H. M. S.   M O N K S H O O D  ( K 2 0 7)

 

“FLOWER” Class corvette ordered from Fleming and Ferguson at Paisley on 28th. August 1940. She was laid

down on 1st October 1940 and was launched on 17th April 1941 as the first RN warship to bear this name.  Build

was completed on 29th September 1941. The ship was “adopted” by the civil community of Alcester,

Warwickshire after a successful “WARSHIP WEEK” National Savings Campaign in March 1942. (Note: The

design of this ship incorporated some of the modifications introduced as a result of war experience had revealed

some of the shortcomings of the Whaler type structure.

 

B a t t l e   H o n o u r

 

 ATLANTIC 1940-44                       BISCAY 1943

 

H e r a l d i c   D a t a

 

In common with many other warships commissioned for service

during WW2 and which carried a name not previously borne by

a warship no formal approval was given by the Admiralty for use

of a Ships Badge. Many ships did however use an informal Badge.

 

S u m m a r y   o f   W a r   S e r v i c e

 

1 9 4 1

 

 

September              Contractors Trials and commissioning for service in Western Approaches

                               Command for Atlantic convoy defence.

           29th             Build completion and commenced Acceptance Trials.

 

October                  On completion of trials and storing took passage to Tobermory for work-up

                               prior to joining 8th Escort Group.

                               Worked-up for operational service at Tobermory

                               (Note: This ship may have been amongst the first escorts to carry out her

                                           work-up for operational service at this newly opened base.)

                               Passage to Liverpool to join Group.

 

S p e c i a l   N o t e

  

Dates of joining escort of outbound convoys and arrival of inbound convoys escorted by the Escort Group to

which this ship belonged are shown. Dates of detaching are not shown. The ship may not have been with the

Group on every occasion, if under refit, maintenance or repair. With one exception, as recorded, no ships

escorted by the two Groups were sunk or damaged.

 

 

November              Deployed at Liverpool pending return of ships of Group from escort of outward

                               Convoy ON30 to the Dispersal Point in NW Approaches.

            16th            Deployed with Group for escort of outward Convoy ON37 of 43 ships.

                               Detached from ON37 with Group and returned to Liverpool.

 

December

             8th             Deployed with ships of Group for escort of outward Convoy ONS44 of 34  ships.

                               Detached from ONS44 on arrival at Dispersal Point in NW Approaches.

                               Joined escort for inward Convoy SC58 during passage to Liverpool.

           21st              Detached from SC58 on arrival.

                               (Note: Details of warships involved will be recorded in Command War Diary

                                            which should be available in the Public Record Office at Kew.)

                                            Other warships in Group were:

                                            HM Destroyers WATCHMAN, MALCOLM, BEVERLEY,

                                            SARDONYX and SCIMITAR, HMS NEWMARKET, HM Corvettes

                                            ARABIS, DAHLIA, SNOWFLAKE, VERBENA, VIOLET and

                                            PETUNIA.)

 

1 9 4 2

 

January

           12th             Deployed with Group for escort of outward Convoy ON51.

                               Detached from ON51 on arrival at Dispersal Point in NW Approaches.

 

February                 Joined inward convoy SC66 in NW Approaches as escort for passage

                               in NW Approaches to Liverpool

             9th             Detached from SC676 on arrival.

 

March                     Nominated for transfer to B1 Escort Group based at Londonderry

                                Deployed in Home waters.

                                (Note: 8th Escort Group was disbanded early in 1942 but reformed in 1943.

 

April                        Joined 1st Escort Group

                                (Note: Other ships in Group were HM Destroyers HURRICANE,

                                             ROCKINGHAM, WATCHMAN and  HM Corvette DAHLIA.

 

May                         Passage with ships of Group to join inward Convoy HX187 of 24  ships

                                in NW Approaches as escort into Liverpool.

             8th              Detached on arrival.

            20th             Deployed as escort with ships of Group for outward Convoy ON96 of 41

                                during passage in NW Approaches

 

June                         Detached from ON96 and joined inward Convoy HX193 of 31 ships

                                in NW Approaches as escort with ships of Group during passage to

                                Liverpool.

            19th             Detached from HX193 on arrival.

 

July

             1st               Deployed with ships of Group as escort for outward Convoy ONS 108

                                 of 37 ships during passage in NW Approaches.

                                 Detached from ONS108 in NW Approaches.

                                 Joined inward Convoy SC92 of 43 ships as escort for passage into

                                 Liverpool.

            31st               Detached fromSC92 on arrival.

 

August

             6th                Deployed with ships of Group for escort of outward Convoy ON119

                                  comprising 32 ships during passage in NW Approaches.

                                  Detached from ONS119 and joined inward Convoy HX201 of 30 ships

                                  as escort during passage to Liverpool.

           14th                Detached from HX201 on arrival.

           23rd                Deployed with ships of Group as escort for outward Convoy ONS124

                                  comprising 31 ships during passage in NW Approaches.

                                  Detached and returned to Londonderry.

 

September                 Passage to join inward Convoy HX206 of 45 ships in NW Approaches

                                  as escort during passage to Liverpool.

            18th               Detached from HX206 on arrival.

            27th               Deployed with ships of Group as escort for outward Convoy ON134

                                  comprising 42 ships during passage in NW Approaches.

 

October                     Detached from ON134 and returned to Londonderry.

                                  Passage with ships of Group to join Inward Convoy SC105 of 50 ships

                                  in NW Approaches for escort into Liverpool

            30th               Detached from SC105 on arrival.

 

November                 Passage with ships of Group to join HX215 comprising 42 ships

                                  for escort during passage to Liverpool in NW Approaches.

            25th               Detached from HX215 on arrival.

 

December

              4th               Deployed with ships of Group as escort for outward Convoy ON151

                                  of 36 ships during passage in NW Approaches

                                  Detached from ONS151 and returned to Londonderry with escort.

 

1 9 4 3

 

January                      Passage with ships of Group in NW Approaches to meet inward

                                  Convoy SC114 of 34 ships and escort to Liverpool.

              7th               Detached from SC114 on arrival.

            24th               Deployed with ships of Group for escort of outward Convoy ON 162

                                  comprising 58 ships as escort for passage in NW Approaches.

                                  (Note: Other Ships in1st Escort Group in 1943 were:

                                              HM Corvettes MEADOWSWEET, WALLFLOWER,

                                              BORAGE, ANCHUSA and HM Frigate KALE.)

 

February                    Detached from ON162 and returned to Londonderry.

                                  Passage in NW approached with ships of Group to join inward Convoy

                                  SC119 of 39 ships during passage into Liverpool.

            22nd              Detached from SC119 on arrival.

 

March

              5th               Deployed with ships of Group as escort for outward Convoy ON 171 of

                                  38 ships during passage in NW Approaches.

                                  Detached and returned to Londonderry on relief in Mid Atlantic.

                                  Passage with ships of Group to join inward Convoy HX230 comprising

                                  41 ships and escorted into Liverpool.

April

              2nd              Detached from HX230 on arrival.

            13th               Deployed with ships of Group as escort for outward Convoy ON178

                                  comprising 57 ships during passage in NW Approaches.

                                  Detached from ON178 in NW Approaches and returned to Londonderry.

                                  (Note: The Norwegian ship SCEBLI was sunk whilst with this convoy

                                              on 21st April.)

 

May                           Deployed with ships of Group for escort of inward Convoy X236

                                  comprising 46 ships and took passage to join as escort in NW

                                  Approaches into Liverpool.

              9th               Detached on arrival of HX236.

                                  Nominated for detached service in joint RN/RAF anti –submarine

                                  operations in Bay of Biscay

 

June                           Deployed in Bay of Biscay for attacks on U-Boats during their  passage

to July                       to and from bases in French ports

                                   (Operations MUSKETRY, SEASLUG.)

 

August                       On release from Bay of Biscay operations resumed convoy escort duties in

to December              Western Approaches Command.

                                    (Note: For details about the Battle of the Atlantic, the weapons used

                                               during convoy defence and those by U-Boats see:

                                               THE ALLIED CONVOY SYSTEM by A Hague

                                               HITLER’S U-BOAT WAR by C Blair

                                               U-BOAT WAR IN THE ATLANTIC (HMSO)

                                               SEEK AND STRIKE by W Hackmann

                                               CONVOY ESCORT COMMANDER by P Gretton

                                               THE BATTLE OF THE ATLANTIC by D MacIntyre

                                               Naval Staff History)

 

1 9 4 4

 

January                      Atlantic deployment in continuation.

to May                       (Note: No record of attachment to an existing Escort Group has been

                                               traced and requires further research. Deployment in the Atlantic

                                               during 1944 is confirmed by the award of Battle Honour

                                               ATLANTIC 1939-44.

 

May                           Atlantic deployment in continuation

to July                        (Note: This ship did not take part in preliminary exercises and operations

                                               during the allied invasion of Normandy (Operation NEPTUNE).

                                               See LANDINGS IN NORMANDY, June 1944 (HMSO).

 

August                       Home waters deployment for convoy defence in continuation.

to December

 

1 9 4 5

 

January                       Home waters deployment in continuation.

to May                        (Note: During this period extensive anti-submarine patrol  operations

                                                were carried out and the number of ships used as escorts for

                                                coastal convoys was increased to counter attacks by SCHNORKEL

                                                fitted and conventional submarines as well as midget submarines in

                                                English Channel and North Sea. See references.)

 

June                            To meet the requirements for manning of new ships preparing for use in the

to August                  Far East, many ships of this type were Paid-off and placed in Reserve at UK ports.

                                    Further research is required to establish the date that this ship was laid-up.

                                    (Note: Reference should be made to the Admiralty PINK Lists held in the Naval

                                                Historical Branch, MOD, London for this period which give information

                                                about planned, but not actual, deployments of warships.)

 

P o s t   W a r   N o t e s

 

HMS MONKSHOOD was placed on the Disposal List in 1947 and sold to a commercial shipping company for use as a mercantile. Renamed ss WR STRANG she was under British ownership until 1957 when sold to a Japanese company and renamed TOSHI MARU This ship was sold in 1965 for breaking-up in Japan.