1
9 3 9
August
Commissioned
with Reservists for Royal Review
at.
Weymouth.
September
Remained
in commission, and nominated for
service with 15th Destroyer
Flotilla.
5th
Deployed with HM Destroyers
WITHERINGTON, WOLVERINE and VIMY
as escort,
for
Convoy GC1 from
Milford
Haven.
October
Transferred
to 17th Destroyer Flotilla in
Western Approaches Command for
convoy
defence
in
Atlantic.
November
Atlantic
convoy duty in continuation
based at
Plymouth.
to
December
1
9 4 0
January
Deployed
for Atlantic convoy defence in
SW Approaches
8th
Deployed with HM Destroyers VANOC
, VENETIA
and VISCOUNT for
escort of inward
Convoy
HG13 during passage to Liverpool
from Gibraltar
in SW Approaches.
10th
Detached from HG13 in Irish
Sea and returned to
Plymouth.
(For
details of naval activities in
Hone waters before April 1940 see
ENGAGE THE
ENEMY MORE
CLOSELY by Corelli Barnett.).
February
Atlantic convoy defence in
continuation in SW
Approaches.
March
5th
Joined outward Convoy OG21F with
HM
Destroyer WHIRLWIND, HM Sloops
ENCHANTRESS
and SANDWICH
on formation in SW Approaches for
escort
during
initial
stage of passage to Gibraltar
8th
Detached from OG21F and returned
to Plymouth.
Joined
HM Sloop LEITH,
HM Destroyers VENETIA
and WILD SWAN with HM
Destroyers
VETERAN and WHIRLWIND in
unsuccessful search for submarine
reported by
aircraft
in SW Approaches,
25th
Joined outward Convoy OG23 with HM
Destroyers CAMPBELL, WALKER,
WANDERER
and HM
Sloop ABERDEEN
on formation in SW Approaches as
escort for initial part of passage
to Gibraltar
in SW Approaches.
26th
Detached from OG23 and took
passage to
meet inward Convoy HG23 from Gibraltar
with HMS
CAMPBELL and
HMS WALKER.
27th
Joined HM Sloops SCARBOROUGH and WELLINGTON
as part of escort for HG23 during
passage
to Liverpool
in SW
Approaches.
30th
Detached from HG23 and returned to
Plymouth.
April
Detached
for duty with Home Fleet for
escort of military convoys to
Norway.
(Operation
RUPERT/R4).
11th
Escorted first troop convoy
(NP1) from
Clyde
with HM Cruisers MANCHESTER,
BIRMINGHAM,
HM Destroyers WITHERINGTON,
VANOC, WHIRLWIND,
HIGHLANDER
and HM Netlayer
PROTECTOR.
15th
After arrival continued convoy
escort
role in support of landings.
26th
Joined HM Aircraft Carriers
ARK
ROYAL and GLORIOUS as escort
with HM Destroyers
GRENADE,
BEAGLE, FORTUNE, ENCOUNTER and
ESCORT during air operations in
defence
of Fleet, units at Namsos
and Andalsnes.
27th
Made unsuccessful attack on
submarine
during escort of aircraft,
carriers.
Escorted HMS
GLORIOUS to Scapa
Flow
for refuelling and aircraft,
replenishment.
(For
details of the disastrous naval
operations off Norway
see CARRIER GLORIOUS
by J.
Winton, NARVIK by D MacIntyre and
the Naval Staff
History 9HMSO-2002).)
May
Deployment in support of
military operations off Norway
in continuation.
Pennant
Number for visual signalling
purposes changed to I71 to conform
with
changes
made to
all RN warships.
27th
Deployed with HM Destroyer AMAZON
and HM
Sloop FLEETWOOD as escort for
damaged
destroyer ESKIMO during passage
under tow from Skelfjord
to UK
for repair.
June
Resumed duty in Western
Approaches.
June
Western Approaches convoy
defence in
continuation.
7th
Rescued survivors from HM Armed
Merchant Cruiser CARINTHIA with
HM Destroyer
WREN and HM
Minesweeper GLEANER.
8th
Joined HM Cruiser
DEVONSHIRE
as escort for passage to
Clyde.)
(Note:
Cruisers had Norwegian Royal
Family embarked
29th
Joined military convoy WS1 at
Liverpool
as Local Escort- during passage
in NW
Approaches
with HM Destroyers HARVESTER,
HIGHLANDER and WHIRLWIND.
30th
Detached from WS1 with Local
Escort and
returned to Clyde.
July
Atlantic convoy defence in
continuation.
August
Transferred
to English
Channel
for anti-invasion patrol duties
and convoy defence..
September
Channel
duties in continuation.
to
(Note: In addition to
Anti-invasion patrol various
operations were carried out in
the
October
area
including bombardment of
Cherbourg
was HM Battleship REVENGE, HM
Cruisers
EMERALD and NEWCASTLE
on.
10th October
.
Ship
was not part of screen during
bombardment.)
November
Resumed
Atlantic convoy duties in
Western Approaches Command.
to
December
1
9 4 1
January
Joined
HM Destroyers VANOC, CALDWELL,
WALKER and nine FLOWER Class
Corvettes
in 5th Escort Group based at
Londonderry for Atlantic convoy defence.
February
Atlantic convoy defence in
continuation.
March
Part
of escort, for Convoy HX112 with
HM Destroyers WALKER, VANOC, SARDONYX
and
SCIMITAR, HM Corvettes BLUEBELL
and HYDRANGEA of Group.
(Note:
5th Escort. Group was commanded
by Donald MacIntyre
author of THE BATTLE
OF
THE ATLANTIC which gives details
of this operation.
See
also HITLER’S U-BOAT WAR by C
Blair and U-BOAT WAR IN THE
ATLANTIC
(HMSO)
16th
HX110 Sighted by U110 which was
detected
by Radar Type 2S8M in HMS VANOC
and was
forced
to submerge by depth charge
attacks of escorts.
17th
Took part in
continued anti-submarine
operations in defence of HX112
with other escorts.
(Note:
U99 was commanded by Otto Kretchmer,
a leading U-Boat ace of WW2.
U99
and U100 were both sunk. For
details see HITLER'S U-BOAT WAR
and
U-
BOATS destroyed by P Kemp.)
April
Deployed
at Devonport.
10th
During local
exercise rammed by HM
Destroyer NEWARK.
Six
of ship's company were killed
and forward structure was badly
damaged.
Remained at
Devonport pending arrangements
for repair at Belfast
commercial
shipyard.
Passage to
Belfast.
May
Under repair.
to
September
October
Rejoined
Group and resumed Atlantic
convoy defence duties.
(For
details of convoy defence and
tactics see above references
.)
Part of
escort for Convoy HX155 with
Group.
(See
HITLER'S U-BOAT WAR Vol. 1 for
details of turn-over from US
warships at Mid-
Atlantic
Meeting Point.)
November
Atlantic duty in continuation
with Group.
December
13th
Joined military convoy WS14 with
HM
Destroyer WITCH during its
passage in NW
Approaches
as part, of Local Escort.
15th
Detached from WS1J45 with HMS
WITCH and
returned to Clyde.
1
9 4 2
January
Local
Escort duties in NW Approaches an
continuation.
12th
Joined military convoy WS15 in
Clyde
as Local Escort during passage
in the NW
Approaches
with HM Destroyers VANOC,
VANQUISHER, WALKER and
WITHERINGTON.
15th
Detached from WS15 with Local
Escort,
and returned to Clyde.
February
Local Escort duties in
continuation.
March
Nominated
for escort of military convoy
bound for
Middle
East
during
Atlantic
passage.
23rd
Joined military convoy WS17 in
Clyde
as Local Escort in NW Approaches
with HM
Destroyers
NEWPORT, BADSWORTH, BEVERLEY, KEPPEL,
LEAMINGTON,
ANTELOPE,
BOADICEA and ROCKINGHAM.)
27th
Shared credit for the sinking of
U587
with HM Destroyers GROVE,
LEAMINGTON and
ALDENHAM
in position 47.21N 21.39W, west
of
Ushant
during defence of WS17X
None
of U587 crew survived.
See
HITLER'S U -BOAT WAR and U-
BOATS DESTROYED by P Kemp.
(Note:
This sinking was a result of
detection of wireless
transmissions from U-Boats by
new
Direction finding Outfit FH3 in
HMS KEPPEL.
See
SEEK AND
STRIKE by
W
Hackmann.)
Detached
from WS17 with part of Local
Escort and returned to
Clyde.
April
Atlantic escort duty in
continuation.
18th
Joined military convoy WS18 in
Clyde
as Local Escort in NW
Approaches with HM
Destroyers
BADSWORTH, GEORGETOWN,
LANCASTER, LAUDERDALE,
ST
MARY'S,
BOADICEA
and
SALISBURY.
20th
Detached from WS18 with HMS
BOADICEA and
returned to Clyde.
May
10th
Joined military convoy WS19 in
Clyde
as Local Escort in NW
Approaches with HM
Destroyers
KEPPEL,
LEAMINGTON,
ST MARYS and
CASTLETON.
13th
Detached from WS19 with Local
Escort and
returned to Clyde.
Nominated
for duty with Home Fleet for
convoy escort in
Arctic
and took passage
to Scapa Flow.
23rd
Joined Ocean Escort for Russian
Convoy
PQ16 with HM Destroyers
ACHATES, ASHANTI,
MARTIN,
Polish destroyer ORP GARLAND, HM
AA Ship ALYNBANK, HM Corvettes
STARWORT,
HONEYSUCKLE, HYDERABAD
and French
ROSELYS.
25th
Rescued pilot of HURRICANE
aircraft from
escorting CAM
Ship who had been shot
down
in error by US mercantile
CARLTON.
(See FRIEND
OR
FOE
by P Kemp).
30th
Detached from
convoy after arrival of
Eastern Local Escort.
(For
details of all Russian Convoy
operations see CONVOYS TO RUSSIA
by RA Ruegg
CONVOY !
by P
Kemp, THE RUSSIAN
CONVOYS by B Schoefield
and
ARCTIC
CONVOYS by R
Woodman.)
June
Deployed
in North
Russia.
26th
Joined Ocean Escort at Kola
Inlet with
same ships as Convoy PQ16 for
Convoy QP16.
July
5th
Detached from QP16.
Nominated
for refit.
August
Taken
in hand for refit and conversion
for use as Long Range Escort at
Rosyth.
(For
details of conversion see V
AND W DESTROYERS by A Preston). Under refit
1
9 4 3
January
Post
refit
trials.
On
completion took passage to
Tobermory for work-up
February
On
completion of work-up joined H M
Destroyer HIGHLANDER, BEVERLEY,
WINCHELSEA
and six FLOWER Class Corvettes
in 4th Escort Group based at
Greenock
for
Atlantic convoy defence.
March
Part
of escort for Convoy HX229 with
HM Destroyer BEVERLEY, HM
Corvettes
ANEMONE and
PENNYWORT.
16th
Convoy under
threat from RAUBGRAF and
DRANGER Groups of U-Boats.
17th
Under sustained
U-Boat attacks.
Torpedo
attack by U616 was unsuccessful.
Several
ships in convoy were sunk.
18th
Convoy escort reinforced
(For
details of this critical convoy
action see
THE BATTLE
OF THE ATLANTIC by D
MacIntyre
and U-BOAT WAR IN THE ATLANTIC (HM30).
April
Convoy defence in
continuation.
(For
details of the development of
new weapons and improvements in
defence of
Atlantic
convoys
see SEEK
AND
STRIKE by
W
Hackmann).
May
Re-deployed
with 5th Escort Group and joined
escort for Convoy ONS7
11th
Under series of
U-Boat attacks until 13th May.
17th
Attacks resumed by DONAU 1 Group
of
U-Boats and although evasive
action taken
one
ship is sunk.
June
Atlantic
convoy escort in continuation Including
convoys to
Gibraltar
for support of
to
planned
allied military operations
September
October
Deployed
with 5th and 4th Escort Groups
for escort of convoys to the
Azores.
(Operation
ALACRITY to establish allied air
bases on
Fayal
and Terceira).
November
Deployed
in anti-submarine operations in
Bay of Biscay to
intercept U-Boats on passage
to
and from
Atlantic.
December
Atlantic Convoy defence in
continuation with Group.
1
9 4 4
January
Atlantic convoy escort in
continuation with Group.
to
March
April
Deployed
in English
Channel
for coastal convoy escort.
Nominated
for duty in Force B of Western
Task Force for escort of convoys
to
Normandy
beach head (Operation NEPTUNE).
21st
In action against E-Boats of 9th
German
MTB
Flotilla with HM Destroyer
HALDON
and
French destroyer LA COMBATTANTE
off
Hastings.
(For
details of Channel operations
see HOLD THE NARROW
SEA
by P Staith).
May
Channel deployment in
continuation.
June
Joined
HM Canadian Corvette SUMMERSIDE,
HM Trawlers RUBY,
KINGSTON
ANDALUSITE
and ELLESMERE to form Escort
Group 144 of Force B at
Milford Haven.
4th
Escorted Convoy EBC2 (32 Motor
Transport, coasters and 5 oil
tankers) from the
Bristol
Channel
to Solent.
5th
Passage delayed when D-Day
postponed
for 24 hours.
6th
Arrived in Solent.
7th
Passage through
swept channel to Western Task
Force area (US) with Convoy.
8th
Detached on arrival off beach
head and
returned to Milford Haven for
escort of Build-Up
phase
convoys.
10th
Deployed on escort of Build-up
convoys
from Bristol
Channel.
(For
details of naval activities
prior to and during of
Normandy
assault see OPERATION
NEPTUNE
by K Edwards
and LANDINGS IN
NORMANDY
June 1944 (HMSO).).
July
On
release from NEPTUNE
resumed Channel convoy escort
and patrol duty.
August
Channel deployment in
continuation.
to
December
1
9 4 5
January
Transferred
to Nore Command for convoy
defence and patrol in
North
Sea
and in English
to
Channel
April
(Note:
During this period there was an
increase in
minelaying by E-Boats and
submersibles
which
required the deployment of
additional ships for
anti-submarine patrol and
interception.
- See HOLD THE
NARROW
SEA
by P Smith and ENGAGE THE
ENEMY MORE CLOSELY BY C
Barnett).
May
After
VE Day reduced to Reserve
status.