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H . M . S
. G L A I S D A L E ( L 4 4 )
Type III HUNT Class Escort Destroyer ordered
on 23rd August 1940 from Cammell Laird, Birkenhead
under 1940 War Emergency Programme. The ship was laid down on 4th February 1941
as Job No J 3369 (Yard No 1081). She was transferred on loan to the Royal
Norwegian Navy on 23rd December 1941 and launched on 5th January 1942 as the
first RN ship to carry this name. Completed on 12th June 1942 the ship served
under Norwegian command and was deployed under RN control with an RN Flotilla.
B a t t
l e H o n o u r s
ENGLISH CHANNEL
1942-44
H e r a l d i
c D a t a
No
record of a ship's crest is recorded in the Admiralty List issued after 1945, This
is due
to the fact that she was
never deployed as an RN warship.
W a r S e r v i c e u n d e r
N o r w e g i a n C o m m a n d
K. N
. M .
S . G L A I S D A L E ( L 4 4 )
1 9 4 1
December
23rd Transferred to Royal
Norwegian Navy during build.
1 9 4 2
January
5th Launched. at
Birkenhead.
February Under construction and
fitting-out.
to
May
June Contractors trials
and commissioned for service in Royal Norwegian Navy.
12th Build completion and
commenced Acceptance Trials.
Passage to Scapa
Flow on completion of trials and storing.
July Worked up at Scapa
Flow with ships of Home Fleet for operational service.
Joined 1st
Destroyer Flotilla based at Portsmouth.
August Deployed with Flotilla
for convoy escort and patrol duties in English Channel.
to
September
October Nominated for special
operation.
Detached and
deployed with HM Escort Destroyers COTTESMORE, ALBRIGHTON
and KNMS ESKDALE
for joint operation with Light Coastal Forces MTB's to intercept
convoy in English
Channel.
(Note : This
convoy was known to include the commerce raider KOMET.
For details see
THE BATTLE OF THE NARROW SEAS by P Scott and HOLD THE
NARROW SEA by P Smith).
13th In action off Le
Havre against German convoy.
November Nominated for further
detached service for escort of military convoys on passage to Gibraltar
to prepare for
planned allied landings in North Africa
(Operation TORCH
- See ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY by Corelli Barnett.,
Naval Staff
History and BRITISH INVASION FLEETS by J de Winser for details of all ships
taking part).
26th Released from TORCH
convoy escort.
December Resumed duties with
Flotilla at Portsmouth.
1 9 4 3
January Deployed on English
Channel for convoy defence and patrol duties.
to March
April
14th In action with KNMS
ESKDALE in defence of coastal Convoy PW232 off Lizard Point
against attacks
by E-Boats S65, S90 and S112.
(Note : KNMS
ESKDALE was sunk by S112 in this engagement).
May Channel convoy escort
and patrol with Flotilla in continuation.
to
September
October
9th In
action against German convoy with WENSLEYDALE and MELBREAK off Ushant.
Sank Minesweeper
M135, part of escort.
Sustained damage
by gunfire from E-Boats.
November Channel duties with
Flotilla in continuation.
to
December
1 9 4 4
January Channel deployment with
Flotilla in continuation.
to
April
May Nominated for duty
with Force J during planned allied invasion of Normandy.
(Operation
NEPTUNE - For details of the naval activities before and during the assault and
build-up see
OPERATION NEPTUNE by K Edwards and LANDINGS IN NORMANDY
June 1944 (HMSO)
and D DAY SHIPS by J de Winser for details of all ships taking part.)
Took part in
preparatory exercises with ships of Force J,
Joined ships of
Forces J, G, and S for final joint exercises. See references.
Passage to Solent
for briefing
June Deployed with HM
Destroyers KEMPENFELT. FAULKNOR, VENUS, FURY, ALGONQUIN
(RCN), SIOUX (RCN), HM Escort
Destroyers BLEASDALE, STEVENSONE and French LA
COMBATTANTE at
Spithead.
Nominated for
close support bombardment of "NAN”, WHITE” and “RED” Beaches with
HMS BLEASDALE,
HMCS SIOUX and HMCS ALGONQUIN.
4th Operation delayed 24
hours.
5th Joined HM Destroyers
KEMPENFELT and BLEASDALE as escort for Convoy J10 through
the swept channel
to JUNO Beach area.
(Note : Convoy
comprised HM Frigate WAVENEY (HQ Ship J2),eight Landing Ships,
Infantry, three 3
Motor Gunboats and three US Coastguard Cutters)
6th Took part in
bombardment in immediate support of assault on "NAN" beaches.
On completion
deployed in bombardment support duties in JUNO area.
7th Deployed in Eastern
Task Force area for support, convoy defence and patrol.
10th In action with
E-Boats carrying out minelaying off beachhead.
23rd Activated acoustic
mine off assault area.
Starboard engine
seriously damaged.
24th Passage to
Portsmouth,
25th Under survey at
Portsmouth to determine future use.
August
2nd Withdrawn from
operational service.
Paid off from
Norwegian service and returned to RN
September Reduced to Reserve status
and passage to Hartlepool
to Laid up at
Hartlepool.
December
1 9 4 5
January Laid up at Hartlepool
to
October
P o s t W a
r N o t e s
KNMS GLAISDALE was sold to Norway in August 1946 and
renamed NARVIK on 23rd October that year. She refitted at Chatham before starting Norwegian service
as an Escort Destroyer in February 1947. The ship was reclassified as a Frigate in 1956 and remained in
commission until 1962 when removed from the Active List and later sold for breaking up in Norway. |
