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SERVICE HISTORIES of ROYAL NAVY WARSHIPS in WORLD WAR 2

by Lt Cdr Geoffrey B Mason RN (Rtd) (c) 2004

HMS QUAIL (G 45) -  Q-class Destroyer
including Convoy Escort Movements

HMS Queenborough, sister-ship (Navy Photos, click to enlarge) return to Contents List 
 

QUILLIAM-Class Fleet Destroyer ordered on 2nd April 1940 with the 3rd Emergency Flotilla from Hawthorn Leslie, Newcastle. The ship was laid down on 6th November 1940 and launched on 1st June 1942 as the 7th RN warship to bear carry the name, introduced in 1895. It was previously used by a destroyer built in 1895 and sold in 1919. Build was completed on 7th January 1943 at a cost of £436,576 excluding the equipment which was supplied by the Admiralty such as armament, wireless and radar equipment. After a successful WARSHIP WEEK for National Savings in March 1942 she was adopted by the civil community of Islington in Greater London.

 

B a t t l e   H o n o u r s

 

SICILY 1943 - SALERNO 1943 - MEDITERRANEAN 1943

 

H e r a l d i c   D a t a

Badge On a Field per fess Blue and Green. a quail White.

 

M o t t o

I will be prompt at a signal

 

 

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

 

December               Contractor's trials and commissioning.

 

1 9 4 3

 

January

            7th              Build completion and commenced Acceptance Trials.

                               On completion of trials and service took passage to Scapa Flow.

 

February               On completion of work-up at Scapa Flow deployed with Home Fleet at Scapa Flow.

                               Nominated for escort of joint military convoy WS27 and KMF10A during passage from

                               Clyde.

                               (Note: WS27 was destined for Middle East via Cape of Good Hope and KMF10A for

                                           Mediterranean via Gibraltar.

                                           Ship was intended to join the rest of the Flotilla in Indian Ocean,)

 

           27th             Joined Convoy WS27 in Clyde with HM Battleship MALAYA, HM Destroyers RAIDER,

                               QUADRANT, QUEENBOROUGH and WOLVERINE as Ocean Escort during Atlantic

                               passage.

 

March

             2nd            Remained with WS27 when KMF10A ships detached for passage to Gibraltar.

             5th             HMS QUADRANT detached from escort.

             8th             Detached from WS27 with HMS QUEENBOROUGH and RAIDER on arrival at Freetown.

                               Retained at Freetown for Atlantic convoy defence.

                               (Note: Intended transfer to Indian Ocean was cancelled to due to future requirements in

                                           support of planned allied landings in Mediterranean.)

           11th             Deployed for escort of WS27 with HMS QUEENBOROUGH and HMS RAIDER during

                               passage to Durban.

           24th            Detached from WS27 with HMS QUEENBOROUGH and HMS RAIDER on arrival at Durban.

 

April                      Passage to Freetown to resume Atlantic duties.

                              Nominated for return to UK to join Flotilla.

           29th            Took passage from Freetown with HM Destroyer QUALITY to join Flotilla at Scapa Flow.

 

May                        Joined Flotilla and deployed for Home Fleet duties at Scapa Flow.

 

June                        Nominated for support of allied landings in Sicily (Operation HUSKY)

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

                               planned landings in Sicily.

 

July                        Deployed in Malta to prepare for planned allied landings.

            8th              Sailed from Malta as part of screen for Battleships NELSON, RODNEY, WARSPITE,

                               VALIANT, HM Aircraft Carriers INDOMITABLE, FORMIDABLE HM Cruisers

                               AURORA  PENELOPE, CLEOPATRA and EURYALUS with HM Destroyers

                               QUILLIAM, QUEENBOROUGH, ISIS, FAULKNOR, ECHO, INTREPID, RAIDER,

                               ECLIPSE, FURY, INGLEFIELD, ILEX, TROUBRIDGE, TYRIAN, TUMULT, OFFA,

                               Greek destroyer VASILISSA OLGA and Polish destroyer ORP PIORUN in western

                               Mediterranean.

          10th              Deployed with above ships in western Mediterranean to provide cover against  interference

                               by Italian surface ships to allied landings

                               For details see ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY by Corelli Barnett and

                               Naval Staff History).

          12th              Deployed for interception patrol after landings established.

          14th              Deployed with HM Cruisers CLEOPATRA and EURYALUS with HM Destroyer

                               QUILLIAM of east coast of Sicily.

 

August                    Mediterranean deployment for support of operations in continuation.

          21st               Carried out bombardment of Italian mainland from Straits of Messina.

          31st               Part of screen for HMS NELSON, HMS RODNEY and HM Cruiser ORION during

                                preliminary bombardment of Italian coast between Reggio Calabria and Pessaro before

                                landings on mainland of Italy (Operation BAYTOWN).

 

September              Carried out bombardment with HM Destroyers OFFA, PETARD, QUEENBOROUGH,

                                QUILLIAM, TARTAR, TROUBRIDGE, TYRIAN and ORP PIORUN

                                Screening duties in continuation.

            2nd              Carried out bombardment south of Reggio.

            9th               Part of screen for HM Battleships NELSON, RODNEY, WARSPITE, VALIANT, HM

            to                 Aircraft Carriers ILLUSTRIOUS, FORMIDABLE with HM Destroyers QUILLIAM.,

           16th              QUEENBOROUGH, PETARD, TROUBRIDGE, TYRIAN, TUMULT, OFFA,

                                FAULKNOR, INTREPID, ECLIPSE, INGLEFIELD, FURY, ILEX, ECHO, RAIDER,

                                Polish ORP PIORUN, Greek VASILISSA OLGA, Free French destroyers LE TERRIBLE and

                                LA FANTASQUE for gunfire support during allied landings at Salerno.

                                (Operation AVALANCHE - For details see above references).

                                Carried out interception patrols against submarine and E-Boat attacks on ships off beach head.

                                Provided naval gunfire support during enemy counter-attacks.

 

October                   Transferred to Adriatic for support of military operations and convoy defence.

           22nd             Intercepted and captured enemy mercantile during Adriatic patrol

 

November              Adriatic deployment based at Bari in continuation.

           15th             During patrol in Adriatic struck mine in barrage laid by U453 off Bari on 25th October.

           16th             Beached south of Bari to await salvage.

 

December               Taken in tow to Bari for temporary repair.

 

1 9 4 4

 

January                  Under temporary repair to allow passage for permanent repair at Taranto.

to                            Passage to Taranto under tow

April                       Repair arranged in Malta.

                               Prepared for tow at Taranto

 

May                        Passage under tow to Malta.

           18th             Capsized and sank in Gulf of Taranto in position 40.05N, 17.52E whilst in tow.

 


 

Addendum

 

CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of HMS QUAIL

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

 

 

 

 

 

19/04/43

19/04/43

CF 012

28/04/43

28/04/43

29/04/43

29/04/43

CF 012A

unknown

10/05/43

 

 

 

 

 

(Note on Convoys)

 

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revised 7/8/11
further editing and formatting is required