Q-Class Fleet Destroyer ordered in March 1940 from Hawthorn
Leslie, Newcastle with other ships of the 3rd
Emergency Flotilla. The ship was
laid down on 24th September that year but her
construction was delayed because
of higher priority repair work on ships damaged
in action during the Norwegian
campaign and the evacuation operations in the
Channel. Launch was therefore
delayed until 28th February 1942 when she became
the 1st RN ship to carry this
name. Build was completed on 26th November 1942
at a cost of £436,576. After a
successful WARSHIP WEEK for National Savings in
March 1942 she was adopted
by the civil community of Bermondsey in Greater
London.
B a t t
l e H o n o u r s
ARCTIC
1942-43 - OKINAWA 1945
H e r a
l d i c
D a t
a
Badge:
On a Field Blue, in
base water barry
wavy white and blue
a Davis quadrant
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
November
Contractor's sea trials and commissioning.
20th Build
completion and
commenced Acceptance Trials.
December
On completion of trials and storing took passage
to Scapa Flow.
Worked-up
for operational service with ships of Home
Fleet.
18th
Deployed as screen for
HM Battleship KING GEORGE V and HM Cruiser
BERWICK
with
HM Destroyers MUSKETEER and RAIDER to provide
Distant Cover for the
passage
of
Russian Convoy JW51A,
(For
details of all Russian Convoy operations see
CONVOYS TO RUSSIA by
RA Ruegg,
ARCTIC
CONVOYS by R Woodman, CONVOYS TO RUSSIA by B Schoefield
and
CONVOY
! by P Kemp.
1 9 4 3
January Deployed
with Home Fleet based at Scapa Flow.
23rd Joined
escort for joint
military convoy WS26 (For Aden and Bombay) and
Convoy KMF8
(For
Mediterranean) in Clyde with HM Destroyer
RELENTLESS for passage to
Freetown.
(Note:
Other ships joining were HM Armed Merchant
Cruisers CANTON and
CILICIA,
HM
Cutters BANFF,
FISHGUARD, HM Frigate TEST, Greek destroyers
ADRIAS
and
MIAOULIS).
29th Gibraltar
Section (KMF8)
detached.
Additional
destroyers joined Escort.
February
6th
Detached from WS26 and
took passage to return to UK.
27th Joined escort
for joint
military convoy WS27 and KMF10A in Clyde with HM
Sloops
EGRET,
ERNE, HM Frigate TEST, HM Cutter FISHGUARD, HM
Destroyers
QUEENBOROUGH,
QUAIL, RAIDER, WOLVERINE and CLARE as Ocean
Escort during
Atlantic
passage.
(Note:
HM Battleship MALAYA provided cover for passage
to Freetown.)
March
2nd
Gibraltar Section KMF10A
detached.
5th
Detached from WS27 for
independent passage to Gambia
After
the formal visit took passage to Freetown.
10th
Deployed at Freetown
for convoy defence and patrol.
30th Joined
military convoy
WS28 at Freetown for escort during passage to
Durban with
HM
Destroyer REDOUBT and HM Cruiser KENYA.
April
5th
HM Destroyers RACEHORSE
and RELENTLESS joined escort during passage.
11th
Remained with WS238
when HMS KENYA detached en arrival off Capetown
(Note:
HMS REDOUBT and HMS RELENTLESS were also part of
escort.)
14th
Detached from WS28 on
arrival at Durban.
16th
Nominated for duty on
South Atlantic Station and took passage to
Simonstown for convoy
defence
May
Passage
to join military convoy WS29 from Freetown.
16th Joined escort
for WS29
in Atlantic.
20th Detached from
W529 on
arrival at Durban.
25th Rejoined WS29
with HM
Destroyers NORMAN and REDOUBT for passage in
Indian Ocean.
29th Detached from
WS29 with
HIS REDOUBT before it divided for separate
passages to
Bombay
and Aden. Took passage to Durban.
June
Passage
from Durban to Join military convoy in Atlantic.
9th
Joined escort for Convoy
WS30 during passage from Freetown with HMS
REDOUBT and
HM
Destroyer NORMAN (RAN).
19th
Detached on arrival of
WS30 at Durban.
20th Deployed at Durban.
July
Passage to join escort of
military convoy during Atlantic passage from
Freetown.
15th Joined escort for
Convoy WS31 with HMS
REDOUBT.
21st Detached on
arrival of convoy at
Capetown.
26th Rejoined
escort for WS31 with HMS REDOUBT
on departure from Capetown
August
Escort
of military convoy to Bombay in Indian Ocean.
4th
Detached from WS31 with
HMS REDOUBT after arrival of HM Cruiser
FROBISHER.
Took
passage to Durban.
September
Deployed for Indian Ocean convoy
defence based at
to
Durban.
November
Nominated for service with Eastern
Fleet at Trincomalee
after refit.
December
Under
refit at Simons Town.
1 9 4 4
January
Under refit
to
Nominated for Fleet duties in
Indian Ocean.
February
March
On completion of post refit
trials took passage to join Eastern Fleet ships
in search for blockade
runners and supply
ships in Indian Ocean.
(For
details of naval activities in the Indian Ocean
between 1944 and
1945 see OPERATION
PACIFIC
by E Gray and WAR WITH JAPAN (HMSO). ).
Joined HM Cruiser
NEWCASTLE and HM Escort Aircraft Carrier BATTLER
in Force 67 to
take part in search
for German supply ship. (Operation COVERED)
8th Detached to
join HM Cruiser SUFFOLK
deployed as Force 68
(Note: After air
search by CATALINA aircraft and by aircraft from
HMS BATTLER the
German
tanker BRAKE was sighted and was engaged in
refuelling submarines.
Enemy supply ship scuttled on approach of HMS
ROEBUCK
of Force 67. Crew were taken off by U168.
WAR
WITH JAPAN records BRAKE was sunk
by HMS ROEBUCK.)
April
16th
Part of screen for HM
Battlecruiser RENOWN, HM Aircraft Carrier
ILLUSTRIOUS,
US
aircraft carrier USS SARATOGA and HM Cruiser
LONDON with HM Destroyers
QUILLIAM,
QUEENBOROUGH, US destroyers USS CUMMINGS, USS
DUNLOP and
USS
FANNING in Task Force 70 of Eastern Fleet for
air attacks en Sabang,
Sumatra
(Operation
COCKPIT).
19th
Deployed with screen
during carrier air operations.
24th
Returned to Trincomalee
with Eastern Fleet ships.
May
6th
Part of screen for HMS
RENOWN, HMS ILLUSTRIOUS and USS SARATOGA with
USS
DUNLOP, USS
FANNING, USS CUMMINGS, HMS QUEENBOROUGH and HMS
QUILLIAM
in Task Force 66 of Eastern Fleet for air
attacks on Soerabaya,
Java .
(Operation
TRANSOM).
7th
Remained as destroyer screen for aircraft
carriers when HMS RENOWN
transferred to
Task
Force 65, the Covering Force.
15th
Replenished in Exmouth
Bay, NW Australia from Task Force 67.
17th
Part of screen during air operations.
18th
US Navy ships detached
for return to US Navy Command.
27th
Arrived in Ceylon with
British Task Forces.
June
Deployed
with Flotilla for screening duties of major
units and convoy
defence in Indian
to
Ocean.
October
November
22nd
Transferred to British
Pacific Fleet on formation with ships of
Flotilla.
December
Escorted Flagship, British Pacific Fleet, HM
Battleship HOWE with HM
Destroyers
QUICKMATCH,
QUEENBOROUGH and QUILLIAM during passage to
Australia.
Deployed at
Melbourne for leave.
(Note: Pennant Number
for visual signalling
purposes changed to D14 to
conform with US
Navy
identity for destroyers.)
1 9 4 5
January
Despatched from Melbourne with
HMS QUALITY, and HMS QUILLIAM to join HMS
QUICKMATCH off
Sydney in search for U862 which had sunk US
freighter Robert J Walker
on 24th December.
Search was
unsuccessful but survivors rescued.
(Note: Other ships
deployed included US Submarine Chaser
PC597
and RAN corvettes.
Carried
out extensive exercises
with ships of BPF in preparation for service in
SW Pacific under
overall
US Navy command.
(Note:
These included
manoeuvring using US Navy signalling procedures
and joint exercises to
prepare
for operational service
including support of air operations and
bombardments.
February
Deployed with HM Destroyers
QUADRANT and QUICKMATCH as screen for HM New
Cruisers ACHILLES,
GAMBIA and HM Battleship HOWE during visit to
Auckland, New
Zealand by Admiral
Fraser, CinC BPF.
Routine
docking in HM Dockyard, Auckland.
Returned to Sydney
with same ships for final preparations for
operational service.
March
Deployed
in Australian waters
to
(Note:
No reference can be found to presence with ships
of Task Force
57 during first
April
operational
deployment of RN ships off Sakishima
Gunto for Operation
ICEBERG
ONE).
May
Passage
from Sydney with call at Manus before joining BPF
in operational area
22nd
Joined Task Force 57 in
Area COOTIE during replenishment of Task Force
57 with HM
Cruiser
ACHILLES (RNZN) and
HM Destroyer
TERMAGANT.
(Operation
ICEBERG TWO)
24th
Deployed with destroyer
screen during air operations against Japanese
airfields in Sakishima
Gunto Group.
25th
On completion took
passage to Manus with ships of Task Force.
(Note:
HM Battleship KING GEORGE V detached for passage
to Guam. )
June
Passage
to Sydney from Manus for R&R.
Transferred
to Task Force 37 in US 3rd Fleet with BPF
ships.
(Note
this was part of a change in US Navy Command
structure).
July
6th Took passage
from Sydney as part of
screen for HM Battleship KING GEORGE V, HM
Aircraft
Carriers FORMIDABLE, IMPLACABLE and VICTORIOUS,
HM Cruisers
NEWFOUNDLAND,
ACHILLES (RNZN),
BLACK PRINCE, EURYALUS,
GAMBIA
(RNZN) and UGANDA
(RCN) with HM Destroyers GRENVILLE,
UNDINE, URANIA,
ULYSSES, UNDAUNTED,
QUIBERON,
QUICKMATCH, QUALITY
of 4th Flotilla and
HM
Destroyers TROUBRIDGE,
TENACIOUS,
TERMAGANT, TEAZER,
TERPSICHORE
of
24th Flotilla.
16th
Joined US Task Force 38
with BPF ships for
joint RN/USN
air operations against targets
in
Tokyo - Yokohama area.
(For
details of operations by British Pacific Fleet
in 1945 see TASK
FORCE 57 by Peter C
Smith,
THE FORGOTTEN FLEET by J Winton
and WAR WITH JAPAN (HMSO).
18th
Deployed with screen for
aircraft carriers during British air operations.
21st
Destroyers refuelled
from British major warships in refuelling area.
24th
Screening duties in
continuation during air strikes on subsidiary
targets.
(Note:
US Fleet were carrying out attacks on Kure
naval base.)
26th
Provided screen during
replenishment.
(Note:
During the replenishment destroyers were
deployed for delivery
purposes.)
28th
Screening duties in
continuation during attacks on shipping and
airfield.
30th
Passage to Replenishment
area
31st
Deployed with screen
during refuelling of aircraft carriers.
August
4th
Refuelled from major
British warships.
(Note:
The supply of fuel from British Fleet Train
tankers was a
continuing embarrassment).
9th
Deployed with Fleet
screen for ships of Task Force 37 during Joint
attacks with Task Force 38
on
airfields in North Honshu and Hokkaido.
12th
Withdrawn from
operational area with ships not transferred to
US Task Unit 38.5.
(Note: This was
because of lack of availability of fuel from
British Fleet Train. See
OPERATION
PACIFIC, THE FORGOTTEN FLEET. and WAR WITH
JAPAN.)
17th
Transferred to RN
control and Joined HM Cruisers SWIFTSURE,
EURYALUS and BLACK
PRINCE with HM
Destroyers KEMPENFELT,
URSA
and WHIRLWIND.
Took
passage to Subic
Bay.
25th
Joined Task Unit 111.2
on formation at Subic
Bay.
27th
Passage to Hong Kong
for re-occupation with HM Aircraft Carrier
INDOMITABLE, HM
Escort Aircraft
Carrier VENERABLE, HM Auxiliary Cruiser PRINCE
ROBERT (RCN) and
same ships for
re-occupation of Hong Kong.
30th
Entered Hong Kong with TU
111.2 after threat by Japanese explosive craft
dealt
with by
aircraft
from HMS VENGEANCE.
September
16th
Present at Hong Kong
for formal surrender
Post War Notes
HMS QUADRANT remained in the Pacific Fleet and was
deployed in support of the repatriation of PoW
and civilian internees. The ship was transferred
to the Royal
Australian Navy for loan service in in
November 1945. After permanent transfer in 1950
she was converted for use
as an Anti-Submarine Frigate. This work was
completed in 1953. By 1957 she had been placed
in Reserve
and went on the Disposal List in 1962. The ship
was sold for breaking up in January 1963.
Addendum
CONVOY
ESCORT MOVEMENTS of HMS
QUADRANT
by
Don Kindell
These
convoy lists have not been cross-checked with
the text above
|
|
|
|
|
Date
convoy sailed
|
Joined
convoy as escort
|
Convoy No.
|
Left
convoy
|
Date
convoy arrived
|
|
|
|
|
|
15/12/42
|
19/12/42
|
JW
051A
|
22/12/42
|
25/12/42
|
24/01/43
|
24/01/43
|
KMF
008
|
01/02/43
|
01/02/43
|
14/02/43
|
16/02/43
|
CF
011B
|
22/02/43
|
25/02/43
|
23/05/43
|
29/05/43
|
MC
007
|
02/06/43
|
02/06/43
|
19/08/43
|
19/08/43
|
BC
004
|
23/08/43
|
22/08/43
|
14/09/43
|
20/09/43
|
CM
045
|
27/09/43
|
27/09/43
|
01/10/43
|
01/10/43
|
AB
015
|
08/10/43
|
08/10/43
|
13/06/44
|
13/06/44
|
JM
002
|
20/06/44
|
20/06/44
|
23/06/44
|
23/06/44
|
KM
004D
|
26/06/44
|
26/06/44
|
27/06/44
|
27/06/44
|
MK
007F
|
29/06/44
|
29/06/44
|
14/07/44
|
14/07/44
|
CM
055A
|
19/07/44
|
19/07/44
|
23/04/45
|
23/04/45
|
US
026
|
24/04/45
|
24/04/45
|
25/04/45
|
25/04/45
|
US
026/1
|
06/05/45
|
06/05/45
|
|
|
|
|
|
(Note
on Convoys)
|