One of two Prototype Fleet Destroyers intended to determine the design of first new destroyers to be ordered for the Royal Navy after the end of WW1. Tenders invited from British shipbuilders which specialised in construction of this type of warship and this ship was that accepted from Yarrow & Co of Glasgow. Ordered on 12th June 1924 this destroyer was laid down on 8th December that year. She was launched on 15th January 1926 as the sixth RN warship to carry the name, which was introduced for the 5th Rate French EMBUSCADE taken as Prize in 1746. It had last been used by a destroyer built in 1913 and sold in 1921. Commissioned on 9th April 1927 she was deployed for Fleet duties in Home waters and in the Mediterranean until 1937 when Paid-Off after a succession of problems with her turbine machinery. Replacement of these items of propulsion machinery was deferred until 1939 and on completion in 1940 her war service was interrupted by further machinery problems and she was relegated to non-operational use. Whilst deployed as a Trials ship in June1945 she was reduced to Reserve status and used for shock trials before being broken-up in 1947. In February 1942, following a successful WARSHIP WEEK National Savings campaign the ship was adopted by the civil community of Crewe, Cheshire.

 

B a t t l e   H o n o u r s

FINISTERRE I  1747 - LAGOS 1759 - JUTLAND 1916 - ATLANTIC 1940-44 - ARCTIC 1942 - FALKLANDS 1982 *

(*Awarded to 7th AMBUSCADE.

Manning quotes CHESAPEAKE 1781 but this is

not included in later standard references.)

H e r a l d i c   D a t a

On a Field Black, a blunderbuss Red with barrel and mounts Gold.

 

M o t t o

Tempore insidier : 'bide my time'

 

M a n n i n g   D i v i s i o n

Chatham till 1937

Portsmouth 1939 to 1945

 

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

 

1 9 2 7

 

March                    Harbour trials

 

April

                8th          Build completion and commenced Acceptance Trials

                9th          Commissioned for special trials attached to Atlantic Fleet

                15th        Worked-up at Portland.

 

May                        Deployed for special trials

 

September             Withdrawn from service for refit and modifications.

to

November

 

December              Resumed Home Fleet duties with Flotilla.

 

1 9 2 8

 

January                  Home Fleet duties in continuation

to                            Nominated for special duty with sister ship HMS AMAZON.

February                (Note: These ships were to carry out a series of trials off coast of South

                                America to establish effect of operating in various climates.)

 

April                       Passage to Pernambuco with HMS AMAZON.

 

May                        Carried out planned series of trials in South America waters

to                            Deployed in South Pacific and called at Valparaiso, Chile and Callao, Peru.

June

 

July                         Trials deployment in continuation off South American Pacific coast.

                                Passage through Panama Canal for deployment in Caribbean.

 

August                  Return passage to UK from Bermuda with call at Fayal, Azores.

                16th        Arrived at Chatham

 

September             Under refit at Chatham

 

October

                16th        Re-commissioned with full complement for service in 3rd Destroyer Flotilla,

                                Mediterranean

                                Passage to Malta to join Flotilla.

 

1 9 2 9

 

January                  Carried out Flotilla duties in Mediterranean including exercises and visits.

to July

 

August                  Sustained damage to propellers and starboard hull structure after being hit

                                by Practice torpedo during exercise. Taken in hand for repair by HM Dockyard

                                Malta

 

October                  Resumed duties with 3rd Flotilla.

 

November              Flotilla deployment ion continuation.

to

December

 

1 9 3 0

 

January                  Transferred to 4th Destroyer Flotilla, Mediterranean Fleet as relief for HM

                                Destroyer VANSITTART.

 

August                  Withdrawn from Flotilla duties for turbine repair in Malta.

 

September             Under repair

to

December

 

1 9 3 1

 

March                    On completion of repair in Malta took passage to Chatham for

                                reduction to Reserve status.

 

May                        Laid-up in Nore Reserve as Tender to HM Destroyer MALCOLM

 

 

October                  Taken in hand for refit by HM Dockyard Chatham

 

November              Under refit

to

December

 

1 9 3 2

 

January                  Under refit

to

April

 

May                        Returned to Reserve after post refit trials

 

June                        Nominated for further service and brought forward from Reserve.

                22nd       Recommissioned for special Home Fleet service.

 

July                         Home Fleet deployment including service in Irish Sea and SW Approaches.

to December

 

1 9 3 3

 

January                  Home Fleet duties in continuation.

to

July

 

August                  Nominated for service at Portsmouth as training and trials ship attached to

                                Torpedo school, HMS VERNON.

                                Withdrawn from special duties.

 

October                  Passage to Portsmouth for refit

                5th          Taken in hand for refit and prepared for new duties.

 

December

                9th          Carried out post refit trials and completion of dockyard work.

 

1 9 3 4   t o    1 9 3 6

 

                                Deployed as Tender to HMS VERNON in the VERNON Flotilla.

                                (Note: These ship were use for Torpedo School sea training, support

                                of research carried out by the establishment and trials

                                on equipment prior to production.

                                HMS AMAZON was also attached to HMS VERNON with several

                                other destroyers.

 

1 9 3 7

 

January                  VERNON Flotilla duties in continuation.

 

February                Withdrawn from service because of poor condition of turbines

                                and nominated for their replacement by HM Dockyard, Portsmouth

                28th        Paid-off and placed under Dockyard control for extended refit.

 

March                    Under refit

to September

 

October                  Future employment under consideration.

                18th        Refit suspended and laid up at Portsmouth

 

November              Laid-up at Portsmouth.

to

December

 

1 9 3 8

 

                                Lay-up in continuation

 

1 9 3 9

 

January                  Future requirement in line with war plan deployments

to                            Refit work to be re-started to allow operational deployment.

August

 

September             Refit work resumed

to

December

 

 

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 4 0

January                  Under refit

to

April

 

May                        Harbour trials and prepared for service

                                Pennant No changed to I38 to conform with changes throughout the RN.

                                (Note: This identity was used for visual signalling purposes and was marked on

                                both sides of forward bow structure and on stern.)

                27th        Recommissioned for service in 16th Destroyer Flotilla based at Harwich.

                                Carried out post refit sea trials before work-up at Portland.

 

June                        Passage to Portland

                                Deployed at Portland for work-up

                8th          On completion diverted from planned programme and deployed for support of

                                evacuation of troops from Le Havre area (Operation CYCLE.)

                10th        Deployed at St Valery and embarked troops of 51st Highland Division for passage

                                to UK. Under shore fire and sustained structural damage but remained operational.

                                During return passage in poor visibility sighted HM Destroyer BOADICEA which

                                had been hit during dive bombing attacks and was totally disabled.

                                Took HMS BOADICEA in tow and resumed passage.

                11th        Transferred tow to Dutch tug KROOMAN and resumed passage to Portsmouth.

                                Taken in hand for repairs after disembarking troops.

                29th        Passage to join Flotilla at Harwich.

                30th        Escorted HM Destroyer WHITSHED under tow by HM Destroyer WILD SWAN into

                                Harwich with HM Corvette PUFFIN.

                                (Note: HMS WHITSHED had lost part of her bow structure after striking a mine

                                off Harwich.

 

July                         Deployed at Harwich with Flotilla for convoy escort and anti -invasion patrols

                                in North Sea.

                                Came under air attack whilst assisting HM Trawler TURQUOISE which had

                                been disabled in an earlier attack.

 

August                  Escorted coastal convoy between Nore and Rosyth.

                27th        Joined Convoy OA205 as escort for passage to NW Approaches via north

                                of Scotland.

                30th        Detached from OA205 when convoy dispersed in NW Approaches.

 

September             Transferred to 12th Destroyer Flotilla based at Greenock for convoy

                                escort for passage to and from Dispersal points.

                12th        Withdrawn from operational use due to turbine defects and took

                                passage to Tyne.

                13th        Taken in hand for repair at commercial shipyard.

 

October                  Under repair.

 

November

                8th          On completion of post repair trials took passage to rejoin Flotilla

                                then based in Iceland for convoy escort.

 

December              Deployed with Flotilla in Iceland for escort of convoys.

                                (Note: Regular convoy traffic between Iceland and Clyde together

                                Atlantic merchant traffic was escorted by ships based in Iceland.

 

1 9 4 1

 

January                  Icelandic deployment with Flotilla in continuation.

to April

 

May                        Passage to Clyde for refit.

                9th          Taken in hand for refit in commercial shipyard.

 

June                        Under refit

to

July

 

August

                7th          On completion of post refit trials took passage from Clyde to resume

                                Flotilla duties in Iceland.

 

September             Deployed for convoy defence based in Iceland.

 

October                  Withdrawn from operational duties and took passage to Portsmouth

                                for repairs to condensers providing steam for propulsion equipment.

                15th        Taken in hand for repair by HM Dockyard, Portsmouth.

 

November              Under repair

to

December

 

1 9 4 2

 

January

                10th        On completion of post repair trials took passage to resume convoy

                                escort duties with Flotilla.

 

February                Convoy escort duties in Iceland in continuation.

 

March                    Passage to Clyde as escort for routine convoy.

                26th        Joined HM Destroyers BEVERLEY, RICHMOND and Polish destroyer

                                BLYSKAWICA at Oban for escort of Convoy PQ14 during passage to

                                Reykjavik.

                                Passage in extreme weather conditions during which some mercantiles

                                left convoy.

                                Detached from PQ14 and took passage to join return Convoy QP9 as

                                escort during final stage of passage from Murmansk into Reykjavik.

 

April

                3rd          Detached from QP9 on arrival at Reykjavik

 

May                        Iceland convoy escort deployment in continuation.

                                Future deployment as Ocean Escort affected by increasing

                                incidence of defects with machinery.

                                Withdrawn from future operational use for repair.

                                Passage to Liverpool for repair in commercial dockyard .

 

June                        Under repair

                                Nominated for use as an Air Target Ship,

                                (Note: Warships which were unfit for operational use were

                                deployed at specific positions in British coastal waters to

                                act as targets for aircrew during

                                training. These were intended to improve ship recognition

                                and to act as targets during exercises in procedures to be

                                used in attacks against ships.

                16th        Commenced duties as Air Target Ship.

 

July                         Deployed as Air Target. Position to be investigated.

to

October

 

November              Selected for use as trials ship and to be fitted with prototype anti-submarine

                                weapons which were under development for immediate use to counter the increasing

                                scale of attacks on convoys by German U-Boats.

                30th        Taken in hand for refit by HM Dockyard, Portsmouth

 

December              Under refit

 

1 9 4 3

 

January                  Under refit including fit of an Ahead Throwing Mortar.

 

February                Carried out post refit trials and prepared for first weapon firing.

                                Completed satisfactory trials firing of a Modified Fairlie Mortar (PARSNIP)

                                on Depth Charge range.

                                (Note: This design was shelved. For further details see THE TORPEDOMEN

                                by E N Poland.)

 

March                    Trials deployment based at Portsmouth in continuation.

to                            (Note: During this period ship was taken in hand for fit of new ASDIC Type 147X

April                       designed for measurement of depth of submerged submarines and

                                to provide continuous data to the new design SQUID Ahead Throwing Mortar.

                                Two SQUID mountings were also fitted..

 

May                        Carried out firing trials on Prototype Type 147X ASDIC and SQUID Mortar off Portland.

                                (See SEEK AND STRIKE by W Hackmann)

                                (Note: This was successful and production orders were placed for these two equipments

                                which formed the first anti-submarine weapon system to be used by the RN)

 

June                        Nominated for service as Weapon Trials ship in Clyde based at Greenock.

                                (Note: The Underwater Research Establishment responsible for development of new

                                weapons was at Fairlie on the Firth of Clyde)

                6th          Sailed from Portsmouth to commence duties based at Greenock

 

July                         Deployed at Greenock for trials and training in use of new weapon system to meet

to December          requirements of URE and the VERNON Trials Department at HMS VERNON Leigh

                                Park, Havant.

 

1 9 4 4

 

January                  Trials and training duties at Greenock in continuation.

to

May

 

June

                16th        Taken in hand for refit at Portsmouth

                                (Note: New equipment was fitted and modifications were carried out to existing

                                weapon system fit.

 

August                  Resumed duties in Greenock on completion.

 

September             Trials and training duties in continuation.

                1st           During trials deployment in NW Approaches rescued 107 survivors from HM Corvette

                                HURST CASTLE that had been sunk by an acoustic torpedo fired from U482 earlier

                                this day.)

 

October                  Nominated for series of trials in Mediterranean for anti-submarine weapon system.

                                Took passage to Gibraltar with call at Milford Haven.

 

November              Deployed for trials in Mediterranean.

 

December              Passage to Greenock on completion of trials serials.

                11th        Returned to Clyde for further training of personnel and trials.

 

1 9 4 5

 

January                  Trials and training duties in continuation.

 

February                Passage to Portsmouth for fit of new equipment by HM Dockyard

                                (Note: Production design Type 147B Depth Finding ASDIC and Type

                                147F with SWORD Transducer. See SEEK AND STRIKE.)

 

March                    Resumed trials duties at Greenock on completion.

 

April                       Trials and training duties at Greenock in continuation.

to

May

 

June                        Nominated for reduction to Reserve status on relief by ship from Training

                                Flotilla based at Londonderry.

 

July                         Passage to Barrow to reduce to Reserve.

                                Paid-off and de-stored at Barrow.

                27th        Accepted into Reserve Fleet at Barrow

  

P o s t   W a r   N o t e s

 

HMS AMBUSCADE, despite the machinery problems which persisted throughout her life, provided invaluable service during 1939 to 1943 when availability of escorts was limited. She was placed on the Disposal List and then sold for demolition after use in a series of Shock Trials in the Clyde area to obtain data for use in future warships builds. Several ships and submarines were also used prior to being broken-up. Sold to BISCO on 23rd November 1946 she was towed to Troon during March 1947 for demolition by West of Scotland Shipbreakers.

 

History was repeated on 18th January 1973 when the name was given to a Type 21 Frigate on launch at Scotstoun by Yarrow Shipbuilders. This ship had been designed in conjunction with Messrs Thornycroft at Woolston who built sister ship HMS AMAZON and were again builders of the first two ships of a new Class of warship.

 

---

 

Addendum

 

CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of HMS AMBUSCADE

by Don Kindell

 

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

(Note on Convoys)