 1940. Following a successful WARSHIP WEEK National Savings
campaign in January 1942 this destroyer was adopted by the civil community of
Wimbledon, Surrey.
B a t t
le H o n o u r s
DARDANELLES 1915 - NORWAY 1940
-
ATLANTIC 1940-45 - BISCAY 1943
-
ENGLISH CHANNEL 1944
-
NORMANDY 1944
H e r a l d i
c D a t a
Badge :On a Field Blue,
a demi lion erased langued and armed
Red holding in the paws a battle axe all Gold.
D e t a i l s o f W a r S e r v i c e
February Contractors
trials.
10th Build
completion and commissioned for service
Commenced Acceptance Trials
15th Worked-up
at Portland
March Deployed with HM Destroyers HESPERUS and HIGHLANDER
as 9th Destroyer Flotilla in
Western Approaches Command for Atlantic
convoy defence
April Transferred to Home Fleet with Flotilla after German
landings in Norway.
Escorted military convoys to Norway and deployed for support and defence against air
attacks.
May Norwegian
support in continuation.
13th Provided
support during assault landings at Bjerkvik, near Narvik
with HM Battleship
RESOLUTION. HM
Cruisers AURORA and EFFINGHAM,. HM Destroyers SOMALI, FAME,
WREN and BASILISK.
(Note : French
army mortar mounted forward was used.)
28th Deployed
in Rombaksfjord with HM Destroyers BEAGLE, FAME and WALKER to
cover
landing by French
Foreign Legion.
29th Took
part in evacuation of allied troops from Bodo with HM
Destroyers ARROW, ECHO,
FIREDRAKE and VANOC.
June Norwegian evacuation support in continuation.
4th Co-ordinated
evacuation arrangements at Harstad.
8th Part
of escort for Group II Evacuation convoy with HM Cruisers COVENTRY and
SOUTHAMPTON. HM Destroyers
FAME, FIREDRAKE, BEAGLE and ECHO.
(For details of the disastrous naval operations
off Norway see ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE
CLOSELY by Corelli
Bamett, .NARVIK by D Macintyre, Naval Staff History (HMSO-2001_
and THE DOOMED
EXPEDITION by Adams.)
. 10th Arrived
at Scapa after completion of Norwegian evacuation.
Resumed duty In Western
Approaches with 9th Destroyer Flotilla.
11th Deployed for Atlantic convoy defence.
16th Detached to cover evacuation of troops from St. Nazaire.
(Operation AERIAL - See ENGAGE THE ENEMY
MORE CLOSELY and BEF SHIPS by
J de Winser.)
July Returned to Atlantic convoy escort duty with
Flotilla
August Atlantic
convoy defence in continuation.
September Transferred to Liverpool
(See THE BATTLE OF THE ATLANTIC by D Macintyre).
October convoy
escort in continuation.
November
8th Attacked
and sank Italian submarine COMANDANTE FAA DI BRUNO during defence
of Convoy HX84.
December Atlantic
convoy escort with Group in continuation.
1 9 4 1
January Atlantic
onvoy defence in continuation.
to
March
April Part
of escort for military convoy WS8A.
Nominated for duty with Force H
with HM Destroyers HESPERUS and HARVESTER
in Force H
at Gibraltar.
May Escorted HM Aircraft Carrier FURIOUS for passage
from
6th Deployed
as escort for HM Battlecruiser RENOWN, HM Aircraft Carrier ARK ROYAL
and HM Cruiser SHEFFIELD with HM Destroyers HESPERUS, HARVESTER, KASHMIR
and KIPLING during cover of passage of military convoy taking
tanks to the Middle East.
(Operation TIGER
- This operation also included passage of HM Battleship QUEEN
ELIZABETH, HM Cruisers GLOUCESTER, NAIAD and FIJI to reinforce the Fleet in the
Eastern Mediterranean.
For details see ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY, THE BATTLE FOR THE
MEDITERRANEAN by D Macintyre and the Naval Staff
History (HMSO-2001)
10th Returned to Gibraltar from position west of Malta.
12th Retained at Gibraltar for service in Force H.
19th Deployed
for initial escort of major ships covering Malta aircraft delivery by HM Aircraft
Carriers ARK ROYAL and FURIOUS (Operation SPLICE)
Withdrawn from Force
H because of inadequate anti-aircraft capability.
June Returned to Atlantic convoy escort duty.
July Atlantic
convoy escort in continuation.
to
December
1 9 4 2
January Atlantic convoy escort in continuation.
to For details of development of anti-submarine
weapons and tactics see SEEK AND STRIKE
February by W Hackmann, U-BOAT WAR IN THE ATLANTIC (HMSO).
March Transferred to 5th (British) Escort Group as Senior
Officers’ Ship.
April Deployed with Group for Atlantic convoy escort.
to
July
August Deployed with Group off Eastern American coast for escort
of convoys from the Caribbean
area to Newfoundland and Gibraltar.
September Joined escort of Convoy WAT13
October Deployment
in American coastal waters in continuation.
to (See above references)
December
1 9 4 3
January
12th Escorted
Tanker Convoy TM1 with HM Corvettes PIMPERNEL and GODETIA.
(Note : This
convoy suffered severe losses in U-Boat attacks during passage to
Mediterranean from the West Indies.
Covered passage of convoy
SC1 with 9th British Escort Group.
February Atlantic
convoy defence in continuation.
March
16th Participated
in defence of Convoy SC122 with H M Corvettes GODETIA, PIMPERNEL,
BUTTERCUP, LAVENDER,
SAXIFRAGE, HM Frigate SWALE, HM Destroyer
LEAMINGTON of
Group against sustained U-Boat attacks from STURMER Group.
(For details see
CONVOY by M Middlebrook and HITLER’S U-BOAT WAR by C Blair.).
April Escorted
Convoy SC126 with ships of Group.
(See above references)
May Atlantic convoy defence with Group in continuation.
Deployed in Support
role.
June Deployed with Group in Joint anti-submarine operations
with RAF Coastal Command
to to attack submarines in transit through Bay of Biscay. Cover was provided by HM
August Cruisers
SCYLLA, GLASGOW and BERMUDA with HM Escort Carrier ARCHER.
(Operations MUSKETRY and SEASLUG - For
details see CONFLICT OVER THE BAY by N.
Franks, ENGAGE THE ENEMY
MORE CLOSELY and HITLER’S U-BOAT WAR.).
September Resumed convoy defence with Group in
Support role.
30th Escorted
military convoy to establish aircraft bases in Azores.
Deployed with
HM Destroyers WARWICK and VOLUNTEER, HM Sloop LOWESTOFT
and the Corvettes HMS BUTTERCUP,
FMS LAVENDER and HMS GODETIA.
(Operation ALACRITY).
October Atlantic
convoy support with Group in continuation.
to (For details of development and use of radar
by RN see RADAR AT SEA by D Hawse)
December
1 9 4 4
January Atlantic convoy support in continuation.
to
April
May Nominated
for support of Normandy landings and joined 14th Escort Group with HM
Destroyers FAME, HOTSPUR, ICARUS and INCONSTANT.
Transferred to Plymouth Command.
June
5th Deployed
with Group in SW Approaches to prevent entry of U-Boats into English
Channel for attacks
on invasion convoys (Operation NEPTUNE).
(For full details
of naval activities prior to and during landings see LANDINGS
IN NORMANDY, JUNE 1944 (HMSO),
OPERATION NEPTUNE by K Edwards
and D-DAY SHIPS by J de Winser.)
12th Deployed
in English Channel and under unsuccessful attack by torpedo bombers south
of Lyme Bay
18th Participated in
sinking of U767 with HMS FAME and HMS INCONSTANT in Channel in
position U9.03N 03-13W.
July Under refit in Liverpool.
to
August
September On completion of post refit trials rejoined
Group for convoy escort in SW Approaches
and Irish Sea.
October Deployed in SW
Approaches and Channel area for convoy defence.
to
December
1 9 4 5
January Irish Sea and Channel coastal convoy defence
in continuation.
February Under
repair at Portsmouth.
to
March
April Rejoined Group in continuation of support and escort role in
Irish Sea.
30th Participated
in sinking of U242 by Hedgehog attack with H M Destroyer HESPERUS and
RAF aircraft NW of Anglesey.
(Note : The credit for this sinking is in dispute
See U-BOATS DESTROYED by P Kemp).
May
8th On cessation of hostilities against Germany deployed with Home Fleet.
29th Escorted
rms ANDES carrying Norwegian Government officials back to Oslo with HMS
HESPERUS.
June Nominated for service
Air Target Ship duty.
Taken in hand for conversion to suit new role.
July Deployed as an Air
Target Ship for training of aircrew.
to
August
P o s t W a r
N o t e s
HMS HAVELOCK continued in use as an Air Target Ship until 1946.
She was reduced to Reserve status on 2nd August that year and placed on the
Disposal List. Sold to BISCO on 31st October 1946 for
demolition by T W Ward and towed to the breaker’s yard at Inverkeithing
the same day.
Addendum
CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of
HMS HAVELOCK
by Don Kindell
Date convoy
Joined
convoy
Convoy
No.
Left convoy Date
convoy
sailed as
escort
arrived
07/07/40 09/07/40 OB 180 09/07/40 10/07/40
29/06/40 11/07/40 HX 054 13/07/40 14/07/40
06/07/40 15/07/40 BC A 16/07/40 16/07/40
05/08/40 05/08/40 WS 002 07/08/40 08/08/40
15/08/40 27/08/40 SC 001 29/08/40 29/08/40
24/09/40 24/09/40 OL 004 27/09/40 27/09/40
13/10/40 13/10/40 OL 007 16/10/40 16/10/40
19/10/40 19/10/40 OL 008 21/10/40 22/10/40
09/10/40 22/10/40 HG 045 27/10/40 27/10/40
14/11/40 26/11/40 HX 087 29/11/40 29/11/40
30/11/40 04/12/40 OB 252 04/12/40 04/12/40
30/01/41 30/01/41 OBA 03/02/41 03/02/41
17/02/41 24/02/41 TC 009 25/02/41 27/02/41
19/02/41 06/03/41 HX 110 11/03/41 11/03/41
16/03/41 18/03/41 OB 298 20/03/41 20/03/41
01/03/41 21/03/41 SL 067 24/03/41 26/03/41
31/03/41 31/03/41 OB 304 03/04/41 04/04/41
20/03/41 05/04/41 SC 026 07/04/41 08/04/41
06/04/41 16/04/41 HX 119A 22/04/41 22/04/41
06/05/41 06/05/41 TIGER 12/05/41 12/05/41
23/05/41 23/05/41 unknown unknown unknown
08/06/41 10/06/41 OB 332 18/06/41 23/06/41
21/06/41 21/06/41 TC 011 27/06/41 30/06/41
27/06/41 03/07/41 OB 340 13/07/41 13/07/41
21/07/41 21/07/41 TC 012 26/07/41 29/07/41
08/08/41 08/08/41 CT 001 11/08/41 15/08/41
26/08/41 27/08/41 TC 012B 01/09/41 01/09/41
09/10/41 09/10/41 TC 014 17/10/41 17/10/41
13/11/41 18/11/41 TC 015 21/11/41 21/11/41
03/12/41 10/12/41 ON 043 10/12/41 15/12/41
15/12/41 22/12/41 TC 016 unknown 25/12/41
14/03/42 14/03/42 TA 012 unknown 25/03/42
24/03/42 28/03/42 SC 076 06/04/42 11/04/42
16/04/42 17/04/42 ON 087 26/04/42 26/04/42
18/05/42 18/05/42 OT 001 22/05/42 22/05/42
23/05/42 23/05/42 TO 001 26/05/42 26/05/42
29/05/42 29/05/42 OT 004 01/06/42 01/06/42
02/06/42 02/06/42 TO 004 04/06/42 04/06/42
09/06/42 09/06/42 OT 007 13/06/42 13/06/42
14/06/42 14/06/42 TO 007 16/06/42 16/06/42
24/06/42 24/06/42 OT 011 27/06/42 27/06/42
02/07/42 02/07/42 TAW 001 10/07/42 10/07/42
14/07/42 14/07/42 WAT 005 23/07/42 23/07/42
27/07/42 27/07/42 TAW 009 05/08/42 05/08/42
09/08/42 09/08/42 WAT 013 19/08/42 19/08/42
27/08/42 27/08/42 TAW 016 30/08/42 30/08/42
31/08/42 31/08/42 GN SPEC1 06/09/42 06/09/42
19/09/42 19/09/42 GN 005 26/09/42 26/09/42
14/01/43 17/01/43 MKS 005X 25/01/43 25/01/43
21/02/43 22/02/43 ON 168 07/03/43 12/03/43
05/03/43 12/03/43 SC 122 22/03/43 24/03/43
08/04/43 13/04/43 SC 126 23/04/43 23/04/43
24/06/43 27/06/43 KMS 018B 03/07/43 10/07/43
30/09/43 30/09/43 UA 002 09/10/43 09/10/43
02/12/43 03/12/43 ON 214 13/12/43 20/12/43
15/12/43 19/12/43 SC 149 29/12/43 30/12/43
13/01/44 14/01/44 ONS 027 28/01/44 31/01/44
28/01/44 02/02/44 HX 277 12/02/44 13/02/44
23/04/44 23/04/44 OS 075KM 28/04/44 04/05/44
13/12/44 15/12/44 ONS 038 16/12/44 02/01/45
08/01/45 unknown HX
331 unknown 22/01/45
23/01/45 unknown HX
334 unknown 06/02/45
22/03/45
22/03/45 VWP 102 23/03/45 23/03/45
12/04/45
12/04/45 MKF 042 17/04/45 17/04/45
