Type II HUNT-Class
Escort Destroyer ordered from Hawthorn
Leslie at
Newcastle
under the 1939 War Emergency
Programme on
12th
December 1939
with 16 others of this Type.
The ship was laid down as Job Number J4210
on 29th May 1940 and launched on 5th
September 1941 as the second RN ship to
bear the name, that of a fox-hunt in Oxfordshire.
It was first used for a minesweeper in
WW1.
Build was completed on
18th
June 1942
and she was not adopted by a
civil community after a National Savings
WARSHIP WEEK campaign during 1941-42.
B a t t
l e H o n o u r s
NORTH
AFRICA
1942-43 -
MALTA
CONVOYS 1942 -
MEDITERRANEAN
1942-43 - SOUTH
FRANCE
1944 - ADRIATIC
1944 - AEGEAN 1944
H e r a l d i
c D a t a
Badge: On afield Red, a stirrup White
and a key erect
upwards Gold
interlaced.
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
June
Contractors trials and commissioning.
16th
Build completion and acceptance trials.
Prepared for work-up.
July
On completion of work-up joined Londonderry
Special Escort Force.
29th
Joined military convoy WS21 in Clyde with HM
Destroyers BRAMHAM,
WILTON,
KEPPEL and SALISBURY as Local Escort during
passage in NW Approaches.
August
Nominated for detached service as escort for
Malta Relief convoy.
4th
Detached from WS21 and took passage to Join
Malta Relief Convoy WS21S which
had sailed from Clyde for Gibraltar on 2nd
August (Operation PEDESTAL).
(Note: This deployment was with Home Fleet
destroyers for escort of convoy and
screening of HM Battleships NELSON and
RODNEY, HM Cruiser NIGERIA
and KENYA with HM Destroyers AMAZON,
ASHANTI, ESKIMO
MALCOLM, PATHFINDER, PENN, QUENTIN, TARTAR,
VENOMOUS
WISHART, WOLVERINE, BRAMHAM, DERWENT,
LEDBURY,
WILTON and ZETLAND.)
11th
After passage through Strait of Gibraltar Joined HM Cruisers
CAIRO, MANCHESTER,
KENYA and NIGERIA in Force X with HM
Destroyers ASHANTI, FURY,
INTREPID, ICARUS, PATHFINDER, PENN, DERWENT,
LEDBURY, WILTON
BRAMHAM and WILTON as escort for ships
during passage through Sicilian
Narrows to Malta.
12th
Under submarine and air attacks during which
HM Aircraft Carrier EAGLE was sunk
by U73.
Further attacks by Italian submarines during
which HMS CAIRO was sunk and HMS
NIGERIA was hit by torpedoes from Italian
AXUM.
Detached with HMS DERWENT and HMS WILTON to
escort damaged HMS
NIGERIA back to
Gibraltar.
For details of the passage of PEDESTAL
Convoy see PEDESTAL by Peter C Smith,
ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY by C Barnett
and the Naval Staff History.
18th
On release from PEDESTAL took passage to
Londonderry to resume escort duties in
NW Approaches.
28th
Joined military convoy WS22 in Clyde with HM
Destroyers BULLDOG, KEPPEL,
ZETLAND, BEVERLEY, CHESTERFIELD and Polish
destroyer ORP
BLYSKAWICA as Local Escort for passage in NW
Approaches.
September
1st
Detached from WS22 with HM Destroyers
BULLDOG, KEPPEL, ZETLAND and
ORP BLYSKAWICA.
On return to Londonderry deployed in NW
Approaches for convoy escort.
October
NW Approaches escort duty in continuation.
4th
Joined military convoy WS23 in Clyde with HM
Destroyers BEAGLE, WRESTLER,
ZETLAND, PUCKERIDGE and Greek destroyer
KANARIS as escort during
passage in NW Approaches.
8th
Detached from WS23 and resumed to Clyde with
Local Escort.
On return to Londonderry resumed duty in
Local Escort Force.
Nominated for escort of military convoys to
North Africa for allied landings.
Escorted convoys to Gibraltar.
November
Deployed at Gibraltar.
Joined Eastern Task Force for- support of
landings at Oran.
(Operation TORCH – See Naval Staff History
and ENGAGE THE ENEMY
MORE CLOSELY.)
On release from TORCH Joined 58th Destroyer
Division based at Algiers for
convoy defence in western Mediterranean.
December
Western Mediterranean deployment in
continuation.
1
9 4 3
January
Convoy defence based at Algiers in
continuation.
February
Deployed with sister HUNT Class destroyers
for patrol and convoy escort.
17th
Took part in search for Italian submarine
ASTERIA in defence of convoy.
(Note: Sinking of ASTERIA is credited to HM
Destroyers EASTON and
WHEATLAND.)
20th
Deployed with HM Destroyers LAMERTON and
WHEATLAND to carry out search
for U443 detected by shore radar at Algiers.
23rd
Took part in sinking of U443 in position
36.55N 02.25E with HMS WHEATLAND
and HMS LAMERTON after three day search and
destroy operation.
Submarine sunk by sustained depth charge
attacks
There were no survivors.
March
Convoy defence and patrol based at
Algiers in continuation.
to
April
May
Took part in blockade of Cape Bon area to
prevent escape of craft being used for
evacuation of enemy personnel from North
Africa (Operation RETRIBUTION).
9th
During deployment with HMS OAKLEY came under
air attack by SPITFIRE
aircraft and sustained major damage from
near miss
Bomb exploded alongside causing flooding and
extensive damage
Taken in tow to Malta for temporary repair.
June
Under repair in Malta. Passage to UK for
permanent repair,
July
Passage to UK for repair
August
Under repair
to
September
October
Nominated for service in 59th Destroyer
Division in Malta.
Post repair trials and work-up for foreign
service.
November
Passage to Malta to resume patrol and convoy
defence duties.
Deployed in Adriatic and central
Mediterranean.
December
2nd
Damaged during air raid at Bari when an
ammunition ship was hit and exploded.
(Note: Later sister destroyer HMS ZETLAND
was also damaged but less seriously.)
Taken in tow by HMS ZETLAND to
Taranto for repair.
1
9 4 4
January
Under repair.
15th
On completion carried out post repair trial
and resumed convoy defence duty.
February
Deployed for convoy escort In Central
Mediterranean and for support of military
to
operations in Adriatic.
April
May
Deployed in Adriatic
5th
Carried out bombardment of Ardea in support
of shore operation .
June
Adriatic support and convoy defence in
continuation
to
July
August
Passage to Naples to Join US Navy ships for
escort of Assault convoys.
(Operation ZIPPER – See BRITISH INVASION
FLEETS by J de Winser and
Naval Staff History.)
(Note: British ships were under overall
command of US Navy.)
12th
Part of escort for Assault Convoy SM1
(CAMEL) and sailed from
Naples with
HM Trawlers CROWLIN, MEWSTONE, AILSA CRAIG
and six US Navy minor
minor warships.
15th
Detached from SM1 (CAMEL) on arrival off
beachhead.
September
On release from DRAGOON returned to RN
control and deployed in Adriatic for
the support of guerrilla and other shore
operations as well as convoy escort.
October
Support of re-occupation of Aegean islands
and convoy defence in continuation
to
November
December
Piraeus guardship, convoy defence and
support in continuation.
1
9 4 5
January
Piraeus guardship, convoy defence and
support duties in continuation.
Based in Malta.
Nominated for refit in Alexandria
February
Passage to Alexandria for refit.
March
Under refit.
April
Nominated for service in 18th Destroyer
Flotilla, Eastern Fleet.
May
Passage to UK.
June
Taken in hand for refit to improve
habitability.
July
On completion and re-commissioning took to
Indian Ocean to join Flotilla
in Eastern Fleet.
August
Arrived at Trincomalee before VJ Day and
Joined Flotilla.
28th
Sailed from Trincomalee as part of escort
for Convoy JMA2BS during passage
to assault beachhead near Port Dickson
(Operation ZIPPER – See above references and
WAR WITH JAPAN (HMSO).)
P o s t W a r
N o t e s
HMS
BICESTER remained in Eastern
Fleet aid became Leader of 29th Destroyer
Flotilla at Bombay. She was deployed for
Fleet duties until return to UK in
November. After arrival
at Sheerness
on 12th December 1945 she was deployed in
the More Local
Flotilla. In 1947 she became Leader of
Flotilla and was deployed for training
and local duties until January 1950
when
she paid-off and was put in Reserve at
Chatham. Although brought forward to
attend the Coronation Review
in 1953 this ship did not re-commission
for operational service before being
placed on the Disposal List in 1955. She
was sold to T W Ward in 1956 and arrived
in tow at the breakers yard in Grays,
Essex on 23rd August 1956
for demolition.
Addendum
CONVOY
ESCORT MOVEMENTS
of HMS BICESTER
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
|
|
|
|
|
|
26/10/42
|
06/11/42
|
KMF 001
|
08/11/42
|
08/11/42
|
27/11/42
|
06/12/42
|
KMF 004
|
07/12/42
|
07/12/42
|
13/12/42
|
16/12/42
|
TE 009
|
18/12/42
|
18/12/42
|
18/12/42
|
18/12/42
|
ET 006
|
20/12/42
|
22/12/42
|
05/01/43
|
05/01/43
|
MKF 006
|
06/01/43
|
14/01/43
|
11/01/43
|
11/01/43
|
ET 009
|
16/01/43
|
16/01/43
|
26/01/43
|
26/01/43
|
TE 014
|
30/01/43
|
30/01/43
|
21/01/43
|
07/02/43
|
KMS 008G
|
08/02/43
|
10/02/43
|
09/02/43
|
09/02/43
|
ET 011
|
11/02/43
|
13/02/43
|
09/02/43
|
11/02/43
|
TE 015
|
13/02/43
|
13/02/43
|
17/02/43
|
17/02/43
|
MKS 008
|
22/02/43
|
01/03/43
|
18/03/43
|
18/03/43
|
ET 015
|
22/03/43
|
22/03/43
|
01/04/43
|
01/04/43
|
TE 020
|
04/04/43
|
04/04/43
|
04/04/43
|
04/04/43
|
ET 017
|
06/04/43
|
09/04/43
|
22/10/43
|
25/10/43
|
KX 011
|
01/11/43
|
01/11/43
|
10/11/43
|
10/11/43
|
KMS 031
|
18/11/43
|
21/11/43
|
12/08/44
|
12/08/44
|
SM 001A
|
14/08/44
|
14/08/44
|
01/11/44
|
01/11/44
|
XIF 024
|
04/11/44
|
04/11/44
|
06/11/44
|
06/11/44
|
IXF 024
|
10/11/44
|
10/11/44
|
24/11/44
|
24/11/44
|
XIF 025
|
28/11/44
|
28/11/44
|
|
|
|
|
|
(Note
on Convoys)