Type III
HUNT-Class Escort Destroyer ordered
from John Brown at Clydebank, on 4th
July 1940 under the
1943 War
Emergency Programme and laid down as Job
Number 1578 on 20th November 1940. The
ship was Launched
on
12th August 1941as the first RN ship to
carry the name. Build was completed on 8th
January
1942. After a
successful WARSHIP WEEK National Savings
campaign in March 19 was 'adoptedI by
the civil community
of Spenborough,
then in the West Riding of Yorkshire.
B
a t t l
e H o n o u r s
ARCTIC
1942 - LIBYA
1943
H e
r a l d i
c D
a t a
Badge: On
a Field White, in
front of a pomme,
a hare courant 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 2
January
Contractors trials and commissioned for
service.
8th
Build completion and commenced Acceptance
Trials
On completion of trials and storing took
passage to Scapa Flow.
February
Worked-up at Scapa Flow with ships of Home
Fleet.
Nominated for escort of Russian convoy.
14th
Provided
Local Escort for Russian Convoy PQ11 with
HM Escort Destroyer MIDDLETON
and three Trawlers.
17th
Detached from PQ11 with Local Escort and
returned to Scapa Flow.
(Note: This was the first Russian convoy
escort which included a HUNT Class Escort
Destroyer.
Nominated for service in eastern
Mediterranean in 5th Destroyer Flotilla
28th
Took passage to Gibraltar as escort to ss
QUEEN VICTORIA and tug SAMSONIA with HM
Corvette PETUNIA.
March
13th
Arrived at Gibraltar.
15th
Escorted HM Cruiser DAUNTLESS for passage to
Cape of Good Hope.
April
3rd
Arrived at Simonstown
Passage to
Alexandria.
May
Joined 5th Destroyer Flotilla at Alexandria.
11th
Deployed with HM Escort Destroyers BEAUFORT
and DULVERTON to assist defence of
HM Destroyer JACKAL returning; in tow to
Alexandria after air attack.
(Note: This towing attempt failed. See
WARSHIP LOSSES IN WW2 by D Brown.)
June
Nominated for escort. of Malta
relief convoy MW11 (Operation VIGOROUS).
(Editor's Note: check
The
Supply of Malta by Arnold Hague
for details.)
13th
Deployed with destroyers of 5th Flotilla and
Fleet Destroyers for escort and screening
of cruisers in defence of Convoy MW11.
14th
Under heavy and sustained air attacks
After nightfall convoy under attacks by
E-Boats.
(Note: HM Cruiser NEWCASTLE and HM Destroyer
HASTY were hit by
torpedoes}.
15th
Convoy ordered to reverse course by CinC at
Alexandria because of threat attack by
major Italian surface warships.
Order later rescinded and convoy resumed
westward course.
Under selected attack by dive bombers.
Three near misses and 2 hits aft resulted in
major outbreak of fire and magazine
exploded.
Ship abandoned and sunk by torpedo from HM
Escort Destroyer ALDENHAM and gunfire
from HM Escort Destroyer HURWORTH.
133 survivors were rescued.
(For full details of this disastrous
operation and the conflicting instructions
from
the shore
based CinC, see ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE
CLOSELY by Corelli Barnett, THE
BATTLE FOR THE MEDITERRANEAN by D Macintyre,
MALTA
CONVOYS by
R Woodman and Naval Staff History.)
Addendum
CONVOY
ESCORT MOVEMENTS
of HMS AIREDALE
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
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
14/02/42
|
14/02/42
|
PQ
011
|
17/02/42
|
22/03/42
|
|
05/05/42
|
07/05/42
|
TA
040/M
|
07/05/42
|
07/05/42
|
|
03/06/42
|
03/06/42
|
TA
046/M
|
05/06/42
|
05/06/42
|
|
11/06/42
|
11/06/42
|
MW
011
|
15/06/42
|
16/06/42
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(Note
on Convoys)
