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H . M . S
. S A L I S B U R Y ( I 5 2 )
Ex USS CLAXTON (Type B - CALDWELL Class) built by Mare
Island Navy Yard. The ship was laid down on 25th April 1918 and launched on 15th January 1919- Commissioned on 13th September 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 26th
November 1940 and commissioned into the RN as HMS SALISBURY on 5th December 1940 at Halifax
in Canada. This
name was common to three communities in the USA
and the city in Wiltshire. It was first introduced into the RN for a 4th Rate
in 1698 and last used for a 4th Rate in 1814. Following a successful
"WARSHIP WEEK" National Savings campaign in March 1942 she was most
appropriately ‘adopted’ by the civil community of Salisbury,
Wiltshire.
B a t t l e H o n o u r s
ATLANTIC 1941-43
H e r a l d i c D a t a
Badge : On a Field per fess wavy
Blue and White, in base a
bar wavy
also Blue, three torches Gold enflamed proper charged with hurt
thereon 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
November Prepared for transfer to RN
control.
Passage to
Halifax manned by USN
December
5th Commissioned as HMS
SALISBURY at Halifax and prepared for Atlantic passage
Sailed for
Plymouth with call at St Johns Newfoundland.
1 9 4 4
January
9th Arrived at
Plymouth..
Taken in hand for
refit and modifications by HM Dockyard Devonport to suit RN duty as an
escort.
Nominated for
service in 2nd Escort Group, Western Approaches Command.
February Under
refit
March
On completion of
post refit trials carried out work-up for operational service in SW Approaches
Passage to join
Group for Atlantic convoy defence.
April Deployed for convoy
defence in NW Approaches.
to Transferred to 4th
Escort Group in continuation.
July
August Atlantic convoy escort
with Group in continuation.
September Part of escort for Convoy
ON19 with ships of Group.
Nominated for
refit to carry out further modifications to suit RN deployment as an escort.
October Refit arranged at
Rosyth.
26th Taken in hand for
refit by HM Dockyard, Rosyth.
November Under refit.
to
December
1 9 4 2
January Under refit
to
February
March Resumed Atlantic convoy
defence duties on completion of post refit trials.
Nominated for
Local Escort of military convoys to Gibraltar.
April
15th Joined military
convoy WS18 in Clyde with HM Destroyers BADSWORTH, GEORGETOWN,
LANCASTER,
LAUDERDALE, BOADICEA, and VOLUNTEER for Local Escort for initial part
of passage in NW
Approaches to Freetown.
(Note : Ocean
escort was provided by HM Cruisers FROBISHER, GAMBIA with HM Destroyer
TETCOTT and Dutch
destroyer VAN GALEN
22nd Detached from WS18 and
took return passage to join Home Fleet escort for US Aircraft Carrier USS
WASP during
passage to UK after Malta aircraft delivery.
(Operation
CALENDAR - See ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY by C. Barnett,
BATTLE FOR THE
MEDITERRANEAN by D. Macintyre and
Naval Staff History.
May
3rd Deployed with HM
Battlecruiser RENOWN, HM Destroyers ECHO, INTREPID,
GEORGETOWN, US Destroyers USS LANG and USS
STERETT as escort for USS WASP during
passage to
Gibraltar for delivery of aircraft to Malta.
(Operation BOWERY
- See above references).
(Note : These
ships were detached from Home Fleet for this operation).
8th Escort joined by HM
Aircraft Carrier EAGLE, HM Cruiser CHARYBDIS, HM Destroyers
VIDETTE,
PARTRIDGE, ITHURIEL, WESTCOTT, WISHART, WRESTLER and ANTELOPE
for passage in
western Mediterranean during aircraft delivery.
Deployed as part
of Force W.
10th Passage to UK with
Home Fleet ships to resume convoy escort duties.
15th Resumed convoy
defence deployment for WS Series military convoys..
31st Joined military
convoy WS19P in Irish Sea with HM Destroyers BUXTON and MANSFIELD as
Local Escort
during passage to Clyde from Liverpool.
June
1st Detached from WS
19P on arrival in Clyde
17th Deployed with HM
Cruiser DELHI, HM Destroyers BOADICEA, KEPPEL, LEAMINGTON and ST
ALBANS as escort
for rms QUEEN ELIZABETH during passage in NW
Approaches and detached
when the
mercantile proceeded independently.
Returned to Clyde
with ships of escort.
21st Joined military
convoy WS20 in Clyde with HM Destroyers GEORGETOWN, BOADICEA, RIPLEY,
BEAGLE, ST
ALBANS, VIDETTE and WOLVERINE as Local Escort for passage in NW
Approaches.
24th Detached from Local
Escort with HMS GEORGETOWN and returned to Clyde
July
29th Joined military
convoy WS21 in Clyde as part of Local Escort during passage in NW Approaches
with HM Destroyers BRAMHAM, WILTON,
BICESTER, KEPPEL and LAMERTON.
(Note : HM Armed
Merchant Cruiser RANPURA, HM Destroyers CATTERICK, LEDBURY and
PETARD provided
Ocean Escort during Atlantic passage to Freetown.)
31st HMS LAMERTON
detached and returned to Clyde after collision.
August
2nd Remained with WS21 as
Local Escort when HMS BRAMHAM and HMS WILTON detached.
4th Detached from WS21
with remaining ships of Local escort.
Nominated for
transfer to Royal Canadian Navy for loan service in Western Local Escort Force
based at Halifax.
Nominated for
loan to Royal Canadian Navy for service in Western Atlantic Local Escort Force
(WLEF) based in Halifax.
September Passage to Halifax to join
WLEF.
October Deployed with RCN ships
for convoy defence off Canadian seaboard.
November Convoy defence in
continuation with RCN.
27th Taken in hand for
repair to boilers at Charlestown, South Carolina.
December Under repair.
1 9 4 3
January Carried out post refit
trials on completion of dockyard work.
Resumed convoy
escort duties with RCN ships.
21st Diverted to assist
HM Destroyer CALDWELL (sister ship) which was disabled in the western
Atlantic after major weather damage.
Forced to return
to Halifax due to storm conditions.
February Deployed in Canadian
Escort Unit "W" with HM Destroyer MONTGOMERY (Sister ship)
for defence of
convoys between St. Johns and Halifax.
March Convoy escort with Unit
"W" in continuation.
April
4th Taken in hand for
repair at Boston Navy Yard.
May Under repair
June Carried out post
repair trials.
12th Resumed convoy escort
duties with WLEF at Halifax.
July WLEF convoy escort
in western Atlantic in continuation.
to
November
December Nominated for withdrawal
from operational use due to high incidence of defects.
10th Paid-off at Halifax.
(Note :Ship's
company transferred to new US Built CAPTAIN Class Frigate RUPERT.
1 9 4 4
January Laid up at Halifax.
to Offer of return to
US Navy not accepted.
March
March
22nd Placed on Disposal
List and remained at Halifax.
May Awaiting sale for
breaking-up.
to
September
October
21st Sold to Boston Steel
Corporation for demolition
November Awaiting tow to shipbreaker.
to
December
1 9 4 5
January Awaiting tow to
shipbreaker.
to
March
April
21st Arrived in tow at
Baltimore
P o s t W a r N o t e s
This name was carried forward in
1953 when given to a Type 61 Aircraft Direction Frigate launched by HM Dockyard
Devonport on 25th June. She was the prototype for this new class of ship and
served in the Fleet until May 1980 when placed in Reserve. The ship was used
for harbour training at Devonport until 1984 when put on the Disposal List in
1984.
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