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Type
II HUNT Class Escort Destroyer ordered on 4th
September 1939 from Swan Hunter
at Newcastle under the 1939 War Emergency
Programme with three other Type I and
14 Type. She was laid down as Admiralty Job
Number J4139 on 18th December 1939
and launched on 20th August 1940 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 21st June 1941 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
ATLANTIC
1941 - LIBYA 1941-42 - MALTA
CONVOYS 1942
H e r a
l d i
c D a t
a
Badge:
On a Field Green, three rushes, two in saltire
and
one in pale,
slipped
and leaved Gold, interlaced with a stirrup
White.
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 1
June
Contractors trials and commissioned for
service.
21st
Build completion and commenced Acceptance
Trials.
Passage to work-up or operational service on
completion of trials and storing.
July
On completion of work-up joined Irish Escort
Force based in Clyde.
Nominated for service at Gibraltar.
August
Passage to Gibraltar,
30th
Arrived at Gibraltar for convoy defence and patrol.
September
Taken in hand for repair.
On completion of repair-deployed at Gibraltar.
17th
Escorted HM Cruiser MANCHESTER and HM
Destroyer FIREDRAKE during passage from
Gibraltar to USA for repair.
Detached in position 25 Degrees West and
returned to Gibraltar.
25th
Joined HM Destroyers COSSACK, FURY, GURKHA,
LANCE, LAFOREY, LIGHTNING,
ORIBI and FARNDALE as screen for HM
Battleships PRINCE OF WALES, RODNEY, HM
Cruisers EDINBURGH, EURYALUS, KENYA and SHEFFIELD as escort for
Malta Relief
Convoy during passage from Gibraltar to
Sicilian Narrows as Force A (Operation
HALBERD.
For details see THE BATTLE FOR THE
MEDITERRANEAN by D Macintyre, Naval Staff
History and MALTA CONVOYS by R Woodman)
(Note: Mercantiles from Clyde were identified
as WS11X but changed to GM1 for passage in
Mediterranean.)
27th
Under air attacks during which HMS RODNEY was
torpedoed.
Transferred to Force X and joined HM
Destroyers COSSACK, FORESIGHT, FORESTER,
FURY, LAFOREY, ORIBI, ZULU, and FARNDALE as
screen for HM Cruisers EDINBURGH,
EURYALUS, HERMIONE, KENYA and SHEFFIELD as escort for Malt
convoy through Sicilian
Narrows after Force A retreated to west.
Detached from Force X to join Convoy MG3 from
Malta as escort to Gibraltar.
Diverted on passage to MG3 to assist in rescue
of passengers on ss IMPERIAL STAR that had
been torpedoed in earlier air attacks.
28th
Embarked 300 military personnel from IMPERIAL
STAR and took passage to Malta.
(Note: HM Destroyer ORIBI had been standing by
the mercantile and after disembarkation made
an unsuccessful attempt to row IMPERIAL STAR but this had to be abandoned and the
mercantile was sunk. See references.)
Landed soldiers In Malta and returned to Gibraltar.
October
Transferred to 2nd Destroyer Flotilla,
Mediterranean Fleet at Alexandria.
(Note: Original intention was for this ship
and sister HMS FARNDALE to take passage
from Malta after arrival of GM1. This was
changed.)
Took passage to Alexandria via Cape of Good
Hope and Red Sea.
November
Passage in Indian Ocean and Red Sea.
15th
Joined Flotilla on arrival at Alexandria and
deployed for maintenance of supplies and
personnel
to Tobruk garrison (Operation AGGRESSION).
(Note: Reinforcement troops and stores were
taken to Tobruk in this Operation that lasted
several weeks and passages were subjected to
sustained air attacks.
30th
Deployed with HM Escort Destroyer AVON VALE
and an A/S Trawler for escort of Fast
Section of Convoy A to Tobruk.
(Note: Convoy comprised HM Auxiliary CHAKDINA
taking stores and Stores Ship
KIRKLAND with cased petrol.
December
2nd
Arrived at Tobruk with convoy AT1 ships.
Return passage to Alexandria.
Support duties in continuation.
1 9 4 2
January
30th
Escorted ss ANTWERP from Alexandra to Tobruk.
February
6th
Returned to Alexandria with ss ANTWERP.
12th
Joined HM Cruiser CARLISLE, HM Destroyers LANCE, AVON VALE and ERIDGE as escort
for Convoy NW9A from Alexandria to Malta
comprising ss CLAN CHATTAN and ss CLAN
CAMPBELL (Operation MFM).,
13th
Convoy MM9A merged with Convoy NW9B and later
under air attacks during which ss
CLAN CAMPBELL was damaged and later sunk
whilst on passage to Tobruk in another
air attack.
(Note: None of the four ships in MM9A and MM9B
reached Malta. See THE BATTLE FOR
THE MEDITERRANEAN.)
March
Mediterranean Fleet deployment in
continuation.
20th
Deployed with HM Destroyers AVON VALE,
BEAUFORT, DULVERTON, ERIDGE,
HURWORTH and SOUTHWOLD to carry cut
anti-submarine operation on planned route
for Convoy ME10 during departure from
Alexandria.
Under attack by U652 in position 10 miles NE
Bardia.
Hit by torpedo that caused major damage
including loss of after gun mounting.
Extensive flooding and structural damage aft
disabled ship.
Tow by HMS ERIDGE failed due to increase of
flooding.
Port propeller gland plate fractured and loss
of steam from No 2 Boiler made it impossible
to
operate pumps for removal of water.
Fifteen of ship's company lost their lives,
but the remainder were transferred by boat to
HMS
ERIDGE before ship sank.
(Note: Casualty List was published on 2nd May
1942.)
Addendum
CONVOY
ESCORT MOVEMENTS
of HMS HEYTHROP
by
Don Kindell
These
convoy lists have not been cross-checked with
the text above
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Date convoy
sailed
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Joined convoy as escort
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Convoy
No.
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Left convoy
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Date convoy
arrived
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21/07/41
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27/07/41
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TC 012
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27/07/41
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29/07/41
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19/08/41
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20/08/41
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OG 072
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27/08/41
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01/09/41
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24/09/41
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25/09/41
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HALBERD
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27/09/41
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27/09/41
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23/12/41
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23/12/41
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TA 005/M
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24/12/41
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25/12/41
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10/01/42
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10/01/42
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AT 015/M
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12/01/42
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12/01/42
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18/01/42
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18/01/42
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AT 018/M
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20/01/42
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20/01/42
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03/02/42
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03/02/42
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AT 025/M
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05/02/42
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05/02/42
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08/02/42
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08/02/42
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AT 026/M
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unknown
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unknown
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(Note
on Convoys)
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