M
or MATCHLESS-Class Fleet
Destroyer ordered from Vickers Armstrong at
Newcastle on 3rd September 1939
under the 1939 Build Programme. The ship
was laid down on 23rd October 1039 and was
launched on 12th December 1940 as the twelfth
ship to carry
this name first used in 1651. Build was
completed on 4th April 1942 at a cost
of £457,512. In March 1942 this
destroyer had been adopted in March 1942 by the
civil community of Bury,
Lancashire after a successful WARSHIP WEEK
National Savings campaign.
1
9 4 2
March
Contractors trials
April
Commissioned for
service.
4th
Build completion
and commenced Acceptance Trials.
On completion of trials and storing took
.passage to Scapa
Flow
to work-up with Home
Fleet before joining the
17th
Destroyer Flotilla.
28th
Deployed with destroyer screen for Home
Fleet ships providing Distant Cover for
Russian
Convoy PQ15 and the returning Convoy from Murmansk.
(For details of all Russian Convoy
operations see
CONVOYS TO RUSSIA by R A
Ruegg,
THE RUSSIAN
CONVOYS by B Schoefield
and CONVOY ! by
P Kemp).
May
7th
Detached
from QP11 after arrival at Reykjavik
and deployed with
Home Fleet in NW Approaches.
23rd
Joined Russian Convoy PQ16 with HM
Destroyers ACHATES, ASHANTI,
VOLUNTEER and
Polish ORP GARLAND as Ocean
Escort during passage Murmansk.
26th
Convoy under air
and submarine attacks. Sustained
damage from near
misses.
30th
Detached from PQ16 on arrival at Kola
Inlet
June
Independent
passage to UK
for
repair.
6th
Under repair.
On completion rejoined Home Fleet and
deployed as
part of destroyer screen for the
major Fleet units
including US
battleship WASHINGTON
providing 'Distant Cover'
for
passage of
Russian Convoy
PQ17.
July
4th
Remained in area with Fleet units
after PQ17 scattered in order to provide
cover for passage
of the
return Convoy QP13.
(For details of this disastrous
decision see ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY
by C Barnett).
7th
Resumed Home
Fleet duties in NW Approaches after
arrival of QP13 at Reykjavik.
20th
Detached with HM Destroyers MARNE,
MIDDLETON and BLANKNEY to take aranunition
and
essential stores
to
replenish stocks in Escorts from Convoy PQ17
which were needed
before return
passage. Sailed
from
Scapa Flow
via Seidisfjord,
Iceland.
Refuelled
on passage from
Royal Fleet
Auxiliary tanker BLACK
RANGER.
24th
Arrived at Kola Inlet and returned
independently.
August
Deployment in
NW Approaches in continuation.
13th
Detached with HM Destroyer MARNE to meet
US cruiser USS TUSCALOOSA and two US Navy
destroyers USS
RODMAN and
USS EMMONS which were taking RAF personnel
and medical
stores to Archangel
(Operation EASY UNIT)
15th
Escorted US Navy ships to Archangel
for remaining 800 miles of
journey.
17th
On arrival ships were not allowed to
disembark personnel and stores.
Returned to
resume Home Fleet duties.
September
9th
Joined Fighting
Escort for
Russian Convoy PQ18 as destroyer screen
for HM Cruiser
SCYLLA with
other Home Fleet destroyers.
12th
Detached from PQ18 with HM Destroyers MARNE,
METEOR and MILNE
to refuel
at Lowe Sound, Spitzbergen
.
(Note: HMS SCYLLA also detached with
destroyers.)
13th
Rejoined PQ18 with same ships.
17th
Joined returning
Convoy QP14 to provide Fighting Escort for
passage to Loch Ewe.
25th
Detached from OP14
and resumed Home Fleet deployment in NW
Approaches.
October
Nominated for duty in support of
allied landings in North Africa (0peration TORCH).
Took passage
to Gibraltar
to reinforce Force
H.
November
1st
On arrival deployed with HM
Battleships DUKE OF YORK, NELSON and RODNEY,
HM Battlecruiser RENOWN, H M Aircraft
Carriers
VICTORIOUS, AVENGER, BITER and
DASHER, HM
Cruisers SHEFFIELD
and
ARGONAUT.
6th
Part of screen for major units in
Eastern Task Force to provide cover against
any attack by
Vichy French
warships and to give naval gunfire support
during landings.
7th
Present during
assault phase of landings at Algiers.
(For details of allied landings
at Algiers see ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY by
C. Barnett and the Naval
Staff
History)
8th
Deployment with
screen for protection of major units in
continuation.
10th
Deployed as escort
for military convoy during Build-up Phase
of TORCH.
Hit by three torpedoes and sunk by U431, 85
miles
north east of Algiers in position 37.53N
03.57E. Only 63 of the ship’s company were
rescued.
See HITLER’S U-BOAT WAR by C Blair.
Addendum
CONVOY
ESCORT MOVEMENTS
of
HMS
MARTIN
by
Don Kindell
These
convoy lists have not been cross-checked
with the text above
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Date
convoy sailed
|
Joined
convoy as escort
|
Convoy No.
|
Left
convoy
|
Date
convoy arrived
|
|
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|
29/04/42
|
05/05/42
|
PQ
015
|
10/04/42
|
05/05/42
|
|
29/04/42
|
05/05/42
|
QP
011
|
28/04/42
|
07/05/42
|
|
23/05/42
|
30/05/42
|
PQ
016
|
21/05/42
|
30/05/42
|
|
29/06/42
|
04/07/42
|
PQ
017
|
27/06/42
|
04/07/42
|
|
29/06/42
|
08/07/42
|
QP
013
|
26/06/42
|
07/07/42
|
|
09/09/42
|
17/09/42
|
PQ
018
|
02/09/42
|
21/09/42
|
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(Note
on Convoys)
HMS
MARTIN, G44 - click for INTERNET SITE
by Tom Meaden
nephew of Thomas
Cusack, lost in her sinking
