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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 UNDAUNTED (ii) (R 53) -  U-class Destroyer

HMS Ursa, sister-ship (Navy Photos/George Knight, click to enlarge) return to Contents List 
 

U-Class Fleet Destroyer ordered under a War Emergency Programs in April 1911 from Cammell Laird at Birkenhead. The ship was laid down on 8th September 1942 as Build Number 11104 and launched on 19th July 1943 as the 8th RN warship to carry this name introduced in 1794 for a French Prize. It had been last used by a submarine built in 1940 but which had been lost during May 1941. Build was completed on 3rd March 1944. Following a successful WARSHIP WEEK National Savings campaign during March 1942 she had been adopted by the civil community of Barking in Greater London.

 

Battle    Honours

 

CHINA 1900 - DOGGER  BANK  1915 - BELGIAN  COAST 1916 - NORMANDY   1944 - OKINAWA 1945.

 

H e r a l d i c   D a t a

Badge: On a Field Blue, a falcon White hooded and belled 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 4

 

February             Contractor's sea trials and commissioning. for service in 25th Destroyer Flotilla

 

March

            3rd          Build completion and commenced Acceptance Trials

                            On completion of trials and storing took passage to Scapa Flow to work-up for operational

                            duties with ships of Home Fleet..

 

April                   On completion Joined HM Destroyers GRENVILLE, ULSTER, URCHIN, UNDINE, URSA

                            and URANIA in Flotilla for screening of major Home Fleet units.

            3rd          Part of screen for HM Battleship ANSON, HM Aircraft Carrier FURIOUS, HM Escort

                            Carriers SEARCHER, EMPEROR, PURSUER and FENCER, H M Cruisers ROYALIST,

                            JAMAICA, BELFAST and SHEFFIELD with HM Destroyers MILNE, ONSLAUGHT,

                            VERULAM, METEOR, SWIFT, VIGILANT, VIRAGO, JAVELIN, WAKEFUL, URSA,

                            ALGONQUIN (RCN), SIOUX (RCN) and Polish ORP PIORUN during air attacks on German

                            battleship TIRPITZ in Altenfjord.

                            (Operation TUNGSTEN - For details see ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY by C.

                            Barnett and CONVOY ! by P Kemp).

 

May                   Home Fleet screening and patrol duties in continuation.

                           Nominated with ships of Flotilla for transfer to Force G during allied invasion of Normandy

                           (Operation NEPTUNE).

                           (For details of naval activities prior to and during landings and of major ships in Force G see

                           LANDINGS IN NORMANDY June 1944 (HMSO) and OPERATION NEPTUNE by K.

                           Edwards).

                           Took part in preliminary exercises with ships of Force G.

 

June                    Joined HM Destroyers JERVIS, CATTISTOCK, PYTCHLEY, COTTESMORE and Polish

                           ORP KRAKOWIAK in Force G with ships of Flotilla

            3rd          At Spithead in Assembly area.

            4th          Operation delayed 24 hours.

            5th          Joined Convoy G10 with HMS URSA for escort through swept channel.

                           (Note: Convoy comprised HM Frigate KINGSMILL (HQ Ship Force G2), four Landing

                           Ships, Infantry. two Motor Launches and four rescue craft.).

            6th          After arrival Provided naval gunfire support for landings on GOLD Beach.

            7th          Escorted HM Cruiser APOLLO taking General Eisenhower and Admiral B. Ramsay, Allied

                           Naval Commander Expeditionary Force (ANXF) from Portsmouth to beachhead areas.

                           Embarked General Eisenhower and Admiral Ramsay from HMS APOLLO after the cruiser

                           had damaged her propellers and took passage to Portsmouth.

            8th          Deployed in Eastern Task Force Area for gunfire support and defensive patrols to

                           intercept enemy surface craft and submarines attacking ships off beachhead.

           25th         After completion of build-up phase retained in Channel.

 

July                    Resumed Home Fleet duties at Scapa Flow with Flotilla

 

August               Nominated for service in Pacific with Flotilla.

 

September          Refit and preparation for service with British Pacific Fleet..

to

October

 

November          Passage to Trincomalee.

          22nd         Joined British Pacific Fleet on formation.

 

December           After arrival detached with Flotilla for screening of Eastern Fleet major ships and patrol in Indian

                            Ocean.

 

1 9 4 5

 

January              Detached for duty with Eastern Fleet.

            4th          Part of screen for HM Aircraft Carriers INDOMITABLE, VICTORIOUS and  INDEFATIGABLE,

                           HM Cruisers SUFFOLK, CEYLON, ARGONAUT and BLACK PRINCE with HM Destroyers

                           UNDINE, GRENVILLE, URANIA, URSA, KEMPENFELT, WHELP and WAGER as

                           Task Force 63.

                           (Operation LENTIL - Air attacks on oil refineries at Pangkalan Brandan, Sumatra).

                           (See Operation Pacific by E Gray, ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY and WAR WITH

                           JAPAN (HMSO).).

           16th         Sailed from Ceylon as Task Force 63 (H M Battleship KING GEORGE V, H M Aircraft

                           Carriers INDOMITABLE, ILLUSTRIOUS, VICTORIOUS and INDEFATIGABLE, HM

                           Cruisers BLACK PRINCE, ARGONAUT and EURYALUS, HM Destroyers GRENVILLE,

                           UNDINE, URSA, KEMPENFELT, WAKEFUL, WHIRLWIND, WAGER and WHELP.

                           (Note: Ships of British Pacific Fleet to join US 5th Fleet at Sydney.

           20th         Refuelled at sea from Task Force 69.

           24th         Part of defence for TF63 during air attacks on oil refinery at Pladjoe, North of Palembang,

                           Sumatra (Operation MERIDIAN I).

           26th         Refuelled at sea from TF69, prior to Operation MERIDIAN II)

.          28th         Part of defence for TF63 during attacks on refinery at Soengi-Gerong, Suratra,

           30th         Replenished and took passage to Fremantle.

 

February             Transferred with BPF ships to US 5th Fleet and designated Task Force 57 (TF57).

                           (For details of naval operations by TF57 see TASK FORCE 57 by P Smith, OPERATION

                            PACIFIC, THE FORGOTTEN FLEET by J Winton, Naval Staff History and  WAR WITH

                           JAPAN)

                           Pennant Number for visual signalling purposes changed to D25 to conform with US Navy

                           identity for destroyers.

                           Worked up at Sydney for operations in Central Pacific.

                           (Note: These included  US Navy signal and manoeuvring procedures adopted by RN ships for

                                       use during detached service with US Navy.

 

March                Exercised on passage to Manus.

             7th         On arrival future deployment undecided by internal US wrangling. See above references

.                          Waited for decision by US Joint Chiefs of Staff.

.          15th         Allocated for service with 5th US Fleet and given new identity -Task Force 57.

           18th         Sailed for Ulithi as part of screen for ships of Task Force 57-

                           (Note: TF57 comprised: -

                                                   HM Battleships KING GEORGE V and HOWE, HM Aircraft Carriers

                                                   INDOMITABLE, VICTORIOUS, ILLUSTRIOUS, INDEFATIGABLE, HM

                                                   Cruisers SWIFTSURE, GAMBIA (RNZN), BLACK PRINCE, ARGONAUT,

                                                   EURYALUS, HM Destroyers GRENVILLE, ULSTER, URANIA, UNDINE,

                                                   QUICKMATCH, QUIBERON, QUEENBOROUGH, KEMPENFELT,

                                                   WHIRLWIND and WAGER.

           20th         Joined 5th US Fleet at Ulithi.

           23rd         Sailed from Ulithi with TF57 to operational area off Sakishima Gunto.

           26th         Part of screen during air attacks on airfields in Sakishima Gunto Group.

                           (Note: Provision in support during Okinawa landings Operation ICEBERG ONE)

 

April                  Screening duties with TF57 in continuation.

           21st         Took passage to Leyte with TF57 on completion of 6th strike period.

           23rd        Arrived at Layte for repair and replenishment.

                          Future deployment of TF57 under consideration

           27th        Proposal to transfer BPF to SW Pacific area cancelled. BPF to remain with 5th Fleet as Task

                          Force 57-

 

May

             1st         Took passage to operational area from Leyte with TF57 for continuation of attacks on

                           Sakishima Gunto Group (Operation ICEBERG TWO).

                           (Note: Other ships in Task Force 57 were:

                                                 HM Battleships KING GEORGE V, HOWE, HM Aircraft Carriers

                                                 INDOMITABLE, INDEFATIGABLE, FORMIDABLE, VICTORIOUS, HM

                                                 Cruisers SWIFTSURE, UGANDA (RCN), GAMBIA (RNZN), EURYALUS and

                                                 BLACK PRINCE with HM Destroyers GRENVILLE, URSA, URCHIN,

                                                 UNDINE ,URANIA, QUILLIAM , QUIBERON, QUICKMATCH,

                                                 QUEENBOROUGH, QUALITY, KEMPENFELT, WHIRLWIND and WESSEX.

             4th         After arrival in area detached with ships of 25th Destroyer Flotilla to screen HMS KING

                           GEORGE V, HMS HOWE, HMS SWIFTSURE, HMS BLACK PRINCE, HMS

                           EURYALUS, HMS GAMBIA and HMS UGANDA during bombardment of airfields on

                           Miyako Shima.

                           (Note: During this bombardment the aircraft carriers of TF57 came under sustained attack

                                       by  bombing including KAMIKAZE aircraft.)

                           Bombardment curtailed and force returned to rejoin aircraft carriers).

             5th         Deployment with screen for Task Force in continuation

             to           (For details see above references and Naval Staff History).

            25th

            26th        Passage to Sydney BPF ships via Manus.

                           (Note: HMS KING GEORGE V with HMS TROUBRIDGE, HMS TENACIOUS and

                                      HMS TERMAGANT were detached for passage to Guam).

 

June

             5th         Arrived at Sydney for rest and recuperation period.

                           (Note: Ships of BPF were transferred to US 3rd Fleet during this period owing to a

                                      re-organisation of US Navy command structure in Pacific and were re-designated

                                      Task Force 37).

           28th         Sailed with Task Force 37 from Sydney for Manus.

                           (Note: Task Force 37 comprised:

                                         HM Battleship KING GEORGE V, HM Aircraft Carriers FORMIDABLE,

                                         VICTORIOUS, IMPLACABLE, HM Cruisers NEWFOUNDLAND, ACHILLES

                                         (RNZN), UGANDA (RCN), EURYALUS, GAMBIA (RNZN) and BLACK PRINCE

                                         with HM Destroyers QUIBERON, QUADRANT, QUALITY., QUICKMATCH,

                                         TROUBRIDGE, TENACIOUS, TERMAGANT, TEAZER, TERPSICHORE,

                                         GRENVILLE, UNDINE, URANIA, URCHIN. UNDINE and ULYSSES.

 

July

             4th          Arrived at Manus with BPF.

             6th          Sailed for operational area with TF37.

                            (Note: HMS IMPLACABLE  detached because of machinery defect and joined later)

                            Transferred to US 3rd Fleet and BPF ships redesignated as part of Task Force 37.

                            Passage to Japan with TF37 for joint RN and USN operations.

           17th          Deployed with HM Destroyers QUIBERON, QUICKMATCH, QUALITY, QUADRANT,

                            TROUBRIDGE, TENACIOUS, TERMAGANT, TEAZER, TERPSICHORE, GRENVILLE,

                            UNDINE, URANIA, URCHIN and ULYSSES to screen H M Battleship KING GEORGE V,

                            HM Aircraft Carriers FORMIDABLE, VICTORIOUS and HMS IMPLACABLE, HM Cruisers

                            NEWFOUNDLAND, ACHILLES (RNZN), UGANDA (RCN), EURYALUS, GAMBIA

                            (RNZN) and BLACK PRINCE. TF37 during joint attacks with US TF38 on targets in Tokyo

                            and Yokohama areas.

           18th          Bombarded targets in South Honshu with TF37.

                            In action against surface suicide craft.

 

August                Deployed in operational area with TF37-

             9th           Part of screen TF37 ships during combined air attacks and surface bombardment of

                             targets in North Honshu and Hokkaido with US Task Groups.

           12th           Escorted ships of TF37 to Manus after reduction of British element due to lack of fuel from

                             British sources (See above references).

 

P o s t   W a r   N o t e s

 

HMS UNDAUNTED returned to UK after VJ Day and was reduced to Reserve at Devonport. She was laid up initially at Milford Haven but returned to Devonport in 1947. After conversion to Anti-Submarine Frigate in 1954 she re-commissioned and remained in service until 1973 when placed on the Disposal List. This destroyer was then used as a Target for submarine torpedo trials and sunk by HM Submarine SWIFTSURE in November 1958.

 


 

No Convoy Escort Movements Reported

 

 

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