HNorMS Glaisdale, Type III sister-ship (Navy Photos, click to enlarge)

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Type III HUNT Class Escort Destroyer ordered from Swan Hunter at Newcastle  on  23rd August 1940 and laid down on 5th August 1941 as Job Number J4297. She was allocated to the Royal Hellenic Navy on 24th March 1942 and launched as HHelMS MIAOULIS on 13th April 1942. Build completion date was 25th November 1942.

B a t t l e   H o n o u r s

No British Battle Honours were awarded as

         the ship served in an allied Navy

Ship Badge

None is included in the Official List of Heraldic

Crests for RN warships as she was never

in commission with the Royal Navy.

D e t a i l s   o f   W a r   S e r v i c e   a s   H  H e l  M  S   M I A O U L I S 

(for more ship information,  go to Naval History Homepage and type name in Site Search)

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November

Contractors trials

25th - Build completion and commenced Acceptance Trials.

December

11th - Commissioned for service with 5th Destroyer based at Alexandria.

On completion of trials and storing took passage to Scapa Flow to work-up with ships of the Home Fleet.

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January

Working-up for Operational service. Nominated for escort of military convoy during Atlantic passage.

22nd - Joined escort for joint convoy KMS8 to Middle East and KMF8 to the Mediterranean in Clyde.

23rd - Deployed with HM Cutters BANFF and FISHGUARD, HM Armed Merchant Cruisers CANTON and CILICIA, HHMS ADRIAS, HM Destroyer QUADRANT, French Sloop SAVORGNAN DE BRAZZA and HM Destroyer RELENTLESS for escort of joint convoy during its passage in Atlantic.

30th - Detached and returned to Londonderry.

February

Nominated for escort of military convoy KMF9 to Gibraltar. (Note: During stay at Londonderry some personnel were changed due to ill-feeling between Greek and RN ratings. RN ratings were carried in the warships of allied nations to assist with radio and visual communications.)

10th - Passage to Gibraltar as escort for KMF9.

22nd - Detached at Gibraltar and carried out anti-submarine exercises prior to passage to join Flotilla in eastern Mediterranean

March

Joined 5th Destroyer Flotilla for convoy defence and support of army operations. (Note: Other ships in Flotilla were HM Destroyers ALDENHAM, BEAUFORT, BELVOIR. CROOME, DERWENT, HAYDON, DULVERTON, HOLCOMBE, HURSLEY, HURWORTH, ROCKWOOD and TETCOTT, all HUNT Class.)

Deployed in eastern Mediterranean.

April to May

Flotilla deployment in continuation (Note: During this period destroyers carried out interception patrols to enforce a blockade of the Cape Bon area in order to prevent enemy forces attempting to leave the area after the defeat of the Afrika Korps in Tunisia - Operation RETRIBUTION.)

June

Convoy defence and patrol in central Mediterranean. Nominated for support of allied landings in Sicily (Operation HUSKY)

July

10th - Took part in allied invasion of Sicily as part of Support Force East with other allied ships including Greek destroyers KANARIS, MIAOULIS, THEMISTOCLES and SAKHTOURIS. (Operation HUSKY)

August

Convoy defence and support of military operations in Sicily and Italian mainland in continuation. (Note: During this period allied military forces were being built up in preparation for planned landings on mainland which involved provision of escorts for military convoys in central and western Mediterranean.)

September

Flotilla duties in continuation. (Note: Not included in Northern Attack Force providing support for landings at Salerno (Operation AVALANCHE.))

Transferred with Flotilla to Alexandria for support of military operations in Aegean.. (Note: Increase in naval activity was anticipated in support of the planned allied operations to occupy Dodecanese islands in the Aegean Sea. (Operation ACCOLADE) – See IMPROVISE AND DARE by J S Guard, WAR IN THE AEGEAN by E. Walker and P Smith and the above references.)

October

1st - Deployed with sister destroyers HMS ALDENHAM and the Greek THEMISTOCLES for interception patrol.

2nd - Planned attack on convoy cancelled.

4th - Passage to Limassol with HM Destroyers ALDENHAM and ROCKWOOD .

6th - Deployed with HMS ROCKWOOD for patrol north of Rhodes.

7th - Took part in attack on invasion craft with HM Cruisers PENELOPE and SIRIUS.

9th - Under air attacks during patrol in Aegean.

17th - Took part in attack on invasion convoy with HM Destroyer HURSLEY during which an escort UJ2109 (Ex HMS WIDNES) was sunk and a transport TRAPANI badly damaged. (Note: TRAPANI was sunk the next night by HM Destroyers PENN and JERVIS.)

18th - Took part in bombardment of Kos.

20th - Deployed to carry relief stores to Leros.

26th - Carried out further supply deployed with stores to Leros.

November

Support of evacuation of personnel from Aegean islands.

11th - Bombarded Kos and Rhodes. On completion of evacuation resumed Flotilla convoy defence duties based at Alexandria.

December

Flotilla duties in continuation.

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January to June

Deployed in eastern Mediterranean with Flotilla.

July

Transferred to newly formed Greek Flotilla with other RHelN ships.

August to September

Nominated for support of military operations to reoccupy islands in eastern Mediterranean with ships of Greek Flotilla.

October to December

Deployed in support of allied re-occupation of Greece (Operation MANNA) with Greek Flotilla. (Note: Details of this operation are available in Naval and Military Staff Histories (HMSO).)

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January to May

Deployed with Greek Flotilla in support of re-occupation and for convoy defence.

June

Resumed control by Greek naval authority after VE Day.

P o s t   W a r   N o t e s

HHMS MIAOULIS remained in Greek service until 23rd September 1960 when she was returned to the Royal Navy. The ship was placed on the Disposal List and sold for breaking up  in Greece on 19th July 1961.