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Type III HUNT-Class Escort Destroyer ordered from Swan Hunter at Newcastle  on  28th July 1940 and laid down on 3rd April 1941 as Job Number J4284. The ship was launched on 5th November 1941 as the first RN ship to carry the name, that of a Kent fox-hunt. Before completion she was transferred to the Royal Hellenic Navy on 18th May 1942 on loan and renamed HHelMS PINDOS. Commissioned on 4th June 1942, build was completed on 27th June 1942 and after her Acceptance Trials she was prepared for service with the Mediterranean Fleet at Alexandria.

B a t t l e   H o n o u r s

No British Battle Honours were awarded as

the ship served in an allied Navy

Ship Badge

None is included in the Official List of Heraldic

Crests for RN warships as she was never

in commission with the Royal Navy.

D e t a i l s   o f   W a r   S e r v i c e   a s   H  H e l  M  S   P I N D O S

(for more ship information,  go to Naval History Homepage and type name in Site Search)

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June

4th - Commissioned under Greek Navy command as HHelMS PINDOS.

July

Contractors Trials.

27th - Build completion and commenced Acceptance Trials.

On completion of trials and storing took passage to Scapa Flow.

August

Work-up for operational service with ships of the Home Fleet at Scapa Flow..

12th - Deployed as escort for 28th Motor Launch Flotilla during passage from Milford Haven to Gibraltar

20th - Detached from escorted craft on arrival at Gibraltar.

September

Passage from Gibraltar with HM Escort Destroyer DERWENT to join Ocean Escort for military Convoy WS22 on passage from Clyde to Freetown.

7th - Joined WS22 escort.

9th - Detached from WS22 with Ocean Escort on arrival at Freetown.

13th - Rejoined Ocean Escort for WS22 on departure from Freetown. (Note: HMS DERWENT rejoined WS22)

18th - Detached from WS22 escort with HMS DERWENT and took independent passage to join Fleet in Mediterranean.

October

Passage in Indian Ocean and calls at Durban and Kilindini

November

Passage in Red Sea

15th - Arrived at Alexandria for Fleet duties.

17th - Deployed with HM Escort Destroyers ALDENHAM, BEAUFORT, BELVOIR, CROOME, DULVERTON, EXMOOR, HURSLEY, HURWORTH and TETCOTT and relieved Fleet destroyers as escort for four mercantiles comprising Malta Relief Convoy MW 13. (Operation STONEAGE – This was the first Malta Convoy from Alexandria since the disastrous attempt to pass the VIGOROUS convoy in June 1942 - see MALTA CONVOYS by R Woodman for details.)

18th - Under air attack off Derna during which HM Cruiser ARETHUSA was damaged by a torpedo and had to be towed back to Alexandria.

20th - Arrived in Malta with MW13 and escort.

21st - Took passage to Alexandria with same ships of MW13 Close Escort.

22nd - Arrived at Alexandria.

December

1st - Deployed with HM Escort Destroyers ALDENHAM, BELVOIR, CROOME, EXMOOR, HURSLEY and TETCOTT as escort for Convoy MW14 during passage to Malta (Operation MH1 – See above reference.)

4th - Joined by Force K ships from Malta to provide cover during remainder of passage. (Note: Force K comprised HM Cruisers CLEOPATRA, DIDO, EURYALUS with HM Destroyers JAVELIN, JERVIS, KELVIN and NUBIAN as screen.)

5th - Arrived in Malta with MW14, escort and covering ships of Force K.

7th - Sailed from Malta as escort for Convoy ME11 during passage to Alexandria with HM Cruiser ORION, HM Destroyers PAKENHAM, PETARD, Greek VASILISSA OLGA, HM Escort Destroyers ALDENHAM, BELVOIR, CROOME, DULVERTON, EXMOOR, HURSLEY and TETCOTT (Operation MH2) (Note: MW 14 comprised nine mercantiles returning empty and was the last convoy routed direct to Alexandria from the island. Later convoys were routed via BENGHAZI.)

19th - Passage to Malta as part of escort for Convoy MW17.

21st - Arrived in Malta with MW17 (Operation QUADRANGLE B).

28th - Sailed from Malta as part of escort for Convoy ME14 (Note: There was no Convoy ME13)

31st - Deployed at Alexandria.

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January

16th - Sailed from Alexandria as part of Convoy ME16 during passage to Malta (Note: ME17 comprised a mercantile tanker.)

26th - Deployed in Malta.

February

Coastal convoy Escort in continuation

27th - Transferred to 5th Destroyer Flotilla and joined HM Escort Destroyers ALDENHAM, BEAUFORT, BELVOIR, HHelMS KANARIS (Ex HM Escort Destroyer HATHERLEIGH) and HHelMS MIAOULIS (Ex HMS MODBURY)

March to April

Coastal convoy defence in continuation

May

Transferred with Flotilla to Algiers for convoy defence and support in western Mediterranean.

June

Algiers deployment in continuation. Nominated for support of planned allied landings in Sicily (Operation HUSKY – For details see Naval Staff History and BRITISH INVASION FLEETS by J de Winser for information on all ships involved.)

July

Preparations for HUSKY. Deployed as part of escort for assault convoy during passage to British Beach Head in Sicily

10th - Deployed in Assault area to provide AA defence, gunfire support and for escort of Build-up convoys. (Note: Destroyers also carried out patrols to intercept any attempt by surface craft to interfere with landings.)

August

On release from AVALANCHE resumed Flotilla duties for convoy defence in central Mediterranean based in Malta

21st - Deployed as escort for Convoy KMF22 with HM Escort Destroyer EASTON during passage in central Mediterranean to Gibraltar.

22nd - Assisted HMS EASTON in depth charge attacks on U458 which had come under attacks by U458. (Note: When submarine driven to the surface it was rammed and sunk by HMS EASTON which sustained major structural damage forward and was disabled. 43 of submarine crew were rescued.)

Took HMS EASTON in tow to Malta for repair.

26th - Resumed Flotilla duties

September

Nominated for support of planned allied landings at Salerno with ships of Flotilla as part of Northern Attack Force (Operation AVALANCHE) – See above references for details).

Prepared for AVALANCHE.

8th - Deployed as part of escort for assault convoy during passage to beachhead.

9th - Present at landings and provided inshore gunfire support and AA defence to anchorage. (Note: Later deployed for interception patrols and convoy defence.)

Transferred to Alexandria with ships of Flotilla for support of operations in Aegean Islands. (Operation ACCOLADE) (Note: German forces were being deployed to land troops to replace Italian garrisons in islands).

Passage to Alexandria

October

Deployed in support of military operations in Aegean for transport of troops and stores as well as interception patrol as part of 8th Destroyer Flotilla..

1st - Sailed from Alexandria with HMS ALDENHAM and HHelMS THEMISTOCLES.

3rd - Unable to carry out interception of invasion craft carrying German troops reported by air reconnaissance due to lack of fuel.

November

Aegean deployment in continuation.

2nd - Landed stores at Leros.

4th - Landed stores at Leros

11th - Under air attacks near Kos without damage

12th - Laid-up in Turkish waters during daylight.

13th - Deployed in unsuccessful search for invasion convoy with HM Destroyers FAULKNOR, BEAUFORT, HM MTB' 's 315 and 263.

14th - Returned to Alexandria.

17th - Withdrawn from Aegean operations after British forces surrendered.

December

Deployed at Alexandria

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January to May

Alexandria deployment in continuation (Note: During this period other HUNT Class escort destroyers were deployed at Algiers and in Malta. Area of deployment of this ship is to be confirmed.)

In April some Greek manned destroyers were involved in unrest amongst their ship 's companies. One source records that on 5th April some of this ship's ratings were disarmed after mutinous conduct whilst at Alexandria after refusal to proceed to Taranto. Ship did not take part in landings at Anzio in January 1944 (Operation SHINGLE).

June

Nominated for support of planned allied landings in the south of France (Operation DRAGOON – For details see LANDINGS IN THE SOUTH OF FRANCE (HMSO) and BRITISH INVASION FLEETS by J de Winser).

July

Passage to Naples to prepare for DRAGOON.

August

Deployed at Naples. Nominated for escort of Convoy SM2 during passage from Naples to Assault Area.

13th - Joined Stores Convoy SM2 at Naples with HM Escort Destroyers ALDENHAM, BEAUFORT, WHADDON, BLACKMORE, EGGESFORD, LAUDERDALE and BELVOIR.

15th - Arrived in Assault Area.

23rd - Released from DRAGOON duty and returned to control of CinC Mediterranean.

September

Nominated for service with British Aegean Force at Alexandria. Passage to Alexandria. Joined British Aegean Force with Greek manned HUNT Class Escort Destroyers THEMISTOCLES, KRITI, KANARIS and MIAOULIS for support of re-occupation of Aegean Islands and Greek mainland (Operation MANNA) (Note: This operation included naval gunfire support of islands prior to landings, landing operations and interception of craft carrying out evacuation.).

October to November

Deployed for MANNA support in eastern Mediterranean

December

Deployed off Greek mainland in support of planned re-occupation and present when British troops landed at Piraeus

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January to May

Deployed for escort of military and mercantile convoys and as required provided support for re-occupation operations.

June to August

Deployed as required by Greek naval authority in Greek waters.

P o s t   W a r  N o t e s

HHMS PINDOS remained on loan to Royal Hellenic Navy after VJ Day. The ship served on the Active List until September 1959 when returned to RN and placed on the Disposal List. She was sold for demolition in Greece and towed a breaker’s yard during 1960.

Addendum

CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of HM Hellenic Ship PINDOS

by Don Kindell

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

(Note on Convoys)