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H . M . S
. S I L V E R T O N ( L 1 1 5 )
Type II HUNT Class Escort
Destroyer ordered from J S White, Cowes IoW under 1939 War Emergency Programme
on 4th September 1939. She was laid down on 5th December 1939 as Job No J6583
and was launched on 4th December 1940 as HMS SILVERTON and was the first RN
warship to carry the name, that of a fox-hunt in Devonshire. The ship was
transferred to Poland with sister ship
HMS OAKLEY (i) renamed ORP KUJAWIAK This ship
commissioned for Polish naval service as ORP KRAKOWIAK on 3rd April 1941 in
place of the Free French destroyer OURAGAN manned by Poles. Build was completed
on 28th May 1941.
H e r a l d i
c D a t a
(As HMS SILVERTON)
Badge : On a Field White, on a pomme a hunting horn erect gold
thereon
two spurs linked rowels uppermost White.
O R P K R A K O W I A K (L 1 1 5 ).
D e t a i l s o f
W a r S e r v i c e u n d e
r P o l i s h C o m m a n d
1 9 4 1
April
Transferred to Poland and
renamed
Allocated for service with 15th Destroyer Flotilla.
May
Contractor's trials.
28th Build
completion and commenced Acceptance Trial
June Passage
to Scapa Flow on completion of trials and storing.
Worked-up for operational service with ships of Home Fleet at Scapa Flow
July Joined
15th Destroyer Flotilla at
Plymouth
and deployed for convoy defence and
patrol duties in
SW
Approaches and Irish Sea.
August Flotilla
duties in continuation.
to
September
October
26th Escorted
HM Cruiser TRINIDAD for passage to Clyde for acceptance trials after
completion of
build
in HM Dockyard Devonport.
November Convoy defence
based at Plymouth in continuation.
December Transferred to
Home Fleet for temporary duty.
22nd Deployed
as part of escort for Landing Ships taking Commando troops for raids on Lofoten
Islands
(Operation ANKLET and ARCHERY- See THE WATERY MAZE by B Fergusson).
1 9 4 2
January Resumed
convoy defence and patrol duties based at Devonport.
to
Reinforced escorts in Western Approaches Command for UK - Gibraltar convoys.
May For
details of Atlantic convoy defence see U-BOAT WAR IN THE ATLANTIC (HMSO) and
THE
BATTLE OF THE ATLANTIC by D Macintyre).
June
17th Deployed
with HM Destroyers WILD SWAN, BEAGLE and HM Frigate SPEY to support
Convoy HG 84 in SW Approaches.
Came
under heavy air attacks during which HMS WILD SWAN was sunk.
. (See
HMS WILD SWAN by P Smith).
July Deployed on convoy defence and offensive patrols in
SW Approaches and in French coastal
waters against shipping
(Operation TUNNEL Series - See HOLD THE
NARROW SEA by P Smith and ENGAGE
THE
ENEMY MORE CLOSELY by Corelli Barnett.
October
13th Joined HM
Destroyers BROCKLESBY, FERNIE and TYNEDALE and formed Force B for
interception of German supply ship and commerce raider KOMET known to be making
an
attempt to pass
into the Atlantic from Germany.
Following the interception of KOMET by other destroyers of Force A, engaged
E-Boats which
had
been used as her escort
(For
details see BATTLE OF THE NARROW SEAS by Peter Scott).
November Convoy defence
and interception duties in English Channel in continuation.
to
(Including engagement with Light Coastal Forces MTB's against, coastal convoy
near
December Douvres.
1 9 4 3
January
Channel convoy defence and patrol duties in
continuation.
to
February
March
5th In
action against B-Boats in defence of convoy off Start Point and drove them off.
April Flotilla
duties in continuation
to
Nominated for service in Mediterranean with 60th Destroyer Division based at
Gibraltar.
May
June
Passage to join Gibraltar Escort Force for defence of
convoys in the Atlantic
and western
Mediterranean
On
arrival at Gibraltar joined 60th Division of Allied Naval Command for local
escort of
convoys
in Atlantic and western
Mediterranean.
July
Nominated for service Support Force East during planned allied landings in
Sicily
of
British 1st Airborne Division SW as part of Escort Group S
(Operation HUSKY – For details see ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY, Naval. Staff
History and BRITISH INVASION FLEETS by J de Winser for information about all
ships
taking part.)
Passage to Algiers.
5th Sailed
from Algiers as part of escort for military convoy KMS18.
8th Detached
from KMS18 to refuel and rejoined escort on completion.
10th Detached
from KMS18 on arrival at BARK WEST Beach Head and provided naval gunfire
support during initial landing in
Sicily.
Carried out patrols to intercept enemy craft attempting to interfere with
landings and for
Follow-up convoy escort.
August HUSKY support
in continuation.
September Joined 48th
Escort Group based in Malta for support of planned allied landings in Bay
of
Salerno
(Operation AVALANCHE - See above references).
9th Deployed
ass part of screen for Support Carrier Task Force (TF88) during provision of
cover
to
by
air operations by carrier aircraft.
16th (Note :
TG88 consisting of HM Escort Carriers BATTLER, ATTACKER, HUNTER and
STALKER screened by destroyers from
HUNT Flotilla in
Malta..
October Transferred
to Alexandria for support of military operations in defence of the
Aegean
Islands.
Deployed on offensive patrols to intercept German craft carrying
troops to replace Italian
garrisons.
Under heavy air attacks and without consistent
air cover.
For
details see WAR IN THE AEGEAN by P Smith and E Walker).
27th Escorted
HM Cruiser AURORA for passage to Aegean.
November Support of
military operations in Aegean islands in continuation.
10th Carried
out search and inspection of west coast of Kalymnos with HM Destroyers
PETARD
and
ROCKWOOD.
On
completion bombarded the harbour at Kalymnos.
During return passage under air attack by glider bombs.
11th After HMS
ROCKWOOD was hit by weapon which failed to explode provided cover for
tow to
Turkish waters by HMS PETARD.
15th Embarked
ammunition and stores at Famagusta, Cyprus for transit to Leros but
recalled on
passage when island surrendered.
29th Escorted
HM Cruiser BIRMINGHAM during passage to Alexandria after being hit by
torpedo
off
Cyrenaica.
December Deployed for
convoy escort and patrol based in Malta.
1 9 4 4
January Central
Mediterranean convoy defence and patrol in continuation based in Malta.
to
Nominated for return to UK for
support of planned allied landings in Normandy.
March (Operation
NEPTUNE)
April Passage
to UK.
May Nominated
for duty in Force G of Eastern Task Force
Took
part in preparatory exercises for
NEPTUNE.
For
details see LANDINGS IN NORMANDY. June 1944 (HMSO), OPERATION NEPTUNE
by K
Edwards and D DAY SHIPS by J de Winser for information about all ships taking part.
June
Deployed with HM Destroyer CATTISTOCK in
Solent for escort of Convoy G1
to the
assault area.
4th
Departure delayed 24 hours.
5th Escorted
G1 convoy with HMS CATTISTOCK, four Motor Launches and
MTB's of the 55th
Flotilla.
(Note
: Convoy G1 comprised 6th Minesweeping Flotilla, four Danlayers and other
minesweepers.)
6th After
arrival in Assault area deployed for gunfire support for landings on GOLD Beach.
7th Deployed
for patrol off beaches to prevent submarines or surface craft attack.
10th During
patrol with HM Destroyers URSA and GLAISDALE off
Le Havre intercepted and drove
off attacks by
German torpedo boats T28, JAGUAR and MOWE.
11th Continued
patrol and convoy defence role in support of invasion operations,
to
26th
27th Retained
in Channel area for convoy defence. patrol and support of military operations.
July Channel
deployment in continuation.
August Transferred
to 16th Destroyer Flotilla based in Harwich for North Sea convoy defence and
to
interception patrol
December (Note :
Extensive minelaying by surface craft, submersibles and U-Boats were in
progress.
Schnorkel-fitted submarines and E-Boats were also active to attack mercantile
traffic
and
escorts. See HOLD THE NARROW SEA by
P Smith.)
1 9 4 5
January Convoy
defence and patrol.
to (Note
:Enemy mining and increased threat of German torpedo craft especially in Thames
are
February were
continuing. Atlantic convoys to East Coast ports had been diverted through
Channel
since
air attacks were no longer possible from French bases.
(See
HOLD THE NARROW SEA).
March
22nd Drove off
German minelaying E-Boats during lay of mines on convoy route between
Thames
and
Dutch coast.
April Deployed
defence role in North Sea and Channel.
May Remained
with Home Fleet after VE Day and Polish manning continued.
to (Note :
Ship was not intended for deployment in Far East.)
June Deployed
in support of military re-occupation of German territory.
July
23rd Loan to
Poland terminated and ship Paid-off at Harwich.
Reduced to
Reserve status
August On completion
Laid-up n Reserve at Harwich.
25th Reverted
to Royal Navy as HMS SILVERTON.
P o s t W a r
N o t e s
HMS SILVERTON remained in
Reserve, initially at Harwich and was later transferred to Sheerness. During
1953 she was prepared for
attendance at the Coronation Review after which she was kept in the Chatham
Division, Reserve Fleet until 1958.,
Placed on the Disposal List the ship was sold to BISCO for demolition by T W
Ward at Grays, Essex on 3rd March that year, She arrived at the breaker's yard a year later and her scrap value realised
£17,400.
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