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QUILLIAM-Class Fleet Destroyer ordered from JS White, Cowes on 2nd April 1940 with ships
of the 3rd.
Emergency Flotilla. She was laid down on 14 October 1940 and launched on 31st
January 1941 as the
first RN ship to carry this name. Her completion was delayed due to air raid
damage in the Build yard and she
did not commission until July 1942. Build cost was £436,769 excluding items
supplied by the Admiralty
such as guns, communications outfits and radar equipment. Completion date was
on 22nd July 1942.
After a successful WARSHIP WEEK National Savings campaign in March 1942 this
destroyer was adopted
by the civil community of West Ham in Greater London. She was transferred on
loan to the Royal Australian
Navy after acceptance in 1942.
B a t t
l e H o n o u r s
MEDITERRANEAN 1942 - NORTH AFRICA 1942-43 - ATLANTIC
1943 - OKINAWA
1945
H e r a l d i
c D a t a
Badge : A hawk
rising, Ermine, armed and bellied. Gold, charged on the
breast within a chaplet of laurel also Gold. on a Blue Field.
D e t a i
l s o f W a r
S e r v i c e
1 9 4 2
July Contractors
trials
6th Commissioned for service.
22nd Build completion and commenced Acceptance
Trials.
Passage to Scapa Flow after acceptance and completion of storing.
August Worked-up at Scapa
Flow with ships of the Home Fleet.
19th Joined military convoy WS22 in Clyde as
Ocean Escort with HM Cruiser AURORA,
HM Destroyer PARTRIDGE
and HM Armed Merchant Cruiser CARTHAGE.
September
9th Detached from WS22 on arrival at
Freetown.
13th Rejoined WS22 as Ocean Escort with HM
Armed Merchant Cruiser ALCANTARA and
HMS PARTRIDGE.
25th Detached from WS22 on arrival at Capetown and took passage to Gibraltar for service in
the Mediterranean.
October
2nd Refuelled at Bathurst, The Gambia.
7th Nominated for service with Force Q and
took passage to Algiers.
11th Joined HM Cruisers AURORA, ARGONAUT, SIRIUS
and HM Destroyer QUENTIN IN
Force Q.
Deployed for interception
of enemy supply convoys off North African coast and defence
of convoys.
November Force Q deployment in continuation.
28th
Sank Italian submarine DESSIE north of Bone, with HMS QUENTIN.
December
1st Deployed as screen for HMS AURORA,
ARGONAUT and SIRIUS during interception
patrol off North African
coast.
2nd
In action with ships of Force Q
against convoy of four ships north of Cape Bon.
All ships in convoy and
the Italian destroyer FOLGORE were sunk with three other
escorts damaged. See ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY by C
Barnett and THE
BATTLE FOR THE
MEDITERRANEAN by D MacIntyre.
3rd During later passage to Bone under
torpedo attack by aircraft during which HMS
QUENTIN was sunk.
1 9 4 3
January Deployed at Gibraltar for convoy
defence.
13th Reinforced escort of tanker convoy TM1 on
passage from West Indies to Mediterranean
and under attack from DELFIN U-Boat Group with serious losses. See HITLER’S
U-BOAT WAR by C Blair,
Volume 2. HM Corvettes PENSTEMMON and
SAMPHIRE
was also deployed as part of this reinforcement.
21st Nominated for service with Eastern Fleet.
31st Joined military convoy WS26 during
passage to Freetown after it had detached from
ships of military convoy
KMF8 as joint convoy to position off Gibraltar.
Other ships joining
escort were HM Destroyers QUALITY, QUICKMATCH.
RACEHORSE and REDOUBT.
(Note : HM Armed Merchant
Cruisers CANTON, CICILIA, HM Destroyers
QUADRANT and RELENTLESS were already
with convoy as Ocean Escort.
February
6th Detached from WS26 on arrival at
Freetown.
9th Rejoined WS26 as Ocean Escort for
passage to Cape of Good Hope with HMS
CANTON, HMS CICILIA
and HMS QUICKMATCH.
23rd Detached from WS 26 with HMS CICILIA and HMS QUICKMATCH.
Took independent passage
to Durban to join 4th Destroyer Flotilla for Indian Ocean
interception patrol and
convoy defence of convoys in Indian Ocean.
March Deployed at Durban with HMS QUICKMATCH
and QUALITY of Flotilla.
4th Reinforced HM Corvette NIGELLA and three Trawlers in escort of Convoy DN21
with HMS RELENTLESS after series of attacks
by U160
April Indian Ocean convoy defence and
interception duties in continuation.
to July
August Passage to South Atlantic for escort
of military convoy.
12th Joined military convoy WS32 with HM
Destroyers NORMAN, RAPID and
RELENTLESS during passage
to Cape of Good Hope from Freetown.
18th Detached from WS32 on arrival at Capetown.
19th Passage to Durban to resume Indian Ocean
convoy defence.
28th Rejoined military convoy WS32 at Durban
with HM Cruiser HAWKINS, HMS
NORMAN and HMS RAPID as
Ocean Escort during Indian Ocean passage.
September
3rd Detached from WS32 with Ocean Escort on
arrival of HM Cruiser EMERALD.
October Indian Ocean patrol and convoy
defence deployment in continuation.
to
December
1 9 4 4
January
Indian Ocean deployment with Flotilla in continuation.
February
Nominated for transfer with 4th Destroyer Flotilla to Eastern Fleet at
Ceylon.
Passage to Trincomalee.
March
Joined Fleet with H M Destroyers QUILLIAM,
QUADRANT, QUALITY, QUEENBOROUGH
and QUICKMATCH (RAN).
21st Joined screen for H M Battleships QUEEN
ELIZABETH and VALIANT, HM Battlecruiser
RENOWN, HM Aircraft Carrier ILLUSTRIOUS, H M Cruisers LONDON, GAMBIA (RNZN),
CEYLON and CUMBERLAND with HM Destroyers QUILLIAM,
QUALITY,
QUEENBOROUGH, NAPIER (RAN), NORMAN (RAN),
NEPAL (RAN), PATHFINDER,
Dutch VAN GALEN and Dutch TJERK HIDDES for offensive sweep in Indian Ocean
(Operation DIPLOMAT).
For details of Eastern Fleet activities in 1944-5 see OPERATION PACIFIC
by E Gray, ENGAGE
THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY AND WAR WITH JAPAN (HMSO).
27th
Met US aircraft carrier USS SARATOGA and escort of four destroyers (Task
Group 58.5)
on passage to join Eastern Fleet for future operations in Indian Ocean.
April
16th Joined Task Force 65 with HM Destroyers
ROTHERHAM, RACEHORSE, PETARD, PENN,
NAPIER, NEPAL, NIZAM and Dutch VAN GALEN as
screen for H M Battleships QUEEN
ELIZABETH VALIANT, French battleship RICHELIEU, H M Cruisers NEWCASTLE,
NIGERIA, CEYLON, GAMBIA and Dutch TROMP to cover air attacks on Sabang, Sumatra by
Task Force 70 (Operation COCKPIT.
19th Deployed with screen for TF69 during air
attacks by H M S ILLUSTRIOUS and USS
SARATOGA on airfields and shore installations.
May
6th Joined HM Destroyers ROTHERHAM,
RACEHORSE, PENN, NAPIER, NEPAL,
QUICKMATCH and Dutch VAN GALEN as screen for
HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH> HMS
VALIANT, French RICHELIEU, HMS NEWCASTLE, HMS NIGERIA and Dutch TRCMP to
cover air attacks by Task Force 65 on Soerabaya,
Java (Operation TRANSOM).
15th Replenished from tankers in Exmouth Bay,
North Australia.
17th Deployed with screen during air attacks by
HMS ILLUSTRIOUS and USS SARATOGA.
June
Deployed with Flotilla for convoy defence and screening duties in Indian
Ocean.
to
September
October
15th Joined Task Group 63-1 with HMS QUILLIAM and HMS QUEENBOROUGH as
screen for HMS
RENOWN to cover air attacks and bombardments of targets in the Nicobar Islands by Task
Units TGU 63.2 and TGU
63.3 as a diversion during US landings on Leyte.
(Operation MILLET).
17th Remained with screen during carrier air
operations by HM Aircraft Carriers INDOMITABLE
and VICTORIOUS.
19th Under attacks by torpedo aircraft which
were intercepted by carrier fighters.
November
Flotilla duties with Eastern Fleet in continuation.
22nd Transferred with Flotilla to British
Pacific Fleet on formation at Trincomalee.
Took passage from Ceylon to Sydney
December
Passage to Australia to prepare for BPF
service.
10th Arrived at Sydney to prepare for service
with US Navy in SW Pacific.
(Note : Pennant Number for visual
signalling purposes changed to D20 to conform with US
identity for
destroyers.)
1 9 4 5
January Deployed for exercises with ships of BPF including use of US Navy signalling and manoeuvring
procedures.
Re-designated as part of
Task Force 113 with other ships of BPF.
Nominated for special duty and detached for escort of liner carrying the
Governor General of
Australia designate, HRH
The Dike of Gloucester, to take up his appointment.
Deployed with HM Australian Destroyer QUICKMATCH
and joined HM Aircraft Carrier
UNICOR, HM Cruiser SUFFOLK and HM Destroyer
ULSTER in escort for liner during final stage
of passage from Trincomalee off Australian
coast,
On completion resumed Flotilla duties.
February Deployed with Flotilla with BPF ships in further preparatory excerices.
28th Took passage with ships of BPF to Forward British Base at Manus, Admiralty Islands to
await
instructions for joining
US Navy operations with ships of Task Force 113.
See WAR WITH JAPAN (HMSO),
Appendix “S”.
March.
7th Arrived at Manus.
Carried out further
preparatory exercises with Task Force 113 whilst based at Manus..
18th Took passage from Manus to US Forward
Base at Ulithi with Task Force 113
20th Arrived at Ulithi
with Task Force 113.
23rd Sailed from Ulithi
as Task Force 57 to join ships of US 5th Fleet in operations off Sakishima
-Gunto
island Group. (Operation ICEBERG ONE).
(Note : After delay by US
Joint Chiefs of Staff in giving approval for use of RN ships in
operations
with USN in Pacific. (See WAR WITH JAPAN (HMSO), TASK
FORCE 57
by P Smith, THE FORGOTTEN FLEET by J
Winton. and WAR WITH JAPAN
(HMSO).
British
Pacific Fleet was designated Task Force 57 on departure from Ulithi.)
31st Deployed as screen for TG57 ships during
renewed attacks.
(For full details of ships involved see TF 57
by P Smith, THE FORGOTTEN FLEET by John
Winton, CARRIER VICTORY by J M Ludley, Naval Staff History and above references).
April
Deployed as screen for BPF ships during air
attacks on North Formosa.
May
3rd Deployed as screen for BPF aircraft carriers during resumed air Joint air attack
on Sakishimaa
to Gunto Group
(Operation ICEBERG TWO.
25th See above references).
Came under KAMIKAZE
attacks.
June BPF
Transferred to US 3rd Fleet and redesignated Task
Force 37.
July Deployed, with TF38 for Joint
air attacks and bombardments of targets in Japan.
16th Part of screen for aircraft carriers
during air raids on Tokyo-Yokohama area.
17th Carried out bombardment of targets in
Hitachi area NE of Tokyo with HM Battleship KING
GEORGE V and HMS QUALITY.
August Deployed with screen for BPF ships during Joint air operations on airfields and
shipping in North
Honshu and Hokkaido followed by
attacks in Tokyo area.
13th Returned with TF37 ships to Manus because
of lack of fuel from British tankers.
(Note :HMS KING GEORGE V,
HMS INDEFATIGABLE, HMS GAMBIA, HMS
NEWFOUNDLAND and HM
Destroyers BARFLEUR, NAPIER, NIZAM,
WAKEFUL,
TROUBRIDGE, TERMAGANT, TENACIOUS and TEAZER
remained in Japanese
waters and
re-designated Task Group 38.5).
27th Transferred to British Task Group 111.3
and joined HM Aircraft Carrier COLOSSUS, HM
Cruisers BERMUDA and ARGONAUT as screen with HM Destroyers TYRIAN, TUMULT and
TUSCAN.
P o s
t W a r N o t e s
HMAS QUIBERON was deployed with
TG111.3 to assist in collection of allied nationals from Shanghai and was
deployed in the Pacific with other RAN ships during the rest of 1945. Loan from
RN was extended after end of
hostilities
and permanent transfer made in October 1945. During 1950 this ship was selected
for conversion to an Anti-Submarine
Frigate and she-rejoined the Fleet in 1952 after completion. She remained
operational until reduced to
Reserve status in 1964.. Placed on the Disposal List in 1970 and in January
1972 was sold to a Japanese shipbreaker. The ship
left Sydney in tow for passage to Japan on 10 April
that year.
Addendum
CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of HMAS
QUIBERON
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
14/11/42 20/11/42 KMF 003 21/11/42 23/11/42
20/12/42 20/12/42 KMF 005A 22/12/42 22/12/42
03/10/43 03/10/43 KR 007 07/10/43 12/10/43
25/10/43 01/11/43 AB 018 03/11/43 03/11/43
03/11/43 07/11/43 AB 018A 10/11/43 10/11/43
27/11/43 04/12/43 CM 047 11/12/43 11/12/43
13/12/43 13/12/43 AB 024C 15/12/43 22/12/43
22/12/43 25/12/43 CJ 009A 27/12/43 27/12/43
28/12/43 28/12/43 MB 059A 05/01/44 05/01/44
08/01/44 08/01/44 AB 027A 14/01/44 14/01/44
05/02/44 12/02/44 KR 008 14/02/44 14/02/44
19/02/44 19/02/44 JA 001 26/02/44 26/02/44
24/02/44 24/02/44 AKD 016 29/02/44 06/03/44
05/01/45 05/01/45 US 025 09/01/45 09/01/45
09/01/45 09/01/45 HB 001 14/01/45 23/01/45
(Note on Convoys)
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