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H . M . S . Q
U A N T O C K ( L 5 8 )
Type I HUNT Class Escort
Destroyer ordered from Scotts at Greenock under 1939
War Programme on 11th April 1939. The ship was laid down as Job No J112 on 26th
July 1939 and was launched on 22nd April 1940 as the 1st RN warship to carry
the name, that of a fox-hunt in Somerset. Build was completed on 6th February 1941 and in February 1942 she
was adopted by the civil community of Ashton-under-Lyme, Lancashire, now in the
Tameside Metropolitan Borough, Greater Manchester
after a successful WARSHIP WEEK National Savings campaign.
B a t t
l e H o n o u r s
NORTH SEA 1941-45 - ATLANTIC 1943 - SICILY 1943
- SALERNO 1943 - ADRIATIC 1944
H e r a l d i
c D a t a
Badge: On a
Field
Green ,in front of two antlers in saltire
a bugle horn palewise Gold.
D e t a i
l s o f
W a r S e r v i c e
1 9 4 1
January Contractors
trials and commissioned for service.
February
6th Build
completion and commenced Acceptance Trials.
On
completion of trials and storing joined Rosyth Escort Force for East Coast
convoy escort.
(Note: Work-up with Home Fleet prior to operational service is to be confirmed.)
March Deployed for
convoy escort and patrol in North Sea in continuation.
to (Note:
Action in defence of attacks by aircraft and E-Boats to be confirmed.)
May
June
10th During
escort of convoy off Humber estuary reported sinking of HM Corvette PINTAIL
after
detonating acoustic mine.
HMS
PINTAIL had been escorting another convoy in same area.
Rescued some of the 22 men who survived this loss out of an overall complement
of over 60.
July North
Sea convoy defence in continuation.
to
August
October
10th During
escort of North Sea convoy rescued two of crew of Greek grain ship KYMA which
had
been
mined of the Humber.
For
further Information about East Coast convoys see THREE CORVETTES by Nicolas
Monsarrat, BATTLE OF THE NARROW SEAS by Peter Scott and THE BATTLE FOR THE
EAST
COAST by J P Foynes.)
November North Sea
convoy defence and patrol in continuation.
to
December
1 9 4 2
January North Sea
convoy escort in continuation.
to (Note:
Enemy air and surface attacks by E-Boat were maintained continually on coastal
December
convoys
against which defensive actions were a common feature. See above references.)
1 9 4 3
January Nominated for service in Mediterranean.
(See ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY by Corelli
Barnett).
February Passage to Gibraltar to join 58th Destroyer Division for convoy defence in
Atlantic and
western Mediterranean.
15th Called at Plymouth on passage
Joined escort of outward Convoy OS43 during
passage in SW Approaches.
March
4th Detached from OS43 and joined Division at Gibraltar.
March Deployed on
convoy defence and A/S patrol.
to (For
details of development of anti-submarine weapons and convoy defence tactics.
May see SEEK
AND STRIKE by W Hackmann and BUSINESS IN GREAT WATERS by J
Terraine).
June
2nd Joined
escort for combined convoy from USA (UGSBA?) and UK (KMS15) made up of
129
ships for passage from Gibraltar to Oran and Algiers.
July Detached
for duty with Support Force East for Sicily landings as part of Escort Group U
(Operation HUSKY - For details see Naval Staff History , BRITISH INVASION FLEETS
by
J de
Winser for information about all ships involved and above references)
Passage to Algiers.
7th Sailed
from Algiers as part of escort for assault Convoy KMS18
8th Detached
from KMS18 to refuel in Malta and joined escort for Convoy SBF2.
10th
Detached from SBF2 on arrival at BARK SOUTH Beach Head and deployed for support
during
initial landings.
Carried out interception patrols in defence of anchorages.
27th In action
with three E-Boats off Augusta.
31st Provided
naval gunfire support at Taormina with HM Destroyer WHEATLAND.
August Deployed on
convoy defence and support of military operations.
September Nominated for
escort of assault convoys to planned landing area at Salerno and attached to
Northern Attack Force (Task Force 85).
Passage to Tripoli.
6th Sailed
from Tripoli as part of escort for Convoy TSS2.
9th Detached
from TSS2 on arrival at beachhead.
to
Provided naval gunfire support and supplemented Anti-aircraft defence during
landings
12th Carried
out Anti-submarine patrol and AA defence in anchorages off
Salerno
(Operation AVALANCHE - For details see Naval Staff History, ENGAGE THE ENEMY
MORE
CLOSELY and BRITISH INVASION FLEETS).
Under
continual air attacks.
October Deployed for
convoy defence and patrol in Central Mediterranean.
to
December
1 9 4 4
January Central
Mediterranean and Adriatic patrol and escort duties in continuation.
to
Deployed for support of shore operations in
Adriatic.
September (See THE LAST
DESTROYER by F Mason).
October
15th Embarked
Flag Officer Taranto and Adriatic for re-occupation of Corfu.
November Convoy defence
and support to land operations in Adriatic..
December Bombardment of
Porto Lussinpiccolo in northern
Adriatic with Landing Craft (Gun),
HM
Destroyer WILTON and two other destroyers.
Under
attack by a group of explosive motor boats and destroyed three.
After
return to Malta Joined
Destroyer Division 57 as Senior Officer's Ship.
1 9 4 5
January Deployed in
support of military operations in
Adriatic and later off coast
of
Greece.
February Nominated for
return to UK for
escort of coastal convoys against SCHNORKEL
fitted
submarines.
(See
HOLD THE NARROW SEA by
P Smith and ENCAGE THE ENEMY MORE
CLOSELY).
March
3rd Passage
to join 16th Destroyer Flotilla at Harwich
10th Deployed
on coastal convoy defence.
(Note: In this period enemy minelaying by E-Boat and submarine was extensive.).
April Flotilla
convoy defence and patrol duties in continuation.
Nominated for
conversion to Air Target Ship
May Taken in
hand for conversion after VE Day.
June Took up
Station as Target Ship.
July Deployed
for duty as Target Ship for training of aircrew.
to
August
P o s t W a r No t e s
HMS QUANTOCK Paid-off and was reduced to Reserve status in
December 1945. The ship remained at Portsmouth until taken to Barrow in 1953.
Placed on the Disposal List and then the Sales List, she was purchased by the Government of
Ecuador with sister destroyer HMS
MEYNELL during October 1954. After refitting at her build yard she was renamed PRESIDENTO ALFARO and served in the Ecuadorian Navy until 1978 when she was
stricken from the Active List.
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