B-Class Fleet Destroyer ordered from Hawthorn Leslie, Newcastle on 4th March 1929 under the1928 Programme and laid down on 11th July 1929. She was launched on 23rd September 1930 as the 5th RN ship to bear the name introduced in 1797 and last used by a cruiser sold in 1926. Build completion date was 7th April 1931 and the contract price was £225,325 which excluded items supplied  by the Admiralty In February 1942, after a successful WARSHIP WEEK National Savings Campaign, she  was adopted by the civil community of Accrington, Lancashire.

 

B a t t l e   H o n o u r s

 

REUNION 1810 - MAURITIUS 1810 - BURMA 1824-26 - ZULU WAR 1879 - JUTLAND  1916 - ATLANTIC   1941-43 - NORTH AFRICA 1942 - ARCTIC   1942-44  - NORMANDY 1944

                                                                              

H e r a l d i c  D a t a

Badge: On a Field Black, Boadicea in a chariot drawn by two horses Gold

 

M o t t o

Vincta sed invicta -   'bound yet unconquered'

 

 

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             Joined 19th Destroyer Flotilla at Dover for escort duties including covering the

                                passage of ships taking troops of BEF to French ports.

 

October                  Deployment at Dover in continuation.

 

November              Transferred to 22nd Destroyer Flotilla at Harwich for North Sea convoy defence.

                20th        Under air attack.

                21st         Deployed with HM Destroyers GIPSY, GRIFFIN, KEITH and two Polish

                                destroyers for North Sea patrol.

                                Rescued wounded and survivors from HMS GIPSY sunk after detonating a

                                magnetic mine when leaving harbour.

 

December              Convoy escort and patrol duty based at Harwich in continuation.

 

1 9 4 0

 

January                  Deployed at Harwich for East coast convoy escort and patrol duties.

 

February                Rejoined 19th Flotilla at Dover in continuation.

                6th          Embarked Winston Churchill at Boulogne for passage to Dover.

 

March                    Channel convoy defence and patrol in continuation.

                4th          Towed merchant ship CHARLES F MEYER disabled by mine to Southampton

                                Water.

                7th          Escorted HM Auxiliary Minelayer HAMPTON with HMS KEITH during minelay

                                in Galloper area.

 

April                       Convoy defence and patrol in continuation.

 

May

                2nd         Under refit at Chatham.

 

 June                       On completion nominated for support of evacuation from Channel Ports.

                                (Operation CYCLE).

                9th          Evacuated remnants of 51st Highland Division from Le Havre.

                10th        In action with aircraft off Dieppe

.                               Hit twice in machinery compartments with very serious casualties only one

                                of whom survived.

                                Ship disabled and extensive damage control needed to reduce list to deal with the

                                effects of flooding.

                                Items of equipment including depth charges were jettisoned.

                                Blanket of fog prevented further air attack which enabled tow to be established by

                                HM Destroyer AMBUSCADE.

                11th        Tow to Dover taken over by tug KROOMAN

 

July

                                Taken in hand for repair at Portsmouth           

 

August                  Under repair

to                            Radar Type 286M fitted for warning of aircraft and ships.

December              (For details of development and use of radar by RN see RADAR AT SEA by D

                                Howse).

 

1 9 4 1

 

January                  Under repair

 

February                On completion of post refit trials passage for Home Fleet duties at Scapa Flow.

                                Part of destroyer screen for major Fleet units during search for German warships

                                SCHARNHORST and GNEISENAU.

 

March                    Transferred to 4th Escort Group at Greenock for Atlantic convoy defence.

                23rd        Joined military convoy WS17 in Clyde with H M Destroyers ROCKINGHAM,

                                LEAMINGTON, NEWPORT, BEVERLEY, VOLUNTEER, BADSWORTH,

                                KEPPEL for Local Escort in NW Approaches.

                30th        Detached from WS17 with HMS ROCKINGHAM

 

April                       Deployed on Atlantic convoy defence with Group.

to

November

 

December              Part of escort for Convoy HX165.

 

1 9 4 2

 

January                  Atlantic convoy defence in continuation

 

February                On dispersal of Group remained at Greenock. for Atlantic convoy defence.

 

February                Convoy defence duty in continuation.

to

March

 

April                       Detached for duty with Home Fleet for Russian Convoy defence.

                                (For full 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 Richard Woodman).

                28th        Joined escort for Convoy PQ15 with H M Destroyers BADSWORTH,

                                MATCHLESS, VENOMOUS, SOMALI and Norwegian destroyer

                                ST. ALBANS.

 

May

                5th          Remained in Murmansk on arrival. of PQ15. See references.

                21st         Joined Ocean Escort of returning QP12 with HM Destroyers INGLEFIELD,

                                ESCAPADE and same destroyers as deployed for PQ15.

                                (Note: HMS INGLEFIELD and HMS ESCAPADE had been specially detached

                                from Home Fleet for this duty.)

                29th        Detached from PQ12 with HM Destroyers ESCAPADE, INGLEFIELD and

                                Norwegian ST ALBANS for return to Scapa Flow.

 

June                        Resumed convoy defence duties based at Greenock.

                17th        Deployed as Local Escort for rms QUEEN ELIZABETH with HM Cruiser

                                DELHI, HM Destroyers KEPPEL, LEAMINGTON, SALISBURY and

                                Norwegian ST ALBANS during passage in NW Approaches.

                                (Note: Designated Convoy WS19Y this liner was carrying troops to Middle

                                East.)

                18th        Detached from WS19Y and returned to Clyde with Local Escort.

                                (Note: QUEEN ELIZABETH then made independent passage to Suez.)

                21st         Joined military convoy WS20 in Clyde with HM Destroyers GEORGETOWN,

                                RIPLEY, SALISBURY, BEAGLE, VIDETTE, VANSITTART,

                                WOLVERINE and Norwegian ST ALBANS as Local Escort during passage in

                                NW Approaches.

                25th        Detached from WS20 with HMS RIPLEY and returned to Clyde.

 

July                         Transferred to Greenock Special Escort Group.

                                Deployed for Atlantic convoy escort.

                                Joined escort for mv DOMINION MONARCH from Halifax, NS to Liverpool.

                                Nominated for refit in Liverpool at commercial shipyard.

 

August                  Taken in hand for refit at Liverpool.

 

September             Under refit.

 

October                  On completion of post refit trials rejoined Greenock Escort Force.

                                Deployed for defence of military convoys for allied landings in North Africa.

                                Part of escort for Convoy KX12 for North African landings

                                (Operation TORCH - For details see ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE

                                CLOSELY, ALLIED INVASION FLEETS by J de Winser and Naval Staff History)

 

November              Deployed at Gibraltar for support of landings in North Africa,

                8th          Part of escort for Assault Convoy during passage to Oran.

                                In action with French destroyer off Oran during assault.

                                Hit by 5.1in shell in forward shell room with some flooding of compartment.

                                Damage repaired at Gibraltar.

                11th        Embarked 425 survivors for passage to Gibraltar after troopship VICEROY OF INDIA

                                was torpedoed off Oran.

                14th        Returned to UK as part of escort of Convoy MXF1.

                19th        Resumed Atlantic convoy defence on arrival at Greenock.

 

December              Transferred to 20th Escort Group deployed in the defence of Russian convoys.

                                (References as above).

                18th        Joined Ocean escort for Convoy JW51A with HM Destroyers ECHO, ECLIPSE,

                                FAULKNOR, FURY and INGLEFIELD. 25th   Detached from escort.

 

1 9 4 3

 

January                  Re-deployed with ships of Group in Western Approaches for convoy defence.

 

February

                19th        Detached with ships of Group to provide part of Ocean Escort for Convoy JW53

                2?th        Left Convoy when Local Escort arrived.

 

March

                1st           Joined escort for returning convoy RA53

                7th          Withdrawn to refuel.

                10th        Sustained damage due to excess icing

                11th        Rejoined RA53 and remained till 12th March.

                17th        Taken in hand for repair in Clyde shipyard.

 

April                       Under repair.

                                Nominated for convoy escort duty at Freetown.

 

May

                19th        Joined military convoys WS30 (For Freetown) and KMF 15 (For Mediterranean)

                                in the Clyde for passage to Freetown.

                                (Note: HM Cruiser SUFFOLK provided Ocean Escort)

                25th        Gibraltar Section KMF15 detached.

                                HM Destroyers ANTELOPE, CATTERICK and FOXHOUND joined WS30 (Freetown Section).

                                Remained with WS30.

                28th        Detached from WS30 on arrival at Freetown and joined Local Escort Force.

 

June

                6th          Joined WS30 on departure from Freetown for Local Escort with H M Destroyers

                                RAPID, WITCH and WOLVERINE.

                9th          Detached from WS30 and returned to Freetown.

 

 July                        West African escort duty in continuation.

                19th        Rescued survivors from mv INCOMATI sunk SW of Accra.

 

August                  Freetown Convoy defence duties in continuation September

                14th        Joined military convoy WS33 with HM Destroyers BEAGLE, BULLDOG, WOLVERINE

                                and HM Frigate BANN for Local Escort during calls at ports in West Africa.

                19th        Detached from WS33 with Local Escort and returned to Freetown.

                                Withdrawn from Freetown for refit and conversion.

                                Took passage to UK.

                                Deployed temporarily with 8th Escort Group for A/S duty in NW Approaches.

 

October                  Convoy defence in NW Approaches with Group in continuation.

 

November              Taken in hand for refit in Tyne shipyard and converted to Anti-Submarine Escort.

                                (For details of conversion see SEEK AND STRIKE by Hackmann).

 

December              Under refit

 

1 9 4 4

 

January                  Under refit.

 

February                On completion worked up for duty as A/S Escort.

                                Rejoined 8th Escort for duty with Russian convoys based in Iceland.

                20th        Joined Close Escort for Convoy JW57.

                28th        Detached from JW57.

 

March

                2nd         Joined Close Escort of returning convoy RA57-

                6th          During passage of RA57 as part of escort rescued two survivors from U973 which

                                had been sunk after air attack by aircraft from HMS CHASER.

                                There were no other survivors from the submarine.

                                See U-BOATS DESTROYED by P Kemp.

                 9th          Transferred to 2nd Escort Group after leaving RA57.

                29th        Deployed with HM Sloop STARLING (Captain F J Walker) and ships of Group for

                                anti-submarine support of Russian Convoy JW58 during passage to Kola Inlet.

 

April

                4th          Detached from JW58.

                7th          Joined Ocean Escort of returning Convoy RA 58.

                12th        Detached from RA58 and rejoined Group.

                19th        Passage to Murmansk with other Escorts to collect ships and personnel from Russia

                                after winter season.

                                (Note: Requirements for Normandy landings precluded passage of JW Convoy.)

                23rd        Embarked 14 passengers for return to UK.

                28th        Escorted returning convoy RA59.

 

May

                3rd          Detached from RA59-

                                Re-deployed at Plymouth in support of Normandy landings (Operation NEPTUNE).

                                Attached to Support Force B in Escort Group 143 for the defence of Build - up

                                convoys

                                to Western Task Force Area.

                                (For details of naval activities before and during allied landings see OPERATION

                                NEPTUNE by K Edwards and LANDINGS IN NORMANDY, JUNE 1944 (HMSO).)

 

June                        Passage to Falmouth to escort Convoy ECL1 with HM Corvette BLUEBELL, HM

                                Trawler CORNELIAN (ex-FORFEIT), HM Trawler ELLESMERE and HM Trawler

                                PEARL.

                6th          Passage to beach head with 31 Landing Ships (Tank).

                7th          Arrived in Western Task Force Area.

                                Passage to Milford Haven for escort of Follow-Up convoys.

                13th        Under air attack by Ju88 whilst escorting westbound convoy off Portland. Hit by two

                                torpedoes one of which detonated magazine.

                                Sank very rapidly in position 50.26N 02.46W with only 12 survivors from a total

                                complement of 182.

 

---

 

Addendum

 

CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of HMS BOADICEA

by Don Kindell

 

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

(Note on Convoys)