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Type
II HUNT Class Escort
Destroyer ordered from John I Thornycroft
at Woolston on
4th September 1939 under the 1939 War
Emergency
Programme. She was laid down as Job No J6l53
(Yard No 1212) on 12th December
1939 and launched on 5th August
1941 as the first RN ship carry the name, that
of a fox-hunt in Berwickshire..
Build was completed on 24th December 1941.
This ship was the only HUNT Class to
make a full
transatlantic crossing when lent to the Royal
Canadian Navy for an assessment
of this type of escort destroyer for its use
in lieu of the TOWN Class (Ex US
Navy destroyers). It is however noted that no
ship of this Class was ever used
by the RCN, perhaps because of their poor
endurance. Following a successful
WARSHIP WEEK National Savings campaign in May
1942 this ship was
adopted by the civil community of
Berwickshire, Scotland. Her completion date
appears to have been delayed, possibly due to
air raid damage in the shipyard
and repair of ships damaged during Norwegian
and other evacuations in 1940
which had high priority.
B
a t t
l e H o n o u r s
ATLANTIC 1942 - NORTH
SEA 1942 - SICILY 1943 - MEDITERRANEAN
1943 - SOUTH FRANCE 1944 - ADRIATIC 1944
H
e r a l d i
c D a t a
Badge:
On a Field Red.
two
antlers,
suspended from the tines
a bugle horn, stringed 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
1
December
Contractors trials and commissioned for
service
24th
Build completion and commenced Acceptance
Trials
1 9 4 2
January
Passage to Scapa Flow on completion of trials
and storing to work-up with ships of the Home
Fleet for operational service in 20th Escort
Group, Western Approaches Command.
Joined Group on
completion.
February
Detached for service with Western Local Escort
Force based at Halifax Canada.
See above..
16th
Took passage to Halifax with HM Destroyer
CALDWELL.
21st
Arrived at Halifax and prepared for RCN
service..
24th
Joined Western Local Escort Force at Halifax.
(Note: The loan period took place during
increased in U-Boat activity off the
east coast of
America. See U-BOAT WAR IN THE ATLANTIC
(HMSO).
March
Deployed as Local Escort between Halifax and
St Johns Newfoundland.
Escorted Halifax - St. Johns convoys,
including SC72, ON70 and SC75.
30th
After release from loan took passage to
Londonderry for convoy escort duty in Western
Approaches.
April
Deployed in NW Approaches.
15th
Joined military convoy WS18 with HM Destroyers
BADSWORTH,
GEORGETOWN,
LANCASTER and
ST
MARY'S
as Local Escort during passage in NW
Approaches.
19th
Detached from WS18 for return passage to
Londonderry.
Passage to join Rosyth Escort Force for
North Sea convoy escort
May
North Sea convoy defence with Rosyth Escort
Force in continuation
to
(For details of North Sea convoy defence see
THE BATTLE OF THE EAST COAST
December
1939 -1945 by J P Foynes and THREE CORVETTES
by N. Monsarrat).
1 9 4 3
January
Rosyth Escort Force deployment in
continuation.
Nominated for service in Mediterranean.
February
Taken in hand for refit at Hull in commercial shipyard.
March
On completion of post refit trials and
prepared for foreign service.
April
Nominated for escort of military convoy during
passage to join Fleet at Gibraltar.
16th
Joined joint military Convoy KMF13/WS29 in
Clyde with HM Destroyer VENOMOUS, HM
Sloops WELLINGTON, WESTON, HM Cutters
GORLESTON, TOTLAND, HM Frigates
NESS and EXE for Ocean Escort to Gibraltar.
(Note: HM Cruiser NEWCASTLE and HM Destroyer RAPID were also deployed to provide
cover for passage of convoy.).
20th
Remained with Convoy KMF13 when WS29 detached
for passage to
Freetown
as escort.
Joined 60th Escort Division at Malta
May
Deployed for convoy defence in western
Mediterranean.
Carried out bombardment of
Kelebia, Tunisia in
support of military advance.
Took part in blockade of Cape Bon area to
intercept craft evacuating enemy forces from
Tunisia (Operation RETRIBUTION See ENGAGE THE
ENEMY MORE CLOSELY by
Corelli Barnett).
On release from RETRIBUTION deployed for
convoy defence and anti-submarine patrol
central Mediterranean.
June
Deployed for escort of Convoy UG8A from
Gibraltar to North African ports.
Nominated for support of planned allied
landings in Sicily.
July
Joined Support Force East for Sicilian
landings (Operation HUSKY).
7th
Part of escort for military Convoy SMB1 from
Sfax to Beach Head.
10th
Detached from SMB1 on arrival at BARK SOUTH
Beach Head.
Deployed for naval gunfire support, defensive,
patrol and convoy defence.
(For details see above reference, Naval Staff
History and for information relating to all
ships
involved BRITISH INVASION FLEETS by J de
Winser.).
August
On release from
HUSKY resumed convoy Defence and patrol
duties in
Mediterranean.
September
Mediterranean convoy defence and patrol
deployment in continuation.
to
December
1 9 4
4
January
Convoy defence and patrol duties based at
Malta in continuation.
to
May
June
Nominated for escort and support of planned
allied landings in South France under overall
US
Navy command.
Transferred to 5th Destroyer Flotilla and took
passage to Alexandria.
July
Transferred with Flotilla to
Naples for escort of assault convoys .
(Operation DRAGOON - See LANDINGS IN THE SOUTH
OF FRANCE (HMSO) and
above references.)
August
Based at Naples and prepared for service under
US Navy command.
Joined HM Escort Destroyers ALDENHAM,
BEAUFORT, BELVOIR, BLACKMORE,
EGGESFORD
and Greek PINDOS as
escort for SM2 conveys to assault assembly
area
13th
Sailed with convoy from Naples.
15th
Detached from convoy on arrival off Beach
Head.
On release from
DRAGOON returned to RN control by CinC
Mediterranean.
September
Deployed for convoy escort and patrol in
central Mediterranean.
to
Transferred for convoy defence and support of
military operations in Adriatic.
December
For details of Adriatic naval activities see
THE LAST DESTROYER by FA Mason)
1 9 4
5
January
Flotilla deployment in central Mediterranean and Adriatic in
continuation.
to
April
May
Nominated for
service in
Indian
Ocean after refit at Simonstown.
June
Passage to UK to give
leave.
July
Leave and maintenance in UK.
August
Passage to Simonstown.
P o s t W a r N o t e s
HMS
LAUDERDALE was refitted
by HM Dockyard Simonstown despite the
ending of the war against Japan. After refit
was completed she
joined Mediterranean Fleet. During 1946 the
ship was surveyed prior to transfer
on loan to the Royal Hellenic
Navy and in May 1946 was renamed AIGAION. The
ship served in the Greek Navy
until December 1959 and sold for demolition in
Greece the next year.
Addendum
CONVOY
ESCORT MOVEMENTS
of HMS LAUDERDALE
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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28/02/42
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28/02/42
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SC 072
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06/03/42
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17/03/42
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25/02/42
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11/03/42
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ON 070
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15/03/42
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15/03/42
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18/03/42
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18/03/42
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SC 075
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24/03/42
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03/04/42
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28/04/42
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29/04/42
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WN 276
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30/04/42
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30/04/42
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30/11/42
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30/11/42
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KX 007
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08/12/42
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08/12/42
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06/12/42
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13/12/42
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MKS 003Y
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23/12/42
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23/12/42
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03/01/43
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03/01/43
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KX 008
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13/01/43
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21/01/43
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14/01/43
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20/01/43
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MKS 005X
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25/01/43
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25/01/43
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24/04/43
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24/04/43
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KMS 013G
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26/04/43
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26/04/43
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26/04/43
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26/04/43
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KMS 013
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29/04/43
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29/04/43
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29/05/43
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29/05/43
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KMS 015G
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30/05/43
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30/05/43
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31/05/43
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31/05/43
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KMS 015
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08/06/43
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14/06/43
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14/05/43
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02/06/43
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UGS 008A
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08/06/43
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08/06/43
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14/07/43
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21/07/43
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MKF 019
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22/07/43
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30/07/43
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28/07/44
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29/07/44
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MKF 033
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31/07/44
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11/08/44
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18/07/44
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30/07/44
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KMF 033
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31/07/44
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31/07/44
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13/08/44
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13/08/44
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SM 002A
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15/08/44
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15/08/44
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19/08/44
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19/08/44
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SRM 003
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unknown
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unknown
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(Note
on Convoys)
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