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Q-Class Fleet Destroyer ordered in March 1940 from Hawthorn
Leslie, Newcastle with other ships of the 3rd Emergency Flotilla. The ship was
laid down on 24th September that year but her construction was delayed because
of higher priority repair work on ships damaged in action during the Norwegian
campaign and the evacuation operations in the Channel. Launch was therefore
delayed until 28th February 1942 when she became the 1st RN ship to carry this
name. Build was completed on 26th November 1942 at a cost of £436,576. After a
successful WARSHIP WEEK for National Savings in March 1942 she was adopted
by the civil community of Bermondsey in Greater London.
B a t t
l e H o n o u r s
ARCTIC 1942-43 - OKINAWA 1945
H e r a
l d i c D a t
a
Badge :
On a Field Blue, in base water barry
wavy white and blue
a Davis quadrant Gold.
D e t a i
l s o f W a r
S e r v i c e
1 9 4 2
November
Contractor's sea trials and commissioning.
20th Build completion and
commenced Acceptance Trials.
December
On completion of trials and storing took passage to Scapa Flow.
Worked-up for operational service with ships of Home Fleet.
18th Deployed as screen for
HM Battleship KING GEORGE V and HM Cruiser BERWICK
with HM Destroyers MUSKETEER and RAIDER to provide Distant Cover for the
passage
of Russian Convoy JW51A,
(For details of all Russian Convoy operations see CONVOYS TO RUSSIA by
RA Ruegg,
ARCTIC CONVOYS by R Woodman, CONVOYS TO RUSSIA by B Schoefield
and
CONVOY ! by P Kemp.
1 9 4 3
January
Deployed with Home Fleet based at Scapa Flow.
23rd Joined escort for joint
military convoy WS26 (For Aden and Bombay) and Convoy KMF8
(For Mediterranean) in Clyde with HM Destroyer RELENTLESS for passage to
Freetown.
(Note : Other ships joining were HM Armed Merchant Cruisers CANTON and
CILICIA,
HM Cutters BANFF,
FISHGUARD, HM Frigate TEST, Greek destroyers ADRIAS
and
MIALOUS).
29th Gibraltar Section (KMF8)
detached.
Additional destroyers joined Escort.
February
6th Detached from WS26 and
took passage to return to UK.
27th Joined escort for joint
military convoy WS27 and KMF10A in Clyde with HM Sloops
EGRET, ERNE, HM Frigate TEST, HM Cutter FISHGUARD, HM Destroyers
QUEENBOROUGH, QUAIL, RAIDER, WOLVERINE and CLARE as Ocean Escort during
Atlantic passage.
(Note : HM Battleship MALAYA provided cover for passage to Freetown.)
March
2nd Gibraltar Section KMF10A
detached.
5th Detached from WS27 for
independent passage to Gambia
After the formal visit took passage to Freetown.
10th Deployed at Freetown
for convoy defence and patrol.
30th Joined military convoy
WS28 at Freetown for escort during passage to Durban with
HM Destroyer REDOUBT and HM Cruiser KENYA.
April
5th HM Destroyers RACEHORSE
and RELENTLESS joined escort during passage.
11th Remained with WS238
when HE KENYA detached en arrival off Capetown
(Note : HMS REDOUBT and HMS RELENTLESS were also part of escort.)
14th Detached from WS28 on
arrival at Durban.
16th Nominated for duty on
South Atlantic Station and took passage to Simonstown for convoy
defence
May
Passage to join military convoy WS29 from Freetown.
16th Joined escort for WS29
in Atlantic.
20th Detached from W529 on
arrival at Durban.
25th Rejoined WS29 with HI
Destroyers NORMAN and REDOUBT for passage in Indian Ocean.
29th Detached from WS29 with
HIS REDOUBT before it divided for separate passages to
Bombay and Aden. Took passage to Durban.
June
Passage from Durban to Join military convoy in Atlantic.
9th Joined escort for Convoy
WS30 during passage from Freetown with HMS REDOUBT and
HM Destroyer NORMAN (RAN).
19th Detached on arrival of
WS30 at Durban
.
20th Deployed at Durban.
July Passage to join escort of
military convoy during Atlantic passage from Freetown.
15th Joined escort for Convoy WS31 with HE
REDOUBT.
21st Detached on arrival of convoy at
Capetown.
26th Rejoined escort for WS31 with HIS REDOUBT
on departure from Capetown
August
Escort of military convoy to Bombay in Indian Ocean.
4th Detached from WS31 with
HMS REDOUBT after arrival of HM Cruiser FROBISHER.
Took passage to Durban.
September Deployed for Indian Ocean convoy
defence based at
to Durban .
November Nominated for service with Eastern
Fleet at Trincomalee after refit.
December Under refit at Simons Town.
1 9 4 4
January Under refit
to Nominated for Fleet duties in Indian Ocean.
February
March On completion of post refit
trials took passage to join Eastern Fleet ships in search for blockade
runners and supply
ships in Indian Ocean.
(For details of naval activities in the Indian Ocean between 1944 and
1945 see OPERATION
PACIFIC by E Gray and WAR WITH JAPAN (HMSO). ).
Joined HM Cruiser
NEWCASTLE and HM Escort Aircraft Carrier BATTLER in Force 67 to
take part in search
for German supply ship. (Operation COVERED)
8th Detached to join HM Cruiser SUFFOLK
deployed as Force 68
(Note : After air
search by CATALINA aircraft and by aircraft from HMS BATTLER the
German
tanker BRAKE was sighted and was engaged in refuelling submarines.
Enemy supply ship scuttled on approach of HMS
ROEBUCK of Force 67. Crew were taken off by U168.
WAR
WITH JAPAN records BRAKE was sunk by HMS ROEBUCK.)
April
16th Part of screen for HM
Battlecruiser RENOWN, HM Aircraft Carrier ILLUSTRIOUS,
US aircraft carrier USS SARATOGA and HM Cruiser LONDON with HM Destroyers
QUILLIAM, QUEENBOROUGH, US destroyers USS CUMMINGS, USS DUNLOP and
USS FANNING in Task Force 70 of Eastern Fleet for air attacks en Sabang, Sumatra
(Operation COCKPIT).
19th Deployed with screen
during carrier air operations.
24th Returned to Trincomalee with Eastern Fleet ships.
May
6th Part of screen for HMS
RENOWN, HMS ILLUSTRIOUS and USS SARATOGA with
USS DUNLOP, USS
FANNING, USS CUMMINGS, HMS QUEENBOROUGH and HMS
QUILLIAM in Task Force 66 of Eastern Fleet for air attacks on Soerabaya, Java .
(Operation TRANSOM).
7th
Remained as destroyer screen for aircraft carriers when HMS RENOWN
transferred to
Task Force 65, the Covering Force.
15th Replenished in Exmouth
Bay, NW Australia from Task Force 67.
17th
Part of screen during air operations.
18th US Navy ships detached
for return to US Navy Command.
27th Arrived in Ceylon with
British Task Forces.
June
Deployed with Flotilla for screening duties of major units and convoy
defence in Indian
to
Ocean.
October
November
22nd Transferred to British
Pacific Fleet on formation with ships of Flotilla.
December
Escorted Flagship, British Pacific Fleet, HM Battleship HOWE with HM
Destroyers
QUICKMATCH, QUEENBOROUGH and QUILLIAM during passage to Australia.
Deployed at
Melbourne for leave.
(Note : Pennant Number
for visual signalling purposes changed to D14 to
conform with US
Navy
identity for destroyers.)
1 9 4 5
January Despatched from Melbourne with
HMS QUALITY, and HMS QUILLIAM to join HMS
QUICKMATCH off
Sydney in search for U862 which had sunk US freighter Robert J Walker
on 24th December.
Search was
unsuccessful but survivors rescued.
(Note : Other ships
deployed included US Submarine Chaser PC597
and RAN corvettes.
Carried out extensive exercises
with ships of BPF in preparation for service in SW Pacific under
overall US Navy command.
(Note : These included
manoeuvring using US Navy signalling procedures and joint exercises to
prepare for operational service
including support of air operations and bombardments.
February Deployed with HM Destroyers
QUADRANT and QUICKMATCH as screen for HM New
Cruisers ACHILLES,
GAMBIA and HM Battleship HOWE during visit to Auckland, New
Zealand by Admiral
Fraser, CinC BPF.
Routine docking in HM Dockyard, Auckland.
Returned to Sydney
with same ships for final preparations for operational service.
March
Deployed in Australian waters
to
(Note : No reference can be found to presence with ships of Task Force
57 during irst
April operational
deployment of RN ships off Sakishiima Gunto for Operation ICEBERG
ONE).
May
Passage from Sydney with call at Manus before joining BPF in operational area
22nd Joined Task Force 57 in
Area COOTIE during replenishment of Task Force 57 with HM
Cruiser ACHILLES (RNZN) and HM Destroyer
TERMAGANT.
(Operation ICEBERG TWO)
24th Deployed with destroyer
screen during air operations against Japanese airfields in Sakishima
Gunto Group.
25th On completion took
passage to Manus with ships of Task Force.
(Note : HM Battleship KING GEORGE V detached for passage to Guam. )
June Passage to Sydney from Manus for R&R.
Transferred to Task Force 37 in US 3rd Fleet with BPF
ships.
(Note this was part of a change in US Navy Command structure).
July
6th Took passage from Sydney as part of
screen for H M Battleship KING GEORGE V, HM
Aircraft Carriers FORMIDABLE, IMPLACABLE and VICTORIOUS, HM Cruisers
NEWFOUNDLAND, ACHILLES (RNZN), BLACK PRINCE, EURYALUS, GAMBIA
(RNZN) and UGANDA (RCN) with HM Destroyers GRENVILLE, UNDINE, URANIA,
ULYSSES, UNDAUNTED, QUIBERON,
QUICKMATCH, QUALITY of 4th Flotilla and
HM Destroyers TROUBRIDGE, TENACIOUS,
TERMAGANT, TEAZER, TERPSICHORE
of 24th Flotilla.
16th Joined US Task Force 38
with BPF ships for joint RN/USN
air operations against targets
in Tokyo - Yokohama area.
(For details of operations by British Pacific Fleet in 1945 see TASK
FORCE 57 by Peter C
Smith, THE FORGOTTEN FLEET by J Winton
and WAR WITH JAPAN (HMSO).
18th Deployed with screen for
aircraft carriers during British air operations.
21st Destroyers refuelled
from British major warships in refuelling area.
24th Screening duties in
continuation during air strikes on subsidiary targets.
(Note : US Fleet were carrying out attacks on Kure
naval base.)
26th Provided screen during
replenishment.
(Note : During the replenishment destroyers were deployed for delivery
purposes.)
28th Screening duties in
continuation during attacks on shipping and airfield.
30th Passage to Replenishment
area
31st Deployed with screen
during refuelling of aircraft carriers.
August
4th Refuelled from major
British warships.
(Note : The supply of fuel from British Fleet Train tankers was a
continuing embarrassment).
9th Deployed with Fleet
screen for ships of Task Force 37 during Joint attacks with Task Force 38
on airfields in North Honshu and Hokkaido.
12th Withdrawn from
operational area with ships not transferred to US Task Unit 38.5.
(Note: This was
because of lack of availability of fuel from British Fleet Train. See
OPERATION PACIFIC, THE FORGOTTEN FLEET. and WAR WITH JAPAN.)
17th Transferred to RN
control and Joined HM Cruisers SWIFTSURE, EURYALUS and BLACK
PRINCE with HM
Destroyers KEMPENFELT, URSA
and WHIRLWIND.
Took passage to Subic Bay.
25th Joined Task Unit 111.2
on formation at Subic Bay.
27th Passage to Hong Kong
for re-occupation with HM Aircraft Carrier INDOMITABLE, HM
Escort Aircraft
Carrier VENERABLE, HM Auxiliary Cruiser PRINCE ROBERT (RCN) and
same ships for
re-occupation of Hong Kong.
30th Entered Hong Kong with TU 111.2 after threat by Japanese explosive craft dealt
with by
aircraft from HMS VENGEANCE.
September
16th Present at Hong Kong
for formal surrender
Post War Notes
HMS QUADRANT remained in the Pacific Fleet and was
deployed in support of the repatriation of PoW and civilian internees. The ship was transferred to the Royal
Australian Navy for loan service in in November 1945. After permanent transfer in 1950 she was converted for use
as an Anti-Submarine Frigate. This work was completed in 1953. By 1957 she had been placed in Reserve
and went on the Disposal List in 1962. The ship was sold for breaking up in January 1963.
Addendum
CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of HMS
QUADRANT
by Don Kindell
These convoy lists have not been cross-checked
with the text above
Date
convoy Joined convoy
Convoy
No. Left convoy Date convoy
sailed as escort arrived
15/12/42
19/12/42
JW 051A
22/12/42
25/12/42
24/01/43
24/01/43
KMF 008
01/02/43
01/02/43
14/02/43
16/02/43
CF 011B
22/02/43
25/02/43
23/05/43
29/05/43
MC 007
02/06/43
02/06/43
19/08/43
19/08/43
BC 004
23/08/43
22/08/43
14/09/43
20/09/43
CM 045
27/09/43
27/09/43
01/10/43
01/10/43
AB 015
08/10/43
08/10/43
13/06/44
13/06/44
JM 002
20/06/44
20/06/44
23/06/44
23/06/44
KM 004D
26/06/44
26/06/44
27/06/44
27/06/44
MK 007F
29/06/44
29/06/44
14/07/44
14/07/44
CM 055A
19/07/44
19/07/44
23/04/45
23/04/45 US 026
24/04/45
24/04/45
25/04/45
25/04/45 US 026/1
06/05/45
06/05/45
(Note on Convoys)
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