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H. M. S. S T . A L B A N S
( I 1 5 )
Ex USS THOMAS (Type "C") built by Newport News
SB Company and laid down for the US Navy on 23rd March 1918. The ship was
launched on 4th July 1918 and she commissioned for service on 24th April 1918. This destroyer was held in
Reserve in 1939 and transferred to the RN under the UK/US Lend-Lease Agreement on 3rd September 1940. She
commissioned for RN service as HMS ST ALBANS at Halifax on 23rd September 1940 and was the 6th
RN ship to bear this name, introduced in 1687 for a 4th Rate,
The name was last used in 1764 for a 3rd Rate which was broken up in 1814. This
name is associated with the Charles Beauclerk, First Duke of St Albans who was
son of Charles II and Nell Gwyn. In common with other ships loaned by the USA
the name was common to towns in both countries, in this case the city in Herefordshire and two towns in the
USA.
B a t t l e H o n o u r s
BARFLEUR 1892 - LAGOS 1759 -
ST LUCIA 1778 - ST KITTS 1782
- THE SAINTES 1782 - ATLANTIC 1941-43 -
ENGLISH CHANNEL 1942 - ARCTIC 1942 - NORTH SEA 1943
H e r a l d i c D a t a
Badge :
On a Field Blue a saltire couped
White, charged with
a
hurt,
thereon 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 from US Navy and passage to Halifax under US Navy command.
23rd
Commissioned for RN service as HMS ST ALBANS.
On
completion of trials took passage to Plymouth via St Johns, Newfoundland.
October Arrived at
Plymouth.
11th Taken in
hand for refit and modification for RN service by HM Dockyard Devonport.
Nominated for service with 1st Minelaying Squadron based at Kyle of Lochalsh.
(Note
: This ship was to be detached for convoy defence as required by C in C
Western Approaches
November On completion
of post refit trials took passage to join Squadron.
18th Detached
for escort of military convoy in NW Approaches. Joined convoy WS4B with sister
destroyers
HMS
BATH and HMS ST MARY'S as part of Local escort from
Clyde.
(Note
: HM Destroyers HIGHLANDER,
OTTAWA
(RCN), SAGUENAY (RCN),
SKEENA
(RCN),
ST
LAURENT (RCN), HM Cruiser CAIRO were also deployed.)
19th Detached
from WS4B and resumed Squadron duties.
26th Deployed
with HM Destroyers CHARLESTOWN, BATH and ST MARY'S as escort for ships of 1st
Minelaying Squadron during minelay in Northern Barrage
(Operation SN11 - See Naval Staff History (Mining).)
December
8th Deployed
with HM Destroyers BATH, KEPPEL and DOUGLAS as escort for minelay by ships of
1st
Minelaying Squadron in Northern Barrage covered by HM Cruiser ARETHUSA and HM
Battlecruiser
HOOD
(Operation SN10A)
18th Deployed
for escort of military convoy WS5A with HMS BATH as Local Escort during passage
in NW
Approaches
20th Detached
from WS5A after HM Destroyer HARVESTER, HIGHLANDER and VESPER took over Local
Escort duties.
1 9 4 1
January Deployed
with Squadron for escort of minelayers.
February Passage to
Sheerness for repair.
11th Taken in
hand for repair by HM Dockyard, Chatham
March Under
repair.
Nominated for transfer to Royal Norwegian Navy.
April Norwegian
ship's company joined for turnover
14th Refit work completed.
22nd
Transferred to Royal Norwegian Navy for loan service.
(Note
: Name was unchanged.)
Passage to Scapa Flow for work-up with ships of Home Fleet.
May Nominated
for Atlantic convoy defence with 7th Escort Group
3rd Collided
off Scapa Flow with HM Trawler ALBERNI which sank.
Work-up suspended and ship under repair.
June
4th Joined
Group at Liverpool for Atlantic service.
(Note: Ships in Group included HM Destroyers WANDERER, NEWPORT, BEAGLE,
CAMPBELTOWN, WESTCOTT and six Flower Class Corvettes.)
18th Rescued
survivors from ss EMPIRE DEW which had been sunk by a U-Boat
on 12th June.)
July Atlantic
convoy escort with Group in continuation.
August Deployed as
escort for Convoy SL81 with ships of Group.
3rd Took part in sinking of U401 with HMS WANDERER and
HM Corvette HYDRANGEA
during attack on SL81.
(For
details see HITLER'S U-BOAT WAR by C Blair and U-BOATS DESTROYED by
P
Kemp.)
September Atlantic convoy
defence with Group in continuation.
October Deployed
with Group for escort of Convoy ONS22.
7th
Sustained damage during escort of ONS22 and took passage to Iceland for
temporary repair.
November Passage from
Iceland to
Thames for permanent repair.
Taken
in hand for repair in London.
December On completion
returned to Liverpool top rejoin Group for Atlantic convoy
defence.
1 9 4 2
January Atlantic
convoy defence with Group in continuation
to (Note :
During this period Group provided escort for Convoys HX171 and
March SC68 which
arrived with loss of merchant ships.)
April Under
refit in Liverpool during which Radar Type 271 for surface warning was
fitted.
See
RADAR AT SEA by D Howse for details of development and use pf radar in RN.)
On
completion resumed convoy defence in Western Approaches.
28th Deployed
with HM Destroyers BADSWORTH, BOADICEA, MATCHLESS.
SOMALI,
VENOMOUS, HM Auxiliary AA Ship ULSTER QUEEN, HM Minesweepers BRAMBLE,
LEDA
and SEAGULL as Ocean Escort for Convoy PQ15 during passage from Iceland to
Kola
Inlet.
(Note
: For details of all Russian Convoys see CONVOYS TO RUSSIA
by RA Ruegg,
CONVOY ! by P Kemp,
THE RUSSIAN CONVOYS by B Schofield and
ARCTIC
CONVOYS by R Woodman.)
May
2nd Carried
out attacks on submarine with HM Minesweeper SEAGULL in defence
of PQ12.
Submarine which was then found to be Polish JASTRZAB was badly damaged and
forced
to
surface.
Crew
were taken off and submarine sunk by gunfire.
(Note
: ORP JASTRZAB had been out of station. See CONVOY! by P Kemp.
21st Deployed
with HM Destroyers BOADICEA, ESCAPADE, INGLEFIELD, BADSWORTH,
VENOMOUS, HM Auxiliary AA Ship ULSTER QUEEN, as escort of return convoy QP12
from
Kola Inlet to Iceland.
(Note
: Local Escort was provided from Kola Inlet by HM Minesweeper BRAMBLE,
GOSSAMER. LEDA and SEAGULL.)
June Resumed
duties with 1st Minelaying Squadron on release from QP12.
Nominated for return to RN manning after refit.
July Passage
to Falmouth for refit.
2nd Taken in
hand for refit in commercial shipyard at Falmouth.
August Under refit
to
Norwegian personnel replaced by RN
September Nominated for
service in Western Approaches Command for convoy escort.
October Commissioned
for RN service.
29th Refit
completion and passage to Tobermory for work-up after post refit trials.
November
8th Took
passage to join Western Approaches Command for operational use.
Deployed as part of escort for Convoy ON 144.
Detached from ON 144 and took passage to Plymouth for repair.
16th Taken in hand for repair by HM Dockyard, Devonport.
December Transferred to
Portsmouth for completion of repairs.
Nominated for use as an Air Target Ship at Rosyth on completion.
1 9 4 3
January Deployed in
Rosyth Command as a Target Ship for training of aircrew.
to
Nominated for service with Western Local Escort Force based at Halifax,
March Nova Scotia.
April Under
repair at Portsmouth prior to passage to Halifax.
Part
of escort for Convoy ON 177 during Atlantic passage.
May Deployed
with Western Local Escort Force for defence of coastal traffic
between ports in
USA
to and
Canada as well as during passage to Mid Ocean Meeting Point where escort
transferred to
November ships of
Western Approaches.
December Nominated for
reduction to Reserve status and took passage to UK.
1 9 4 4
January Paid-off and
laid up in Reserve.
February Laid-up
to
Nominated for transfer on loan to Soviet Navy after refit.
May
June Passage
to Tyne
2nd Taken in hand for refit at Palmers shipyard, Hebburn.
July Russian
ship's company joined ship.
16th Formally transferred to Soviet Northern Fleet and
renamed DOSTOINY.
August Passage to
North Russia
P o s t T r a ns f e r N o t e s
This destroyer served with the
Northern Fleet until 1948 and was returned to Britain at Rosyth on 28th
February 1949. Renamed HMS ST ALBANS the ship was de-stored and placed on the
Disposal List. Sold to BISCO on 4th April that year for demolition by
Metal Industries she arrived in tow at the breaker’s yard in Charlestown near Rosyth on 18th May 1949.
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