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Type III
HUNT Class Escort Destroyer ordered from Alex
Steven at Govan on 23 August 1940 under the 1940
War Emergency Programme and
laid down on 3rd April 1941 as Job No J1489. The
ship was launched on 14th April
1942 as the 1st RN warship to carry the name of
this Lancashire fox-hunt. Build
was completed on 19th September 1942 and the
ship was adopted by the civil
community of Farnworth,
Lancashire, following a
successful WARSHIP WEEK National Savings
campaign in March 1942.
B
a t t
l e H o n o u r s
MEDITERRANEAN 1943
- SICILY 1943 - SALERNO 1943
H e r a l d i c D a t
a
Badge:
Barry wavy of six
white and blue. Badge , a hunting horn
recet
Gold enfiled with
a wreath of Red roses 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 2
September
Contractors trials and commissioned for
service.
19th
Build completion and commenced Acceptance
Trials.
Took passage to Scapa Flow on completion of
trials and storing.
October
Worked-up for operational service at Scapa Flow with ships of Home Fleet.
Allocated for service in the Mediterranean.
30th
Joined military convoy WS24 at Liverpool with
HM Destroyers OFFA, ONSLOW, ORIBI
and ROTHERHAM as Local Escort during passage
in NW Approaches.
November
3rd
Detached from WS24 on arrival of Ocean Escort
and took passage to
Freetown.
(Note: This convoy was routed to
Bahia instead of
Freetown because of the transit
of US convoys to North Africa for Operation
TORCH landings.
Retained at Freetown for convoy defence.
December
Retained at Freetown for escort of convoys off
West Africa.
1
9 4 3
January
Transferred to Gibraltar.
26th
Took passage from Freetown as part of escort
for HM Aircraft Carrier ILLUSTRIOUS
that was returning to UK for
refit after service in the Indian Ocean.
February
Joined 59th Destroyer Division at Gibraltar for convoy defence and patrol in the
western Mediterranean.
March
Part of escort for military convoy KMF10A to
Algiers.
April
Part of escort for military convoy UGS8 and KMF15.
May
Nominated for support of allied landings in
Sicily (operation HUSKY)
to
Part of escort for convoys KMS18, KMF18 and
KMF19 to Algiers prior to landings.
June
July
Deployed with Support Force East for convoy
defence during passage of assault
convoys
to Sicily.
Passage to Bizerta.
7th
Deployed with Escort Group T as escort for
military Convoy KMS18
8th
Detached from KMS18 and joined escort for
military Convoy KMF18
9th
Detached from KMF18 and took passage to Tunis
for HUSKY support
For details of HUSKY see ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE
CLOSELY by C Barnett,
Naval Staff History and for details of all
ships involved BRITISH INVASION FLEETS
by J de Winser.
10th
Deployed off Beach Head for AA Defence, naval
gunfire support and defensive patrol
against E-Boat attacks.
August
Convoy defence and support in continuation.
Transferred to 46th Escort Group for duty with
Support Carrier Force (TF88) as escort
for HM Cruisers
EURYALUS, SCYLLA,
CHARYBDIS, HM Light Fleet Carrier
UNICORN, HM Escort Carriers
BATTLER,
ATTACKER, HUNTER and STALKER
with HM Destroyers CLEVELAND, ATHERSTONE,
LIDDESDALE,
FARNDALE,
CALPE, HAYDON, Polish destroyers ORP KRAKOWIAK
and ORP SLAZAK.
September
9th
Deployed with Force V as screen for Escort
Aircraft Carriers during landings at Salerno.
to
(Operation AVALANCHE – For details see above
references,)
11th
October
On release from AVALANCHE deployed
for convoy escort and patrol in central
Mediterranean.
November
Transferred
to HUNT Mediterranean Flotilla based in
Malta
for convoy defence in western
Mediterranean.
December
Deployed as part of escort for military convoy
KMS34 with H M Frigate CUCKMERE,
HM
Escort Destroyers
CALPE and TYNEDALE,
US Destroyers USS NIBLACK, USS
BENSON
and
USS WAINWRIGHT during passage in central
Mediterranean
11th
Convoy under attack by U223 off Algiers during
which HMS Frigate CUCKMERE was
torpedoed and sustained major damage,
(Note: This ship was later taken under tow to
Algiers where she was found beyond economic
repair.)
12th
Convoy under attack by U593 during which HM
Escort Destroyer
TYNEDALE torpedoed
by
U593 off Bougie and sank in position 37.10N
06.05E.
Took part in search for U593 with other
escorts from KMS34 and three WELLINGTON
aircraft
from 36 and 458 Squadrons RAF without
success.
During the search operation, hit aft by T5
Homing Torpedo from U593-
Oil fuel from after tanks ignited and ship
settled rapidly by the stem.
Ship sank rapidly in less than 5 minutes in
position 37-20N 05.50E.
Only 80 of ships company survived with 84
others missing or died later of wounds.
(Note: U593 was force to surface on 13th
December after sighting by aircraft and
depth charge
attacks by USS WAINWRIGHT and HMS CALPE.
This submarine was
scuttled
by crew in position 37-58N 05.58E and all the
crew survived.
Addendum
CONVOY
ESCORT MOVEMENTS
of HMS
HOLCOMBE
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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13/11/42
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13/11/42
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ST
042
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18/11/42
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18/11/42
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29/11/42
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29/11/42
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TS
026
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04/12/42
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04/12/42
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24/12/42
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24/12/42
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ST
050
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unknown
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29/12/42
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19/12/42
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28/12/42
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CF
010
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29/12/42
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31/12/42
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30/12/42
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30/12/42
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ST
051
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01/01/43
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unknown
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01/01/43
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01/01/43
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CF
010A
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05/01/43
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08/01/43
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08/02/43
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14/02/43
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KMF
009
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16/02/43
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16/02/43
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17/02/43
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17/02/43
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MKF
009
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19/02/43
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24/02/43
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26/02/43
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06/03/43
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KMS
010G
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08/03/43
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11/03/43
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06/03/43
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08/03/43
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MKF
010A
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09/03/43
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14/03/42
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02/04/43
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11/04/43
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UGF
007
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13/04/43
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12/04/43
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16/04/43
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22/04/43
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KMF
013
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23/04/43
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23/04/43
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27/04/43
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27/04/43
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ET
019
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02/05/43
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02/05/43
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14/04/43
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03/05/43
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UGS
007A
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07/05/43
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07/05/43
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09/05/43
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09/05/43
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ET
020
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14/05/43
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14/05/43
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24/05/43
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24/05/43
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GTX
001
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30/05/43
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04/06/43
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04/06/43
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04/06/43
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MKS
014
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11/06/43
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09/06/43
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01/07/43
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11/07/43
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KMF
019
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13/07/43
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11/07/43
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14/07/43
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14/07/43
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MKF
019
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18/07/43
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30/07/43
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23/07/43
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23/07/43
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GTX
004
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29/07/43
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03/08/43
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09/08/43
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11/08/43
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KMS
022
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20/08/43
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20/08/43
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25/08/43
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25/08/43
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MKS
023
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04/09/43
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03/09/43
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(Note
on Convoys)
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