U-Class Fleet Destroyer ordered under the War Emergency Programme in April 1941 for build by John I. Thornycroft at Woolston. The ship was laid down as Job No 4023 on 18th March 1942 and launched on 1st June 1943 as the 6th RN ship to carry the name, introduced in 184?. It was last used for a submarine lost in the Heligoland Bight on 15th January 1940. Build was completed 23rd December 1943. After a successful WARSHIP WEEK in March 1942 the ship and been adopted by Windermere, then in the county of Westmoreland, now in Cumbria. B a t t l e H o n o u r s MEDITERRANEAN 1944 - ADRIATIC 1944 - NORMANDY 1944 - OKINAWA 1945 H e r a l d i c D a t a Badge : On a Field Blue a mermaid diving into water in base barry wavy White and Blue. D e t a i l s o f W a r S e r v i c e 1 9 4 3 December Contractors trials. 6th Commissioned for service in 25th Destroyer Flotilla. 23rd Build completion and commenced Acceptance Trials 1 9 4 4 January On completion of trials and storing took passage for work-up with ships of Home Fleet. 6th Dragged anchor in Clyde and collided with HM Destroyer URANIA 30th Took passage to Mediterranean for duty with Flotilla. February On arrival at Gibraltar deployed with Flotilla in Mediterranean to (Note : Service in support of landings at Anzio to be confirmed March No Battle Honour for ANZIO is recorded.) April 1st Carried out bombardment in support of operations to be confirmed 28th Routine docking and maintenance at Malta. May Nominated for service in support of planned allied invasion of Normandy with ships of 25th Destroyer Flotilla (Operation NEPTUNE). 4th Passage to UK to rejoin Home Fleet with calls at Algiers and Gibraltar. 13th Arrived at Scapa Flow and prepared for NEPTUNE duties. 16th Carried out bombardment exercises before joining Force G in Eastern Task Force. (Note : Other destroyers in Force G destroyers were :- HM Destroyers GRENVILLE, URSA, ULSTER, UNDAUNTED, URCHIN, JERVIS and H M Escort Destroyers PYTCHLEY, CATTISTOCK and COTTESMORE and Polish ORP KRAKOWIAK. 30th Arrived at Greenock for Operation NEPTUNE. For details of activities prior to and during Normandy landings see LANDINGS IN NORMANDY, June 1944 (HMSO) and OPERATION NEPTUNE by K Edwards). June 3rd Part of escort for Convoy G12 to Solent with HM Destroyer GRENVILLE. (Note : This comprised HM Cruisers ORION, AJAX, ARGONAUT and EMERALD forming Bombarding Force "K") 4th Operation NEPTUNE postponed for 24 hours. 5th Netherlands Gunboat FLORES joined Convoy G12. Passage from Solent with Force "K". 6th Provided naval gunfire support off GOLD Beach. to 8th 9th Joined Eastern Task Force for patrol and support duty. 11th Released from NEPTUNE 12th Deployed for defence of convoy to Gibraltar. 19th Passage to Plymouth from Gibraltar. 30th Transferred to Mediterranean for support of military operations. July Passage to Naples to join operations with calls at Gibraltar, Algiers and Malta. 16th Provided cover during allied re-occupation of Corsica. 19th Deployed in support of military operations on west coast of Italy. to 21st 26th Taken in hand for repair in Malta. August Nominated for support of military operations in Adriatic. 11th On completion of repair took passage to Taranto. 26th Commenced support and patrol operations in Adriatic. Deployed with HM Destroyers URCHIN, LOYAL and KIMBERLEY, HM River Gunboats APHIS and SCARAB. 30th Bombarded Pesaro. September Nominated for duty in Eastern Fleet after return to UK to give leave and prepare for further foreign service. 1st Bombarded Gothic Line. 6th Bombarded shore batteries at Rimini in NW Adriatic. (For details of Adriatic operations see THE LAST DESTROYER by K. Mason, ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY by Corelli Bamett, WAR IN THE MEDITERRANEAN (HMSO) and Naval Staff History,). 10th Carried out further bombardment of shore batteries. 15th Took passage to Chatham from Bari with call at Gibraltar. 23rd Arrived at Chatham. October At Chatham for leave and preparation for service with Eastern Fleet. November 18th Took passage to Indian Ocean for duty with Flotilla with calls at Algiers, Port Said and Aden. 22nd Transferred to British Pacific Fleet with Flotilla on formation.. December 11th Joined British Pacific Fleet at Trincomalee. 1 9 4 5 January 4th Escorted ships of Task Force 65 for air attacks on oil refineries at Pankalan Brandan, Sumatra (Operation LENTIL - Part of Operation OUTFLANK Series – attacks on Sumatran oil installations.) (Note : Force 65 comprised : H M Aircraft Carriers IMPLACABLE, VICTORIOUS INDEFATIGABLE, HM Cruisers SUFFOLK, CEYLON, ARGONAUT and BLACK PRINCE, HM Destroyers KEMPENFELT, WHELP, WAGER, GRENVILLE, URANIA, UNDAUNTED and URSA (For details of operations in Indian Ocean see OPERATION PACIFIC by E. Gray, THE FORGOTTEN FLEET by J Winton and ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY and WAR WITH JAPAN, Volume VI (HMSO). 16th . Passage to SUMATRA with the ships of BPF. Joined m Battleship KING GEORGE V, H M Aircraft Carriers INDOMITABLE, ILLUSTRIOUS, VICTORIOUS and INDEFATIGABLE, HM Cruisers ARGONAUT, BLACK PRINCE and EURYALUS with m Destroyers GRENVILLE, URSA, UNDAUNTED, KEMPENFELT, WAKEFUL, WHIRLWIND, WAGER and WHELP. 20th Refuelled from Task Force 69. 24th Deployed with TF63 during air attacks by carriers on an oil refinery at Pladjoe, Sumatra after delay due to adverse weather (Operation MERIDIAN ONE). 26th Deployed with screen for TF63 during further series of attacks on the refinery at Soengi-Gerong, Sumatra near Palembang (Operation MERIDIAN TWO). Under retaliatory air attacks (For details see above references). 29th Carried out rescue of aircrew from two aircraft from carriers . 30th Replenished and took passage to Sydney with call at Fremantle. February 10th Arrived at Sydney. 11th Prepared for service with US Navy Task Force in Pacific. to Pennant Number for visual signalling purposes changed to D26 to conform with US Navy 27th identity used for destroyers. (Note :Exercises carried out included US Navy signalling procedures and manoeuvring See THE FORGOTTEN FLEET, OPERATION PACIFIC) and WAR WITH JAPAN (HMSO.). 28th Took passage to Manus with snips of BPF designatad as Task Force 113. March Exercised on passage to Manus. 7th On arrival future deployment undecided by internal US wrangling. See above references . Waited for decision by US Joint Chiefs of Staff. . 15th Allocated for service with 5th US Fleet and given new identity -Task Force 57. 18th Sailed for Ulithi as part of screen for ships of Task Force 57- (Note: TF57 comprised :- HM Battleships KING GEORGE V and HOWE, HM Aircraft Carriers INDOMITABLE, VICTORIOUS, ILLUSTRIOUS, INDEFATIGABLE, HM Cruisers SWIFTSURE, GAMBIA (RNZN), BLACK PRINCE, ARGONAUT, EURYALUS, HM Destroyers GRENVILLE, ULSTER, URANIA, UNDINE, UNDAUNTED, QUICKMATCH, QUIBERON, QUEENBOROUGH, KEMPENFELT, WHIRLWIND and WAGER. 20th Joined 5th US Fleet at Ulithi. 23rd Sailed from Ulithi with TF57 to operational area off Sakishima Gunto . 26th Part of screen during air attacks on airfields in Sakishima Gunto Group. (Note : Provision in support during Okinawa landings Operation ICEBERG ONE) . 27th Rescued crew from crashed aircraft. April Screening duties with TF57 in continuation. Carried out radar picket duties. 21st Took passage to Leyte with TF57 on completion of 6th strike period. 23rd Arrived at Layte for repair and replenishment. Future deployment of TF57 under consideration 27th Proposal to transfer BPF to SW Pacific area cancelled. BPF to remain with 5th Fleet as Task Force 57- May 1st Took passage to operational area from Leyte with TF57 for continuation of attacks on Sakishima Gunto Group (Operation ICEBERG TWO). (Note: Other ships in Task Force 57 were :- HM Battleships KING GEORGE V, HOWE. HM Aircraft Carriers INDOMITABLE, INDEFATIGABLE, FORMIDABLE, VICTORIOUS, HM Cruisers SWIFTSURE, UGANDA (RCN), GAMBIA (RNZN), EURYALUS and BLACK PRINCE with HM Destroyers GRENVILLE, URSA, URCHIN, UNDAUNTED ,URANIA, QUILLIAM ,QUIBERON, QUICKMATCH, QUEENBOROUGH, QUALITY, KEMPENFELT, WHIRLWIND and WESSEX. 4th After arrival in area detached with ships of 25th Destroyer Flotilla to screen HMS KING GEORGE V, HMS HOWE, HMS SWIFTSURE, HMS BLACK PRINCE, HMS EURYALUS, HMS GAMBIA and HMS UGANDA during bombardment of airfields on Miyako Shima. (Note : During this bombardment the aircraft carriers of TF57 came under sustained attack by bombing including KAMIKAZE aircraft.) Bombardment curtailed and force returned to rejoin aircraft carriers). 5th Deployment with screen for Task Force in continuation to (For details see above references and Naval Staff History). 25th 26th Passage to Sydney BPF ships via Manus. (Note: HMS KING GEORGE V with HMS TROUBRIDGE, HMS TENACIOUS and HMS TERMAGANT were detached for passage to Guam). June 5th Arrived at Sydney for rest and recuperation period. (Note: Ships of BPF were transferred to US 3rd Fleet during this period owing to a re-organisation of US Navy command structure in Pacific and were re-designated Task Force 37).0 28th Sailed with Task Force 37 from Sydney for Manus. (Note: Task Force 37 comprised :- HM Battleship KING GEORGE V, HM Aircraft Carriers FORMIDABLE, VICTORIOUS, IMPLACABLE, HM Cruisers NEWFOUNDLAND, ACHILLES (RNZN), UGANDA (RCN), EURYALUS, GAMBIA (RNZN) and BLACK PRINCE with HM Destroyers QUIBERON, QUADRANT, QUALITY., QUICKMATCH, TROUBRIDGE, TENACIOUS, TERMAGANT, TEAZER, TERPSICHORE, GRENVILLE, UNDAUNTED, URANIA, URCHIN. UNDINE and ULYSSES. July 4th Arrived at Manus with BPF. 6th Sailed for operational area with TF37. (Note : HMS IMPLACABLE detached because of machinery defect and joined later) 17th Part of Task Group 37.1.2 as escort for TF37 carriers during combined attacks on targets in Tokyo and Yokohama. 18th Deployment with screen for major ships of Task Force 37 in continuation off Japan, to (See above references, HMS INDEFATIGABLE joined TF37 with HM Destroyers 28th WAKEFUL, WRANGLER and BARFLEUR on 20th July). (Operation OLYMPIC - Initial Phase) 29th Bombarded factories and other targets near Hamamitsu, South Honshu with HMS KING GEORGE V, HMS ULYSSES and HMS URANIA. 30th Engaged surface craft after radar detection. August 1st Deployment off Japan with 3rd US fleet in continuation for series of Joint RN/USN to air attacks and bombardments of targets in North Honshu and Hokkaido. 11th 12th Withdrawn from forward area with BPF ships not transferred to Task Force 38 as new Task Group 38.5 (Note: TG36.5 comprised: HMS KING GEORGE V, HMS INDEFATIGABLE, HMNZS GAMBIA, HMS NEWFOUNDLAND, HM Destroyers BARFLEUR, NAPIER (RAN), NIZAM (RAN), WAKEFUL, WRANGLER, TROUBRIDGE, TERMAGANT, TENACIOUS and TEAZER.) (For details of an BPF operations in Pacific see OPERATIC*! PACIFIC by E . Gray, THE FORGOTTEN FLEET by John Winton, TF57 by Peter Smith, Naval Staff Staff History and WAR WITH JAPAN (HMSO). Passage to Sydney via Manus. 24th Arrived Sydney. Reverted to RN control. (Note: Ship had been 50 days at sea since leaving Sydney on 6tn July) Statistical Data Total miles steamed from commissioning: - 128,928 miles. Days at sea since commissioning - 427 out of 664 days. P o s t W a r N o t e s HMS UNDINE refitted in Melbourne before rejoining the Flotilla in the BPF. She remained in far East and was deployed mainly in Japanese waters for support of the allied occupation forces until return to Australia early in 1946. The ship sailed from Sydney to UK in January 1946. calls were made during passage to Harwich at Melbourne, Fremantle, Colombo, Bombay and Aden., After arrival on 29th March the ship reduced to Reserve and was laid-up in the Reserve Fleet until 1952. Selected for conversion as an A/S Frigate by a commercial shipyard in the Clyde, on completion she re-commissioned for service in the Mediterranean .In 1960 this ship was again placed in Reserve and put on the Disposal List in 1965. She was de-equipped before tow and sold for breaking up at a breaker's yard in Newport during November 1965.
Addendum CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of HMS UNDINE 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 01/02/44 01/02/44 KMF 028A 08/02/44 08/02/44 03/02/44 13/02/44 MKF 028A 16/02/44 20/02/44 21/02/44 27/02/44 KMF 029 02/03/44 05/03/44 18/02/44 01/03/44 UGS 033A 03/03/44 29/02/44 (Note on Convoys) |