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H . M . S . Q U O R N
( L 9 2 )
Type I HUNT Class
Escort Destroyer ordered from J S White of Cowes on 11 April 1939 under the 1939 Build Programme and
laid down as Job No J6633 on 26th July
1939. The ship was launched on 27th March 1940 as the 2nd RN warship to carry the name,
that of a fox-hunt in Leicestershire. It had first been used for a Minesweeper
built in 1917 and sold in 1932. During build there were mechanical problems
including wear on gearing and leaks in stern glands. Build was completed on
21st September 1940. In February 1942 the ship was adopted by the civil
community of Rushden, Northamptonshire 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 - ENGLISH CHANNEL 1942-44 -
ADRIATIC 1944
H e r a l d i c D a t a
Badge: On a Field Red,. a
lion's gamb erased holding a hunting horn Gold.
D e t a i
l s o f W a r
S e r v i c e
1 9 4 0
September Contractors
trials and commissioned for service in 21st Destroyer Flotilla
21st Build
completion and commenced Acceptance Trials
October Passage to
Scapa Flow on completion of trials and storing
Worked-up for operational service at
Scapa Flow with ships of Home Fleet
November Passage to
Sheerness to join Flotilla for convoy defence and patrol duties North Sea
and
English
Channel.
December Transferred to
16th Destroyer Flotilla at Harwich for convoy defence and patrol
in
North Sea.
(For
details of naval activity in 1939 see ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE
CLOSELY
by
Corelli Barrett).
1 9 4 1
January North Sea deployment including offensive operations against enemy coastal convoy
traffic in
to continuation.
February
March Detached for
escort of HM Auxiliary Minelayer TEVIOT BANK during an unsuccessful
attempt to lay section
of East Coast Mine Barrier (Operation BS50).
See
Naval Staff History (Mining).
Resumed Flotilla duties on release
April
1st Damaged
by near misses from 2 Delayed Action bombs which exploded falling astern
off port
quarter.
Under
repair
May On
completion of dockyard work and trials resumed convoy escort and patrol duties.
to June
July
26th Detached
for bombardment of Dieppe with HM Escort Destroyers CATTISTOCK and
MENDIP
August Resumed
convoy escort and patrol duty with Flotilla.
18th Activated
ground mine on passage from Harwich to
Chatham
Sustained minor damage to hull plating and to machinery.
Taken
in hand for repair at HM Dockyard Chatham
September
13th Resumed
Flotilla duties at Harwich on completion of repair and trials.
October Convoy
defence, patrol and offensive sweep operations in continuation with Flotilla.
to (For
details of naval activities in
North Sea see THREE CORVETTES by Monsarrat and THE
December BATTLE OF THE
EAST COAST by J P
Foynes.)
1 9 4 2
January Flotilla
duties in North Sea in continuation.
to
March
April
20th Activated
mine in position 1.5 miles east of Aldeburgh Buoy.
Two
of ship’s company were killed and one injured.
No 1
Boiler Room flooded and major structural damage sustained.
May Under
repair by HM Dockyard, Chatham
to
July
August Carried out
post repair trials on completion of dockyard work..
19th Rejoined
16th Flotilla at Harwich.
October Deployment
for convoy defence and patrol with Flotilla in continuation.
13th Detached
to Join other escorts and Light Coastal Forces for interception of an
enemy convoy
off
Cherbourg.
(Note: This convoy included raider KOMET attempting a westward
passage into
Atlantic.
(For
details see BATTLE OF THE NARROW SEAS by Peter Scott).
November Resumed North
Sea Flotilla duties.
December Deployed in
North Sea for convoy defence and patrol.
1 9 4 3
January Convoy
defence and patrol in North Sea with Flotilla in continuation.
to
April
May
15th In action
with E-Boats laying mines off Hearty Knoll
June North Sea
duties in continuation with Flotilla.
to
December
1 9 4 4
January North Sea
Flotilla duties in continuation.
to
April
May Nominated
with other ships of Flotilla for convoy defence during planned allied landings
in
Normandy (Operation NEPTUNE).
For
full details see LANDINGS IN NORMANDY, June 1944, OPERATION NEPTUNE
by K
Edwards and for information about all ships involved D DAY SHIPS by J de
Winser..
30th Detached
for duty with Escort Group 115.
Sailed with HM Destroyer WALPOLE and HM
Escort Destroyer SOUTHDOWN from
Harwich to Sheerness.
Carried out preparatory exercised on passage.
June Joined HM
Destroyer FORESTER, HM Sloop KITE, HM Frigates TYLER and SEYMOUR
at
Sheerness to form Escort Group 115 on arrival..
6th Escorted
Convoy ETP1 with ships of Escort Groups 114 and 115.
7th Arrived
in Eastern Task Area with convoy.
8th Deployed
at Portsmouth during Build-up and escorted convoys.
On
release from NEPTUNE when operation terminated deployed in English Channel for
convoy escort and interception patrol
July Channel
deployment in continuation.
3rd Hit
amidships by Explosive Motor Boat (LINSEN) off
Le Havre.
Ship
broke in two with heavy loss of life.
Both
sections sank very quickly.
130
of ship’s company including 4 officers lost their lives.
(Note: Some were trapped within the structure and could not escape due to the
inadequate
facilities.
This
deficiency was corrected later in other ships of this Class.)
Addendum
CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of
HMS
QUORN
by Don Kindell
(not cross-checked with
above history)
Date convoy
Joined convoy
Convoy
No. Left convoy Date convoy
sailed as escort arrived
03/11/40 03/11/40 FS 0327 05/11/40 05/11/40
08/11/40 09/11/40 FS 0331 10/11/40 10/11/40
09/12/40 09/12/40 FN 0355 11/12/40 11/12/40
27/01/41 27/01/41 FN 0393 29/01/41 29/01/41
14/12/42 14/12/42 CW 141 15/12/42 15/12/42
15/12/42 15/12/42 CE 139 16/12/42 16/12/42
07/01/43 07/01/43 CW 147 08/01/43 08/01/43
20/02/43 20/02/43 CE 155 21/02/43 21/02/43
02/03/43 02/03/43 CW 160 03/03/43 03/03/43
03/03/43 03/03/43 CE 158 04/03/43 04/03/43
27/05/43 27/05/43 PW 345 28/05/43 29/05/43
29/05/43 29/05/43 PW 346 30/05/43 31/05/43
04/06/43 04/06/43 PW 349 06/06/43 06/06/43
12/06/43 12/06/43 CE 183 13/06/43 13/06/43
25/10/43 25/10/43 CW 219 26/10/43 26/10/43
26/10/43 26/10/43 CE 217 27/10/43 27/10/43
19/11/43 19/11/43 CE 223 20/11/43 20/11/43
30/01/44 30/01/44 CW 243 31/01/44 31/01/44
31/01/44 31/01/44 CE 241 01/02/44 01/02/44
19/03/44 19/03/44 CW 255 20/03/44 20/03/44
04/04/44 04/04/44 CE 257 05/04/44 05/04/44
21/04/44 21/04/44 CE 261 22/04/44 22/04/44
06/06/44 06/06/44 ETP 001 07/06/44 07/06/44
15/07/44 15/07/44 ETM 037 16/07/44 16/07/44
(Note on Convoys)
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