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SERVICE HISTORIES of ROYAL NAVY WARSHIPS in WORLD WAR 2

by Lt Cdr Geoffrey B Mason RN (Rtd) (c) 2001

HMS SARDONYX  (H 26) - Old S-class Destroyer
including Convoy Escort Movements

HMS Sardonyx (Navy Photos, click to enlarge)

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S-Class Destroyer ordered from Alex Stephen of Cowan with the 12th Order  of the 1917-18 Build Programme in June 1918 with 37 other ships. The ship was laid down 25th March 1918 and launched  on 27th May 1919 as the first RN ship to carry the name. Build was completed on 12th July 1919 and she served with the Fleet until later was placed in Reserve. Brought forward for service in 1939 this ship was adopted by the civil community of Coulsdon and Pursey, Surrey after a successful WARSHIP WEEK National Savings campaign in December 1941.

 

B a t t l e   H o n o u r s

 

ATLANTIC   1940-42 - ARCTIC 1942

 

H e r a l d i c   D a t a

Badge: On a Field Black a Pendant Gold set with geometrical

design Red and White.

 

M o t t o

'Clean cuts clean'

 

 

D e t a i l s   o f   W a r   S e r v i c e

 

(for more ship information, go to Naval History Homepage and type name in Site Search)

 

 

1 9 3 9

 

September             Deployed on coastal convoy defence.

to                            (For details of naval activities in Home water during 1939 see ENGAGE THE ENEMY

October                  MORE CLOSELY by C Barnett and Naval Staff History.

 

November              Transferred to Western Approaches for Atlantic convoy escort.

 

December              Atlantic convoy defence in continuation.

 

1 9 4 0

 

January                  Atlantic convoy defence in continuation.

to                            Nominated for refit.

August

 

September             Under refit and modifications to improve capability.

to

November

 

December              Resumed duty in Western Approaches.

 

1 9 4 1

 

January                  Western Approaches convoy defence in continuation

to

February

March                    Joined HM Destroyers WALKER, VANOC, VOLUNTEER, HM Corvettes BLUEBELL

                                and HYDRANGEA in 5th Escort Group on formation.

                                Deployed as escort for Convoy HX112.

                16th        Convoy sighted by Ul10 which carried out attack on escorted ships and called for further

                                U-Boat support

                17th        U99, U100 carried out attacks during which both were sunk for the loss of five escorted

                                mercantiles including three Tankers

                                (Note: U 99 was commanded by Otto Kretschmer and U 100 by Joachim Schepke both of

                                whom were successful U-Boat commanders with many sinkings.

                                These two U-Boat sinkings were credited to HMS VANOC and HMS WALKER.

                                For details of defence of this convoy see HITLER'S U-BOAT WAR by C Blair and

                                U-BOATS DESTROYED by P Kemp.)

 

April                       Deployment with Group in continuation

to

July

 

August                  Deployed with HM Destroyers MALCOLM, WATCHMAN, SCIMITAR, H M Covettes

to                            ARABIS, VERBENA, VIOLET, MONKSHOOD, PETUNIA and DAHLIA in 8th Escort

October                  Group for convoy defence in NW Approaches.

 

November              Atlantic convoy defence in continuation with Group.

                22nd       Involved in collision with HM Trawler ST APOLLO which was sunk

 

 

December              NW Approaches deployment with Group in continuation.

 

1 9 4 2

 

January                  NW Approaches deployment with Group in continuation.

to                            For details of U-BOAT operations in the Atlantic see U-BOAT WAR IN THE

March                    ATLANTIC (HMSO), ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY and HITLER’S

                                U-BOAT WAR by C Blair.)

 

April                       Detached for escort of ships of 1sst Minelaying Squadron

                18th        Deployed with H M Destroyers CHARLESTOWN, WELLS of Minelaying Squadron,

                                HM Destroyer SALADIN and HM Minesweeper SCOTT as escort for HM Auxiliary

                                Minelayers AGAMEMNON, MENESTHEUS, PORT QUEBEC and SOUTHERN

                                PRINCE for minelay in Northern Barrage

                                (Operation SN88 - For details of all minelaying operations see the Naval Staff History

                                (MINING).

 

May

                23rd        Deployed with HM Cruiser CAIRO, HM Destroyers BEAGLE, DOUGLAS and KEPPEL

                                for Local escort of rms QUEEN MARY during first 24hours of passage in NW Approaches

                                as Convoy WS19W

                24th        Detached with escort and returned to Clyde.

                                (Note: QUEEN MARY was on passage to Suez with troops for 8th Army.)

                31st         Carried out anti-submarine operations in with HM Destroyers NEWARK and INTREPID

                                in Denmark Strait prior to minelay by H M Minelayer ADVENTURE and above ships of

                                1st Minelaying Squadron (Operation SN72)

 

June                        Atlantic convoy escort in continuation.

                                Detached for duty in Denmark Strait during minelaying operation.

 

June                        On completion of detached duty resumed convoy defence in NW Approaches.

 

July                         Detached for escort of minelayers in NW Approaches.

                11th        Deployed with HM Destroyers BRIGHTON, ST MARY'S, SALISBURY OF Squadron and

                                HMS SCOTT to escort of same minelayers as Operation SN72 for minelay in Faeroes Bank

                                (Operation SN3C)

                                Resumed convoy defence in NW Approaches on completion of SN3C.

 

August

                2nd         Deployed as part of escort for military Convoy WS21S during initial stage of passage from

                                Clyde in NW Approaches

                                (Note: This convoy was on passage to Gibraltar as part of Operation PEDESTAL.

                                See MALTA CONVOYS by R Woodman, THE BATTLE FOR THE

                                MEDITERRANEAN by D Macintyre and PEDESTAL by P Smith.

 

September             Atlantic convoy defence in continuation.

 

October

                31st         Deployed with HM Destroyer SKATE as escort for ships on passage in Irish Sea from

                                Liverpool to join military Convoy WS24 in Clyde.

 

November              Atlantic convoy defence in continuation.

to

December

 

1 9 4 3

 

January                  Transferred to Iceland for Atlantic convoy defence with H M Destroyers SALADIN,

                                SABRE, SCIMITAR and SHIKARI as 21st Escort Group.

 

February                Convoy defence based in Iceland with Group in continuation.

to

April

 

May                        Deployed for local escort duties in Clyde.

                19th        Part of escort for joint Convoy KMF15/WS30 for initial stage of passage in NW Approaches

                                to Gibraltar

 

June                        Clyde local escort deployment in continuation.

to

August

 

September             Detached with HMS SCIMITAR for escort of minelayers.

                4th          Escorted HM Auxiliary Minelayers AGAMEMNON, MENESTHEUS and PORT QUEBEC

                                with HMS SCOTT and HM Destroyers LANCASTER and METEOR for minelay in Faeroes

                                -Iceland Gap. (Operation SN222B).

                21st         Deployed with HM Destroyers MAHRATTA, OBEDIENT and SHIKARI for anti-submarine

                                search operation in NW Approaches.

 

October                  Withdrawn from Atlantic convoy escort and deployed for convoy defence in coastal waters

to                            of UK.

December              (For details of changes in defence tactics and development of new weapons and of radar for

                                convoy defence see THE BATTLE OF THE ATLANTIC by D Macintyre, SEEK AND

                                STRIKE by W Hackmann and BUSINESS IN GREAT WATERS by John Terraine).

 

1 9 4 4

 

January                  Coastal convoy escort duty in continuation.

to                            (Note: This ship is not included in the Naval Staff History record of escorts deployed in

September             support of allied landings in Normandy

.                               No Battle Honour NORMANDY was awarded - See LANDINGS IN NORMANDY

                                June 1944 (HMSO) and D-DAY SHIPS by J de Winser.)

 

October                  Withdrawn from operational service and deployed for training.

 

November              Training deployment in continuation.

to

December

 

1 9 4 5

 

January                  Training deployment in continuation.

to                            Reduced to Reserve status.

May

 

P o s t   W a r   N o t e s

 

HMS SARDONYX was placed on the Disposal List after the end of hostilities in Europe and sold to BISCO for demolition by TW Ward at Inverkeithing. The ship arrived in tow at the breaker’s yard in September 1945.

 


 

Addendum

 

CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of HMS SARDONYX

by Don Kindell

 

These convoy lists have not been cross-checked with the text above

 

 

 

 

 

Date convoy sailed

Joined convoy as escort

Convoy No.

Left convoy

Date convoy arrived

 

 

 

 

 

19/09/39

19/09/39

MB 005/1

21/09/39

21/09/39

23/09/39

23/09/39

MB 007/1

25/09/39

25/09/39

30/10/39

30/10/39

SA 015

31/10/39

31/10/39

06/11/39

06/11/39

SA 016

07/11/39

07/11/39

08/10/40

20/10/40

HX 079

unknown

23/10/40

29/10/40

30/10/40

OB 236

01/11/40

02/11/40

20/10/40

01/11/40

HX 082

06/11/40

06/11/40

04/11/40

11/11/40

OB 239

13/11/40

14/11/40

18/11/40

19/11/40

OB 245

22/11/40

22/11/40

11/11/40

22/11/40

HX 086

25/11/40

26/11/40

08/12/40

08/12/40

OB 256

12/12/40

12/12/40

20/12/40

21/12/40

OB 262

23/12/40

23/12/40

07/12/40

25/12/40

SL 058

28/12/40

28/12/40

03/01/41

04/01/41

OB 269

06/01/41

06/01/41

26/12/40

08/01/41

HX 099

11/01/41

11/01/41

24/01/41

24/01/41

OB 278

27/01/41

27/01/41

12/01/41

29/01/41

SC 019

30/01/41

02/02/41

10/01/41

31/01/41

SL 062

03/02/41

03/02/41

08/02/41

08/02/41

OB 283

12/02/41

12/02/41

30/01/41

12/02/41

HX 106

17/02/41

18/02/41

08/03/41

09/03/41

OB 295

14/03/41

14/03/41

01/03/41

15/03/41

HX 112

19/03/41

20/03/41

23/03/41

23/03/41

OB 301

27/03/41

27/03/41

15/03/41

27/03/41

HG 056

02/04/41

02/04/41

01/06/41

15/06/41

HX 130

19/06/41

20/06/41

24/06/41

04/07/41

HG 066

06/07/41

09/07/41

07/07/41

07/07/41

OB 344

11/07/41

16/07/41

26/07/41

27/07/41

ON 001

30/07/41

09/08/41

22/07/41

02/08/41

HX 140

05/08/41

06/08/41

11/08/41

13/08/41

ON 006

15/08/41

24/08/41

05/08/41

17/08/41

HX 143

20/08/41

20/08/41

30/08/41

01/09/41

ON 011

04/09/41

11/09/41

24/08/41

06/09/41

SC 041

11/09/41

11/09/41

13/09/41

13/09/41

ON 016

19/09/41

27/09/41

04/10/41

05/10/41

ON 023

09/10/41

19/10/41

05/10/41

13/10/41

HX 153

17/10/41

19/10/41

26/10/41

29/10/41

ON 030

02/11/41

09/11/41

23/10/41

04/11/41

SC 051

08/11/41

09/11/41

15/11/41

16/11/41

ON 037

19/11/41

30/11/41

15/11/41

25/11/41

HX 160

29/11/41

30/11/41

13/02/42

14/02/42

ON 066

16/02/42

26/02/42

10/02/42

22/02/42

SC 069

27/02/42

27/02/42

14/03/42

30/03/42

SL 103

02/04/42

02/04/42

03/04/42

03/04/42

UR 018

07/04/42

07/04/42

10/04/42

10/04/42

RU 018

14/04/42

14/04/42

24/04/42

24/04/42

UR 021

28/04/42

28/04/42

30/04/42

30/04/42

RU 021

03/05/42

03/05/42

28/05/42

28/05/42

UR 026

31/05/42

31/05/42

04/06/42

04/06/42

RU 026

08/06/42

08/06/42

18/06/42

18/06/42

UR 029

22/06/42

22/06/42

25/06/42

25/06/42

RU 029

29/06/42

29/06/42

11/07/42

11/07/42

UR 032

16/07/42

16/07/42

16/07/42

16/07/42

RU 032

20/07/42

20/07/42

24/07/42

24/07/42

RU 032A

27/07/42

27/07/42

08/09/42

08/09/42

TA 021

09/09/42

14/09/42

05/09/42

10/09/42

AT 022

11/09/42

11/09/42

14/09/42

14/09/42

TA 022

15/09/42

19/09/42

06/09/42

14/09/42

HX 206

16/09/42

18/09/42

06/12/42

21/12/42

MKS 003Y

23/12/42

23/12/42

21/01/43

21/01/43

DS 036

23/01/43

23/01/43

25/01/43

25/01/43

SD 036

27/01/43

27/01/43

17/02/43

17/02/43

DS 037

19/02/43

19/02/43

23/02/43

23/02/43

SD 037

26/02/43

26/02/43

12/05/43

12/05/43

DS 040

14/05/43

14/05/43

14/05/43

14/05/43

SD 040

17/05/43

17/05/43

07/07/43

07/07/43

DS 042

09/07/43

09/07/43

10/07/43

10/07/43

SD 042

13/07/43

13/07/43

 

 

 

 

 

(Note on Convoys)

 

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