Type I HUNT-Class Escort Destroyer ordered from Cammell Laird at Birkenhead and the Lead ship of the Class. She was ordered on 21st March 1939 under the 1939 Build Programme and laid down on 8th June that year. Launched on 12th December 1939 she was the second RN warship to carry the Name, previously used by a minesweeper In 1916. Build was completed on 23rd March 1940 and when inclined her stability was found to be unsatisfactory. The major changes made included landing one of the three 4in Twin mountings (X position aft), addition of permanent ballast and reduction of top weight. Subsequent ships were modified to correct this design weakness. (See General Information details). In March 1942 this ship was adopted by the civil community of Long Eaton, Derbyshire after a successful WARSHIP WEEK National Savings campaign. For details of the design problems and their effect see BRITISH DESTROYERS by Edgar J March.

 

B a t t l e   H o n o u r s

ENGLISH CHANNEL 1940-42 - ST NAZAIRE   1942 - SICILY 1943 - MEDITERRANEAN 1943 - NORTH SEA 1942-43 - SALERNO 1943 - SOUTH FRANCE 1944 - ADRIATIC 1944

H e r a l d i c   D a t a

Badge   On a Field Red, upon a White roundel,

a fox's mask Red within a mascle also Red.

 

 

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 0

 

March                    Contractor's trials and commissioned for service.

                                (Note: Instability found during the inclining experiment necessitated removal of the intended

                                provision of three twin 4in mountings. Only two of these were fitted..)

                23rd        Build completion and commenced Acceptance and First of Class trials.

 

April                       On completion of modifications and storing joined 1st Destroyer Flotilla at Portsmouth for convoy

to                            escort and patrol duty in Channel and North Sea.

May                        (Note: It is assumed that delay in final acceptance delayed entry into operational service was

                                delayed by the removal of one of the after mountings and subsequent trials.)

 

June                        Detached Home Fleet deployment..

                8th          Met Group 1 evacuation convoy from Norway off Faeroes with HM Destroyers

                                WITHERINGTON, WOLVERINE, ANTELOPE and VISCOUNT.

                                Escorted to Clyde. See Naval Staff History (HMSO, 2001) and CARRIER GLORIOUS by J

                                Winton).

 

July

                10th        Escorted ships of Minelaying Squadron during lay of first section of Northern Mine Barrage with

                                HM Cruiser COVENTRY, HM Destroyers INGLEFIELD, IMOGEN, HM Escort Destroyers

                                HAMBLEDON and FERNIE (Operation SN1).

                                (For details of all Minelaying operations see Naval Staff History MINING).

 

August                  On release from Home Fleet service resumed Channel escort duties with Flotilla.

 

September             Deployed for anti-invasion patrol and convoy defence in Channel.

                8th          Carried out search for invasion craft between Le Touquet to Cap d'Antifer.

                11th        Under air attack and sustained serious damage by two bomb hits and a near miss whilst escorting

                                Channel convoy CW11 to Thames Estuary.

                15th        Taken in hand for repair by HM Dockyard, Chatham.

 

October                  Under repair

to

December

 

1 9 4 1

 

January                  On completion of post refit trials rejoined Flotilla to continue convoy escort and patrol duties

 

February                English Channel convoy defence and patrol in continuation.

to

August

 

September             Sustained weather damage whilst escorting Channel convoy.

                                Docked ay Devonport for investigation

                                Repair arranged at Southampton commercial shipyard

 

October                  Under repair.

to                            (Note: 2pdr Bofors mounting fitted to improve close range defence against E-Boat

November              attacks.)

 

December              On completion of post repair trials transferred to 15th Destroyer Flotilla at Plymouth for convoy

                                defence and patrol in SW Approaches.

 

1 9 4 2

 

January                  Deployed for convoy defence and patrol based at Plymouth.

                                (For details of naval operations in English Channel see HOLD THE NARROW SEA by P Smith.).

 

February                Flotilla duties based at Plymouth in continuation.

                                Nominated for support of planned Combined Operations attack.

 

March                    Detached for commando landing to destroy dry dock gates at St Nazaire.

                26th        Joined HM Escort Destroyers CLEVELAND, BROCKLESBY and TYNEDALE for St. Nazaire

                                Raid and embarked Force Commanders (Operation CHARIOT).

                27th        Acted as Guide of the Fleet during passage.

                28th        Towed HM Motor Gunboat MGB 314.

                29th        HM MGB 314 slipped for operation with Force Commanders on board.

                                Rescued crew of HM ML 156 which had been damaged in action with German Boats.

                                (Note: HM ML I56 later sank.

                                For details see THE BATTLE OF THE NARROW SEAS by Peter Scott and THE

                                WATERY MAZE by B Fergusson.)

 

April                       Deployed in Channel and SW Approaches.

 

May                        Transferred to 16th Destroyer Flotilla based at Sheerness for North Sea convoy defence.

 

June                        Deployed for East Coast convoy defence and patrol.

to                            Provided cover for Light Coastal Craft operations.

December              (See THREE CORVETTES by N Monsarrat and HOLD THE NARROW SEA).

 

1 9 4 3

 

January                  East Coast convoy defence and patrol in continuation.

 

February                Nominated for transfer to 18th Destroyer Flotilla in Mediterranean.

 

March                    Passage to join Flotilla in Western Mediterranean.

 

 April                      Deployed on convoy defence and patrol in

                                Western and Central Mediterranean.

 

May                        Took part in operations to intercept craft taking German troops from Cape Bon area

                                (Operation RETRIBUTION - See ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY).

 

June                        Transferred with Flotilla to Malta in continuation of escort and patrol role.

                                Nominated for duty in support of allied landings in Sicily.

 

July                         Joined Support Force East for escort of assault convoys.

                                (Operation HUSKY).

                                (Note: Support Force East included HM Cruisers NEWFOUNDLAND, UGANDA,

                                MAURITIUS, ORION, CARLISLE, COLOMBO and DELHI, HM Monitors EREBUS

                                and ROBERTS with 15 Fleet Destroyers, 36 RN HUNT Class Escort Destroyers, eight

                                Sloops, six RIVER Class Frigates and 17 RN Corvettes.

                7th          Sailed from Bizerta as part of escort for military convoy KMS18.

                9th          Detached from KMS18 and took passage to Tunis to join Escort Group Y.

                10th        Deployed with Group for convoy escort and present at landings of XXX Corps SW of Syracuse.

                                and provided gunfire support.

                                (For details see Naval Staff History and ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY)

 

 

August                  Deployed for escort and support of military operations in Sicily.

                                Nominated for support of planned allied landings at Salerno (Operation AVALANCHE.)

 

September             Joined Support Carrier Force (TF88) as part of screen for HM Cruisers SCYLLA, CHARYBDIS

                                and EURYALUS, HM Aircraft Carriers UNICORN, ATTACKER, BATTLER, HUNTER and

                                STALKER with Polish destroyers ORP SLAZAK, ORP KRAKOWIAK, HM Destroyers

                                CLEVELAND, HOLCOMBE, LIDDESDALE, FARNDALE, CALPE and HAYDON for

                                provision of cover during assault landings.

                                (For details see Naval Staff History).

                9th          Deployed with TF86 off Salerno.

 

October                  On release from AVALANCHE resumed Convoy defence and provided support for military

to                            operations off Italian west coast.

December

 

1 9 4 4

 

January                  Deployed for support of military convoys between North African ports and Naples prior to allied

                                landings at Anzio (Operation SHINGLE - See above references).

 

February                Convoy defence and support role in continuation in central Mediterranean

to June

 

July                         Deployed for escort of military convoys in Western Mediterranean on passage in Mediterranean

                                prior to allied landings in South France (Operation DRAGOON).

                                (For details see Naval Staff History INVASION OF THE SOUTH OF FRANCE (HMSO).

 

August                  Convoy escort in continuation.

                                (Note: Not listed in above reference as escort for assault convoys or gunfire support.).

 

September             After release from DRAGOON reverted to control of CinC Mediterranean.

                                Resumed Flotilla duties and deployed for commercial convoy defence patrol and support duty

                                in central Mediterranean.

 

October                  Deployed in Central Mediterranean and in Adriatic

 

November              Transferred to 5th Destroyer Flotilla based at Alexandria.

                                Deployed in Adriatic in support of military operations and convoy defence.

 

December              Adriatic deployment with Flotilla in continuation.

                14th        Rescued survivors from HM Escort Destroyer ALDENHAM.

                                (For details of Adriatic operations see THE LAST DESTROYER by F Mason).

 

1 9 4 5

 

January                  Adriatic deployment with 5th Flotilla in continuation.

to April

 

May                        Deployed in Mediterranean with Flotilla after VE Day

to                            (Note: Destroyers of Mediterranean Fleet carried out exercises to prepare ships destined for

August                  operational service in East Indies and SW Pacific and for Guardship duties in

                                Adriatic as well as patrol to intercept ships carrying immigrants to Palestine.)

 

P o s t   W a r   N o t e s

 

HMS ATHERSTONE remained in the Mediterranean until October 1945 when she returned to Pay-off and reduce to Reserve status. After eight years laid-up in Reserve Fleet at Portsmouth she was transferred to the Reserve Fleet Division at Cardiff.  The ship was placed on the Disposal List in 1957 and sold to BISCO in November that year for demolition by Smith and Houston at Port Glasgow.. She arrived in tow at the breakers yard in the Clyde on 25th November 1957.

---

 

Addendum

 

CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of HMS ATHERSTONE

by Don Kindell

 

These convoy lists have not been cross-checked with the text above 

(Note on Convoys)