P or PALADIN-Class Fleet Destroyer ordered with 2nd Emergency Flotilla in October 1939 from the Fairfield shipyard at Govan, Glasgow and laid down on 3rd June 1940.The ship was launched on 5th August 1941 as the 7th R. N. ship to carry this name, introduced in 1809 for a Sloop. It was last used for destroyer built in 1916 and sunk in action in 1917. Build was completed on 22nd February 1942 at a cost of approximately £400,000 which excluded the Admiralty supplied equipment such as weapons and communications outfits. After a successful WARSHIP WEEK for National Savings in March 1942 this ship was adopted by the civil community of Ealing, Greater London.

 

B a t t l e   H o n o u r s

 

 SOUTH AFRICA 1899-1901 - MALTA CONVOYS 1942 - NORTH AFRICA 1942

 

H e r a l d i c   D a t a

Badge: On a Field Blue, a partridge Proper within a wreath of

wheat-ears gold.

 

 

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 2

 

February                Contractor's sea trials and commissioning for service in 12th Destroyer Flotilla

                22nd       Build completion and commenced Acceptance Trials.

 

March                    Worked-up in Clyde area for operational service

                                Returned to Build shipyard for repair and modification.

 

April                       Under repair

                                Nominated for escort of the US aircraft Carrier USS WASP during Malta aircraft delivery.

                15th        Took passage from Clyde as part of screen for HM Battlecruiser RENOWN with HM Destroyers

                                INGLEFIELD, ITHURIEL, ECHO and joined USS WASP, US Destroyers USS LANG and USS

                                MADISON to form Force W to cover aircraft delivery operation.

                                (Operation CALENDAR).

                19th        HM Cruisers CHARYBDIS, CAIRO, HM Destroyers WESTCOTT, VIDETTE, WRESTLER and

                                ANTELOPE joined Force W to reinforce escort during delivery.

                20th        Returned to Gibraltar after aircraft launched.

                                (Note: The aircraft landed in Malta despite various difficulties, but many had a short operational

                                damage whilst aground in Malta during air raids on airfields. See MALTA CONVOYS by

                                R Woodman.

                24th        Passage to Scapa Flow for deployment with ships of Home Fleet.

 

May

                8th          Part of screen for HMS RENOWN, HM Aircraft Carrier EAGLE, USS WASP and HM Cruiser

                                CHARYBDIS with HM Destroyers ECHO, INTREPID, US destroyers USS LANG and

                                STERRET as Force W to cover aircraft delivery operations

                                (Operation BOWERY).

                10th        Retained in Mediterranean for screening duties in Force H.

                17th        Part of screen for HM Aircraft Carriers EAGLE, ARGUS and HM Cruiser CHARYBDIS

                                with H M Destroyers ITHURIEL, ANTELOPE, WISHART, WESTCOTT, WRESTLER and

                                VIDETTE during Malta aircraft delivery (Operation LB).

                18th        Carried out counter attack after torpedoes fired at HMS CHARYBDIS by Italian submarine

                                MONCENIGO.

 

June                        Mediterranean deployment with Force H in continuation.

                2nd         Part of screen for HMS EAGLE and HMS CHARYBDIS with HM Destroyers WESTCOTT.

                                WISHART, ITHURIEL and ANTELOPE during Malta aircraft delivery

                                (Operation STYLE).

                8th          Part of screen for HMS EAGLE, HMS CHARYBDIS and HMS CAIRO with HM Destroyers

                                ITHURIEL, ANTELOPE, WISHART, WRESTLER and WESTCOTT during aircraft delivery.

                                (Operation SALIENT).

                11th        Joined HM Cruiser CAIRO, HM Destroyer BEDOUIN, MARNE, MATCHLESS, ITHURIEL,

                                BLANKNEY, MIDDLETON, BADSWORTH, Polish destroyer ORP KUJAWIAK, HM

                                Minesweepers SPEEDY, HEBE, HYTHE and RYE as Force W for escort of convoy for complete

                                passage to Malta.

                                (Operation HARPOON - For details see THE BATTLE OF THE MEDITERRANEAN by

                                D MacIntyre, ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY by C. Barnett and MALTA

                                CONVOYS by R Woodman.)

                15th        After Italian warships opened fire on HARPOON convoy, deployed with HM Destroyers

                                BEDOUIN, ITHURIEL, MATCHLESS and MARNE to carry out torpedo attacks.

                                Engaged enemy ships at 18,000 yards.

                                Disabled by return fire.

                                After damage repair took HM Destroyer BEDOUIN in tow but released her when an air and

                                surface attack was threatened.

                                (Note: HMS BEDOUIN was sunk by an aircraft torpedo and rescue of survivors was not

                                possible.)

                                During passage to Gibraltar came under further air attacks during which steering gear was

                                damaged.

                17th        Arrived at Gibraltar.

                19th        Took passage to UK from Gibraltar for permanent repair.

                26th        Taken in hand for repair in Tyne commercial shipyard.

 

July                         Under repair.

 

August

                20th        On completion of post repair trials took passage to Scapa Flow to resume duties.

                28th        Deployed with HM Destroyer QUIBERON as screen for HM Cruiser AURORA and HM Armed

                                Merchant Cruiser CARTHAGE to provide Ocean Escort for military convoy WS22 during

                                passage to Freetown.

 

September

                1st           Detached to refuel in Ponta Delgardo, Azores.

                3rd          Rejoined WS22.

                9th          Detached from WS22 on arrival at Freetown.

                13th        Rejoined WS22 on sailing from Freetown with HMS QUIBERON as screen for HM Armed

                                Merchant Cruiser ALCANTARA as Ocean Escort for passage to Capetown.

                19th        Detached from WS22 with HM Cruiser AURORA and HMS QUIBERON and took passage to

                                Pointe Noire. Belgian Congo.

                                Returned to UK to resume Home Fleet service.

 

October                  Home Fleet deployment in continuation.

                                Nominated to join HM Destroyers PANTHER, PATHFINDER, PENN and PORCUPINE in 3rd

                                Destroyer Flotilla at Gibraltar to support allied landings in North Africa.

                                (Operation TORCH)

 

November              Passage to Gibraltar as part of screen for units of Home Fleet detached for support of allied

                                landings in North Africa.

                                (For details see ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY, THE RELUCTANT ENEMIES by

                                W. Tute and Naval Staff History) .

                                Joined 3rd Flotilla. on arrival at Gibraltar.

                8th          Deployed with ships of Flotilla as screen for HM Battleships DUKE OF YORK, NELSON,

                                RODNEY, HM Aircraft Carriers VICTORIOUS and FORMIDABLE in Eastern Task Force

                                supporting landings at Algiers.

                                On completion of assault phase remained in Mediterranean for screening duties in Force H

                                with ships of Flotilla.

 

December              Deployed for patrol and screening duties in western Mediterranean.

                18th        During anti-submarine operation with H M Destroyers PENN, MILNE and METEOR off Oran

                                hit by torpedo fired by U565.

                                Engine Room and Gearing Room flooded causing ship to break in two.

                                Both halves sank rapidly 50 miles west of Oran in position 35.50N 01.35W.

                                37 of ship’s company lost their lives. 173 survivors rescued by HM Destroyer PENN.

 

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Addendum

 

CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of  HMS PARTRIDGE

by Don Kindell

 

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

(Note on Convoys)