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H . M . S . B O L E B R O K
E ( L 6 5 )
Type
III “HUNT” Class Escort Destroyer ordered from Swan Hunter at Newcastle on
28th July 1940 and laid
down on 3rd April 1941 as Job Number J4284. The ship was launched on 5th
November 1941 as the
first RN ship to carry the name, that of a Kent fox-hunt. Before completion she
was transferred to the Royal Hellenic
Navy on 18th May 1942 on loan and renamed HHMS PINDOS. Commissioned on 4th June
1942, build
was completed on 27th June 1942 and after her Acceptance Trials she was
prepared for service with the
Mediterranean Fleet at Alexandria.
B a t t
l e H o n o u r s
No British Battle Honours were
awarded as
the ship served in an allied
Navy
Ship Badge
None is included in the Official
List of Heraldic
Crests for RN warships as she
was never
in commission with the Royal
Navy.
D e t a i
l s o f
W a r S e r v i c e u n d e r
G r e e k
C o m m a n d
H . H . M . S . P I N D O S
( L 6 5 )
1 9 4 2
June
4th
Commissioned under Greek Navy command as HHMS ADRIAS.
July
Contractors Trials.
27th Build
completion and commenced Acceptance Trials.
On
completion of trials and storing took passage to Scapa Flow.
August Work-up
for operational service with ships of the Home Fleet at Scapa Flow..
12th
Deployed as escort for 28th Motor Launch Flotilla during passage from Milford
Haven to
Gibraltar
20th
Detached from escorted craft on arrival at Gibraltar.
September Passage from
Gibraltar with HM Escort Destroyer DERWENT to join Ocean Escort for
military Convoy WS22 on passage from Clyde to Freetown.
7th
Joined WS22 escort.
9th
Detached from WS22 with Ocean Escort on arrival at Freetown.
13th
Rejoined Ocean Escort for WS22 on departure from Freetown.
(Note HMS DERWENT rejoined WS22)
18th
Detached from WS22 escort with HMS DERWENT and took independent passage to join
Fleet in Mediterranean.
October Passage
in Indian Ocean and calls at Durban and Kilindini
November Passage in
Red Sea
15th
Arrived at Alexandria for Fleet duties.
17th
Deployed with HM Escort Destroyers ALDENHAM, BEAUFORT, BELVOIR, CROOME,
DULVERTON, EXMOOR, HURSLEY, HURWORTH and TETCOTT and relieved Fleet
destroyers as escort for four mercantiles comprising Malta Relief Convoy MW 13.
(Operation STONEAGE – This was the first Malta Convoy from Alexandria since the
disastrous
attempt to pass the VIGOROUS convoy in June 1942 - see MALTA CONVOYS by R
Woodman
for details.
18th Under
air attack off Derna during which HM Cruiser ARETHUSA was damaged by a torpedo
and had to be towed back to Alexandria.
20th
Arrived in Malta with MW13 and escort.
21st Took
passage to Alexandria with same ships of MW13 Close Escort.
22nd Arrived
at Alexandria.
December
1st
Deployed with HM Escort Destroyers ALDENHAM, BELVOIR, CROOME, EXMOOR,
HURSLEY and TETCOTT as escort for Convoy MW14 during passage to Malta
(Operation MH1 – See above reference.)
4th
Joined by Force K ships from Malta to provide cover during remainder of passage.
(Note : Force K comprised HM Cruisers CLEOPATRA, DIDO, EURYALUS with HM
Destroyers
JAVELIN, JERVIS, KELVIN and NUBIAN as screen.)
5th
Arrived in Malta with MW14, escort and covering ships of Force K.
7th
Sailed from Malta as escort for Convoy ME11 during passage to Alexandria with HM
Cruiser
ORION, HM Destroyers PAKENHAM, PETARD, Greek VASILISSA OLGA, HM Escort
Destroyers ALDENHAM, BELVOIR, CROOME, DULVERTON, EXMOOR, HURSLEY and
TETCOTT (Operation MH2)
(Note : MW 14 comprised nine mercantiles returning empty and was the last convoy
routed direct
to
Alexandria from the island. Later convoys were routed via BENGHAZI
19th
Passage to Malta as part of escort for Convoy MW17
21st
Arrived in Malta with MW17. (Operation QUADRANGLE B)
28th Sailed
from Malta as part of escort for Convoy ME14
(Note : There was no Convoy ME13)
31st
Deployed at Alexandria.
1 9 4 3
January
16th Sailed
from Alexandria as part of Convoy ME16 during passage to Malta
(Note : ME17 comprised an mercantile tanker.)
26th
Deployed in Malta.
February Coastal
convoy Escort in continuation
27th
Transferred to 5th Destroyer Flotilla and joined HM Escort Destroyers ALDENHAM,
BEAUFORT,
BELVOIR, HHMS KANARIS (Ex HM Escort Destroyer HATHERLEIGH) and HHMS MIAOULIS
(Ex HMS MODBURY)
March Coastal
convoy defence in continuation
to
April
May
Transferred with Flotilla to Algiers for convoy defence and support in western
Mediterranean.
June
Algiers deployment in continuation
Nominated for support of planned allied landings in Sicily
(Operation HUSKY – For details see Naval Staff History and BRITISH INVASION
FLEETS by J de
Winser for information on all ships involved.)
July
Preparations for HUSKY.
Deployed as part of escort for assault convoy during passage to British Beach
Head in Sicily
10th
Deployed in Assault area to provide AA defence, gunfire support and for escort
of Build-up convoys.
(Note : Destroyers also carried out patrols to intercept any attempt by surface
craft to interfere with
landings.)
August On release
from AVALANCHE resumed Flotilla duties for convoy defence in central
Mediterranean
based in Malta
21st
Deployed as escort for Convoy KMF22 with HM Escort Destroyer EASTON during
passage in
central Mediterranean to Gibraltar.
22nd
Assisted HMS EASTON in depth charge attacks on U458 which had come under attacks
by U458.
(Note : When submarine driven to the surface it was rammed and sunk by HMS
EASTON which
sustained major structural damage forward and was disabled.
43
of submarine crew were rescued.)
Took HMS EASTON in tow to Malta for repair.
26th
Resumed Flotilla duties
September Nominated
for support of planned allied landings at Salerno with ships of Flotilla as part
of
Northern Attack Force.
(Operation AVALANCHE – See above references for details.0
Prepared for AVALANCHE
8th
Deployed as part of escort for assault convoy during passage to Beach Head.
9th
Present at landings ad provided inshore gunfire support and AA defence to
anchorage.
(Note : Later deployed for interception patrols and convoy defence.)
Transferred to Alexandria with ships of Flotilla for support of operations in
Aegean Islands.
(Operation ACCOLADE)
(Note : German forces were being deployed to land troops to replace Italian
garrisons in islands.
Passage to Alexandria
October Deployed
in support of military operations in Aegean for transport of troops and stores
as well as
interception patrol as part of 8th Destroyer Flotilla..
1st
Sailed from Alexandria with HMS ALDENHAM and HHMS THEMISTOCLES.
3rd
Unable to carry out interception of invasion craft carrying German troops
reported by air reconnaissance
due to lack of fuel.
November Aegean
deployment in continuation.
2nd Landed
stores at Leros.
4th
Landed stores at Leros
11th Under
air attacks near Kos without damage
12th
Laid-up in Turkish waters during daylight.
13th
Deployed in unsuccessful search for invasion convoy with HM Destroyers FAULKNOR,
BEAUFORT,
HM
MTB’s 315 and 263.
14th
Returned to Alexandria.
17th
Withdrawn from Aegean operations after British forces surrendered.)
December Deployed at
Alexandria
1 9 4 4
January
Alexandria deployment in continuation
to
(Note : During his period other HUNT Class escort destroyers were deployed at
Algiers and in Malta.
May area of
deployment of this ship is to be confirmed.
In
April some Greek manned destroyers were involved in unrest amongst their ship’s
companies. One source records that on 5th April some of this ships ratings were
disarmed
after mutinous conduct whilst at Alexandria after refusal to proceed to Taranto.
Ship did not take part in landings at Anzio in January 1944 (Operation SHINGLE).
June
Nominated for support of planned allied landings in the south of France
(Operation DRAGOON – For details see LANDINGS IN THE SOUTH OF FRANCE (HMSO) and
BRITISH INVASION FLEETS by J de Winser).
July
Passage to Naples to prepare for DRAGOON.
August Deployed at Naples
Nominated for escort of Convoy SM2 during passage from Naples to Assault Area.
13th Joined Stores Convoy SM2. at Naples with HM Escort Destroyers
ALDENHAM, BEAUFORT,
WHADDON, BLACKMORE, EGGESFORD, LAUDERDALE and
BELVOIR.
15th Arrived in Assault Area.
23rd Released from DRAGOON duty and returned to control of CinC
Mediterranean.
September Nominated
for service with British Aegean Force at Alexandria.
Passage to Alexandria
Joined British Aegean Force with Greek manned HUNT Class Escort Destroyers
THEMISTOCLES,
KRITI, KANARIS and MIAOULIS for support of re-occupation of Aegean Islands and
Greek
mainland (Operation MANNA)
(Note : This operation included naval gunfire support of islands prior to
landings, landing operations
and interception of craft carrying out evacuation.).
October Deployed
for MANNA support in eastern Mediterranean
to
November
December Deployed off
Greek mainland in support of planned re-occupation and present when British
troops
landed at Piraeus
1 9 4 5
January Deployed
for escort of military and mercantile convoys and as required provided support
for
to
re-occupation operations.
May
June
Deployed as required by Greek naval authority in Greek waters.
to
August
P o s t W a r
N o t e s
HHMS
PINDOS remained on loan to Royal Hellenic Navy after VJ Day. The ship served on
the Active List until September
1959 when returned to RN and placed on the Disposal List. She sold for
demolition in Greece and towed a
breaker’s yard during 1960. |
