Admiralty
V-Class Destroyer ordered in June
1916 from Doxford
of Sunderland under 9th Order in
the 1916-17 Build Programme. The ship was
laid down on 11th December 1916 and
was launched en 1st September 1917. She was
the 2nd RN ship to carry the name
introduced in 1860 for a captured Slave
Ship. Build was completed on 12th
December 1917 and she was damaged in 1918
whilst serving with the Fleet. During
1921 she was part of the 6th Destroyer
Flotilla, Atlantic Fleet and later was
put in Reserve (See General Information).
She was selected for conversion to an
Anti-Aircraft Escort (WAIR) as part of the
Re-armament Programme in 1939 and
taken in hand at Chatham Dockyard in May
1939. This ship was adopted by Godalming,
Surrey after a successful WARSHIP WEEK
National
Savings campaign in December 1941 .
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9 3 9
September
Under
conversion at Chatham
October
Post
refit harbour
and sea trials.
Nominated for escort
of North
Sea
convoys.
November
Joined
Rosyth Escort Force.
December
Deployed
as escort for East coast convoys.
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9 4 0
January
East coast convoy defence in
continuation.
to
April
May
Detached
for support of military operations in
Channel area.
Assisted in
evacuation from Ostend
and
Zeebrugge.
26th
Deployed as Senior Naval Officer's ship
for operation to sink two blockships
at
Zeebrugge
(Operation LYSTER).
(Note :
Records of ships carrying troops from Dunkirk
do not include this ships
and
No
Battle Honour DUNKIRK was awarded to
her.)
June
Channel deployment in support of
military
operations in continuation.
10th
Escorted blockships
to block harbour entrance at Dieppe
and
on completion
provided support
for
evacuation of personnel from Le
Havre.
17th
Deployed in
support of evacuation from St Nazaire
and the Bay
of
Biscay ports.
(Operation AERIAL).
July
Resumed
North
Sea
convoy escort duty.
August
North
Sea
convoy escort In
continuation.
to
December
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9 4 1 t
o
1 9 4 4
Deployment
for patrol and convoy escort in North Sea
continued.
Fire
control radar (Type 285) fitted for main
armament.
An
aircraft warning radar (Type 286P) was
installed during 1942 and later a naval
designed
surface warning radar for detection of
E-Boats and
submarines was also
installed
(Type 271).
In
order to provide efficient radio
telephone communication between escorts
for
contact
with aircraft
when under attack by E-Boats or aircraft
a
suitable RAF equipment was
made available by 1943.
In
addition radio receivers were fitted to
listen to transmissions from
E-Boats.
These were
referred to
as ‘HEADACHE’ or ‘Y’ Outfits.
For
details of development and use of radar
by RN see RADAR AT SEA
by D Howse
and further
information about East coast convoy
defence is
available in THREE
CORVETTES by N
Monsarrat
and THE BATTLE
OF THE NARROW
SEAS
by P
Scott.
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9 4
5
January
North
Sea
convoy defence and patrol in
continuation.
to
May
June
Deployed
in support of re-occupation operations.
to
Nominated for reduction to Reserve.
August
