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H . M
. S . D E R W E N T ( L 8 3 )
Type III HUNT Class Escort
Destroyer ordered from Vickers Armstrong, Barrow under the 1940 Emergency
Programme on 4th July 1940 with 7 others of this Type. The ship was laid down
as Yard No 793, Admiralty Job No J3988 on 29th December 1940. She was launched
on 22nd August 1941 as the 5th RN ship to carry this name, that of a fox-hunt
in Yorkshire. It was introduced in 1807 for a Brig Sloop and last used by a
Trawler in 1920 which was sold in 1913. Build was
completed on 24th April 1942 and she had
been adopted by the civil community of Easthampstead, Berkshire after a successful WARSHIP WEEK National Savings
campaign in February 1942.
B a t t
l e H o n o u r s
ATLANTIC 1942
- MALTA CONVOYS 1942
H e r a l d i c D a t a
Badge : On a Field Blue, a
stirrup Gold, over a rose White
and two wings also White.
D e t a i
l s o f
W a r S e r v i c e
1 9 4 2
April
Contractors trials and commissioned for service.
24th Build
completion and commenced Acceptance Trials
Took passage to
Scapa Flow on completion of trials and storing.
May Worked-up with ships
of Home Fleet at Scapa Flow.
Deployed in Western Approaches Command for Atlantic convoy defence.
Nominated for transfer to 5th Destroyer Flotilla at Alexandria.
June
1st Joined
military convoy WS19P in Clyde with HM Battleship NELSON and HM Destroyer
BLACKMORE as Ocean Escort for Atlantic passage.
(Note
: HM Aircraft Carrier ARGUS was also with this convoy until detaching on 5th
June
for
an aircraft delivery to Malta.)
15th Detached
from WS19P on arrival at Freetown.
19th Sailed
from Freetown with HM Battleships NELSON, RODNEY, HM Destroyers PENN,
PATHFINDER and QUENTIN as Ocean Escort for passage to Capetown.
July
1st
Detached from WS198P escort on arrival at Capetown.
Took
passage to Hone waters.
August Joined escort
for Malta relief
convoy WS21S on passage from Clyde to Gibraltar.
(Operation PEDESTAL-See PEDESTAL by Peter C Smith, MALTA CONVOYS by R
Woodman, ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY
by C. Barnett, THE
BATTLE FOR
THE
MEDITERRANEAN by D .Macintyre and Naval Staff
History.
(Note
: Other HUNT Class Escort Destroyers from Home Fleet also deployed with escort
for
this convoy were HM
Destroyers BRAMHAM, BICESTER, LEDBURY and
WILTON.
10th Deployed
with destroyer screen for HM Cruisers NIGERIA,
KENYA,
MANCHESTER and
CAIRO
with HM Destroyers ASHANTI, INTREPID, ICARUS, FORESIGHT, FURY,
PATHFINDER, PENN and above named HUNT Class as Force X.
(Note
: Force X was the Close Escort for WS21S and was to remain with the convoy
during
passage through the Sicilian Narrows to
Grand Harbour).
13th Detached
from convoy with HM Destroyers BICESTER and WILTON as escort for HMS
NIGERIA to Gibraltar after being hit by torpedoes from Italian submarine AXUM on
12th
August (See above references).
15th On
arrival at Gibraltar detached for service in South Atlantic and Indian Ocean.
Took
passage to South Atlantic Station with calls at Freetown and Simonstown.
September
13th Joined
military convoy WS22 during passage to Cape of Good Hope from Freetown.
18th Detached
from WS22 with Greek destroyer PINDOS.
Took
passage to Kilindini with call at Durban.
October Deployed for
Indian Ocean convoy defence based at Kilindini in continuation.
to
December
1 9 4 3
January Deployed on
envoy escort and patrol in Indian Ocean.
Passage to Red Sea for escort of military convoy taking ANZAC 9th Division back
to Australia
from
Middle East after recall for defence of Australia.
(Operation PAMPHLET).
February Escorted
convoy in Red Sea and Gulf of Aden with HM Destroyers PAKENHAM, PETARD,
ISIS,
HERO and Greek VASILISSA OLGA.
Detached after arrival of Ocean Escort.
Passage to Alexandria to join Mediterranean Fleet.
March Joined 22nd
Destroyer Flotilla Mediterranean Fleet at Alexandria.
Deployed for convoy defence, patrol and support of military operations.
19th Under
heavy air attack by Ju88 aircraft whilst at anchor in
Tripoli harbour.
Hit
by circling torpedo whilst getting under way.
Sustained major damage with flooding in midships compartments including Boiler
Room.
Holed
on port side and ship completely immobilised with 6 fatal casualties.
Ship
beached to await repair.
April Under
temporary repair to allow ship to be moved.
to
Paid-off
May
June Passage
to UK under tow by
ALLEGIANCE as part of convoy MKS18 from Gibraltar.
July At
Devonport awaiting repair in HM Dockyard.
August
11th Taken in
hand for repair work.
September Under repair at
low priority because of Operation NEPTUNE commitments,
to
December
1 9 4 4
Repair work in HM Dockyard continued as labour allowed.
1 9 4 5
January
Decision made to stop repair and reduce ship to
Reserve status
February Awaiting
de-equipping at Devonport
to
July
August
Reduced to Reserve status.
Laid-up in Reserve Fleet at Devonport to await de-equipping.
P o s t W a r
N o t e s
HMS DERWENT remained at
Devonport and in September 1946 her machinery was transferred to RNEC at
Manadon for use in training of
Marine Engineer officers. The ship was sold to BISCO on 8th November that year for demolition by T W Ward at Penryn where she arrived in tow on 21st February 1947. |
