Type
III HUNT Class Escort
Destroyer ordered from Vickers Armstrong, Wallsend,
Newcastle
on Tyne under the 1940 War Emergency
Programme on 23rd August 1940. She was laid
down as Job
No. J 4299 on the 1st May 1941 and launched on
2nd April
1942 as the first RN ship to carry the name
which is that of a foxhunt in
Northumberland. Build was completed on 24th
October
1942.
Following a WARSHIP WEEK National Savings
campaign in February 1942 this
destroyer had been adopted by the civil
community of Wallsend,
Northumberland.
B
a t t
l e H o n o u r s
SICILY 1943
- SALERNO 1943 - AEGEAN 1943 - SOUTH
FRANCE 1944
-
NORTH SEA 1945
H
e r a l d i
c D a t a
Badge:
On a Field paly
of eight, Gold and Red, a fox's mask White,
holding in the mouth a bugle horn stringed also
white.
D
e t a i
l s o f W a
r
S e r v i c e
1
9 4 2
October
Contractors trials and commissioned for
service in 5th Destroyer Flotilla
24th
Build completion and commenced Acceptance
Trials.
Passage to Scapa Flow on completion of trials
and storing.
November
Worked-up with ships of Home Fleet for
operational service.
Prepared for foreign service.
Nominated for escort of military Convoy WS25
during passage in Atlantic.
December
18th
Joined military convoy WS25 in Clyde for Ocean
Escort with HM Destroyers BADSWORTH,
WOLVERINE, QUILLIAM, ROCKWOOD, HM Armed
merchant Cruiser CARNARVON
CASTLE and CHESHIRE.
24th
Deployed with WS25 escort to position west of
Gibraltar.
Detached from convoy with HMS BADSWORTH and
WOLVERINE for passage to join
Flotilla at Gibraltar.
1
9 4 3
January
Deployed at Gibraltar for convoy defence and
patrol in Atlantic and the Western
Mediterranean
February
9th
Joined US military Convoy UGS5 with US
Submarine Chasers PC 471 and PC 474 to
supplement anti-submarine defence after threat
of attacks by ROCHEN and DELPHIN U-Boat
Groups
March
Transferred to 22nd Destroyer Flotilla at
Algiers for coastal convoy escort, patrol and
support
of military operations
Passage to Algiers to join Flotilla.
April
Flotilla duties at Algiers in continuation.
May
Deployed as escort for joint military Convoy
KMS15/UGS8
13th
Under attack by U616 during passage from
Gibraltar to Oran.
Joined by USN destroyers and aircraft and took
part in anti-submarine operations.
Torpedo attack failed.
June
Transferred to 59th Destroyer Division based
at Oran
Deployed for escort of military convoys in Mediterranean
on passage to take part in
planned allied landings in Sicily (Operation
HUSKY)
Nominated for service with Escort Group S for
escort, gunfire support and patrol during
HUSKY
For details see Naval Staff History, ENGAGE
THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY by C
Barnett and BRITISH INVASION FLEETS for
details of all ships involved.
July
Passage to Algiers for escort of military
Convoy KMS18 during passage to beachhead,
5th
Sailed from Algiers with escort for KMS18.
8th
Detached from KMS18 to refuel and rejoined on
completion.
10th
Arrived at BARK WEST Beachhead and deployed
for support during landings.
August
HUSKY support and
convoy defence in continuation.
September
Transferred to Escort Group 50 at Algiers.
Nominated for support of planned landings on
Italian mainland.
(Operation AVALANCHE).
(See above references).
Deployed with escort for aircraft carriers
during air operations in support of landings.
October
Transferred to Eastern Mediterranean for
support of military operations to occupy
Aegean
islands after the Italian surrender.
(Note: No specific actions are recorded in
Admiralty Battle Summary No 36 - BR1736(40)
See WAR IN THE AEGEAN by P Smith and E
Walker).
November
Support and convoy defence in continuation.
December
Transferred to
Malta
in continuation of convoy defence duties.
1
9 4 4
January
Joined 18th Destroyer Flotilla in Malta for
central Mediterranean. convoy defence and
anti-
submarine patrol duties in continuation.
February
Flotilla duties in continuation for convoy
defence patrol and support of military
operations.
to
June
July
Nominated for support of allied landings in
south of France under US command.
(Operation DRAGOON. For details see ENGAGE THE
ENEMY MORE CLOSELY) and
BRITISH INVASION FLEETS by J de Winser for
details of all ships involved,)
Passage to Naples.
Prepared for service under
US
command landing operations.
August
Deployed for convoy escort of follow-up
convoys.
(Note: Not recorded for escort of assault
convoys, or as part of gunfire support groups
in
Naval Staff History INVASION OF THE SOUTH OF
FRANCE (HMSO)
Reverted to RN control after release from
DRAGOON
September
Deployment with Flotilla for Convoy defence
and anti-submarine patrol in central
Mediterranean in continuation.
Nominated for return to UK.
(Note: This deployment was trade to supplement
existing anti-submarine defences
in
Home waters after increased attacks by
SCHNORKEL fitted U-Boats).
See ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY and SEEK AND
STRIKE by
W Hackmann).
October
Passage to
UK
to join 21st Destroyer Flotilla at Sheerness.
Deployed with Flotilla for convoy defence in
North Sea and Channel.
November
Deployed with Flotilla for convoy defence in
North and Channel.
to
December
1 9 4
5
January
Flotilla duties in continuation.
to
(Note: During this period Atlantic convoys
were re-routed through English Channel when
April
threat
of air attack from French bases was removed.
In addition the increase in
minelaying surface craft and submarines with
U-Boat attacks on convoys in Nore
and made necessary extensive additional
interception patrols by escorts.
See HOLD THE NARROW SEA by P Smith and above
references).
May
Nominated for service in Eastern Fleet after
refit in Malta.
Took passage to Malta.
June
Under refit
to
July
August
Prepared for service with Eastern Fleet in
Mediterranean.
P
o s t W a r
N o t e s
HMS
HAYDON was retained in
the Mediterranean as part of the 3rd Destroyer
Flotilla after VJ Day. This
destroyer continued service in Malta until
July 19477 when she was badly
damaged by fire and after repair was withdrawn
from service. Paid-off and
placed in Reserve at Chatham in late 1947 the
ship entered the Reserve Fleet
after further refit. She was the laid-up at
Sheerness for a year and transferred
to Hartlepool in 1948 and later her equipment
was preserved. The ship was laid-up in the
Reserve Fleet
Division at Hartlepool until approval was
given for her to be placed on the
Disposal List in March 1958. Sold to BISCO on
the 17th May that year for
demolition Clayton & Davie the ship
arrived at arrived at Dunston-on-Tyne
in tow on 18th May 1958.
Addendum
CONVOY
ESCORT MOVEMENTS
of HMS
HAYDON
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
|
|
|
|
|
|
05/01/43
|
05/01/43
|
MKS
005
|
06/01/43
|
22/01/43
|
06/01/43
|
06/01/43
|
MKF
006
|
08/01/43
|
14/01/43
|
31/01/42
|
31/01/43
|
GUF
004
|
02/02/43
|
13/02/43
|
25/02/43
|
03/03/43
|
KMF
010A
|
04/03/43
|
04/03/43
|
24/04/43
|
25/04/43
|
MKF
013
|
02/05/43
|
02/05/43
|
17/05/43
|
17/05/43
|
KMS
014
|
19/05/43
|
21/05/43
|
28/04/43
|
18/05/43
|
UGS
008
|
19/05/43
|
21/05/43
|
24/06/43
|
05/07/43
|
KMS
018B
|
10/07/43
|
10/07/43
|
10/07/43
|
10/07/43
|
MKF
018
|
17/07/43
|
23/07/43
|
14/07/43
|
14/07/43
|
KMS
019Y
|
unknown
|
unknown
|
26/07/43
|
26/07/43
|
MKS
019Y
|
31/07/43
|
31/07/43
|
20/08/43
|
21/08/43
|
GUS
013
|
29/08/43
|
14/09/43
|
17/10/43
|
23/10/43
|
MKF
025
|
26/10/43
|
04/11/43
|
01/11/43
|
01/11/43
|
KMS
030
|
04/11/43
|
11/11/43
|
27/10/43
|
06/11/43
|
KMF
025A
|
11/11/43
|
11/11/43
|
03/12/43
|
unknown
|
XIF
005
|
unknown
|
09/12/43
|
16/12/43
|
26/12/43
|
KMF
027
|
29/12/43
|
30/12/43
|
26/12/43
|
02/01/44
|
GUS
026
|
07/01/44
|
24/01/44
|
03/02/44
|
03/02/44
|
XIF
009
|
08/02/44
|
08/02/44
|
09/02/44
|
09/02/44
|
IXF
009
|
13/02/44
|
13/02/44
|
23/02/44
|
unknown
|
IXF
010
|
unknown
|
26/02/44
|
02/03/44
|
02/03/44
|
MKF
029
|
09/03/44
|
16/03/44
|
23/03/44
|
23/03/44
|
NSF
018
|
27/03/44
|
27/03/44
|
28/03/44
|
28/03/44
|
SNF
018
|
31/03/44
|
31/03/44
|
29/03/44
|
09/04/44
|
KMF
030
|
12/04/44
|
12/04/44
|
15/04/44
|
15/04/44
|
XIF
013
|
unknown
|
20/04/44
|
21/04/44
|
22/04/44
|
IXF
013
|
unknown
|
25/04/44
|
05/05/44
|
unknown
|
IXF
014
|
unknown
|
09/05/44
|
15/05/44
|
15/05/44
|
MKF
031
|
22/05/44
|
29/05/44
|
24/05/44
|
24/05/44
|
NSF
023
|
27/05/44
|
27/05/44
|
17/08/44
|
17/08/44
|
SM
003A
|
20/08/44
|
20/08/44
|
24/08/44
|
01/09/44
|
KMF
034
|
07/09/44
|
07/09/44
|
25/09/44
|
25/09/44
|
XIF
022
|
29/09/44
|
29/09/44
|
10/10/44
|
10/10/44
|
MKF
035
|
15/10/44
|
21/10/44
|
20/10/44
|
24/10/44
|
KMF
035A
|
27/10/44
|
31/10/44
|
06/11/44
|
16/11/44
|
KMF
036
|
19/11/44
|
19/11/44
|
|
|
|
|
|
(Note
on Convoys)
|