HMS Bicester, Type II sister-ship  (Navy Photos/Mark Teadham, click to enlarge)

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Type II HUNT-Class Escort Destroyer ordered en 20th December 1939 from Cammell Laird, Birkenhead under the 1939 War Emergency Programme. The ship was laid down on 15th May 1940 as Admiralty Job No. J3260 (Yard No 1055). She was launched on 17th March 1941 as the first RN ship to carry this name, that of a Yorkshire fox-hunt. Build completion date was 18th August 1941 and after a successful WARSHIP WEEK National Savings Campaign in March 1942 she was adopted by the civil community of Batley then in the West Riding of Yorkshire.

B a t t l e   H o n o u r s

ATLANTIC 1941-43 - MALTA CONVOYS 1942 - ARCTIC 1942

H e r a l d i c   D a t a

Badge: On a Field Red, in front of a sun rising Gold from clouds White

a horseshoe inverted Black.

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 1

August

Contractors sea trials and commissioned for service

18th - Build completion and commenced Acceptance Trials.

On completion trials took passage to Scapa Flow.

September

Worked-up for operational service. On completion joined Londonderry Escort Force. Deployed for convoy defence in NW Approaches

October

1st - Joined military convoy WS12 in Clyde with HM Destroyers BRADFORD, BRIGHTON, NEWARK and LANCASTER as Local Escort during passage in NW Approaches.

3rd - Detached from WS12 with Local Escort and returned to Clyde.

November

13th - Joined military convoy WS12Z in Clyde with HM Destroyers EXMOOR, VANQUISHER, WITCH, and WHITEHALL as Local Escort during passage in NW Approaches.

16th - Detached from WS12Z with Local Escort and returned to Clyde.

December

13th - Joined military convoy WS14 during passage from Clyde in NW Approaches for Ocean Escort with HM Battleship RAMILLIES and HM Destroyer BEAUFORT.

21st - Detached from WS14 with HM Armed Merchant Cruiser CILICIA, HMS BEAUFORT and Local Escort from Freetown on arrival.

1 9 4 2

January

Passage from West Africa to resume convoy defence at Londonderry

February

Londonderry deployment in continuation.

March

23rd - Joined military convoy WS17 in Clyde with HM Destroyers BEVERLEY, NEWPORT, KEPPEL, LEAMINGTON and VOLUNTEER as Local Escort during passage in NW Approaches.

25th - HMS NEWPORT detached to return to Clyde after collision with HMS BEVERLEY.

27th - Detached from WS17 with remainder of Local Escort.

April

Nominated for detached service in support of planned Combined Services operation. Escorted HM Landing Ships (Infantry) QUEEN EMMA and PRINCESS BEATRIX with four other HUNT Class Escort Destroyers for attack en shipping in Bayonne by No 1 and No 6 Commando. Raid was aborted due to weather conditions and enemy state of alert. (Operation MYRMIDON).

On release from MYRMIDON returned to Londonderry.

15th - Joined military convoy WS18 in Clyde with HM Destroyers GEORGETOWN, LAUDERDALE, LANCASTER and ST MARY'S as part of Local Escort for passage in NW Approaches.

19th - Detached from VB18 with same ships and returned to Clyde.

Nominated for escort of Russian Convoy.

28th - Part of Ocean Escort for Russian Convoy PQ15 with HM Cruiser NIGERIA, HM Auxiliary AA Ship ULSTER QUEEN, HM Destroyers BOADICEA, MATCHLESS, SOMALI, VENOMOUS and Norwegian destroyer ST ALBANS. (Note: HM Submarine STURGEON was also with the convoy initially as was HM Cruiser LONDON. Transit of convoy was covered by ships of the Home Fleet.)

May

2nd - Under sustained attacks by aircraft and submarines. Sank British mercantile ss BOTAVON which had been damaged in air attack and unable to remain in convoy.

3rd - Assisted in rescue of survivors from British mercantiles ss CAPE CORSO and ss JUTLAND sunk by air attacks.

5th - Detached from PQ15 on arrival at Murmansk.

Remained in North Russia.

21st - Joined Ocean Escort for return Convoy QP12 with HMS ULSTER QUEEN, HM Destroyers VENOMOUS. BOADICEA, ESCAPADE, INGLEFIELD, Norwegian ST ALBANS, HM Minesweeper HARRIER and three trawlers. (For details of all Russian Convoy operations see CONVOYS TO RUSSIA by R A Ruegg, ARCTIC CONVOYS by R Woodman, THE RUSSIAN CONVOYS by B Schoefield, CONVOY ! by P. Kemp and ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY by Corelli Barnett).

27th - Detached from convoy with HMS VENOMOUS and HMS ULSTER QUEEN.

29th - Nominated for escort of Malta supply convoy (Operation HARPOON).

June

Prepared for Mediterranean escort duty at Londonderry.

6th - Joined Convoy WS19S in NW Approaches as part of Ocean Escort for passage to Gibraltar. (Note: Home Fleet ships deployed with WS19S included HM Cruisers LIVERPOOL, KENYA, HM Destroyers ONSLOW, ICARUS, BEDOUIN and Polish destroyer ORP KUJAWIAK).

12th - Joined HM Cruiser CAIRO, HM Destroyers BEDOUIN, MARNE, MATCHLESS, PARTRIDGE, ITHURIEL, BLANKNEY, MIDDLETON and ORP KUJAWIAK, HM Minesweepers HEBE, SPEEDY, HYTHE and RYE as Force X at Gibraltar for escort of convoy for passage to Malta through Sicilian Narrows.

14th - Under heavy and sustained air attacks during which HMS LIVERPOOL was damaged and had to return to Gibraltar.

15th - In action with Italian warships attempting to intercept and attack convoy. (For details see THE BATTLE FOR THE MEDITERRANEAN by D Maclntyre, ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY and MALTA CONVOYS by R Woodman.)

16th - Sustained major structural damage forward after detonating a mine whilst entering Grand Harbour, Malta with the two mercantiles which survived passage of HARPOON.  The night time entry coupled with errors in the signal received to give details of the Swept Channel resulted in ships passing through a minefield. ORP KUJAWIAK was sunk after also detonating a mine. HMS MATCHLESS, mercantile ss ORARI and HM Minesweeper HEBE were also damaged by mines. Ship had a hole 12 ft by 15 ft in her forward structure below waterline. Among the casualties sustained were survivors from merchant ships which were sunk during passage to Malta.

17th - Docked and taken in hand for repair by HM Dockyard, Malta.

July

Under temporary repair to allow return passage.

August

Repair in continuation

10th - Prepared for return

11th - Sailed from Malta with HMS MATCHLESS as escort for mercantiles ss TROILUS and ss ORARI for passage to Gibraltar as Force Y. Operation ASCENDANT) (Note: These two ships ware the sole survivors of the HARPOON convoy. Transit passage was deliberately planned to coincide with the passage of the next Malta relief convoy (Operation PEDESTAL).

During passage close to North African coast Italian recognition marks were painted on Foc'sle. (For details see PEDESTAL by P Smith and above references.)

15th - Arrived at Gibraltar.

18th - Took passage to UK for repairs

25th - Taken in hand for repair at North Shields commercial shipyard.

September to October

Under repair

November

Post refit trials and prepared for operational service.

December

Rejoined Londonderry Escort Force for North Atlantic convoy defence.

18th - Joined military convoy WS25 with HM Destroyers HAYDON and WOLVERINE as part of escort for passage in Atlantic to Freetown.

24th - Detached from WS25 with same ships and returned to Clyde.

1 9 4 3

January to February

Atlantic convoy defence in continuation. Nominated for transfer to Mediterranean for escort and support duties with 60th Destroyer Division.

March

Prepared for foreign service.

16th - Joined Joint military convoy WS28/KMF11 in Clyde with Polish destroyer KRAKOWIAK, HM Destroyers DOUGLAS, EGGESFORD, GOATHLAND, WHADDON and HM Sloops WOODPECKER and WREN as escort during Atlantic passage.

21st - Detached from joint convoy with ships bound for Gibraltar (KMF11) as escort during passage to Gibraltar with same ships. Deployed in Western Mediterranean for convoy defence and patrol. (For details of 1943 Mediterranean operations see ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY)

April

22nd - Mined at Bone, Algeria and sustained major structural damage aft. Starboard engine immobilised and both shafts distorted.

Ship beached and was later re-floated. Towed into harbour by HM Minesweeper CLACTON.

May

Repair arranged in Malta and towed there for temporary repair

June

On completion of repair to allow passage, towed to UK by tug FRISKY as part of Convoy MKS 15.

July

Taken in hand for repair at commercial shipyard in Liverpool. Paid-off

August to December

Under repair. Transfer on loan to Norwegian Navy arranged. Paid off from RN service.

1 9 4 4

January to July

Under repair.

August

Under repair.

8th - Transferred on loan to Royal Norwegian Navy. Renamed HNorMS ARENDAL

W a r   S e r v i c e   a s    H  N o r  M  S   A R E N D A L

September to October

Nominated for duty with 16th Destroyer Flotilla based at Harwich. Shipyard work completed Carried out harbour trials

November

Carried out Post refit trials and worked-up for operational service.

December

Joined Flotilla at Harwich for escort and patrol duty in North Sea and Channel.

1 9 4 5

January to February

North Sea and Channel convoy defence and patrol in continuation. (Note: During this period there was extensive minelaying by enemy E-Boats and by submarines in Thames Estuary and off East Coast. "SCHNORKEL" fitted submarines were attacking coastal shipping. Escorts and patrols were increased as countermeasures. See HOLD THE NARROW SEA by P Smith.)

March

25th - In action against minelaying E-Boats in Thames Estuary with Polish destroyer ORP KRAKOWIAK.

April to May

Flotilla duties in continuation. Continuation of Loan to Norway approved after VE Day.

June to August

Deployed with Norwegian Navy on loan from RN.

P o s t   W a r   N o t e s

HNorMS ARENDAL was purchased by Norway after the end of hostilities and remained in operational use as an escort destroyer until 1956 when she was classified as a Frigate. The ship was used as a training ship for Cadets before being renewed from the active list in 1961.

Special    Note

Details of escorts of VB series military convoys were provided by Donald Kindell of Ohio, USA from an unpublished source. This is gratefully acknowledged.

Addendum

CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of HMS BADSWORTH

by Don Kindell

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

(Note on Convoys)