Ca-Class
Fleet Destroyer of the 11th Emergency
Flotilla ordered in February 1942 from
Yarrow at Scotstoun. The ship was originally
to be named SWALLOW but this was changed in
November 1942 to CAPRICE as part of the
rationalisation of names for the Class. She
was laid down on 28th September 1942 and
launched on 16th September 1943 as the first
RN ship to have this name. Build was
completed on 5th April 1944 and she replaced
HM Destroyer LANCE as the ship adopted by
the civil community of Bexley and Welling,
Kent. (Note: HM Destroyer LANCE was withdrawn from service after being declared a
constructive total loss in 1942 and
had been allocated to the area after a
successful WARSHIP WEEK National Savings
campaign in December 1941).
B
a t t l e H o n o u r s
None.
H
e r a l d i c D a t a
Badge:
On a Field Green, a kid salient Proper.
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
March Contractors
trials
Commissioned
for service
April
5th
Build completion and commenced Acceptance
Trials.
Carried out Gunnery trials.
Accepted into service with 6th Destroyer
Flotilla, Home Fleet.
On completion of trials and storing too
passage to Scapa Flow for work-up with
ships of
Home Fleet.
May
Worked up for service at Scapa Flow with
Home Fleet.
June
Deployed
with Flotilla for screening duties in Home
Fleet.
17th
Joined Russian Convoy JW59 with HM Cruiser
JAMAICA, HM Escort Carriers VINDEX
and STRIKER, HM Destroyers MARNE, METEOR.
MILNE and MUSKETEER as escort.
20th
Under U-Boat attacks.
24th
Detached from JW59 on arrival at Kola
Inlet.
28th
Sailed as escort for return Convoy RA59A
with same ships.
September
5th
Detached from RA59A after unscathed
passage.
Resumed Flotilla duties in Home Fleet.
October
Home Fleet duties with Flotilla in
continuation.
23rd
Deployed with screen for HM Aircraft
Carrier IMPLACABLE and HM Cruiser BELLONA
with HM Destroyers VENUS, SCOURGE, SAVAGE,
VERULAM, CASSANDRA,
ZAMBESI and CAMBRIAN during air attacks on
Sorreisa and Bardufoss as well as photo-
reconnaissance in the Tromso area for the
German battleship TIRPITZ.
(For details of naval activities in Norway
see ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY by
Corelli
Barnett and CONVOY! by P Kemp.)
31st
Detached for escort of ss EMPRESS OF
AUSTRALIA and ss SCYTHIA carrying Russian
nationals who had been captured by the
allies in Normandy.
November
2nd
Joined EMPRESS OF AUSTRALIA and ss SCYTHIA
with H M Cruiser BERWICK, H M
Escort Carrier CAMPANIA, HM Destroyers
CAMBRIAN, CASSANDRA, SAUMAREZ,
SCOURGE and SERAPIS for passage to Kola
Inlet as Russian Convoy JW61A.
11th
Return passage to Clyde with same ships
and HM Destroyer SCORPION and SAVAGE as
escort
for mercantiles as return Convoy RA61A.
December
1st
Joined escort of Russian Convoy JW62 with HM
Cruiser BELLONA, HM Escort Carriers
CAMPANIA and NAIRANA. H M Cruiser BELLONA, H
M Destroyers CAESAR,
CASSANDRA and CAMBRIAN of Flotilla and HM
Destroyers ONSLOW, OBEDIENT,
OFFA, ONSLAUGHT, ORIBI and ORWELL of 17th
Flotilla.
(not completed)
Addendum
CONVOY
ESCORT MOVEMENTS of HMS
CAPRICE
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
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
15/08/44
|
17/08/44
|
JW
059
|
25/08/44
|
25/08/44
|
|
28/08/44
|
28/08/44
|
RA
059A
|
05/09/44
|
05/09/44
|
|
31/10/44
|
02/11/44
|
JW
061A
|
06/11/44
|
06/11/44
|
|
11/11/44
|
11/11/44
|
RA
061A
|
17/11/44
|
17/11/44
|
|
29/11/44
|
01/12/44
|
JW
062
|
07/12/44
|
07/12/44
|
|
10/12/44
|
10/12/44
|
RA
062
|
18/12/44
|
19/12/44
|
|
24/12/44
|
29/12/44
|
AT
177
|
30/12/44
|
30/12/44
|
|
31/12/44
|
31/12/44
|
TA
175
|
01/01/45
|
07/01/45
|
|
05/01/45
|
05/01/45
|
TA
177
|
06/01/45
|
13/01/45
|
|
01/01/45
|
06/01/45
|
AT
179
|
07/01/45
|
07/01/45
|
|
08/01/45
|
13/01/45
|
AT
181
|
14/01/45
|
14/01/45
|
|
13/01/45
|
13/01/45
|
TA
179
|
14/01/45
|
17/01/45
|
|
11/01/45
|
16/01/45
|
AT
182
|
17/01/45
|
17/01/45
|
|
20/01/45
|
20/01/45
|
TA
180
|
21/01/45
|
26/01/45
|
|
24/01/45
|
29/01/45
|
AT
185
|
30/01/45
|
30/01/45
|
|
05/02/45
|
05/02/45
|
TA
185
|
06/02/45
|
11/02/45
|
|
01/02/45
|
06/02/45
|
AT
186
|
07/02/45
|
07/02/45
|
|
12/02/45
|
12/02/45
|
TA
187A
|
13/02/45
|
19/02/45
|
|
01/03/45
|
01/03/45
|
TA
189C
|
02/03/45
|
10/03/45
|
|
26/02/45
|
03/03/45
|
AT
194
|
04/03/45
|
04/03/45
|
|
05/03/45
|
05/03/45
|
TA
191
|
06/03/45
|
11/03/45
|
|
08/03/45
|
08/03/45
|
TA
194
|
09/03/45
|
17/03/45
|
|
09/03/45
|
14/03/45
|
AT
196A
|
15/03/45
|
15/03/45
|
|
17/03/45
|
17/03/45
|
TA
195A
|
18/03/45
|
24/03/45
|
|
22/03/45
|
22/03/45
|
TA
197
|
23/03/45
|
28/03/45
|
|
25/03/45
|
30/03/45
|
AT
200
|
31/03/45
|
31/03/45
|
|
01/04/45
|
01/04/45
|
TA
199
|
02/04/45
|
08/04/45
|
|
07/04/45
|
07/04/45
|
TA
200
|
08/04/45
|
13/04/45
|
|
03/04/45
|
09/04/45
|
AT
201B
|
10/04/45
|
10/04/45
|
|
07/04/45
|
14/04/45
|
AT
201
|
15/04/45
|
15/04/45
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(Note
on Convoys)
