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H . M . S . O A K L E Y
(ii) ( L
9 8 )
Type II HUNT-Class Escort
Destroyer ordered from Yarrow, Scotstoun, Glasgow under the 1939 War Emergency
Programme on 20th December 1939. The ship was laid down on 19th August 1940 as
Job No 1853 and was to have been named TICKHAM. However in June 1941 after a
sister ship launched as HMS OAKLEY had been transferred to Poland she was
launched as the third HMS OAKLEY on 15th Jan. 1942. It was first used for a
minesweeper in 1917 sold in 1923. Following a successful WARSHIP WEEK National
Savings campaign in March 1942 this Escort Destroyer was adopted by the civil
community of Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire. Completion was delayed until 7th
May 1942 due to bombing of the shipyard before the hull was launched.
B a t t l e H o n o u r s
ARCTIC 1942 - SICILY 1943 - SOUTH FRANCE 1944
-
NORTH SEA 1945
H e r a l d i c D a t a
Badge : On a Field
Red, a bugle horn erect and an annulet
interlaced Gold.
D e t a i l s o f
W a r S e r v i c e
1 9 4 2
May
Contractor's sea trials and commissioned for service.
5th Build
completion and commenced Acceptance Trials
Repair of defects found on trials and storing.
June
22nd Passage to Scapa Flow on completion of repairs and storing.
23rd
Joined HM Auxiliary Minelayers MENESTHEUS,
AGAMEMNON and SOUTHERN
PRINCE with HM Destroyers CASTLETON and ST
MARY'S.
(Operation ES - See Naval Staff History (MINING).)
Returned to Scapa Flow on
completion of Operation ES and began work-up.
On release from ES deployed as
part of escort for Dummy Convoy sailed as a diversion for
passage of Russian Convoy PQ17.
July
2nd Commenced
work-up for operational service with ships of Home Fleet at
Scapa Flow.
On
completion deployed for escort of UK-Faroes convoys with Orkney and Shetland
Command.
August Orkney and
Shetland Command convoy escort in continuation.
September
10th Deployed with HM
Destroyers COWDRAY, WINDSOR and WORCESTER as
escort for Royal
Fleet Auxiliaries BLUE RANGER and OLIGARCH to
provide fuel
for escorts of
Convoys PQ18 and return Convoy QP14..
(For details see
ARCTIC CONVOYS by R Woodman.)
21st On completion of
refuelling took passage to Iceland with RFA BLUE RANGER escorted by
HM Destroyer
ONSLAUGHT and ships of Force P
26th On return to Iceland
took passage to resumed convoy defence in NW Approaches.
October Deployed in
NW Approaches or convoy escort.
November
23rd Joined
Ocean Escort for returning Russian Convoy OP15 in Iceland for passage to Loch Ewe.
27th Resumed
convoy defence role after release from OP15.
December Convoy escort
duty in NW Approaches in continuation.
1 9 4 3
January Convoy
escort duty In continuation.
Nominated for escort duty in Mediterranean
February Deployed as
part of escort for Convoy KMF9 from Milford Haven to Algiers.
16th Joined
Destroyer Division 59 at Oran.
March Deployed for
Escort and patrol duty in Western and Central Mediterranean.
May Took part
in blockade of Cape Bon area to intercept evacuation craft which were
taking troops from Cape Bon area.
Operation RETRIBUTION. See ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY by Corelli Barnett).
9th During
deployment with HM Escort Destroyer
BICESTER came under attack by
friendly
SPITFIRE aircraft.
(Note: HMS BICESTER sustained very severe damage.)
June Resumed
convoy escort and patrol duty.
Nominated for service with Support Force
East for planned allied landings in
Sicily as part of
Escort Group W
(Operation HUSKY - See ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY).
Escorted coastal supply convoys to and from North African ports.
July Joined
Support Force East.
For
details of HUSKY see Naval Staff History and for information about all ships
taking part
BRITISH INVASION FLEETS by J de Winser
Passage to Sfax.
8th Part of escort for
military convoy SBM1 from Sfax to beachhead
10th Detached
from SBM1 on arrival at BARK SOUTH beachhead.
Deployed for naval gunfire support and interception patrol during assault.
Escorted
Follow-up convoys from
Sousse to beachhead.
August Resumed
escort and patrol duties in Central and Western Mediterranean.
September
6th Part of
escort for military convoy NSM1 from Oran to Salerno
9th Detached
from NSM1
(Note
: As “Salerno 1943” Battle Honour was not awarded it is assumed ship then
reverted
to
routine mercantile convoy defence.)
October
Mediterranean convoy defence and anti-submarine patrol in continuation.
to
November
December
12th Sustained
major structural damage to hull after striking submerged rock at entrance to
harbour
at
Taranto.
15th Taken in
hand for repair at Taranto
1 9 4 4
January Under repair
to Refit
work to be completed in Malta
April Passage
to Malta.
May Refit
completion in hand by HM Dockyard, Malta.
June On
completion of post refit trials rejoined Division for escort and patrol duty
based in Malta.
July Escort
and patrol duty In continuation.
Nominated for support of planned allied landings in South France under US Navy
overall
command
(Operation DRAGOON. See INVASION OF THE SOUTH OF FRANCE (HMSO) and
BRITISH INVASION FLEETS.).
August Passage to
Naples to Join escorts for landings.
12th Sailed
from Naples with four US Navy Patrol Vessels (PC) and four US Submarine Chasers
(SC)
as
escort for
Convoy SF2C
(Note
Convoy included HM Fighter Direction Ship ULSTER QUEEN and 47 Landing Craft,
Infantry.)
14th Arrived
at Night Retirement Area (Position
AL).
15th Detached
from SFC2 and deployed for escort of Follow-up convoys.
September Convoy escort
for DRAGOON in continuation.
25th Reverted
to RN control on completion of DRAGOON.
October Resumed duty
with 59th Division.
Deployed in Eastern Mediterranean to cover minesweeping operations in Gulf of
Athens.
(Note
: Support for Operation MANNA to re-occupy Greek mainland.)
November Retained in
Greek sea area or support of MANNA..
Present at re-occupation of
Athens.
December Nominated for
duty in East Indies after refit for service in
Indian Ocean.
1 9 4 5
January Passage to
Chatham.
Temporarily attached to 21st Destroyer Flotilla on arrival.
(Note
: During the early part of 1945 there had been a great increase in enemy
activity by
E-Boats and submarines in Nore area and additional destroyers were
deployed to
counter these threats to convoys to the continent).
February Deployed in
Nore Command for patrol and escort duties.
March
3rd Taken in
hand for refit and modifications at
Portsmouth prior to service in
East Indies.
Refit
work suspended.
April Worked-up
for service if required during passage.
Took
passage to Taranto to complete refit.
May Taken in
hand for completion of modifications and further refit work.
to
August
P o s t W a r
N o t e s
HMS OAKLEY did not complete refit at Taranto
until October 1945 and then returned to UK. She was Paid-off and reduced to
Reserve status at Portsmouth during December that year. Whilst in Reserve the
ship was kept in a high state of readiness for Service (Category
A). Placed on the Disposal List and later the Sales List she was
sold in November 1957 to the Federal German Republic. On 2nd October 1958 she
was renamed GNEISENAU and
entered service as a Gunnery Training Ship on
18th of that month. Stricken from the Active List in 1977 she was sold for
demolition on 12th January 1978.
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