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H . M . S
. L E A M I N G T O N ( G 1 9 )
Ex USS TWIGGS (Type B -
MONTGOMERY Class) built by New York Shipbuilders Co and laid down on 23rd
January 1918. The ship was launched 28 September 1918and build was completed on
28th July 1919. Transferred under Lease Lend
Agreement she was commissioned in to the RN at Halifax on 23
October 1940. as the 2nd RN warship to carry the name, previously used for a
minesweeper sold in 1928. Following a successful "WARSHIP WEEK” National
Savings campaign held in March 1942 this ship was adopted by the civil
community of Leamington in Warwickshire.
B a t t
l e H o n o u r s
ATLANTIC 1941-43 -
ARCTIC 1944
H e r a l d i c D a t a
Badge : On a Field White,: a
lion rampant double queued
Green, supporting in the forepaws a hurt charged with a mullet White
D e t a i l s o f
W a r S e r v i c e
leamington1 9 4 0
October
23rd Transferred to RN
service and prepared for Atlantic passage.
November Passage to Plymouth
15th Taken in hand for
refit and modification by HM Dockyard Devenport.
29th On completion
prepared for convoy escort duty
December Deployed with escort for
Convoy SL56 for part of passage to West Africa.
15th Began work-up at
Scapa Flow.
1 9 4 1
January
5th On completion joined
2nd Escort Group for Atlantic convoy escort duty
12th Joined military
convoy WS5B at Belfast with H M Destroyers WITHERINGTON, BEAGLE,
FEARLESS,
HARVESTER, HIGHLANDER, JACKAL, LINCOLN, VANSITTART and
WATCHMAN as the
Local Escort during passage in NW Approaches.
16th Detached from WS5B
and returned to Clyde.
February Deployed with Group in
Atlantic.
to
April
May
27th In collision with ss
THYRA which subsequently sank.
June Under repair in
Liverpool.
July On completion
rejoined HM Destroyers DOUGLAS, VETERAN, SKATE and SALADIN
and Corvettes of
2nd Escort Group based at Londonderry.
August
15th Escorted military
convoy WS8C from Scapa Flow with HM Destroyers CHARLESTOWN,
DOUGLAS, ANTELOPE, CASTLETON, GEORGETOWN,
INTREPID, SALADIN and the
Anti-Aircraft
Ship POZARICA after cancellation of the planned operation to
occupy the
Azores.
17th Detached on arrival
in Clyde.
September Escorted convoy ON13F
Transferred to
Iceland with Escort Group.
11th Supported Canadian
Escort Group escorting Convoy SC42 with ships of 2nd Escort Group.
Participated in
sinking of U207 with HMS VETERAN in position 63.59N 34.48W.
There were no
survivors.
See U-BOATS
DESTROYED by P Kemp.
(For details of
operations in Atlantic see U-BOAT WAR IN THE ATLANTIC. and HITLER’S
U-BOAT WAR by C
Blair.)
October Atlantic convoy escort
duty in continuation
November Escorted Convoy ONS32
December Escorted Convoys ON39 and
HX161.
1 9 4 2
January Atlantic escort duty in
continuation.
February Deployed on Atlantic
escort of US Troop convoys to UK and returning ships.
(AT and TA
Series).
Nominated with HM
Destroyer VOLUNTEER and HM Escort Destroyers ALDENHAM and
GROVE for Local
Escort of military convoy WS17 during passage
23rd Joined military
convoy WS17 in Clyde with H M Destroyers NEWPORT, BADSWORTH,
BEVERLEY, KEPPEL,
VOLUNTEER, ANTELOPE, BOADICEA and ROCKINGHAM.
27th Participated in
sinking of U587 with HM Destroyers GROVE, ALDENHAM and
VOLUNTEER in
position 47.21N 21.39W.
There were no
survivors. See U-BOATS DESTROYED by P Kemp.
(Note : This was
the first time radio direction finding equipment had been used to determine the
position of
attacking submarines).
For details of
the tactical developments and new weapons used in the Battle of the
Atlantic see SEEK AND STRIKE by
W Hackmann, RADAR AT SEA by D
Howse and
THE BATTLE OF THE
ATLANTIC by D Maclntyre).
Detached from
WS17 with Local Escort. -
April Convoy escort duties
in continuation
May
10th Joined military
convoy WS19 in Clyde with H M Destroyers KEPPEL, VOLUNTEER.
MARYS and
CASTLETON as Local Escort during passage in NW Approaches.
13th Detached from WS19
with HMS KEPPEL and HMS VOLUNTEER.
June
1st Joined military convoy WS19P at Liverpool with H M Destroyers KEPPEL, DOUGLAS,
WELLS and BEAGLE as Local Escort during passage
in Irish Sea and NW Approaches.
4th Detached from WS19P with HMS KEPPEL and HMS WELLS
and returned to Clyde.
17th Deployed with HM Cruiser DELHI, HM Destroyers
BOADICEA. KEPPEL, SALISBURY and
ST ALBANS as escort for rms QUEEN MARY during passage in NW Approaches.
Detached and took return passage.
(Note : This convoy was later designed WS19Y.)
Detached for
escort duty with Home Fleet ships.
30th Joined escort for
Russian convoy PQ17 with HM Destroyers FURY, KEPPEL, OFFA,
LEDBURY and
WILTON
(For details of
all Russian Convoy operations see CONVOYS TO RUSSIA by R A Ruegg and
CONVOY ! by P
Kemp).
July
4th Remained with
escorts when Convoy PQ17 was ordered to scatter by Admiralty.
For details this
disastrous and ill conceived decision see ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE
CLOSELY by C
Barnett and THE CONVOY IS TO SCATTER by J Broome)
15th Under refit at
Hartlepool shipyard.
August Under refit
to
November
December Transferred to Western
Local Escort force.
Took passage to
Halifax.
1 9 4 3
January Deployed on escort duty
with RCN ships for defence of convoys to mid-Atlantic.
to
February
March Deployed to assist 5th
British Escort Group
(Note : Ships in
Group comprised H M Destroyer HAVELOCK, HM Frigate SKATE, HM
Corvettes
GODETIA, PIMPERNEL, BUTTERCUP, LAVENDER and SAXIFRAGE
in defence of
Convoy SC122 against attacks from STURMER Group of U-Boats
. 17th After Escort Group
had established position of U-Boats from detection of radio signals took
part in driving
off some submarine attacks although three ships were sunk by U338 and one
by U665. See
HITLER'S U-BOAT WAR.)
April Sustained damage in
collision with USS ALBATROS.
15th Taken in hand or
repair.
May Under repair.
June
3rd On completion of
post repair trials rejoined Halifax Escort Force
Later involved in
collision with ss MORTIMER
28th Under repair at
Norfolk Va US Navy Yard after delay.
July Repair in
continuation.
to Future deployment
under consideration.
October
November Withdrawn from operational
service.
December Passage to UK via Azores to
pay off into Reserve.
1 9 4 4
January Paid off and reduced to
Reserve status.
February Laid-up at Hartlepool
to
March
April Nominated for
transfer to Soviet Navy after refit.
May Under refit.
to Soviet Navy crew
arrived
June (Note : :Russian naval
personnel had travelled to UK in ships of Convoy RA 59 that arrived
in Clyde on 7
May.)
July
16th Transferred to USSR
under Lease Lend and renamed ZHGUCHI.
August Passage to Kola as part
of Convoy JW59 with other warships transferred to Russia under
Lease-Lend.
P o s t W a r N o t e s
ZHGUCHI served with Russian
Northern Fleet until 1950 and was formally handed back to RN control on 13th
November that year. After being placed on the Disposal List she was sold to
BISCO for demolition by Cashmore at Newport on 26th July 1951. Before arrival
at breakers yard on 3rd December 1951 she had been hired by a film company to
be used an ‘extra’ during the making of THE GIFT HORSE. This film portrayed the
use of this type of destroyer during RN service and culminated in final destruction
during Operation CHARIOT for demolition of the dry dock gates at St Nazaire in
March 1942.
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