T
or TUMULT-Class Destroyer ordered from Swan
Hunter, Wallsend on
14th March 1941 with the 6th
Emergency Flotilla. The ship was laid down on 6th
September 1941 and launched
on 28th May 1942 as the second ship to bear this
name. It had
previously
used
for a destroyer built in 1919 and sold in 1932
.In March 1942 after a
successful WARSHIP WEEK National. Savings
campaign she was adopted by the civil
community of Connah's
Quay, then, part of the
county of Flint, Wales.
Build was completed on 11th
March 1943.
B
a t
t l e H
o n o
u r s
ADRIATIC
1944 -
SOUTH FRANCE 1944 - AEGEAN 1944
H
e r a l d ic
D a t a
Badge:
On a field Blue a Lion sejant
Gold’on a wall Grey
holding
a
shield Silver bearing a fleur-de-lys
Red.
M
o t t o
“
I hold
what I take”
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 3
March
Contractors trials and
commissioned for service in 24th Destroyer
Flotilla.
11th
Build completion and commenced
Acceptance Trials
April
On completion of trials and
storing took passage to Scapa
Flow to work-up
with ships of the
Home Fleet.
Deployed for
convoy defence and fleet screening duties in NW
Approaches
May
14th
Sustained major
structural damage after striking a floating mine
in the Bristol Channel.
(Note: This may
have been from a British minefield HS1 laid in
February 1943
by
HM Minelaying
Cruiser ADVENTURE.)
Only one minor
casualty
Towed by Polish
destroyer ORKAN to Milford
Haven.
16th
Taken in hand for repair
June
Under
repair
to
August
September
Carried out post-repair trials and
shakedown for operational service
Took passage to
rejoin Flotilla in Home Fleet
October Nominated
for service in
Mediterranean with Flotilla.
Took passage to
Malta.
November Carried
out sea trials for newly
developed surface warning radar Type 276.
Deployed
for convoy defence and support
of military operation with Flotilla
in central
Mediterranean
December
Deployed in Adriatic with
Flotilla for escort and support duties.
1
9 4
4
January
Adriatic deployment in
continuation.
to
February
March Returned
for duty in
central Mediterranean.
29th Deployed
for anti-submarine
operations off Palermo
with HMS TUMULT.
April
Transferred to central Mediterranean for escort
and patrol duty.
to
Central
Mediterranean deployment in continuation.
June
July
Transferred
with HM Destroyers TROUBRIDGE, TEAZER,
TENACIOUS, TERMAGANT,
TUMULT, TYRIAN and
TEAZER of Flotilla for support of landings in
South of France.
(Operation DRAGOON
- for details see Naval Staff History, ENGAGE
THE ENEMY MORE
CLOSELY and BRITISH INVASION FLEETS by J
de Winser.
August Deployed
as screen for
Carrier Task Force with ships of Flotilla.
(Note: Force
comprised HM Escort Carriers KHEDIVE, EMPEROR,
SEARCHER, PURSUER
and
ATTACKER as Task Group 88.1.
Sailed from
Malta with TF881
15th
Deployed with TG88.1 escort during
landings by allied forces in South France
(Operation
DRAGOON
- formerly ANVIL)
Released from
DRAGOON when TG88.1 disbanded.
September
Transferred to Eastern
Mediterranean with Flotilla
Joined British
Aegean Force to support operations to reoccupy
islands held
by German troops.
Prepared for
support of landings in Greece (Operation MANNA)
Took part with
Flotilla in interception of craft evacuation
enemy personnel from
islands.
13th
Sank transport TONI with HMS
TROUBRIDGE north of Crete.
October
Deployment with British
Aegean Force in continuation.
7th
In action against enemy convoy in
Aegean with HMS TERMAGANT.
Torpedo Boats
TA37, UJ2101 and patrol craft GK32 sunk SW of Kasandra-Huk
19th
Sank Torpedo Boat TA18 off Volvos.
Nominated
for
service with British Pacific Fleet after refit.
November
Remained
with British Aegean Force for support of
re-occupation
operations.
December
During
engagement off Rhodes with HM Destroyer KELVIN
sank
two landing craft
Took
passage to Portsmouth for refit
1
9 4 5
January
Under
refit by HM Dockyard, Portsmouth.
to
April
May
Carried
out Post-refit trials and prepared for Pacific
service.
June
Took
passage to Malta for work-up with ships of the
Mediterranean Fleet
On completion
sailed for operational service
based in Australia.
July
Passage
in Indian ocean
Pennant
Number for visual signalling purposes changed to
D51 to conform to US
system of
identification for destroyers.
August
Joined
ships of 24th Flotilla on arrival.
(Note: Did
not join ships of Task Force 37.
See
THE FORGOTTEN FLEET by J Winton and WAR WITH
JAPAN (HMSO).
P o s t W a r N o t e
s
HMS
TUSCAN took part in repatriation of allied
personnel
at Shanghai with HM Cruisers BERMUDA, ARGONAUT,
and HM Destroyers TYRIAN, TUMULT and
QUIBERON. On return to UK
in 1946 the ship went into Reserve at
Portsmouth. She was refitted in
1949 and returned to Reserve. Selected for
conversion to
a Type 16 Anti-submarine Frigate in 1952, carried
out at Cardiff by Mount
Stewart Drydocks, she
returned to
Reserve at Devonport after trials. Later she was
transferred to Portsmouth and
subsequently
laid up at Chatham. When
this division close down in 1963 , the
destroyer became part of the Operational Reserve
at
Portsmouth. Placed on the Disposal List in 1965
she was sold to BISCO for for demolition by MacLellan
and arrived at the Bo'ness
breakers yard in tow
on 26th May 1966.
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