Type I HUNT Class Escort Destroyer ordered from Yarrow Shipbuilders at Glasgow as Job No 1834 under the 1939 Programme on 21st March 1939. She was laid down on 9th June 1939 and launched 22 February 1940 as the second ship to carry the name previously used by a minesweeper built in 1917. The ship was completed on 22nd July 1940 and later in March 1942 she was adopted by the civil community of Wareham, Dorset after a successful WARSHIP WEEK National Savings campaign. All her service was spent in Home waters.

 

B a t t l e   H o n o u r s

 

NORMANDY 1944

 

H e r a l d i c   D a t a

Badge: On a Field Red, upon a white roundel , a

Blue cornflower stalked and leaved Proper.

 

 

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

 

July                         Contractor's trials and commissioned for service.

                22nd       Build completion and commenced Acceptance Trials.

 

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

                                Worked up for operational duties at Scapa Flow with 3rd Destroyer Flotilla.

                                Deployed for patrol and convoy escort during work-up.

                                Nominated for service with 21st Destroyer flotilla based at Sheerness.

 

September

                3rd          Joined Flotilla at Sheerness for coastal convoy escort and patrol.

                                (For details of East Coast convoy defence see THREE CORVETTES by N Monsarrat).

 

October                  Deployed in North Sea with Flotilla for North Sea convoy defence and patrol.

                12th        Detached to escort HM Monitor EREBUS during bombardment of invasion barges at Dunkirk.

                                Resumed convoy defence with Flotilla on completion.

 

November              North Sea duties in continuation.

                10th        Sustained slight damage from bomb splinters during air attack on convoy.

 

December              North Sea convoy defence and patrol in continuation.

 

1 9 4 1

 

January                  North Sea convoy defence in continuation.

to

February

 

March

                11th        In action against aircraft attacking convoy and slightly damaged by near misses.

                17th        Indecisive encounter with E-Boats in convoy attack off Humber estuary.

 

April                       North Sea convoy defence in continuation.

 

May

                16th        Detached for escort of HM Auxiliary Minelayer TEVIOT BANK and HM Coastal

                to            Minelayer PLOVER with Paddle Minesweepers during lay of two sections of the

                22nd       East Coast Mine Barrier.

                                (Operations BS56 and BS61 - See Naval Staff History (Mining).)

 

June                        Resumed North Sea convoy defence and patrol with Flotilla..

 

July

                26th        Detached for bombardment of Dieppe with HM Escort Destroyers QUORN and MENDIP.

 

August                  North Sea convoy defence and patrol with Flotilla in continuation

to

December

 

1 9 4 2

 

January                  North Sea convoy defence and patrol with Flotilla in continuation.

to

March

 

April

                12th        In action with E-Boats attacking convoy off East Anglia.

                                (For details of work of escorts in conjunction with Light Coastal Forces MTB’s and

                                MGB’s, see THE BATTLE OF THE NARROW SEAS by P. Scott and HOLD THE

                                NARROW SEA by P Smith).

 

May                        Flotilla duties for North Sea convoy escort and patrol in continuation.

to

December

 

1 9 4 3

 

January                  Deployed on coastal convoy defence and interception patrol.

to

December

 

1 9 4 4

 

January                  North Sea convoy defence and patrol in continuation.

to

April

 

May                        Nominated for detached duty in Force G, Eastern Task Force for support of planned allied

                                landings in Normandy (Operation NEPTUNE)

                                Took part in preparatory exercises with Force G (Exercise FABIUS)

                                (For details of naval activities before and during landings see LANDINGS IN NORMANDY

                                June 1944 (HMSO), OPERATION NEPTUNE by K Edwards and D-DAY SHIPS by J de

                                Winser.)

                                Passage to Solent to join escort for Convoy G1 to GOLD Beach..

 

June

                4th          Deployed in Solent.

                                Operation delayed by 24 hours

                5th          Escorted Convoy G1 comprising 6th Minesweeping Flotilla, four Danlayers and 1st Division of

                                150th Minesweeping Flotilla with Polish destroyer ORP KRAKOWIAK, four Motor Launches

                                and 2nd Division of 55th Motor Torpedo Boat Flotilla.

                6th          Arrived at Lowering Position at 030.

                                On arrival detached from G1 and deployed in Eastern Task Force area.

                                Provided naval gunfire support during assault landings on GOLD Beech.

                                (For details see above reference).

                7th          Deployment in support of landings in Eastern Task Force area and for escort of Build –up

                to            convoys.

                27th

                28th        After termination of NEPTUNE remained in Channel area for support duties.

 

July                         Channel deployment in support of military operations continued.

                                Carried out patrol in Seine Bay to intercept attacks by E-Boate, explosive motor boats and

                                submersible craft.

                7th          In action against groups of E-Boats attacking shipping lying off beaches with sister ship,

                                French escort destroyer LA COMBATTANTE .

                                Sustained slight damage

                31st         Carried out Assisted Maintenance at Portsmouth for boiler super-heater re -tubing.

 

August                  Under maintenance including replacement of boiler tubes.

                24th        On completion resumed Channel support duties.

                29th        During patrol off Cape D’Antifer with HM Frigate RETALICK intercepted German craft

                                carrying out evacuation of Le Havre.

                                Received 26 hits including one on bridge which killed Captain.

                                Extensive damage caused major disruption of gunnery and radar services.

                30th        Returned to Portsmouth for repair.

 

September             Passage to Chatham.

                                Taken in hand for repair by HM Dockyard.

 

October                  Under repair

 

November              On completion of repair and trials rejoined Flotilla and resumed coastal convoy defence in

                                North Sea and English Channel.

 

December              Coastal convoy defence and interception patrols against minelaying activities by E-Boats and

                                submarines, based at Harwich

                                (See ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY by C Barnett and HOLD THE NARROW

                                SEA by P Smith.).

 

1 9 4 5

 

January                  Convoy defence and patrol in continuation.

 

February

                2nd         In action against midget submarine off Zeebrugge which was probably destroyed.

 

March                    Convoy defence and patrol duty in continuation.

to

May

 

June                        Deployed in Nore Command for support of re-occupation operations.

to

July

 

August                  Transferred to Portsmouth Command for duty in Local Flotilla.

  

 P o s t    W a r    N o t e s

 

HMS CATTISTOCK visited the Channel Islands in September and later went to Gibraltar three times before the end of 1945 She ship remained in the Portsmouth Local Flotilla at Portsmouth until Paid-off and reduced to Reserve status at Devonport on 26th March 1946. A proposed sale to Norway was not agreed and the ship transferred to the Reserve Fleet Sub-Division at Cardiff. She was placed on the Disposal List in 1956. After being de-equipped she was sold to BISCO later in 1957 for demolition by J Cashmore and arrived in tow at the breaker’s yard in Newport, Glamorgan on 2nd July that year.

---

 

Addendum

 

CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of HMS CATTISTOCK

by Don Kindell

 

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

(Note on Convoys)