|
H . M . S . H A T H E R L E I
G H ( L 5 3 )
Type
III HUNT Class Escort Destroyer ordered from Swan Hunter at Newcastle on 23rd August 1940 and laid down on 12th December
1940 as
Job Number J4275. She was launched as HMS HATHERLEIGH on 18th December 1941 as
the 1st RN ship to bear this name, that of a Devonshire fox-hunt. The ship was
transferred to the Royal Hellenic Navy on 24th March 1942 and renamed HHMS KANARIS. Build
was completed on 10th August 1942.
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 .
K A N A R I S ( L 9 1 )
1 9 4 2
March
Transferred to Royal Hellenic Navy whilst fitting out.
April Fitting-out in continuation
to
June
July Contractors trials
August
Commissioned for service as HHMS KANARIS.
10th Build completion and commenced Acceptance trials.
Passage to Scapa Flow on completion of trials
and storing.
September
Worked-up for operational service in Royal Navy with ships of Home Fleet at
Scapa Flow
1st Escorted HHMS ADRIAS (Ex HMS BORDER) to Tyne for repair.
2nd Return passage to
Scapa Flow
as escort for HM Aircraft Carrier FURIOUS with HM Escort Destroyer
BLEAN
Resumed work-up on arrival.
On completion took passage to join escort for
military Convoy WS23 in Clyde as part of Ocean
Escort during passage to Durban
30th Arrived in Clyde and joined HM Cruisers , DESPATCH, DURBAN, HM Armed
Merchant
Cruiser QUEEN of BERMUDA, HM Escort Destroyer
PUCKERIDGE, HM Destroyers ANTELOPE
and VELOX for Ocean Escort.
(Note : WS23 comprised eight troopships and a
Local Escort of three destroyers was provided for
passage in NW Approaches.)
October
4th Joined WS23 after delayed departure.
15th Detached from WS23 before arrival at Freetown and made independent
passage.
16th At Freetown.
20th Sailed from Freetown with HMS DURBAN, HM Armed Merchant Cruiser
CARTHAGE as Ocean
Escort during passage to Durban.
(Note: Local Escort was provided for initial
stage of passage from Freetown.)
November
5th Detached from WS23 at Durban.
Took independent passage to Alexandria from
Durban with call at Aden.
Joined HHMS PINDOS for Fleet duties on arrival
in Alexandria,
December
Deployed at Alexandria.
1 9 4 3
January
Deployed for escort of convoys in eastern Mediterranean
to (Note : Convoys were no long proceeding direct to
Malta from Alexandraiaas ships
April bound for Malta joined coastal convoys for Benghazi
and then detached for Malta
Coastal convoys were escorted from ships based
Alexandria
and later by ships
from Malta.
May
Deployed for support of military operations during advance of Eighth Army into
Tunisia,
Joined 5th Destroyer Flotilla to intercept
crafty evacuating personnel from Cape Bon area
(Operation RETRIBUTION – For details see ENGAGE
THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY
by C Barnett and Naval Staff History).
June Deployed in Malta for convoy defence
Nominated for support of planned allied landings
in Sicily.
(Operation HUSKY – For details see BRITISH
INVASION FLEETS by J de Winser, Naval
Staff History and THE BATTLE FOR THE
MEDITERRANEAN by D Macintyre.)
July Deployed with Greek Destroyers PINDOS, ADRIAS,
MIAOULIS, THEMISTOCLES
and Mediterranean Fleet Destroyers for escort of
Assault Convoys to British Landing areas
in Sicily.
9th Present at initial landings and provided naval gunfire support.
Deployed for escort of Build-up phase convoys.
12th Deployed with HM Destroyers ESKIMO and EXMOOR in an attempt to enter
harbour at Augusta
which failed after coming under fire from shore
battery.
August
.Resumed Mediterranean convoy defence duties on release from HUSKY
to (Note : Did not take part in landings at Salerno
in September 1943 (Operation AVALANCHE),
December
Operation ACCOLADE for defence of military forces in Leros and Cos)
It is not known to what extent this ships was
involved in the indiscipline amongst Greek
naval personnel at Alexandria during this
period.
1 9 4 4
January
Convoy defence in continuation.
to
February
March
19th Sustained serious structural damage in collision with HM Cruiser
HAWKINS during passage in
Red Sea.
25th Taken in hand for repair at Massawa.
April Under repair
to
July
August
Resumed Mediterranean Fleet service with 5th Destroyer Flotilla at Alexandria
September
Nominated for service in British Aegean Force for support of re-occupation of
islands in Aegean
with Greek destroyers THEMISTOCLES. PINDOS,
MIAOULIS and KRITI.
(Operation MANNA)
(Note : This included provision of naval gunfire
support, landing of troops and interception of craft
attempting to carry out evacuation of German
garrisons.)
October
Deployed in Aegean for support of MANNA in continuation
to
November
December
Deployed in support operations in Greek coastal waters and convoy defence.
Present at re-occupation of Piraeus.
1 9 4 5
January
Deployed with other Greek Navy destroyers for support of military operations in
Greece and for
to convoy defence.
May
June Deployed in for operations in Greek coastal waters
as required by Greek authorities.
to
August
P o s
t W a r N o t e s
HHMS
KANARIS remained in Greek naval service after VJ Day. In 1959 the ship was
returned to the Royal Navy. Placed
on the Disposal List she was sold for demolition to a Greek shipbreaker
and arrived in tow at a local
shipbreaking yard in 1960. |
