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H . M . S . L A U D E R D A L E ( L 9 5 )
Type II HUNT Class Escort
Destroyer ordered from John I Thornycroft at Woolston on 4th September 1939 under the 1939 War Emergency
Programme. She was laid down as Job No J6l53 (Yard No 1212) on 12th December
1939 and launched on 5th August
1941 as the first RN ship carry the name, that of a fox-hunt in Berwickshire..
Build was completed on 24th December 1941. This ship was the only HUNT Class to make a full
transatlantic crossing when lent to the Royal Canadian Navy for an assessment
of this type of escort destroyer for its use in lieu of the TOWN Class (Ex US
Navy destroyers). It is however noted that no ship of this Class was ever used
by the RCN, perhaps because of their poor endurance. Following a successful
WARSHIP WEEK National Savings campaign in May 1942 this ship was
adopted by the civil community of Berwickshire, Scotland. Her completion date
appears to have been delayed, possibly due to air raid damage in the shipyard
and repair of ships damaged during Norwegian and other evacuations in 1940
which had high priority.
B a t t
l e H o n o u r s
ATLANTIC 1942 - NORTH
SEA 1942 - SICILY 1943 - MEDITERRANEAN 1943
- SOUTH FRANCE 1944 - ADRIATIC 1944
H e r a l d i c D a t a
Badge : On a Field Red. two
antlers, suspended from the tines
a bugle horn, stringed Gold.
D e t a i
l s o f W a r
S e r v i c e
1 9 4 1
December Contractors
trials and commissioned for service
24th Build
completion and commenced Acceptance Trials
1 9 4 2
January Passage to
Scapa Flow on completion of trials and storing to work-up with ships of the Home
Fleet
for operational service in 20th Escort Group, Western Approaches Command.
Joined Group on completion.
February Detached for
service with Western Local Escort Force based at Halifax Canada.
See above..
16th Took
passage to Halifax with HM Destroyer CALDWELL.
21st Arrived
at Halifax and prepared for RCN service..
24th Joined
Western Local Escort Force at Halifax.
(Note
: The loan period took place during increased in U-Boat activity off the
east coast of
America. See U-BOAT WAR IN THE ATLANTIC (HMSO).
March Deployed as
Local Escort between Halifax and St Johns Newfoundland.
Escorted Halifax - St. Johns convoys, including SC72, ONTO and SC75.
30th After
release from loan took passage to Londonderry for convoy escort duty in Western
Approaches.
April Deployed
in NW Approaches.
15th Joined
military convoy WS18 with HM Destroyers BADSWORTH,
GEORGETOWN,
LANCASTER and ST
MARY'S as Local Escort
during passage in NW Approaches.
19th Detached
from WS18 for return passage to Londonderry.
Passage to join Rosyth Escort Force for
North Sea convoy escort
May North Sea
convoy defence with Rosyth Escort Force in continuation
to (For
details of North Sea convoy defence see THE BATTLE OF THE EAST COAST
December 1939 -1945 by J
P Foynes and THREE CORVETTES by N. Monsarrat).
1 9 4 3
January Rosyth
Escort Force deployment in continuation.
Nominated for service in Mediterranean.
February Taken in hand
for refit at Hull in commercial shipyard.
March On
completion of post refit trials and prepared for foreign service.
April Nominated
for escort of military convoy during passage to join Fleet at Gibraltar.
16th Joined
joint military Convoy KMF13/WS29 in Clyde with HM Destroyer VENOMOUS, HM
Sloops WELLINGTON, WESTON, HM Cutters GORLESTON, TOTLAND, HM Frigates
NESS
and EXE for Ocean Escort to Gibraltar.
(Note
: HM Cruiser NEWCASTLE and HM Destroyer RAPID were also deployed to provide
cover
for passage of convoy.).
20th Remained
with Convoy KMF13 when WS29 detached for passage to
Freetown
as escort.
Joined 60th Escort Division at Malta
May Deployed
for convoy defence in western
Mediterranean.
Carried out bombardment of
Kelebia, Tunisia in
support of military advance.
Took
part in blockade of Cape Bon area to intercept craft evacuating enemy forces
from
Tunisia (Operation RETRIBUTION See ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY by
Corelli Barnett).
On
release from RETRIBUTION deployed for convoy defence and anti-submarine patrol
central Mediterranean.
June Deployed
for escort of Convoy UG8A from
Gibraltar to North African ports.
Nominated for support of planned allied landings in Sicily.
July Joined
Support Force East for Sicilian landings (Operation HUSKY).
7th Part of
escort for military Convoy SMB1 from Sfax to Beach Head.
10th Detached
from SMB1 on arrival at BARK SOUTH Beach Head.
Deployed for naval gunfire support, defensive, patrol and convoy defence.
(For
details see above reference, Naval Staff History and for information relating to
all ships
involved BRITISH INVASION FLEETS by J de Winser.).
August
On release from HUSKY resumed convoy Defence and
patrol duties in
Mediterranean.
September
Mediterranean convoy defence and patrol deployment in continuation.
to
December
1 9 4 4
January Convoy
defence and patrol duties based at Malta in continuation.
to May
June Nominated
for escort and support of planned allied landings in South France under overall
US
Navy
command.
Transferred to 5th Destroyer Flotilla and took passage to Alexandria.
July
Transferred with Flotilla to
Naples for escort of assault convoys .
(Operation DRAGOON - See LANDINGS IN THE SOUTH OF FRANCE (HMSO) and
above
references.)
August Based at
Naples and prepared for service under US Navy command.
Joined HM Escort Destroyers ALDENHAM, BEAUFORT, BELVOIR, BLACKMORE,
EGGESFORD and
Greek PINDOS as escort for SM2 conveys to assault assembly area
13th Sailed
with convoy from Naples.
15th Detached
from convoy on arrival off Beach Head.
On release from DRAGOON returned to RN control by CinC
Mediterranean.
September Deployed for
convoy escort and patrol in central Mediterranean.
to
Transferred for convoy defence and support of military operations in Adriatic.
December For details of
Adriatic naval activities see THE LAST DESTROYER by FA Mason)
1 9 4 5
January Flotilla
deployment in central Mediterranean and Adriatic in
continuation.
to April
May
Nominated for service in
Indian Ocean after refit at
Simonstown.
June Passage
to UK to give
leave.
July Leave
and maintenance in UK.
August Passage to
Simonstown.
P o s t W a r N o t e s
HMS LAUDERDALE was refitted
by HM Dockyard Simonstown despite the
ending of the war against Japan. After refit was completed she
joined Mediterranean Fleet. During 1946 the ship was surveyed prior to transfer
on loan to the Royal Hellenic
Navy and in May 1946 was renamed AIGAION. The ship served in the Greek Navy
until December 1959 and sold for demolition in Greece the next year.
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