ZAMBESI or Z-Class Fleet
Destroyer ordered from
John I Thornycroft
at Woolston,
Southampton on 12th February 1942 with the 10th
Emergency Flotilla. She was
laid down on 7th November 1943 and launched on
11th March 1944 as the first RN
warship to carry this name. After the loss of HM
Destroyer MARNE in November
1942 this ship became the adopted ship for the
civil community of Bury,
Lancashire. Build was completed on 23rd October
1944.
B a t t
l e H o n o u r s
ARCTIC 1945
H e r a l d i
c D a t a
Badge: On a
Field Blue, a bezant
rayed Gold on each point
a bezant charged with the zodiac signs Black.
M o t t
o
'Faythe
hath no fear'
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
October
Contractor's
trials and commissioned for service.
23rd
Build completion and
commenced Acceptance Trials.
On completion of
trials and storing took passage to Scapa
Flow.
November Worked
up for service at Scapa
Flow with Home
Fleet ships prior to Joining the 2nd
Destroyer
Flotilla in the Home Fleet.
December Deployed
with Flotilla for screening of Home Fleet
units and for patrol
in NW Approaches.
1 9 4 5
January
11th
Part of Force
3 with Home Fleet destroyers as escort for HM
Cruiser DIDO, HM Aircraft
Carriers PREMIER
and TRUMPETER during a series of aircraft
minelaying operations off
Utsira Island
(Operation SPELLBINDER).
February Deployed
with Home Fleet in NW Approaches and Norwegian
coastal waters.
to
(See ENGAGE THE
ENEMY MORE CLOSELY by Corelli
Barnett and CONVOY ! by
P
March Kemp
for details of Home Fleet operations in
1944-45).
April
18th
Joined escort for
Russian Convoy JW56 as escort for HM Cruiser
BELLONA, HM Escort
Carriers
PREMIER and
VINDEX with Home Fleet destroyers.
25th
Detached on arrival
at Kola Inlet after uninterrupted passage.
29th
Escorted returning
Convoy RA66 with same ships.
May
Detached
from RA66 to Join
HM Cruiser BIRMINGHAM for re-occupation of
Denmark.
9th
At Copenhagen with
HM Cruisers BIRMINGHAM and DIDO, HM Destroyers
ZEALOUS,
ZEPHYR and ZEST
for acceptance of German surrender. Cruisers
PRINZ EUGEN and
NURNBERG were
handed over to allied control.
13th
Transferred to Kiel
with HMS ZEALOUS.
Resumed Home
Fleet duties when relieved at Kiel.
June
Deployed with 2nd
Destroyer Flotilla in Home Fleet and remained
in Home waters
to
July
August
16th
Deployed as escort
for US Navy Cruiser USS AUGUSTA during passage
to Plymouth with
President
Harry Truman and on arrival deployed as
Guardship.
P o s t W a r N o t e s
HMS ZODIAC
remained in
commission after the end of hostilities and
served with the 4th Destroyer
Flotilla in the Home Fleet until reduced to
Paid-off and reduced to Reserve by February
1947. After two years laid-up in
the Portsmouth Reserve Fleet she was
brought forward for service with the 2nd
Training Flotilla and deployed at Portland for
training duties. In
1952 she again reduced to Reserve at
Portsmouth. Whilst in Reserve the ship was
refitted at Penarth
in 1954 before being laid up
again at Cardiff. She was put on the Sales
List and sold to
Israel
in July 1955. Before further Israeli
service she refitted in Liverpool. Renamed
YAFFO.
This ship served with the Israeli
Navy from 1956 to
1972 when she was taken cut of service.
Addendum
CONVOY
ESCORT MOVEMENTS
of
HMS
ZODIAC
by
Don Kindell
These
convoy lists have not been cross-checked
with the text above
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Date
convoy sailed
|
Joined
convoy as escort
|
Convoy No.
|
Left
convoy
|
Date
convoy arrived
|
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|
16/04/45
|
18/04/45
|
JW
066
|
25/04/45
|
25/04/45
|
|
29/04/45
|
29/04/45
|
RA
066
|
06/05/45
|
08/05/45
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|
|
|
|
|
(Note
on Convoys)
