1 9 4 2
April Transferred
to Polish Navy.
Contractors trials
May Commissioned
for Polish naval service as ORP SLAZAK.
9th Build completion and commenced Acceptance
Trials
Nominated for service in 15th Destroyer Flotilla.
On
completion of trials and storing took passage for work-up.
June Took
passage to join Flotilla at Plymouth
Joined
Flotilla for convoy defence and patrol in Channel and SW Approaches
July Channel
deployment in continuation
Nominated
for support of planned landings at Dieppe
(Operation
JUBILEE - For details see THE WATERY MAZE by B Fergusson and
the Naval Staff History).
Prepared for support of amphibious operation.
August
18th Part of escort for
assault craft during passage to Dieppe.
20th Took part in Dieppe
Assault (Operation JUBILEE).
Sustained
minor damage
September Resumed
convoy escort and patrol duties with Flotilla in Channel an d SW Approaches
to
December
1 9 4 3
January Sustained
structural damage y extreme weather during convoy defence
Passage to Liverpool for repair in commercial
shipyard.
February Under
repair in commercial shipyard at Liverpool.
March Resumed
duties with Flotilla based in Plymouth.
April Convoy
defence duties in continuation.
May Nominated
for service with Gibraltar Escort Force.
Passage to Gibraltar.
June Deployed
at Gibraltar for convoy defence.
Nominated
for support of allied landings in Sicily (Operation HUSKY)
(For
details see ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY by C Barnett, Naval Staff History
and BRITISH INVASION FLEETS by J de Winser.).
Part
of escort for military convoys in western Mediterranean during preparation for allied landings
in Sicily
July Military
convoy defence in continuation.
Joined
Support Force East with sister Polish Escort Destroyer ORP KRAKOWIAK
(Ex HMS SILVERTON) and ships of Gibraltar Escort Force.
9th Passage to beachhead
area with ships of Support Force East.
10th Provided support for
initial landings.
11th Deployed in support, patrol for interception
of E-Boats off beach head and convoy defence duties
in central Mediterranean.
August Central Mediterranean deployment in continuation.
September Transferred
to 59 Destroyer Division in Malta.
Nominated for support of allied landings at Salerno (Operation AVALANCHE.
(See
above references).
Joined Support Carrier Force (TF88) for screening duties.
8th Deployed with ORP KRAKOWIAK, CLEVELAND,
HOLCOMBE, FARNDALE,
ATHERSTONE,
LIDDESDALE, CALPE and HAYDON as screen for HM Cruisers
EURYALUS,
SCYLLA, CHARYBDIS,
HM Escort Carriers UNICORN, ATTACKER,
BATTLER, HUNTER and STALKER during
assault operations.
Took part in defence operations off Salerno during landings.
On
release from AVALANCHE transferred to 48th Escort Group for convoy defence in
Mediterranean.
October Convoy defence duties in continuation.
to
November
December Transferred
to Mediterranean HUNT Flotilla based in Malta.
Joined
HM Escort Destroyers ATHERSTONE, CALPE,
CATTERICK, CLEVELAND,
HAYDON,
LIDDESDALE and ORP KRAKOWIAK for convoy defence, patrol and support of
military operations in Italy.
1 9 4 4
January Flotilla
deployment based at Malta in continuation.
to
March
April Transferred
to 18th Destroyer Flotilla at Malta in continuation.
Nominated for transfer to UK for support of planned landings
in Normandy.
(Operation
NEPTUNE – For details see
above references, D-DAY SHIPS by J de Winser,
LANDINGS IN NORMANDY June 1944 (HMSO) and OPERATION
NEPTUNE by K Edwards.)
Passage to Plymouth to rejoin 15th Destroyer
Flotilla.
May Detached
for duty with Force S based at Portsmouth.
Took part in preliminary exercises by Force S ships.
(Note : Final Rehearsal for Forces 0, S, J and G (Exercise FABIUS
was carried out in Channel
between 2nd and 6th May)
18th Took part in Defence Exercise off Brighton with
Forces S, G and J.
(Note : This exercise included simulated attacks by E-Boats, midget
submarines and
by aircraft
minelaying).
On completion of
Defence Exercise deployed at
Portsmouth for final preparations.
Nominated with HM Escort
Destroyer MIDDLETON to provide gunfire support for beach
clearance operations on SWORD beach head during Assault Phase
June Deployed at
Portsmouth.
4th Operation delayed 24 hours.
5th Carried out patrol in English
Channel during Channel 10 minesweeping operations.
Joined HM Destroyers
SCOURGE and SERAPIS with HIS MIDDLETON as escort for Convoy S2
during passage through swept channel from
Isle of Wight to SWORD beach head.
(Note
: Convoy comprised ships of 15th Minesweeping Flotilla, four Danlayers and three Motor
Launches. Five Motor Torpedo Boats
had escorted convoy from
Dover).
6th Provided naval gunfire support at SWORD
beach head as required by Fire Plan.
7th Deployed in Eastern
Task Force Area on completion of Assault Phase.
Carried out defence
patrols and provided gunfire support as required during the Build-up Phase of
NEPTUNE.
July On
release from
NEPTUNE resumed Flotilla duties in
English Channel for defence of
to convoys and anti-submarine
patrols.
September (Note : An increase in submarine attacks and minelaying in eastern
Channel and
Thames Estuary
made necessary a redeployment of escorts.
See HOLD THE
NARROW
SEA by Peter C Smith) .
October Transferred to 16th Destroyer Flotilla
based at Harwich.
to Deployed for convoy defence
and patrol in
North Sea and Channel.
December (Note : Other
ships in Flotilla were HM Escort Destroyers COTSWOLD, FARNDALE,
EGLINTON, HAMBLEDON,
STEVENSTONE, Norwegian ARENDAL
(Ex HMS BADSWORTH)
and Polish
ORP KRAKOWIAK)
1 9 4 5
January Flotilla deployment for convoy
defence, patrol and interception in continuation
to (For details of activities
in Thames Estuary and
North Sea see above references).
April (Note :
Despite a serious increase in enemy minelaying and the concentration of “Schnorkel”
fitted submarine attacks on convoys, the availability of more
Escorts
provided Nore
Command with the
necessary resources to ensure the safe passage of military convoys
to ports in
Europe.
Atlantic convoys
had been re-routed
through
English Channel during this period because
of removal of air threat from bases in
France - See above references).
May Transferred to More Local
Flotilla based at
Chatham.
to Deployed with HM Escort
Destroyers GARTH, EGLINTON, HAMBLEDON, HOLDERNESS
August MENDIP and Polish ORP KRAKOWIAK
for escort of military convoys in Nore Command and
the support of re-occupation operations in NW
Europe.
