Type
I HUNT Class Escort
Destroyer ordered from Vickers Armstrong,
Newcastle on 21st March 1939 with 10
others of this type under the 1939 Estimates.
She was laid down on 8th June
1939 as Job No J4091 and launched on 28th
December 1939. She was the 2nd RN
warship to carry the name, which had been
previously used by a WW1 minesweeper
sold in 1921 and that of a Foxhunt in Ayrshire.
Her build was completed on 28th
August 1940 and following a successful WARSHIP
WEEK National Savings campaign
in March 1942 was adopted by the civil community
of Alton, Hampshire.
B
a t t
l e H o n o u r s
ATLANTIC 1940 - ENGLISH CHANNEL 1940-44 - NORTH
SEA 1941-44 - NORMANDY 1944
H
e r a l d i
c D a t a
Badge:
On a Field Red,
two hunting
horns in saltire
and three annulets interlaced Gold.
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
August
Contractor's sea trials and commission for
service in 16th Destroyer Flotilla.
28th
Build completion and commenced Acceptance
Trials.
September
Took passage to
Scapa Flow on completion of trials and storing,
Worked-up for operational service with Home
Fleet at
Scapa
Flow.
Deployed for convoy defence in NW Approaches.
October
Joined Flotilla at Harwich for convoy defence
and patrol in
English
Channel and
North
Sea.
4th
Carried cut search for German Destroyer reported
minelaying off South Foreland.
November
Flotilla duties based at Harwich in
continuation.
to
December
1
9 4 1
January
Convoy defence and patrol in continuation.
to
May
June
21st
Escorted HM Coastal Minelayer PLOVER during lay
of section of East Coast Barrier.
(Operation BS60 – See Naval Staff History
(Mining) for details).
July
Convoy defence in
North Sea
in continuation.
to
December
1
9 4 2
January
North
Sea convoy defence and patrol duties in
continuation.
to
December
1
9 4 3
January
North
Sea duties in continuation.
February
East Coast convoy escort with HM Destroyers
WALPOLE and MONTROSE.
March
North
Sea duties in continuation.
to
June
July
North
Sea convoy defence in continuation.
28th
In collision with HM Corvette SHELDRAKE.
Sustained damage to forward structure.
August
Under repair to collision damage.
September
12th
Resumed Flotilla duties on completion of post
repair trials.
October
Detached for duty with Home Fleet ships.
6th
Took part in exercises with Horns Fleet cruisers
off Harwich.
Resumed Flotilla convoy defence duty on release
from exercises.
24th
In action against E-Boats attacking Convoy FN
1160 off Cromer with H M Destroyers
PYTCHLEY, WORCESTER, CAMPBELL, MACKAY and Light
Coastal Force craft
November
North
Sea convoy defence and patrol duties in
continuation.
to
December
1
9 4 4
January
Flotilla duties in continuation.
February
24th
In action against E-Boats attacking East Coast
Convoy FS 1371 off Great Yarmouth with HM
Destroyer VIVIEN.
March
North
Sea duties in continuation.
to
April
May
Nominated for detached service in support of
allied landings in
Normandy.
(Operation
NEPTUNE)
Prepared for escort and support duty with Force
S.
3rd
Took part in Defence exercise off
Brighton by Forces S, G and J.
(Note: Exercise FABIUS the final rehearsal for
the landings took place in the
English
Channel
between 2nd and 4th May).
18th
Took part in Landing exercise at Bracklesham Bay,
Sussex by Force S ships.
Allocated target in Pre-Arranged Fire Plan: Petit
Enfer with HM Destroyer KELVIN
(For details of naval activities before and
during
NEPTUNE see OPERATION NEPTUNE by
K Edwards, LANDINGS NORMANDY June 1944 (HMSO)
and D
DAY SHIPS by J de
Winser.)
June
Joined HM Destroyers SAUMAREZ, KELVIN, SCOURGE,
VIRAGO, SCORPION,
VERULAM, SWIFT, SERAPIS, Norwegian destroyers
SVENNER and STORD, HM Escort
Destroyers MIDDLETON and Polish Destroyer ORP
SLAZAK in
Solent
for Force S support
Deployed with HM Destroyer VIRAGO, VERULAM,
KELVIN and 5 Motor Torpedo Boats
for escort of Convoy S7 to beachhead area.
(Note: Convoy S7 comprised HM Landing Ship
(Large) LARGS HQ Ship Force S, six
Landing Ships (Tank), 1 Landing Craft (Support),
1 High Speed Launch and three
US Navy Coastguard Cutters).
4th
Operation delayed for 24 hours.
5th
Passage to
SWORD
Beach through swept channel as escort for Convoy
S7.
6th
Took up bombarding position on arrival and
provided naval gunfire support during
landings
on
SWORD
Beach.
7th
Passage to
Portsmouth
on completion of Assault Phase support duties.
8th
Deployed with HM Sloops STORK, REDPOLE, HM
Frigates DUFF and HOTHAM as Escort
Group 116.
Escorted Convoy EWP1 from
St Helens Roads to Eastern Task Force Area.
(Note: Convoy EWP1 included HM Cruiser DESPATCH
and 6 Personnel Ships).
27th
After termination of
NEPTUNE
retained in English Channel for patrol and
escort of
Channel
convoys.
July
Channel deployment for interception patrol in
continuation.
to
(Note: German midget submarines and explosive
motor boats were active in area
August
as well as minelaying.
Sister ship HMS QUORN was sunk by a LINSEN
explosive
motor boat on August
3rd).
September
Resumed duties at Harwich with Flotilla and
deployed for convoy defence in
North
Sea
and
Channel based at Harwich.
(Note: An increase in minelaying by E-Boats and
submarines in Thames estuary had made
necessary an increase in number of escorts
deployed in Nore Command. These were
provided from Western Approaches Command.
SCHNORKEL fitted submarines were also being
deployed to attack convoys at focal
points of assembly and dispersal. Atlantic
convoys had been re-routed through Channel
when threat of air attack from French bases had
been removed.
(See HOLD THE
NARROW
SEA
by P Smith and ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE
CLOSELY by Corelli Barnett)).
October
Nore Command deployment for patrol and convoy
defence in continuation.
to
December
1
9 4 5
January
Convoy defence and patrol duties in
North Sea based at Harwich in continuation.
to
(Note: Minelaying and attacks on convoys in the
Thames Estuary and
North
Sea by
April
submarines and E-Boats continued. Extensive
patrols were still needed.
May
Transferred to More Local Flotilla after VE Day.
June
Deployed in support of military occupation of
Germany
and for duties in the Nore Command..
Carried out Guardship in German ports.
S p e c i a l N o t
e
This
Escort Destroyer, in
common with many East Coast convoy escorts,
received little publicity. Many
convoys were escorted without loss
but the dangers of the sea were always present
and many unusual events
commonplace due to the exigencies of war. Her
service was none the less
valuable.
P o s t W a r N o t e s
HMS
EGLINTON was Paid off
after VJ Day and reduced to Reserve status at
Harwich. In 1950 she was
transferred to Portsmouth and later went to
Hartlepool. During her period in
Reserve in mid-1955 the ship was selected for
re-activation and as part of
Exercise SLEEPING BEAUTY. After completion she
reverted to Reserve until placed
on the Sales List the next year. Sold to BISCO
for demolition by Hughes Bolcow
at Blyth, she
arrived there in tow on 28th May 1956.
Addendum
CONVOY
ESCORT MOVEMENTS
of HMS
EGLINTON
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
|
|
|
|
|
|
25/08/40
|
26/08/40
|
OA
204
|
26/08/40
|
29/08/40
|
08/11/40
|
08/11/40
|
FN
0329
|
10/11/40
|
10/11/40
|
11/11/40
|
11/11/40
|
FS
0333
|
13/11/40
|
13/11/40
|
28/10/42
|
28/10/42
|
CE
127
|
29/10/42
|
29/10/42
|
28/11/42
|
28/11/42
|
CW
137
|
29/11/42
|
29/11/42
|
29/11/42
|
29/11/42
|
CE
135
|
30/11/42
|
30/11/42
|
23/01/43
|
23/01/43
|
CW
151
|
24/01/43
|
24/01/43
|
24/01/43
|
24/01/43
|
CE
149
|
25/01/43
|
25/01/43
|
04/04/43
|
04/04/43
|
CW
168
|
05/04/43
|
05/04/43
|
06/04/43
|
06/04/43
|
CE
166
|
07/04/43
|
07/04/43
|
06/05/43
|
06/05/43
|
CW
176
|
07/05/43
|
07/05/43
|
07/05/43
|
07/05/43
|
CE
174
|
08/05/43
|
08/05/43
|
15/06/43
|
15/06/43
|
CW
186
|
16/06/43
|
16/06/43
|
05/07/43
|
05/07/43
|
CW
191
|
06/07/43
|
06/07/43
|
06/07/43
|
06/07/43
|
CE
189
|
07/07/43
|
07/07/43
|
21/07/43
|
21/07/43
|
CW
195
|
22/07/43
|
22/07/43
|
22/07/43
|
22/07/43
|
CE
193
|
23/07/43
|
23/07/43
|
23/09/43
|
23/09/43
|
CW
211
|
24/09/43
|
24/09/43
|
24/09/43
|
24/09/43
|
CE
209
|
25/09/43
|
25/09/43
|
17/10/43
|
17/10/43
|
CW
217
|
18/10/43
|
18/10/43
|
21/10/43
|
21/10/43
|
CE
215
|
22/10/43
|
22/10/43
|
10/11/43
|
10/11/43
|
CW
223
|
11/11/43
|
11/11/43
|
11/11/43
|
11/11/43
|
CE
221
|
13/11/43
|
13/11/43
|
14/01/44
|
14/01/44
|
CW
239
|
15/01/44
|
15/01/44
|
15/01/44
|
15/01/44
|
CE
237
|
16/01/44
|
16/01/44
|
26/03/44
|
26/03/44
|
CW
257
|
27/03/44
|
27/03/44
|
28/03/44
|
28/03/44
|
CE
255
|
29/03/44
|
29/03/44
|
30/06/44
|
30/06/44
|
EMM
001
|
03/07/44
|
03/07/44
|
01/08/44
|
01/08/44
|
ETM
052
|
01/08/44
|
02/08/44
|
|
|
|
|
|
(Note
on Convoys)
|