TRIBAL-Class Fleet Destroyer
ordered on 10th March 1936 under the 1935 Build
Programme. The contract for the hull and engines
was
placed with Vickers-Armstrong at Newcastle and
the ship was laid down on 9th
June 1936.
Launched on 8th June 1937, she was the 6th RN
warship to carry the name, which had
been introduced in 1806 when the 6th Rate
PANDOUR was renamed. It was last used
for a destroyer built in 1907 by Cammell Laird
which was sold in 1919. Build of this
destroyer was completed on 7th June 1938 and she
commissioned for service in
the 1st
Tribal Destroyer Flotilla and served with the
Flotilla in the Mediterranean.
The ship took
part in patrols during the Spanish civil war and
in Mediterranean Fleet
exercises and visits
programmes before the outbreak of war with
Germany.1939. In April that year the Flotilla
identity was changed to the 4th Destroyer
Flotilla. Her Pennant Number for
visual signalling
purposes was L03 when she commissioned but this
was changed in December 1938
to F03. In the early months of 1940 her name
became renowned when her exploits
in boarding the German tanker ALTMARK to rescue
British seamen received
national acclaim.
In January 1942 her successor was “adopted ”by
the civil community of Esher and
Claygate, Surrey after a successful WARSHIP WEEK
National Savings campaign in January
1942, but it is believed that a relationship
with this ship existed before her
loss in October 1941.
B a t t l e H o n o u r
s
BALTIC
1835 - DOVER
PATROL 1914-19 - NARVIK
1940 - NORWAY
1940 - ATLANTIC
1940-41 - BISMARCK Action 1941 - MALTA CONVOYS
1941 - KOREA 1950-53*
(* Awarded to HMS
COSSACK (ii))
H e r a l d i c D a t a
Badge: On a Field Blue,
riding in water barry wavy. White and Blue,
a mounted Cossack proper.
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
August
Deployed with 4th Flotilla in the
Mediterranean.
2nd Visited Istanbul
with HM Battleship
WARSPITE.
Took-up war station later.
September
Nominated for convoy escort in
Mediterranean..
(Note: Mediterranean
Fleet ships also carried out patrols to enforce
blockade
to prevent landing of cargoes destined for
Germany.
3rd Deployed
for escort of convoys between
Marseilles and Mediterranean
ports.
October
Nominated for return to Home
waters with ships of Flotilla..
2nd Took passage
to join Home Fleet for
convoy defence.
November
Deployed in North Sea for convoy
defence and patrol.
7th
Sustained damage in collision with ss
BORTHWICK off May Island,
Firth of Forth
during escort duty. Four of the ship’s company
were
killed and ship was
withdrawn from duty for repair.
8th Passage to
Leith for repair by Robb’s
shipyard.
9th Under repair
including repairs to turbine
blades.
(Note: Replacement
of these items were also found necessary in
other
ships
of the Class. See AFRIDI TO
NIZAM by J English and
BRITISH
DESTROYERS by E J March.)
December
Under repair at Leith.
1 9 4 0
January
9th Resumed Home
Fleet duties with Flotilla
in North Sea.
February Took
part in search for German
tanker ALTMARK known to be on
return passage to
Germany and believed to be carrying British
personnel
from merchant ships
captured by German battleship GRAF SPEE
during her commerce
raiding activities in 1939-40. Deployed with HM
Cruiser ARETHUSA,
HM Destroyers SIKH, NUBIAN, INTREPID and
IVANHOE
16th After
interception of ALTMARK by HMS
INTREPID and HMS
IVANHOE boarded
German ship in Joessing Fjord. Norway and
released the 299
British seamen held on board.
(For
details see ENGAGE THE ENEMY
MORE CLOSELY and The
Naval Staff
History.)
Sustained slight
structural damage to bows during boarding.
17th
Released prisoners were landed at Leith
with substantial press coverage.
22nd Taken in hand
for repair at Leith in same
shipyard.
23rd Resumed Home
Fleet duties.
March
Home Fleet deployment in
continuation.
April
Planning for Home Fleet
operation R4 to lay mines off Norway in hand.
(Note: This ship was
not part of screen for minelayers or for Fleet
major
units
providing cover.
For
details of all naval activities following
execution of R4 and
in
support of allied military operations in Norway
see NAVAL
OPERATIONS
OF THE CAMPAIGN IN NORWAY (HMSO).)
7th Sailed from Forth with
HM Destroyers AFRIDI, GURKHA (i), SIKH
MOHAWK, ZULU,
KASHMIR, KELVIN, Polish destroyers ORP
GROM, BLYSKAWICA and
BURZA as screen for HM Cruisers
ARETHUSA and GALATEA
to carry out interception sweep northward
from position
58.30N 3.30E.
(Note:
German warships had been
reported by aircraft as being on
passage
in North Sea. Part of planned minelay in R4 was
cancelled
and Home Fleet ships deployed to find the enemy.
Ship did
not take part in Home Fleet operations after the
sinking
of HM Destroyer GLOWWORM.)
8th HM Destroyers SOMALI,
MATABELE, MASHONA and
TARTAR
joined screen.
9th Following collision
between HMS KELVIN AND
HMS KASHMIR
Detached from screen
with HMS ZULU during passage of cruisers
to join assembly of
Home Fleet units
Deployed for tow of
HMS KASHMIR to Leith for repair.
(Note: HMS: :This
ship did not take part in 1st Battle of Narvik.)
12th Rejoined Home Fleet units off
Narvik.
Deployed
with HM
Destroyers ESKIMO, PUNJABI. HERO,
ICARUS, KIMBERLEY,
FORESTER and FOXHOUND as screen
for HM Battleship
WARSPITE and took passage to enter Vest
Fjord to
provide cover for entry of
destroyers into Narvik harbour.
13th Deployed as screen for HMS
WARSPITE in Vest
Fjord with HM
Destroyers HERO,
FOXHOUND and FORESTER, joined later by
HM
Destroyers BEDOUIN, PUNJABI,
KIMBERLEY and
ICARUS.
Detached from HMS
WARSPITE and deployed to enter harbour at
Narvik with HMS
FOXHOUND and HMS KIMBERLEY covered
by
HMS WARSPITE gunfire.
2nd Battle of Narvik. Engaged and
sank German destroyer
ERIC GIESE with HMS FOXHOUND.
Engaged crippled
German destroyer DIETHER VON ROEDER with
the
other two Home Fleet destroyers
and hit by nine 5in shells in
return fire before
enemy destroyer sank
Sustained serious
damage with 11 killed and 23 of ship’s company
wounded.
One shell exploded in forward
structure killing all of
the ammunition supply party for “A” gun.
Other hits in Boiler
Rooms
and
consequential damage disabled ship which
grounded
as
then unable
to manoeuvre.
(Note:
One
sources records that the German destroyer was
scuttled.)
Came
under
shore fire after damage..
14th Ship refloated on rising tide
and took
passage under stern way
to
Skelfjord,
escorted by HMS KIMBERLEY.
(See
ESCORT COMMANDER by P
Gretton, NARVIK by D
Macintyre
and
above reference for details of 2nd Battle of
Narvik.)
16th Under temporary
repair,.
26th Deployed as escort
for tanker BRITISH
LADY during passage to
Scapa
Flow
29th Passage to
Portsmouth for permanent
repair.
30th Taken in hand for
repair.
May
Repair arranged at J I
Thornycroft shipyard at Southampton
.
Taken in hand
for repair
Pennant Number
for visual signalling purposes changed to G03.
(Note: Refit work included:
Installation
of Radar Type 286, which was an RAF
air/surface
equipment modified for naval use and the
first
radar outfit to be fitted in RN destroyers. For
details
of the development and use of radar equipment
in
the Royal Navy see RADAR AT SEA by D Howse.)
Twin
4.7in
mounting in X position was replaced by twin
4in
HA mounting and modifications were made to other
ship
services.
June
15th
Carried out post repair trials and
prepared for return to Home
Fleet duties as
Leader of 4th Flotilla.
(Note:
Replaced HMS AFRIDI lost in air attack off
Namsos
on
3rd
May 1940)
On completion
of post refit trials took passage to Clyde for
special
duty
24th
Deployed as escort for HM Cruiser
EMERALD with HM Destroyer
ATHERSTONE.
(Note: The
cruiser was taking gold bullion and securities
from UK
to
Canada for safe keeping.)
25th
Detached from escort owing to extreme
weather conditions and
returned to
Clyde.
Passage
to Scapa Flow
to resume Flotilla duties in Home Fleet.
July
7th
Deployed with screen for Home Fleet
major warships during an
unsuccessful
for search for HM Submarine SHARK which was
known to be
in difficulties during patrol off Norway.
(Note: HMS
SHARK was sunk by German minesweepers after
damage
by air attacks.)
Home
Fleet ships took part in anti-invasion patrols
in North
Sea
as well as in screening of Home Fleet major
warships
during
interception patrols in NW
Approaches to deter
passage
of enemy warships and commerce raiders.
August
11th
Deployed with HM Destroyers MAORI,
SIKH and DUNCAN as
part
of escort
for ships of 1st Minelaying Squadron during the
lay
mines in
northern section of East Coast Miner Barrier.
(Operation
SN13)
September
Home
Fleet deployment in
continuation.
(Note: For
details of Home Fleet activities including ant-
invasion
contributions for defence of UK see The
Naval
Staff History
and ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE
CLOSELY.)
28th
Under repair at Rosyth
(Note: The
result of damage sustained during high speed
operations
in
rough weather.)
October
Carried out post repair
trials and resumed Flotilla duties with Home
Fleet
14th
Took part in attack on convoy off
Egersund and sustained damage.
(Home Fleet
operation MD).
15th
Under repair to rudder damage.
November
4th
Resumed Flotilla duties in Home
Fleet.
(Note:
Deployed with screen for major warships during
search
operations in NW Approaches for German
warships
attempting
break-out into Atlantic for attacks on convoys.)
December
Home Fleet duties in
continuation
1 9 4 1
January
Withdrawn from operational
duties for
repairs and refit.
Passage to
Southampton.
7th
Taken in hand for repair and refit by
J I Thornycroft.
(Note:
Repair included docking for structural work on
plating
and
modification of accommodation in view of the
increase
in complement to 236 because of changes in
equipment
fit.
Type
286 radar modified to allow use of a rotating
aerial
unit. See above reference.)
February
20th
On completion of post refit trials
resumed duties with Flotilla
in Home
Fleet based at Scapa Flow.
March
11th
Deployed with HM Destroyers ST MARY'S,
ZULU and
MAORI
as escort for ships
of 1st Minelaying Squadron during
mine lay in
Northern Barrage (Operation SN6B)
(Note:
Cover was provided by HM Cruisers EDINBURGH and
NIGERIA.)
April
6th
Deployed with HM Destroyers ANTHONY,
LANCASTER
and ST MARY'S
as escort for ships of 1st Minelaying Squadron
during
minelay in Northern Barrage
(Operation SN8.)
May
Nominated for
escort of military convoy in NW Approaches
because of
perceived threat of attack by German battleship
BISMARCK,
believed to be
preparing for sortie into Atlantic
for attacks
on convoys.
22nd
Joined Convoy WS8B in Clyde which was
taking passage to
Indian Ocean
with troop reinforcements.
(Note: Escort included HM
Destroyers ERIDGE, MAORI,
OTTAWA (RCN), SIKH,
ZULU, RESTIGOUCHE
(RCN)
and Polish ORP PIORUN with HM Cruiser
deployed
to provide AA defence and HM Cruiser
SCYLLA
as Ocean Escort during passage to Freetown.)
25th
Detached with HM Destroyers
MAORI, SIKH, ZULU and
ORP
PIORUN of Flotilla to join Home Fleet ships in
search
for
German battleship BISMARCK which had sunk HM
Battlecruiser
HOOD and evaded shadowing cruisers.
26th
Ordered to join HM
Battleship KING GEORGE V with
HMS
SIKH and HMS ZULU, but after BISMARCK had
been
sighted by CATALINA aircraft attempted to
intercept
German
ship.
27th
Delayed by weather conditions
and sighted HM Cruiser
SHEFFIELD
Took
part in torpedo attacks on BISMARCK with HMS
MAORI
and HMS ZULU without success.
(See
BATTLESHIP BISMARCK by Mullenheim Rechhberg,
The
Naval Staff History and PURSUIT by L Kennedy for
details
of the action.)
28th
Passage to Loch Ewe as escort
for HMS KING GEORGE V
with
HMS ZULU.
June
Resumed
Home Fleet duties with
Flotilla at Scapa Flow.
17th
Deployed as escort for HM
Aircraft Carrier VICTORIOUS
from
Gibraltar after providing air cover during
passage of
Malta
relief convoy (Operation TRACER
20th
On arrival in Clyde detached and
took passage to resume
Home
Fleet duties at Scapa Flow.
July
Nominated
for escort of military convoys and took passage
to
Clyde.
3rd
Joined Convoy WS9A as Local
Escort during passage
in
NW
Approaches with HM Cruiser CAIRO, HM Destroyers
MAORI,
OTTAWA (RCN), RESTIGOUCHE (RCN),
RAMSEY,
RICHMOND, SIKH, VANQUISHER, ZULU
and
WINCHELSEA.
HM Cruiser BIRMINGHAM was
deployed
as Ocean Escort for passage to Freetown.
7th
Detached with Local Escort and
returned to Clyde.
12th
Deployed with HM Battleship
NELSON, HM Cruisers
MANCHESTER
and ARETHUSA, HM Destroyers MAORI,
LIGHTNING,
NESTOR (RAN) and SIKH for escort of
Convoy
WS9C and took passage from Scapa Flow to join
convoy
during passage in NW
Approaches.
(Operation
SUBSTANCE – Malta relief convoy. For details
see
MALTA CONVOYS by R Woodman, The Naval
Staff
History
,ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY
and
THE BATTLE FOR THE MEDITERRANEAN by D
Macintyre
for details.)
15th
Remained with WS9C when Local
Escort detached.
17th
Detached from WS9C with HMS
ARETHUSA and HMS
SIKH
as escort for troopship LEINSTER into Gibraltar.
20th
Embarked reinforcement troops for
passage to Malta.
(Note:
Convoy to Malta re-identified as GM1.)
Cover
during passage to western entry to the
Sicilian
Narrows was to be provided by HM
Battleship
NELSON and ships of Force H based
at
Gibraltar. These were HM
Battlecruiser
RENOWN,
HM Aircraft Carrier ARK ROYAL,
HM
Cruiser HERMIONE and screen of eight Fleet
destroyers.
Home
Fleet ships detached for SUBSTANCE. were
designated
Force X and were to provide escort for
GM1
through Narrows to Grand Harbour, Malta
21st
Took passage from Gibraltar with
LEINSTER to join GM1.
When
LEINSTER ran aground on
departure this ship was
deployed
as part of destroyer
screen for HM Cruisers
EDINBURGH,
MANCHESTER, ARETHUSA and
MANXMAN
with HM
Destroyers MAORI, SIKH, NESTOR
(RAN),
FEARLESS, FOXHOUND, FIREDRAKE,
ERIDGE,
AVON VALE and FARNDALE. deployed as
Force
X
22nd
Refuelled from RFA BROWN RANGER.
(Note:
HM Destroyer ENCOUNTER which had escorted
the
tanker from Gibraltar joined
screen.)
Convoy
under attack by Italian submarine DIASPRO which
failed
when convoy was alerted. See references.
23rd
Under aiir
attacks during which HMS MANCHESTER was
hit
by a torpedo and had to return to Gibraltar. HMS
FEARLESS,
also hit and disabled, had to be sunk by
another
of the Force H destroyers, HMS FORESTER.
Detached
from covering Force
with HMS HERMIONE
and
joined Force X to replace these two ships.
In
last air attack HMS FIREDRAKE disabled and
had to
be
withdrawn under tow of HMS ERIDGE.
See
references.
24th
Under night attack by Italian
motor torpedo boats and
.
engaged enemy
craft. Missed by one torpedo.
ss SYDNEY
STAR
was hit by torpedo but managed to
reach
Grand Harbour covered by HMAS NESTOR.
Detached
on arrival of WS9C in Malta and took passage
to
rejoin ships of Force H which had covered
passage to
Narrows and were deployed west of
Pantellaria
to await
return
of Force X.
(For
details of passage of SUBSTANCE convoy see the
above
references.)
Took
passage with ships of Force X to rejoin Force H
after
arrival
of GM1
25th
Met Force H ships off Bone and
took passage to Gibraltar.
28th
Retained at Gibraltar for
planned operation and joined
Force
H.
30th
Sailed from Gibraltar with HMS
MAORI as escort for
HM
Cruisers ARETHUSA, HERMIONE and MANXMAN
taking
personnel previously embarked in ss LEINSTER
to
Malta. (Operation STYLE - COSSACK and
MAORI may have
sailed
from Gibraltar on this date to create a diversion
for STYLE,
instead of as escort)
August
1st
Detached from escort with HMS
MAORI and carried out
bombardment
of Alghero, Sardinia.
(Note:
This was followed by air
attacks from HMS ARK
ROYAL
which had been part of Force H cover for
STYLE.
See references.)
4th
Returned to Gibraltar after
deployment HM Destroyers
with
HM Destroyers MAORI, NESTOR (RAN) and
AVON
VALE in Group III as screen for HMS RENOWN
8th
Passage to UK to resume Flotilla
duties with Home Fleet.
Nominated
for
escort of military convoy after arrival at
Scapa
Flow and took passage to Clyde.
31st
Deployed with HM Destroyers
HIGHLANDER, LEGION,
LIVELY,
WINCHELSEA and ZULU, Dutch destroyer
ISAAC
SWEERS, Polish destroyers ORP GARLAND and
ORP
PIORUN as Local Escort of military convoy WS11
during
passage from Clyde in NW Approaches.
(Note:
HM Cruiser CAIRO was deployed with Local
Escort
to provide AA
defence and Ocean Escort
by
HM Battle cruiser REPULSE*, HM Armed
Merchant
Cruiser DERBYSHIRE, HM Destroyers
ENCOUNTER*
and NESTOR (RAN)*.HM Sloop
SUTLEJ
(RIN), HM Cutters SENNEN and
TOTLAND
during Atlantic
passage to Freetown.
*
- On passage to join Eastern Fleet.)
September
2nd
Detached from WS11 and took
passage to Gibraltar to join
Force
H for planned Malta relief operation.
20th
Deployed at Gibraltar with HM
Destroyer HEYTHROP
to
carry out search for submarines after attack on
ships at
at
Gibraltar by Italian human torpedo weapons
See
MALTA CONVOYS by R Woodman
25th
Part of destroyer screen for HM
Battleship NELSON,
HMS
ARK ROYAL and HM Cruiser HERMIONE of
Force
H with HM Destroyers ZULU, FORESIGHT,
LAFOREY
and LIGHTNING. Identified
as Force A
(Note:
Force A was providing cover for passage of
the
Convoy identified asGM2 after arrival at
Gibraltar
as WS11X. See above references for
details
of passage.)
26th
Detached from Force A screen to
refuel from RFA
BROWN
RANGER
27th
Under air attack during which HMS
NELSON was hit by
a
torpedo and despite serious damage remained with
the
covering
force.
Evaded
torpedo during these attacks.
Detached
from Force A screen and joined HM Destroyers
FORESIGHT,
FORESTER, FURY, LAFOREY, ORIBI,
ZULU,
FARNDALE and HEYTHROP as part of Force X
(Note: Force X also included HM
Cruisers EDINBURGH
EURYALUS, HERMIONE,
KENYA and
SHEFFIELD
as Close
Escort for GM2 during the
passage
to Grand Harbour, Malta through the
Sicilian
Narrows.
28th Arrived
in Malta with GM2 ships
and Force X.
29th Passage
through Sicilian Narrows
with Force X to rejoin
Force
A west of Narrows.
October
1st Arrived
at Gibraltar with
combined Force A and X ships.
Remained
at Gibraltar for further deployment with Force
H
during planned Malta support
operation.
16th
Joined screen for HMS RODNEY, HMS
ARK ROYAL
and
HMS HERMIONE with HM Destroyers SIKH,
ZULU,
FORESIGHT, FORESTER,
FURY and LEGION
to
provide cover for delivery of aircraft to Malta
from
HMS
ARK ROYAL (Operation CALLBOY)
19th
Returned to Gibraltar with Force
H ships.
20th
Nominated to join escort for
Convoy HG75 during passage
to
UK. HG75. Departure had been delayed due to
ENIGMA
information
about six U-boats assembling west of Gibraltar
specifically
for attacks on this convoy.
See HITLER'S
U-BOAT WAR Volume 1 by C
Blair and
U-BOATS
DESTROYED by P Kemp.
(Note:
One source records that ship took part in anti
-submarine
operations
against this Group with HM
Sloop
ROCHESTER, HM Corvettes MALLOW,
CARNATION
and BLUEBELL during which U204
was
sunk. This has to be confirmed.)
22nd
Sailed from Gibraltar as part of
escort for Convoy HG75
with
HM Destroyers VIDETTE and
DUNCAN, HMS
ROCHESTER,
HM Corvettes CARNATION , MALLOW
and
five other corvettes.
23rd
Under
attacks by submarines of BRESLAU
Group during
which
ship was hit by torpedo from U563 in position
35.36N
10.04W whilst stationed
astern of convoy.
Structure
forward of bridge demolished killing the
Captain
and 158 of ship’s company. Survivors abandoned
ship
which remained afloat.
Later
ship survivors returned and carried out
extensive
damage control to enable stern
way until HM Tug
THAMES arrived to take ship in tow to
Gibraltar with
escort
by HM Corvette JONQUIL
27th
Weather worsened and personnel
taken on board HMS
JONQUIL
before ship sank at 1043 in position 35.12N
08.17W.
See
above
references and AFRIDI TO NIZAM by J
English..
Special
Note
Further
information
on the famous service of this ship is available
in THE TRIBALS by H
Brice.
Addendum
CONVOY
ESCORT MOVEMENTS of HMS
COSSACK (i)
by
Don Kindell
This convoy list has not been cross-checked
with the text above
|
|
|
|
|
Date
convoy sailed
|
Joined
convoy as escort
|
Convoy
No.
|
Left
convoy
|
Date
convoy arrived
|
|
|
|
|
|
07/09/39
|
10/09/39
|
GREEN
1
|
13/09/39
|
18/09/39
|
22/09/39
|
27/09/39
|
GREEN
2
|
02/10/39
|
02/10/39
|
11/02/40
|
11/02/40
|
HN
010B
|
13/02/40
|
13/02/40
|
12/02/40
|
12/02/40
|
HN
011
|
15/02/40
|
15/02/40
|
23/02/40
|
23/02/40
|
ON
015/1
|
27/02/40
|
27/02/40
|
28/02/40
|
28/02/40
|
HN
015
|
01/03/40
|
01/03/40
|
07/03/40
|
07/03/40
|
ON
018/1
|
10/03/40
|
10/03/40
|
11/03/40
|
11/03/40
|
ON
019/1
|
14/03/40
|
14/03/40
|
14/03/40
|
14/03/40
|
HN
019
|
17/03/40
|
17/03/40
|
22/03/40
|
22/03/40
|
HN
021
|
25/03/40
|
25/03/40
|
30/03/40
|
31/03/40
|
HN
023A
|
03/04/40
|
03/04/40
|
12/03/41
|
12/03/41
|
OB
297
|
14/03/41
|
17/03/41
|
22/05/41
|
22/05/41
|
WS
008B
|
26/05/41
|
04/06/41
|
21/06/41
|
26/06/41
|
TC
011
|
30/06/41
|
30/06/41
|
09/08/41
|
14/08/41
|
HG
070
|
unknown
|
23/08/41
|
24/09/41
|
25/09/41
|
HALBERD
|
27/09/41
|
27/09/41
|
22/10/41
|
22/10/41
|
HG
075
|
23/10/41
|
03/11/41
|
|
|
|
|
|
(Note
on Convoys)
|