|
H . M . S
. H A L D O N ( L 1 9 )
Type II HUNT
Class Escort Destroyer ordered from Fairfields at
Govan Glasgow on 28th July 1940 under the 1940 War Emergency Programme and laid
down as Job No 1695 on 16th January 1941. In the following March when still on
the slipway this vessel was damaged during an air
raid on Glasgow. As a result her launch was delayed until 27th April 1942. She
was the 2nd RN warship to carry the name, first used for a WW1 minesweeper sold
in 1922. This Escort Destroyer was adopted after a successful WARSHIP
WEEK National Savings campaign in March 1942 by the civil community of
Dartmouth, Devon. In December 1942 this ship was transferred to the Free French
Navy and renamed LA COMBATTANTE before completion on 30th December 1942.
B a t t
l e H o n o u r s
None were awarded as the ship
was not in RN service
(Note : Investigation may
reveal an equivalent French record of service.)
H e r a l d i c D a t a
(For HMS HALDON)
Badge : On a Field
per pale Red and Green, a wild cat sejant
gardant white
resting the dexter fore-paw upon a sun in splendour Gold
S e r v i
c e u n d e r F r e e F r e n c h
N a v y C o m m a n d
F . S . L A C O M B A T T A N
T E
D e t a i l s o f
W a r S e r v i c e
1 9 4 1
March
13th Damaged
on slipway during air raid on Glasgow.
Build
and launch delayed.
1 9 4 2
April Launched
as HMS HALDON.
May Fitting
out in continuation.
to November
December Contractors
trials.
1st
Transferred to Free French Naval Force and renamed after launch.
15th
Commissioned as FS LA CCMBATTANTE.
30th Build
completion
1 9 4 3
January Carried out
Acceptance Trials
Passage to Tobermory
13th Commenced
‘Shakedown’ and training at Tobermory.
February
12th Took
passage to Scapa Flow on completion of Tobermory training.
13th Began
work-up with RA(D), Home Fleet at Scapa Flow
March Work-up with
Home Fleet in continuation.
23rd On
completion of work-up took passage to Portsmouth via Irish Sea.
26th Joined
escort coastal convoy from Milford Haven.
Detached from convoy and took passage to Portsmouth to join 1st Destroyer
Flotilla.
April Deployed with
Flotilla for coastal convoy defence and patrol in English Channel.
to
September
October
7th Under
fire from shore batteries in Le Havre/Cap Barfleur area during patrol.
November Flotilla duties
in Channel in continuation.
to
December
1 9 4 4
January Convoy
escort and patrol in Channel area with Flotilla in continuation.
to March
April
26th Engaged
E-Boats attacking shipping and assembled
MULBERRY Harbour units
off Selsea Bill.
Sank
E-Boat S147
May Nominated for support
of planned allied landings with Force J of Eastern Task Force.
See D Day SHIPS
for full details of all ships involved in Operation NEPTUNE.
(Note : Part of
Bombardment Group E and allocated target Beach Defences at Beny-sur-Mer
with HM Escort
Destroyer STEVENSTONE of Flotilla.)
12th
Deployed with HM Frigate STAYNER for patrol in Channel
to intercept E-Boats from
Boulogne carrying out reconnaissance and shipping attacks.
13th
Illuminated and engaged at close range a group of E-Boats in position 18 miles
south of
Selsey Bill
E-Boat S141 was sunk and another damaged.
Subsequently took
part in running action against retreating E-Boats with
HMS STAYNER
(Note
: It was later determined from survivors that Lt Klaus Donitz, son of the
German naval
commander Admiral Donitz was one of the crew of this E-Boat and had been lost
when
the vessel was sunk).
27th Deployed
in Channel off coast of Sussex to cover landing exercise prior to allied
landings in
Normandy (Operation NEPTUNE).
For
details of activities prior to and during landings see OPERATION NEPTUNE by K
Edwards, LANDINGS IN NORMANDY, June 1944 (HMSO).
28th Opened
fire on radar contact with main armament and obtained several hits
(Note
:The target was layer found to be HM MTB 732 which had been sunk with 16
of
ship’s company killed or missing and 15 wounded
For details see FRIEND OK
FOE by P Kemp).
The
numbers involved that this MTB must have been on special duty since normal
number on board would have been less than 31.)
June Deployed
in Solent for briefing as part of Force J for Normandy landings (Operation
NEPTUNE)
Served with Support Force E for JUNO Beach landings.
4th
Operation delayed for 24 hours.
5th Sailed
from Solent with HMS STEVENSTONE, HM Destroyer VENUS as escort for Assault
Convoy J9 during passage to JUNO Beach through Swept Channel.)
(Note
: Convoy comprised : HM Frigate LAWFORD, ten Landing Ships (Tank), five Motor
Gunboats and three US Navy Coastguard Cutters.)
6th Carried
out bombardment of shore defences during initial landings
On
completion deployed on for support and escort duties.
Passage to Portsmouth.
12th Embarked
General de Gaulle for visit to Beach Head
25th Rescued
crew of USAAF LIBERATOR aircraft in Channel.
24th Continued
of support role off Normandy beaches when NEPTUNE terminated.
July
8th In
action against E-Boats from Le Havre attacking patrols off coast of Normandy.
(Note
: HM Escort Destroyer CATTISTOCK and HM Frigate THORNBOROUGH also
took
part.)
August
7th During
interception patrol involved in collision and sustained damage.
Taken
in hand for repair.
26th In action
against convoy off Fecamp sinking three ships and setting two on fire.
28th Attacked
German vessels evacuating Le Havre off Cap d'Antifer.
(Note
: This Operation was carried out with Light Coastal Forces MTB.
Two
merchant ships damaged.)
September Channel
deployment in continuation.
Nominated for transfer to 21st Destroyer Flotilla based at Sheerness.
21st Joined
Flotilla at Sheerness and deployed for English Channel and East
Coast convoy defence
and
interception patrol duties.
October Flotilla
duties for convoy defence in continuation.
to
November
December Convoy defence
included military convoys on passage to Antwerp.
19th Rescued
survivors from ss STEEL TRAVELLER which had been mined.
1 9 4 5
January Deployment for defence of convoys in Nore Command in
continuation
(Note: Atlantic convoys had been re-routed
through English Channel.)
February
23rd Detonated
mine near East Dudgeon Buoy off Humber estuary and sank quickly.
118
survivors were rescued by HM MTB 76 and 770 but 67 of ships company
lost
their lives, including two RN personnel.
(Note
: Mines had been laid in the area earlier in the month
Cause
of sinking is in some contention but the latest record in WARSHIP LOSSES
IN
WW2 by D Brown is substantiated by survivors who doubt that ship was sunk
by
torpedo from midget submarine as recorded..
See
THE BATTLE OF THE NARROW SEAS by P Scott, HOLD THE NARROW SEA
by P
Smith and ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY by C Barnett for more
details of enemy operations in Nore Command during 1945. |
