|
H . M . S . M O N T G O M E R Y ( G 9 5 )
Ex USS WICKES (Type B - CALDWELL Class) built by Bath Iron
Works, Maine. The ship was laid down on 26th June 1917 and launched on 25th June 19l8. Commissioned on 31st July 1918 for service with the US Navy she was held in Reserve in
1939- The ship was transferred to the RN under the UK/US Lend/ Lease Agreement
on 3rd September 1940 and commissioned as HMS MONTGOMERY at Halifax, Canada on 23rd October 1940. The name is which is common to a town in Alabama, USA and one in Wales
had not previously been used for an RN ship. In March 1942 after a successful
"WARSHIP WEEK" campaign for National Savings she appropriately was
adopted by the civil community of the county
of Montgomeryshire.
B a t t l e H o n o
u r s
ATLANTIC
1941-43
He
r a l d i c D a t a
Badge : On a Field Blue, two keys
in saltire Gold, in chief a mullet White.
D e t a i l s o
f W a r S e r v i c e
1 9 4 0
October Prepared for
transfer to RN control.
23rd
Commissioned at Halifax as HMS MONTGOMERY.
November Atlantic
passage to Plymouth with call at
St Johns, Newfoundland.
Arrived at Devonport for refit prior to deployment as a convoy escort.
25th Taken in by HM
Dockyard, Devonport for refit and modifications for RN
deployment as a
convoy escort
(Note
: These included :
Removal of mainmast and reduction in size of foremast.
Removal of after sets of Torpedo Tubes.
Removal of after US guns and installation of 12pdr British mounting in "X"
Position.
Changes in ASDIC submarine detection outfit.
December Passage to
Scapa Flow to work-up for operational service.
(Note:: Completion of dockyard work delayed due to defects during post refit sea
trials.).
24th Arrived
at Scapa Flow for work-up on
1 9 4 1
January Worked-up
with ships of Home Fleet.
Allocated for service with 7th Escort Group based in Liverpool.
12th Joined
Group on completion of work-up.
Deployed for Atlantic convoy defence with Group.
(Note
: Other ships in Group were HM Destroyers WESTCOTT, CAMPBELTOWN and HM Sloop
ROCHESTER.
HMS
CAMBELTOWN was a sister ship.)
February Part of
escort for Convoys OB287/288 with Group.
21st During
escort of OB288 rescued survivors from mv SCOTTISH STANDARD.
22nd Sank
Italian submarine MARCELLO which had joined German submarines and Italian
submarine
BIANCO for attacks on OB288.
(Note
: This was the first sinking by a TOWN Class Ex USN destroyer and was credited
to the ship
after
post war re-assessment of this sinking
by an RAF aircraft in January 1942.
See
HITLER’S U-BOAT WAR By C Blair.)
March Atlantic
convoy defence in continuation.
April Taken in
hand for further modification and refit at Barrow.
to (Note :
Radar Type 271 for surface warning fitted.
July Forward
Torpedo Tubes replaced by British Triple mounting.
20mm
Oerlikon guns fitted in place of US 4in guns fitted on either beam.
Increase of Depth Charge allowance.
August Post refit
trials.
Allocated for service with 4th Escort Group based at Greenock.
September Joined Group
for Atlantic convoy defence.
Deployed with Group for escort of four convoys.
October
7th Taken in
hand for refit in Clyde commercial shipyard.
November Nominated for
service in Western Local Escort Force at Halifax, Nova Scotia with
ships
of the Royal Canadian Navy.
25th On
completion of post refit trials prepared for RCN service at Halifax.
December Deployed in
UK prior to
Atlantic passage.
1 9 4 2
January Passage to
Halifax.
16th Called at
St John Newfoundland.
After
arrival at Halifax taken in hand for refit.
February On completion
escorted military convoy NA3 from Canada to Clyde.
March Return
passage to Canada for
Local Escort between Halifax and
Newfoundland.
14th Joined
WLEF at Halifax for defence of convoys to and from
Newfoundland.
April
Deployment in WELF continued.
to
December
1 9 4 3
January WLEF
deployment in continuation.
February Transferred
to Western Support Force W1 for defence of Atlantic convoys
March Transferred
to Support Force W6 in continuation.
April Atlantic
convoy defence and support of Atlantic convoys with RCN ships of Group.
to
November
December Nominated for
return to RN service based in UK.
(Note
: Ex US Navy TOWN Class destroyer were being taken out of operational use
as
new construction Escorts (eg CAPTAIN Class Frigates being built in the
USA
and UK with other new British built escorts becoming available for use.)
Took
passage from Canadian waters to UK with call at Horta in Azores.
1 9 4 4
January Paid off,
de-stored and reduced to Reserve status on arrival in Tyne.
to
February
March Laid-up in
Tyne pending decision on disposal
to
December
1 9 4 5
January Laid-up in
Tyne
to Placed
on Disposal List.
February
March
21st Sold to
Clayton & Davie for demolition.
April
10th Arrived
in tow at breaker’s yard in Dunston-on-Tyne. |
