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H . M . S
. C H E L S E A ( I 3 5 )
Ex USS CROWNINSHIELD (Type B -
CALDWELL Class) built by Bath Iron Works. The ship was laid down on 5th
November 1918 and launched on 24th July 1919. Commissioned on 6th August 1919
for US naval service she was held in Reserve in 1939- The ship transferred to
the RN under the UK/US Lend Lease Agreement on 9th September 1940 and
commissioned as HMS CHELSEA on that date at Halifax in Canada. This name was
common to a London Borough and a town in Vermont, USA. This name had not
previously been used for an RN ship. After a successful "WARSHIP WEEK" National Savings campaign in March 1942 she was ‘adopted’ by the civil
community of Devizes, Wiltshire.
B a t t l e H o n o u r s
ATLANTIC 1940-43
H e r a l d i c D a t a
Badge : On a Field Blue, a
crozier Gold and trident White in saltire,
in the centre point a mullet also White.
D e t a i l s o f W
a r S e r v i c e
1 9 4 0
September Prepared for transfer to RN
control.
8th Commissioned as HMS
CROWNINSHIELD at Halifax.
Passage to
Devonport with call at St. Johns, Newfoundland
10th RN Names of TOWN
Class announced.
28th Arrived at Devonport
and taken in hand for modifications to suit RN requirements for Atlantic
convoy escort
deployments.
Allocated for
service in Western Approaches Command
October On completion of post
refit trials took passage to Liverpool.
12th Deployed for convoy
defence in Atlantic.
November
4th Under repair at
Liverpool.
Allocated for
service in 6th Escort Group
December
6th Resumed Atlantic
convoy defence duties in 6th Escort Group.
(Note : Other
ships in Group included HM Destroyer BROKE and HM Corvettes COLUMBINE,
CAMELLIA,
PIMPERNEL* and BARRIE (RCN)* were in this Group. * Joined later.)
1 9 4 1
January Deployed with Group for
escort of convoys between UK and Gibraltar.
to (For details of
U-Boat tactics see U-BOAT WAR IN THE ATLANTIC (HMSO) and HITLER’S
August U-BOAT WAR by C Blair.).
September During convoy escort
sustained damage in collision with US Destroyer USS CANNING.
After repair
resumed duty with Group.
October Atlantic deployment in
continuation.
November
1st Sustained slight
damage in further collision with USS CANNING.
16th Sustained serious
structural damage in second collision.
Taken in hand for
repair.
December On completion resumed North
Atlantic convoy defence duties with Group.
Part of escort
for Convoy ONS50 and SC61.
For details of
convoy dates see ALLIED CONVOY SYSTEM IN WW2 by A Hague.)
1 9 4 2
January North Atlantic convoy
escort in continuation with Group.
Part of escort
for Convoys ON57 and HX170.
(For details of
Atlantic convoy defence see THE BATTLE OF THE ATLANTIC by Donald
Macintyre and
CONVOY ESCORT COMMANDER by P Gretton).
February Atlantic escort duty in
continuation.
5th Rescued survivors
from HM Corvette ARBUTUS sunk after being hit by a torpedo from U136
south of Iceland.
Under refit and
repair in London commercial shipyard.
March Under refit.
to Nominated for
transfer on loan to Royal Canadian Navy.
June
July On completion of
post refit trials worked-up for operational service.
August Took passage to St Johns
to join the Western Atlantic Local Escort Force (WLEF).
September Joined WLEF and deployed
for convoy defence off Canadian seaboard with RCN ships.
to (Note : WLEF
Western Local Escort Force – RCN designation for convoy escort in eastern
December Atlantic to Mid Ocean
Meeting Point where RN escorted for passage to Liverpool.)
1 9 4 3
January WLEF deployment in
continuation.
to (Note : During this
period had two separate periods of refit in Brooklyn US Navy Yard, New York).
October
November Nominated for return to
UK to pay off and reduce to Reserve status.
December
15th Took passage to UK
via Azores.
1 9 4 4
January Paid off.
February Nominated for transfer to
Soviet Navy after refit.
14th Taken in hand for
refit at Palmers shipyard, Newcastle on Tyne.
March Under refit
6th Refit work
completed.
April Under care and
maintenance prior to arrival of Russian crew.
May
3rd Docking at Newcastle
prior to transfer.
June Russian crew joined.
July
16th Formal transfer to
Soviet Navy and renamed DERZKI.
August Passage to Loch Ewe to join other warships being
transferred to Russia on Lease-Lend.
(Note : Other ships transferred were battleship-
ARCHANGELSK (EX HMS ROYAL
SOVEREIGN and 12 Ex
US Navy PT Boats).
17th Sailed from Loch Ewe
to Kola Inlet with Convoy JW59.
24th On arrival at Kola
Inlet detached to join Soviet Northern Fleet.
September Deployed in White Sea with
Soviet Northern Fleet.
to
December
1 9 4 5
January Russian Northern Fleet
deployment in continuation, mainly in White Sea.
to
August
P o s t W a r N o t e s
This ship continued in Soviet naval service as DERZKI
until 24th June 1949 when returned to the RN at Rosyth and resumed her name as HMS CHELSEA. She was immediately
placed on the Disposal List .The ship was sold to BISCO for breaking-up on 12th July that year and arrivedin tow at P&W MacLellan's yard at Bo'ness on 29th July for
demolition.
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